HP introduced the 64-bit xw9300 Workstation, the first to include AMD Opteron processors and support for NVIDIA Quadro SLI dual PCI Express graphics, built for customers with intensive computing demands, including 3D animation.
The HP xw9300 Workstation supports two AMD Opteron 200 series processors with the Model 246 (2.0 GHz), Model 248 (2.2 GHz), Model 250 (2.4 GHz), dual NVIDIA Quadro PCI Express x16 graphic solutions, the NVIDIA nForce Professional MCP, introducing NVIDIA scalable link interface (SLI) technology, up to 16 gigabytes of memory, IEEE 1394 and USB 2.0 ports in the front and back, five internal hard drives for up to 1.5 terabytes of storage, and support for Windows XP Professional and Red Hat Linux WS3.0 (64-bit) operating systems.
The HP xw9300 Workstation provides a broader choice of workstation products for our customers who demand reliable but advanced technologies that help increase productivity, lower costs and reduce risks, said Jim Zafarana, vp and worldwide marketing manager, Workstation Global Business Unit, HP. For several months, customers have been asking for the AMD Opteron processor in our workstation family, while also calling for increased graphics capability for engineering design, animation development and scientific exploration. Today, we deliver on these requests with a product that can increase their productivity and help make them more competitive.
The processing power of two AMD Opteron processors and advanced 3D graphics capabilities of dual PCI Express allow customers to visualize large data sets with greater accuracy, helping to reduce risk of error and potentially limit increased costs due to inaccuracies.
The NVIDIA nForce Professional MCP and the family of NVIDIA Quadro graphics boards offered with the HP xw9300 Workstation will provide customers with a platform that takes graphic performance and visualization to a new level, said Jeff Brown, general manager, professional solutions group, NVIDIA. This new platform introduces NVIDIA Quadro SLI, which delivers substantial advancements in design and research capabilities by integrating two PCI Express graphics boards into this extraordinary HP workstation.
HP workstation customers who plan to migrate to a 64-bit environment will appreciate the AMD Opteron processor, with its ability to simultaneously run 32- and 64-bit applications. The AMD Opteron processor helps produce performance gains with its unique Direct Connect Architecture that reduces memory and other system bottlenecks, offering customers the ability for increased performance and efficiency behind demanding applications by reducing latency and memory consumption while increasing bandwidth.
The new HP xw9300 Workstation is the next step in high-end visualization workstations. HP is responding to the needs of workstation customers who are demanding an AMD Opteron processor-based computing solution that will provide the ultimate in 32- and 64-bit performance, said Ben Williams, vp, Commercial and Server/Workstation Business, AMD.
NVIDIA nForce Professional MCPs are the first and only platform PCI-Express core-logic solutions for AMD Opteron processor-based computing platforms, offering full 32-bit and 64-bit support for Linux and Microsoft Windows environments. NVIDIA nForce Professional MCPs employ a scalable, innovative, single-chip architecture that offers a range of technological capabilities, such as the latest RAID storage technology and native Gigabit Ethernet controller that improves overall system efficiency and performance.
The HP xw9300 is available now and starts at an estimated U.S. street price of $1,899.
HP (www.hp.com) is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The companys offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing and imaging and printing.
Santa Clara, California-based NVIDIA Corp. (www.nvidia.com) is a worldwide leader in graphics and digital media processors.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
