For example, Hewlett-Packard Co. by late June will largely "have dual-core capability across the entire set of processors, from the least expensive processors all the way to the top end," said John Gromala, director of server product marketing. HP's single-socket systems will be updated later this year with dual-core capabilities.

HP plans to release new ProLiant and BladeSystem servers next month in seven of its server models and make Intel Xeon dual-core chips the dominant processors on its two- and-four-way server-line products. According to HP, users will see a tripling in performance -- not only from the processors but also because of a redesign of the subsystems, including memory, storage and management controllers to take advantage of the chip capabilities and power management functions to reduce power use during off-peak periods.

HP's new DL360 system, for instance, will support six drives, up from two.

IBM also announced products this week that use the new chip, as did Rackable Systems Inc. in Milpitas, Calf.

With other hardware makers touting similar plans, Intel officials expect that by the end of this year, 85% of the processors the company ships will be dual-core chips, said Scott McLaughlin, an Intel spokesman.