Hp Xw4550 Workstation Frequently Asked Questions; Amd ® Opteron Technology - HP xw4550 Frequently Asked Questions Manual

Who will benefit from the
functionality and features of
the HP xw4550 Workstation?
Does HP offer ENERGY STAR®
support on the xw4550?
Do I need a business desktop
or an entry workstation? What
is the difference?
Will I have to change my
golden image on the HP
xw4550 Workstation?
AMD Opteron Technology
®
What are some of the key
features and benefits offered
by AMD Opteron?
The HP xw4550 Workstation
implements AMD's Direct
Connect Architecture. What
does this mean?
What is the advantage of
having the DDR memory
controller integrated (on-chip)?
Market Segment
MCAD
DCC
Power office
Yes. HP offers a standard 80 PLUS efficient power supply, which is a requirement for all ENERGY STAR configurations as
well as select SKUs that have been certified for ENERGY STAR.
The value of a workstation when compared to a business desktop PC is characterized by several things:
• High-performance 3D OpenGL graphics and professional 2D multi-display graphics—for the ultimate visualization and
design interaction experience
• Professional ISV certifications on technical applications - for guaranteed compatibility and reliability, optimized
performance, and supportability
• Choice of operating system (Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, or Red Hat Linux)—for flexibility of working environments
and IT infrastructure
• ECC memory—for error correction and improved data integrity
• High power—for rich configurations
Yes. The HP xw4550 is a completely new platform based on new technology from AMD. The system drivers are new;
therefore you will have to create new golden images. Manageability software is available to help with this image building
process.
AMD's Opteron processors provide outstanding performance in a small and power-efficient package. Some of the key
unique enablers to this performance include AMD's Direct-Connect architecture and HyperTransport technology. See
below for more information on these features.
The AMD Direct Connect Architecture addresses and helps eliminate the real challenges and bottlenecks of system
architecture providing superior computing performance. With the AMD Opteron Direct Connect Architecture, the HP
xw4550's memory is connected directly to the CPU optimizing memory performance, the I/O is directly connected to the
CPU helping balance throughput and enable expandable I/O and the CPU are connected directly to CPU allowing more
Linear Symmetrical Multiprocessing.
The HP xw4550's AMD Opteron processor integrates the memory controller on-chip, reducing memory latency. Reduced
memory latency is important for applications that frequently miss cache (i.e. scatter-gather operations).
Benefits
The xw4550 is pre-certified with a variey of AutoDesk, UGS, PTC software and others,
providing an optimized solution for mechanical engineers, architects, electrical designers
and civil engineers, and software developers.
The xw4550 is certified with Adobe Premier Pro, Avid and more giving entry and mid-level
profesionals an affordable digital content creation system they can count on.
For advanced business users who have outgrown the limits of traditional PCs, the xw4550
provides an easy, affordable way to step up to workstation power.
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