The Russian rival to Intel Corp’s Merced chip, Elbrus International’s E2K, will arrive on the market early next year. The 64-bit chip, which is said to be able to emulate Intel’s x86 design and the forthcoming IA-64 architecture but run three to five times faster, will be introduced at 600MHz using a 0.35 micron process. The E2K project, led by Russian supercomputer pioneer, Dr Boris Babaian, got a boost this February, when the influential mayor of Moscow, Yury Luzko promised to support the chip’s manufacture. Luzko was recently passed over for the job of Russian prime minister but is still seen by many commentators as a prospective future candidate.
