IBM Unix server clocks new high score in performance tests

New pSeries hits one million transactions per minute and tops the TPC's cost per transaction table

IBM has announced a new top score in the TPC-C price/performance index last week.

For the first time a mid-range Unix server has scored more than 1 million transactions per minute running the TPC-C benchmark. More impressive still, the same system now holds the best price per transaction score of any system - clustered or unclustered - in the TCP-C top ten. "This 16-way pSeries 570 Power5+ based system achieves a result higher than a 64way Itanium based HP Superdome," said Robertson. The Superdome test was done using the 1.5GHz Itanium 2 chips because benchmarks for 1.65GHz Itanium 2 chips and the recently announced Montecito dual-core Itanium chips are not yet available, he added.

The fastest clock speed Power5+ chip currently runs at 2.2GHz, while most versions of the QCM run at 1.5GHz. IBM is expected to announce its Power6 chip running at 4GHz next year.