Matt,
In the past I have used SGI systems for 3D modeling (using IDEAS
software). They were replaced with HP J class workstations (two CPU and
everything), I'm an old HP-UX fan, so the OS wasn't an issue.
The J class (I'm not sure what they're called now} were workhorses when
it came to the work I was doing *IF* they were equipped with the correct
graphics card.
Sun also has workstations targeted towards the CAM/CAD audience, but as
with the HP, be very careful with your graphics card selection. It can
make or break a system.
As far as Intel/Linux are concerned, I've seen systems targeted at
gamers, but not really the CAD/CAM audience.
In summary this isn't actually an answer to your question per se just
advice from someone who has been there. I like my J class. It rocks,
hard. I'm sure there are others who disagree, but you have my $.02.
Wayne
Matt McGrievy wrote:
Hi All,
I've been tasked with pricing out some replacements for SGI O2s and
Octanes, which mostly run crystallography and NMR applications. I'm
trying to determine whether to stick with SGI hardware (with either
MIPS/IRIX or Intel/Linux), or find a high-end Linux workstation with a
very beefy graphics card. For reference sake, we're looking in the
range of the SGI Tezro or Prism. So in trying to determine whether we
could move to a comparable Linux workstation, I have a couple of
questions...
1) Are SGIs still way out in front of everyone else in terms of
graphics performance? I've read the specs on V10 and V12 frame
buffers, but I can't really parse them well enough to compare them
with a high-end ATI/NVidia card. It's especially difficult since the
Prism uses an ATI card. Hard to know what the difference will be (and
obviously frame buffers are not my forte).
2) Is anyone using SGI's version of Linux? I'm wondering if it's
derived from an existing distribution or if they've custom built
something.
3) Are there particular PC vendors who are considered leaders in
graphics workstations that would be suitable for a work environment.
We could build workstations, but we'd want hardware maintenance and such.
Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks,
Matt
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