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Overview
Introducing IBM eX5 enterprise systems
Make your business operate smarter.
Workloads are growing, data is exploding, and memory-intensive applications need more than raw processing power, they need more memory to maximize performance. Enterprise X-Architecture allows System x and BladeCenter systems to boost performance and minimize licensing costs by de-coupling memory from the processor. This allows businesses to add memory as needed without necessarily adding servers
IBM eX5 enterprise systems deliver extraordinary value and investment protection for enterprise-level virtualization, database, and transaction processing.
Roland Hagan, World Wide VP IBM System x Servers, discusses eX5, the next leap forward in x86 server architecture and design.
IBM eX5 systems benefits
IBM eX5 enterprise systems, featuring the Intel® Xeon® processor 7500 series and Intel Xeon processor 6500 series, are designed to help your business:
And all of the benefits in the eX5 portfolio of systems are easy to acquire, own and manage and include OnForever™ reliability for maximum availability.
IBM eX5 systems innovations include:
MAX5 – Unprecedented memory expansion with the external MAX5 memory chassis, decoupling server memory from system processors to allow you to optimize your server performance
eXFlash – Get dramatically faster I/O, with greater storage density and improved reliability
FlexNode – Gain the ability to re-deploy your server on a project-by-project basis for superior asset utilization and workload management
Scalability – Updating IBM's innovative 'pay-as-you-grow' capability by enabling all eX5 servers to scale
Workload optimized systems – Delivering specific workload-tuned models to minimize your time to value by leveraging IBM's industry expertise.
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4-socket system
The premiere x86 enterprise system just got even better
Your business needs to manage costs while meeting the demands of customers, partners and employees. You need rack systems that offer the performance your applications need, the flexibility the market demands, and the availability your customers expect–all at a cost your business can afford. The new System x3850 X5 has the capability to scale from 4 to 8 sockets with memory, storage and processing capacity to meet the demands of your business now and into the future.
Watch an animated demo of System x3850 X5 features and benefits.
Why choose System x3850 X5?
The System x3850 X5 is designed to help your business address demands from key workloads:
Larger, faster databases
Support larger, faster databases than today’s systems can handle, with x3850 X5. Your databases need more memory, processing power, and room to grow. MAX5 memory expansion and eXFlash SSD technology increase your system’s memory and storage, delivering larger, faster databases and reducing the need for additional systems or external storage. FlexNode partitioning and automatic failover are designed to simplify maintenance and maximize uptime.
Consolidation
Consolidating and virtualizing workloads from multiple servers onto an x3850 X5 with MAX5 can help lower costs. With FlexNode partitioning you can re-deploy systems on a project-by-project or day-to-night basis – with no physical change to the systems. Consolidation of many-to-one allows higher utilization and better ROI, lower administration costs, less power consumption, and less rack space.
Enterprise workloads
With x3850 X5, you can run your enterprise workloads more efficiently and protect your IT investment. Move enterprise workloads off proprietary platforms like Sun SPARC and HP with Itanium to a cost efficient, industry standard platform. Take advantage of the enterprise-class robustness and reliability of the IBM eX5 platform.
Key features
The new System x3850 X5 offers improved performance and enhanced features including MAX5 memory expansion and workload optimized models to maximize memory, minimize costs, and simplify deployment. Compared to previous generation servers, the x3850 X5 offers:
- Twice the memory capacity – up to 64 DIMMS standard and 96 DIMMs with the MAX5 memory expansion per 4-socket server
- Intel® Xeon® processor 7500 series – Exceptional scalable performance with advanced reliability for your most data-demanding applications
- Four times the SAS capacity with 8 HDDs and 300GB 2.5" SAS drives or 1.6TB of hot-swappable, RAID 5, with eXFlash technology
- Standard dual port Emulex 10GB Virtual Fabric adapter
Product details
Learn more about the System x3850 X5 (US)
Related links
- What software companies are saying about IBM eX5 (US)
- More exciting System x product announcements (US)
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2-socket system
Nowhere to go but up
Growing businesses may find budget constraints forcing them to compromise on IT acquisitions – compromises that can cost more in the future. The new IBM System x3690 X5 is a 2U system designed to offer many of the performance, memory capacity, and reliability features previously found only in four-socket offerings to help you spend less now, while planning for the future.
Watch an animated demo of System x3690 X5 features and benefits.
Why choose System x3690 X5?
Lower entry point to enterprise x86 server technology
Database performance
Virtual desktop environments
Key features
With eX5 scalability, the two-socket x3690 X5 offers up to 4X the memory capacity with MAX5 Memory Expansion and double the processing cores of previous generation two-socket systems. These systems feature:
- Intel® Xeon® processor 6500 series – enabling maximum utilization with flexible virtualization.
- Up to 33% greater SAS capacity with 16 HDDs or 2.4 TB of hot-swappable, RAID 5 with eXFlash technology
- Available dual port Emulex 10GB Virtual Fabric adapter
- Scalable to 4-socket and memory expanded configurations
- Preconfigured workload-optimized models
Related links
- What software companies are saying about IBM eX5 (US)
- More exciting System x product announcements (US)
Related services
Blade server
Blades re-innovated
Going beyond the industry standards with unique innovations, the new IBM BladeCenter® HX5 offers unparalleled value for your business critical applications. HX5 delivers unprecedented compute performance, memory footprint and I/O bandwidth to enable maximum utilization in a blade form factor for compute- and memory-intensive enterprise workloads.
Watch an animated demo of BladeCenter HX5 features and benefits.
Why choose BladeCenter HX5?
Faster time to value with eX5 enterprise class blade servers
Ideal platform for enterprise workloads
Optimal server consolidation
Key features
IBM BladeCenter® HX5 is a scalable, high-performance blade server with unprecedented compute and memory performance, and flexibility ideal for compute and memory-intensive enterprise workloads. The HX5 features:
- Intel® Xeon® processor 7500 series, pushing the limits on scalable performance.
- Greater memory capacity, with MAX5, enabling more or larger VMs per server
- Enhanced computing capacity for more transactions per minute in a blade server
- FlexNode partitioning and pay-as-you-grow expansion offer great investment protection and maximum system uptime
Related links
- What software companies are saying about IBM eX5 (US)
- More exciting System x product announcements (US)
Related services
Videos
The new IBM eX5 enterprise systems
Featuring eX5, the 5th generation of enterprise X-Architecture® from IBM, and based on the new Intel® Xeon® processor 7500 series and Intel Xeon processor 6500 series, these new systems radically expand the capabilities of the x86 platform, breaking through memory bottlenecks with exceptional scalable performance and advanced reliability.
Find out how IBM is redefining the x86 server landscape.
Live video broadcasts:
Watch the IBM eX5 announcement Web event and videos.
Hear the benefits of eX5 from clients, IBM and Intel, and Business Partners via live broadcasts from Hanover, Germany, and the New York Stock Exchange.
Click "Turn on" in the screen above to view the channel. To switch from on-air to on-demand viewing, press the on-demand button on the lower left of the player and select from a menu of System x videos.

