It is amazing and this is a .18u Al process Itanium2 compared to a Power4 manufactured on IBM's supposedly state of the art .13u 9 metal layer SOI process. The same one AMD can't seem to get to work. The Itanium2, on what is now an almost 2 generation old, 5 metal layer Al process is setting the performance standard. Like you, I'm eager to see how much more distance Madison can put on the field.
If memory serves, the Intel 0.18 micron process is a 6-metal layer process, not 5. It is, however, definately aluminum.