Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/398245
6 cgw s e p t e m b e r . o c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 S P O T L I G H T HP UNVEILS EXPANDABLE DESKTOP, MOBILE WORKSTATION LINE HP has introduced its most powerful Z Workstations, combining increased system expandability, higher-speed memory, and multicore updates, as well as access to the latest technologies. The new additions to the portfolio include: the new HP Z840, Z640, and Z440 desktop workstations, which feature the latest Intel Xeon processor product family, and Nvidia and AMD professional graphics options; and the new HP ZBook 15 G2 and 17 G2 Mobile Workstations, which take advantage of powerful processing, including optional Intel quad-core processors and Nvidia Quadro and AMD FirePro profession- al graphics that are ISV-certifi ed. The workstations in the new line include: the Z840 ($2,399) at the top, with seven expansion slots, up to 10 expansion bays, 16 memory slots and support for up to 2 tb of memory; the Z640 ($1,759), with up to 50 percent more discrete processor cores and 33 percent more memory; and the Z440 ($1,299), which includes a 100 per- cent increase in system memory compared to the HP Z420. The new ZBook Mobile Workstations off er new drive options, like the Z Turbo Drive and the fast connectivity of Thunderbolt 2. The HP ZBook 15 G2 and ZBook 17 G2 Mobile Work- station cost $1,499 and $1,749, respectively. Dell is off ering new tower and rack workstations based on the new Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3 and E5-1600 v3 processors. With 2133 mhz DDR4 memory, they are said to perform up to 4.7 times faster than the previous generation. This launch is unique because all the core system components have been refreshed at the same time – in addition to Intel's latest processors, the new work stations feature the latest AMD FirePro and Nvidia Quadro professional-grade graphics tech- nology, deliver faster speeds and in- creased memory capacity, and enable Dell workstation customers to take advantage of greater performance and scalability by upgrading all the key components at once. The updated tower workstations include the compact, single- socket Dell Precision Tower 5810 and dual-processor Dell Precision Tower 7810 and the highly expandable dual-processor Dell Precision Tower 7910. Also new with these systems is the option of Thunder- bolt 2 technology. Dell is further off ering the new Dell Precision Rack 7910, which off ers all the capabilities of the Tower 7910 in a 2U rack form factor. DELL BUILDS NEW TOWER, RACK WORKSTATIONS AMD DELIVERS W8100 AMD has rolled out the AMD FirePro W8100 professional graphics card, enabling new levels of workstation perfor- mance delivered by the company's second-generation AMD Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture. With nearly 38 times the performance of the closest competing product based on double-precision testing, and powered by OpenCL, the AMD FirePro W8100 is designed for the next generation of 4 k CAD and M&E workfl ows, engineer- ing analysis, and supercomputing applications. The AMD FirePro W8100 features a best-in-class 8 gb of GDDR5 memory, up to 4.2 tfl op of single-precision compute performance, and unmatched double-precision compute performance of up to 2.1 tfl op. The AMD FirePro W8100 is tuned for GPU-accelerated compute tasks. Up to four AMD FirePro W8100 cards can be combined in a sin- gle system for scalable GPU-com- pute performance of over 16 tfl op and support up to four 4k displays. The AMD FirePro W8100 began shipping in July. compute tasks. Up to four AMD FirePro W8100 cards can be combined in a sin- gle system for scalable GPU-com- pute performance of over 16 fl op and support up to four displays. The AMD FirePro W8100 began shipping