Desktop or Workstation - Which
do you need?
reprinted with permission from the HP Small Business
Center
Workstations are more accessible and more flexible than ever,
but do you need that kind of power? How exactly do workstations differ
from traditional desktops? Who uses workstations, and what benefits do
they offer?
Who uses
workstations?
Workstations are designed to meet the requirements of
users who place heavy demands on their computers, including:
- Power office users who
perform complicated and data-intensive office functions—graphic, video
and web design, complex linked calculations, database and spreadsheet
manipulations and advanced collaboration functions.
- Technical personnel who work
in design and simulation functions that can include MCAD (Mechanical
Computer Aided Design), CAE (Computer Aided Engineering), and ECAD
(Electronics Computer Aided Design) in industries as diverse as
aeronautics, automotive design, product prototyping and more.
- Animators, graphic artists,
video editors and renderers who engage in DCC (Digital Content
Creation).
- Traders or other employees
in financial sectors that require quad-monitor support and the computing
power to manage complex real time transactions seamlessly.
What makes a workstation a
workstation?
There are several features that make a workstation
stand out from a traditional desktop PC:
- More processing
power
Workstation processors support multiprocessing (having
more than one processor on the system bus), and generally allow
multi-core (having more than one processor core in a single socket). An
application like Adobe€ Photoshop, for example, has computationally
intense effect filters that it can apply over multiple processor cores,
speeding the whole operation dramatically.
- More robust memory
subsystems
Large amounts of physical memory are necessary to
run demanding applications, as well as to perform tasks like 'rendering
to RAM' previews of movies. Unfortunately, physical memory is
susceptible to 'soft' memory errors. To eliminate these errors,
workstations support ECC (Error Checking and Correction). ECC detects
and corrects single-bit soft memory errors, resulting in fewer instances
of corrupted data or system crashes.
- High-end graphics
capabilities
The newest generation of HP workstations
incorporates the latest 2D and 3D graphics technology and the PCI
Express 2.0 slots to provide a wide range of cost-effective graphics
solutions. Several 2D graphics cards are available for users that want
good 2D performance at competitive price points. For instance, video
editing and financial services applications generally support multiple
2D monitors, but don't require 3D functionality. 3D graphics is required
for animation in DCC and MCAD users. The new workstations provide a wide
range of 3D cards to meet every need.
New HP Z-series
Workstations
The newest generation of HP workstations, the Z
series, offers all the workstation functionality discussed above, with
powerful new features. The new Z workstations introduced the
latest-generation processor technology from Intel, the Intel€ Xeon
processor, built on the same micro-architecture as the Intel€ Core€ i7
processor. The Xeon eliminates bottlenecks previously encountered in
multiprocessor systems—the front side bus. With this new architecture and
its chipset, each processor has its own memory controller. This results in
huge improvements to workstation memory bandwidth, which is performance
staple of high-demand applications.
The HP Z Workstations also
employ an extensive change to the I/O subsystem. The chipset now consists
of an I/O hub (IOH) and an I/O controller hub (ICH). The I/O hub provides
support for one or two PCI Express 2.0 (sometimes called "PCI Express Gen
2") graphics cards and connects directly to the I/O controller hub, which
provides additional I/O connectivity. PCI Express 2.0 doubles the peak
data rate from the previous generation. The new workstations leverage the
connectivity in the new hub to directly support dual PCI Express x16 ("by
16") graphics cards and even SLI, native for the first time in the Intel
architecture.
Thanks to collaboration with
the BMW Group Designworks, the HP Z Workstations are designed from the
ground-up to be more energy efficient, quiet, serviceable, and expandable.
Several of the new systems have completely redesigned electromechanical
enclosures, allowing for tool-less access to everything from the power
supply to the mother board. All of the Z series workstations have 80 PLUS
efficient, ENERGY STAR€ 5.0 qualified configurations.
If you're a power user with
intense multitasking needs, you'll find that a workstation—even an
entry-level model—offers you the maximum computing potential you need to
get your job done quickly and seamlessly.
Call your Account Manager at Databranch today to learn more
about HP Workstations and which workstation is right for you.
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