IBM plans AMD Opteron-based workstation

IBM announced plans to ship an AMD Opteron-based workstation, the IntelliStation A Pro, in May. The Opteron processor supports both 32- and 64-bit applications. This dual capability lets you reap the performance benefits of 64-bit technology while retaining access to your existing 32-bit applications. One of the main 64-bit performance advantages comes from the ability to use up to 16GB of RAM. The current limit on 32-bit systems is 4GB.

Pricing starts at $2,619 for a base model, but expect to pay $6,000 or more for a model configured for top performance. IBM says its IntelliStation workstations are aimed at graphics- and floating point-intensive applications such CAD, CAE, and petroleum exploration and production. "Our customers are demanding a versatile solution that can adapt and evolve with their changing needs,” said jeff Benck, vice president of IBM eServer systems.

The IntelliStation A Pro is available with a 2.2- or 1.8GHz Opteron processor with PC 3200 memory. It features high-memory addressability for deep datasets and HyperTransport architecture that supports 8X AGP grpahics and PCI-X. A variety of NVIDIA graphics cards are available, including the NVIDIA Quadro FX 3000. IBM preloads the system with Red Hat Enterprise Workstation LINUX 3.0 for 32 and 64 bits. The IntelliStation A Pro also runs SUSE LINUX at 32 and 64 bits and MicroSoft Windows XP Professional 32 bit with planned support for the upcoming 64-bit version.