Hardware Geeks

Workstations in general, and HP workstations in particular, were introduced to me as a viable alternative to the fully configured desktop computer system.

Pursuant to that, I received a couple of HP workstations to review. My review of the xw4600 follows below. The xw6600, which shares the same design and performance philosophies; as a result, that review will focus on the performance scenarios run by SmallBizVista.com.

Design philosophy
One of the most important things HP did with their workstation line was to define a design regimen that would enable the creation of game-changing workstations that would holistically embrace the best the world offers. At the same time, comfort, expandability, power management, and most of all, performance

a) Industry Standard Architecture or ISA. From a compatibility and longevity standpoint, this is big. Unlike the adherents to the closed systems developed by the names in the workstation space in the days of yore, this is a development that protects your investment in this hardware for years.

b) A small footprint. The Personal Workstation line comes in the same form factor we have come to recognize, with the xw6600 being a somewhat slimmer unit.

c) Tool-less chassis. During my day at the HP Workstation BU, I saw several of the units broken down – all without any tools of any sort! For most power users, engineers, and creative professionals, this is a boon, for it allows for greater expandability at the whim of the user.

This is a very important point that cannot be underscored: all of the power to expand is now in the hands of the consumer, not the system OEM.

In HP workstations, your finger on green touch-points inside the system case is the tool you need. It is particularly telling that “all user-replaceable components in the system can be accessed, upgraded, or replaced without the use of tools.” In my use and review, I concur wholeheartedly. As someone whose system configurations are always in flux, I am pleased.

d) Acoustics. At the (day job) office and at Uni-Matrix Zero One, my desktop systems roar constantly due to the fans that strive to keep them cool. Do not even bring the turbine-like whine of my gaming rig into the equation.

Well, for the workstation line, HP made noise attenuation and sound acoustics – no pun intended – a priority. These systems are q-u-i-e-t. Eerily so, too.

The xw6600 in particular is a paragon of quietness. I have, for the first time since we moved systems to under the desk a while ago, placed the xw6600 on my desktop with no discomfort at all. It is that quiet.

e) Energy efficiency. Remember this: 80+. Also known as 80 Plus, this signifies that the power supply unit is certified 80%+ efficient. $5.29/gallon gasoline. Need I say more?

f) Energy Star™ 4 compliance. Basic configurations of most of this entire line meet the Energy Star 4 standard.

Performance philosophy
a) Latest-generation CPUs, GPUs, and chipsets.

b) Dual Gen2 PCIe x16 graphics driving up to four 3D or six 2D displays.

c) A multitude of DIMM slots

d) Integrated 10/100/1000 PCIe GigE

e) Several internal storage bays

f) Integrated SATA controller

g) Optional Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) controller.

Thrown into this mix is HP’s Performance Tuning Framework, or PTF. An exclusive free tool for workstation customers, the PTF gives users an incredibly easy way to optimize system performance for the configurations that individual system is tasked with, checking for variables such as the latest certified graphics drivers for installed applications and providing tuning for them, among others.

Oh, and for legacy freaks, there is a floppy disk option!

HP xw4600 Personal Workstation
I have been testing the HP xw4600 Personal Workstation these past few weeks.

The xw4600 is near the low end of a range of extremely powerful and very customizable workstations from HP. However, it is priced starting against some of the more pedestrian systems we find at mega-mart. Have no fear though, this is one serious machine

My test unit came with a Core 2 Duo processor, 8GB of RAM, and Windows Vista Business x64.

I promptly erased Vista Business and installed Windows Vista Ultimate x64.

In reviewing this unit, I decided on three scenarios:

An architect's desktop, using AutoCAD,
A virtualization workhorse, using Microsoft Virtual Server to manage several VMs, and
A power user's system.
System Specs:
HP xw4600 Personal workstation
80+ efficient chassis
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500, 3.16 GHz 6MB RAM (1333MHz)
Nvidia Quadro FX3700 512MB PCIe
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Edition x64
8GB DDR2-800 ECC RAM
250 GB SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
16x DVD +/-RW SATA optical drive
I replaced the supplied keyboard and mouse with the Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000
Read the entire HP xw4600 Review at AbsoluteVista.com

HP xw6600 Personal Workstation
I have had a copy of the HP xw6600 Personal Workstation for review at the Orbiting O’odua for nearly a month.

The xw6600 is one of the smallest form factor, dual-socket workstations on the market today. A product of HP’s over quarter-century of experience in workstations, this system came with an ultra quiet tool-less case*, dual quad-core Intel Xeon 5450 CPUs, and 4GB of DDR2-667 FBD RAM. This baby also came with a Quadro FX1700 with a whopping 768MB.

I reviewed the xw6600’s suitability to task in the following usage scenarios:

· Content creation, using Pinnacle Systems Studio 12 and HD content, and

· Several virtualization tasks.

System Specs:
HP xw6600 Personal workstation
800W 80+ efficient chassis
Dual Intel Xeon 5450, 3.0 GHz 12 MB RAM (1333MHz) each
Nvidia Quadro FX1700 768MB PCIe
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Edition x64
4GB DDR2-667 ECC FBD RAM
80 GB SATA 3.0 GB 7200 rpm hard drive
250 GB SATA 3.0 GB 7200 rpm hard drive
16x DVD +/-RW SATA optical drive
I replaced the supplied OS (Windows Vista Business) with Windows Vista Ultimate Edition SP1 x64, and the supplied keyboard and mouse with the Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 7000

Conclusion
This is one well-designed and engineered system. Performance over a range of usage scenarios was snappy, and predictable. I enjoyed using the xw6600 for a variety of tasks.

Because of the excellent performance of this system, we are giving it the AbsoluteVista.com Business Ready award.

* The xw6600 is the quietest desktop/desk side unit I have ever encountered, bar none!

Read the entire HP xw6600 Review at AbsoluteVista.com