IBM Adds Two More Flex Compute Nodes

IBM has added two compute nodes to its initial Flex System offering.

In addition to the previously launched x240 node, the company is now offering the x220 on the low-end, as well as the new high-end model x440.

The x220 integrates two sockets for Intel Xeon-E5-2400 processors, six DDR3 memory slots per socket to support a maximum of 192 GB capacity, as well as two hot-swappable 2.5-inch disk slots for HDDs or SSDs with a total storage capacity of up to 2 TB. According to IBM, the server is designed to be the affordable product in the Flex series and deliver a good compromise of cooling and power. Pricing starts at $2,019.

The x440 targets virtualization, database and other memory intensive workloads with four Xeon-E5-4600 processor sockets and support for up to 48 DIMMs with a total capacity of 1.5 TB. The server also comes with two 2.5-inch bays.

Prices begin at $7,539 and can exceed $90,000 in high-end configurations.

Wolfgang Gruener is a contributor to Tom's IT Pro. He is currently principal analyst at Ndicio Research, a market analysis firm that focuses on cloud computing and disruptive technologies, and maintains the conceivablytech.com blog. An 18-year veteran in IT journalism and market research, he previously published TG Daily and was managing editor of Tom's Hardware news, which he grew from a link collection in the early 2000s into one of the most comprehensive and trusted technology news sources.

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