Xserve (Early 2009)

Essentials

Family: Servers

Codename: ?

Gestalt ID: 406

Minimum OS: 10.5.6

Maximum OS: 10.10.4

Introduced: April 2009

Processor

CPU: Intel Xeon 5500 Series ("Gainestown")

CPU Speed: 2.26 GHz/2x 2.26 GHz

CPU Cores: 4

FPU: integrated

Bus Speed: see notes

Data Bus Width: 64-bit

Address Bus Width: 64-bit

Level 1 Cache: 32 kB data, 32 kB instruction

Level 2 Cache: 256 kB per-core (1 MB total)

Level 3 Cache: 8 MB on-processor

ROM: EFI

RAM Type: PC-8500 DDR3 ECC SDRAM

Minimum RAM Speed: 1066 MHz

Onboard RAM: 0 MB

RAM slots: 6/12

Maximum RAM: 12/24 GB

Expansion Slots: 2x PCI Express 2.0 x16 (1 6.6-inch and 1 9.25-inch)

Video

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GT 120

VRAM: 256 MB GDDR3

Video Out: Mini DisplayPort

Storage

Hard Drive: 160 GB 7200 RPM (3 hot-pluggable bays, up to 3 TB)

ATA Bus: 3x Serial ATA

Optical Drive: 8x SuperDrive

Input/Output

USB: 3 2.0: 2 on back panel, 1 on front panel

Serial: DB-9

Firewire800: 2

Speaker: mono

Networking

Ethernet: 2x 10/100/1000Base-T

Miscellaneous

Power: 750 Watts

Dimensions: 1.73" H x 17.6" W x 30" D

Weight: 30.8 lbs.

Notes

The Xserve (Early 2009) has no frontside bus, and as such there is no published bus speed. In its place, the Mac Pro uses Intel's QuickPath Interconnect system, a bi-directional, point-to-point connection system, which is functionally equivalent to a frontside bus operating at roughly 1:1 with the processor clock speed. An 8-core model with all slots and bays filled weighed 38.3 lbs.

Introduced in April 2009, the Xserve (Early 2009) replaced the Xserve (Early 2008). Though the clock rate of the Xeon 5500-series processor was lower than that of the 5400-series, the system used Intel's Nehalem architecture, which provided more efficient caching and faster, point-to-point connections between the CPU and other system components, which resulted in a generally faster system, particularly for highly multi-threaded applications.

The Xserve (Early 2009) was available in two base configurations, both with 3 GB of RAM and a 160 GB 7200 RPM hard drive. The quad-core model, with a 4-core 2.26 GHz Xeon 5500-series processor, started at $2999. The 8-core model, with two 4-core 2.26 GHz processors, started at $3599. Built-to-order options included dual 4-core 2.66 and 2.93 GHz processors, up to 24 GB of RAM, a 128 GB solid-state drive, up to 3 TB of storage via three hot-swappable bays, a Dual-Channel Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express card, Dual- and Quad-Channel 4 Gb Fibre Channel PCI Express cards, and a second hot-swappable 750W Power supply.

Picture Credits:
Apple, Inc.