PCI Express PCIe Graphics and I/O | HP xw4600 xw4600 specs

HP recommends Windows Vista® Business

What is HP’s Linux strategy in the future?

The HP Workstation team is continually evaluating market trends along with customer requirements to determine solu- tions that best meet customer needs. HP’s corporate strategy is strategic relationships with both Red Hat and Novell/SUSE and many of HP’s products offer both Red Hat and SUSE distributions.

What does the future hold for HP and Linux?

HP simplifies the integration of open source and Linux! Our solutions are built with best-of-breed software from our industry leading partners, complemented by HP value-add in areas like management and high availability clustering, implemented on market-leading standards-based platforms, and supported by HP Services worldwide.

Known for its performance, scalability, reliability and low cost, Linux is proving to be the answer for workstation environments that were in the past traditionally a proprietary UNIX infrastructure. Such markets as Digital Content Creation (DCC), oil and gas, EDA, MCAD, and software development areas are adopting and using Linux in their infrastructure.

Why doesn’t HP offer a dual HP cannot offer dual boots due to licensing agreements. boot with Windows and Linux?

What version of Red Hat Linux supports 64-bit?

Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS4 (RHEL WS4) has both a 32-bit version and a 64-bit version. HP will preinstall the 64-bit version of RHEL WS4 and will also support the 32- and 64-bit versions with a driver CD in the HP Installer Kit for Linux.

Are there other 64-bit distributions of Linux that will work on the HP Workstations?

It is very likely that other Linux distributions will work. However, Red Hat Enterprise Linux is the distribution HP is choosing to do a full engineering evaluation and support for our customers.

Can I run 32-bit apps on a 64-bit Linux OS? How does this work?

Yes, you can run 32-bit apps on 64-bit Linux OS as the runtime support (mainly shared libraries) for the application exists on the system. The Linux convention for having 32-bit libraries and 64-bit libraries on the same OS is to have companion library directories. The 32-bit libraries are in the conventional locations… /lib, /usr/lib, /usr/X11R6/lib, etc whereas 64-bit libraries just append 64 to the directory name such as /lib64, /usr/lib64 and /usr/X11R6/lib64. This also includes 32-bit versions of the graphics libraries which HP has included from the graphics vendors.

What do I do if my 32-bit apps do not run due to missing shared libraries?

You will need to get the library from Red Hat’s 32-bit RHEL 3 distribution and put it on your system in the appropriate directory and report the missing library to Red Hat through their Red Hat Network subscription. This will help Red Hat to get the right set of 32-bit libraries needed for most apps in future releases.

Once I have installed the 64-bit version of Linux, what do I have to do to build 64-bit apps?

Simple. Just rebuild from scratch and the compiler will build 64-bit by default. This is true for most apps. However, some apps must be made 64-bit clean which means that the developers must review the code to get rid of any assumptions about 32-bitness, such pointer arithmetic issues. Some make files that explicitly declare paths such as /lib, /usr/lib and /usr/X11R6/lib might need to be changed to append “64.”

PCI Express (PCIe) Graphics and I/O

What graphics cards are available on the new HP xw4600 Workstation?

Professional 2D NVIDIA Quadro NVS 290 (256 MB, up to two cards) and NVIDIA Quadro NVS 440 (256 MB, can be used in dual configuration with NVS 290)

Entry 3D NVIDIA Quadro FX 370 (256 MB, up to two cards) and NVIDIA Quadro FX 570 (256 MB, up to two cards)

Mid-range 3D ATI FireGL V5600 (512 MB) and NVIDIA Quadro FX 1700 (512 MB, up to two cards)

High-end 3D ATI FireGL V7700 (512 MB), NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700 (512 MB), and NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600 (768 MB)

Will the HP xw4600 support PCI Express Gen2?

Yes. Both PCI Express x16 slots in the HP xw4600 function at Gen2 bandwidth (double the bandwidth of Gen1). The other I/O slots in HP xw4600 function at PCI Express Gen1.

What is meant by PCI Express Gen2?

PCI Express Gen2 is the latest generation of PCI Express architecture. PCI Express Gen2 provides an incredible 5.0 giga transfers per second, double the bandwidth of the previous PCI Express Gen1. This additional bandwidth will enable unprecedented performance levels for next-generation graphics cards.

Should I buy a graphics card with 256 MB or 512 MB of memory or more?

Graphics performance is dependent upon many factors, including the amount of video memory. Higher performing cards also include bigger and faster GPUs, more memory bandwidth, and tend to have more features like dual-link connectors and support for stereo. The higher performance graphics cards will also have more memory (and a higher price). A dual-display configuration at 1920x1200 pixels will allocate about 70 MB for the frame buffer. The remaining graphics memory will be used to store textures, display lists (graphics data sent by your applications), and other data specific to graphics. If your application would benefit from more storage space for these items, then you should purchase a graphics card with more memory.