HP Visualize x-class p-class Xeon

Quick Facts
Introduced	2000
Period	Intel
Series	Visualize
CPU	1-2 Pentium III
Cache	256 KB L1
RAM	4 GB
Design	RCC
Drives	1 FD 4 IDE
Expansion	1 AGP 4 PCI 1 PCI/ISA
Bandwidth	2 GB/s
I/O	2 serial parallel 2 USB audio

HP updated the Visualize Personal Workstations line in 2000, releasing new Intel-based models for x-class and p-class. A1280 were the new x-Class, A6034 the new p-Class – both were identical besides the maximum memory and some expansion configurations.

Based on Intel Pentium III processors, they were up to two-way SMP capable with rare RCC ServerWorks chipset and Xeon CPU models, they updated the earlier P-Class and X-Class.

Visualize X-Class and P-Class high were NT-based workstations for Mechanical Design Automation (MDA) and Digital Content Creation (DCC) to complement more expensive HP PA-RISC Unix offerings.

Visualize X-Class shared almost nothing with the PA-RISC based Visualize brethren but the Visualize graphics adapters, which they use in modified + Versions on AGP Pro. They also were shipped with 3rd-party graphics such as Elsa Gloria Synergy.

Model	Part	Config	Introduced	Price
p733	A6034A	entry	1999
x733	A1280	entry	1999	6,470$
x733	A1280A	fx4	2000	7,470$
p800	A6034A	entry	1999	3,346$
x800	A1280B	256MB, SCSI, Elsa Synergy II	1999	4,246$
p866	A6034A	entry	2000	3,246$
x866	A1280B	256MB, SCSI, Elsa Synergy II	2000	4,146$
x866	A1280B	Elsa GLoria II	2000	5,906$
p1.0	A6034A	entry	2000	3,846$
x1.0	A1280B	256MB, SCSI, Elsa Synergy II	2000	4,746$

Part numbers:

A1280A: X-Class with HP Visualize fx4+ and fx6+
A1280B: X-Class with HP Visualize fx5 and fx10 Graphics Cards; ELSA GLoria II and Synergy II
A1280C: X-Class + ?
A6034A: P-Class with HP Visualize fx5 and fx10 Graphics Cards; ELSA GLoria II and Synergy II

System architecture

Processors

Model	CPU	Speed	L1 Cache
x733 p733	1-2 Intel Pentium III	733 MHz	256 KB on-chip
x800 p800	1-2 Intel Pentium III	800 MHz	256 KB on-chip
x866 p866	1-2 Intel Pentium III	866 MHz	256 KB on-chip
x1.0 p1.0	1-2 Intel Pentium III	1 GHz	256 KB on-chip

Processors were possibly Pentium III Xeon with Cascades core.

Chipset

Newer x-class and p-class workstations used an RCC chipset, which was possible a ServerWorks III (HE?), after the company renamed itself.

Reliance Computer RCC chipset, possibly ServerWorks ServerSet III HE-SL
RCC North Bridge, with memory controller, connects CPU bus (FSB), memory bus (SDRAM), PCI and AGP buses
RCC I/O Bridge, connects PCI to ISA, USB and IDE
- (integrated) IDE controller PCI Bus master Ultra ATA/33
- (integrated) USB controller
- (integrated) DMA (82C37) and Interrupt (82C59) controllers
- (integrated) Power Managemend
- (integrated) SMBus interface
NS87317, Ultra I/O, integrates parallel, serial, keyboard, mouse, floppy controllers and RTC
Two ROM sockets for flash ROMs
Intel 82559 10/100 Fast Ethernet controller.
Graphics through separate boards, usually shipped with:
- Optional Visualize fx+ up to 64 MB RAM, 3 (PA-RISC) geo engines
- Optional Visualize fx5, fx10 up to 64 MB RAM, 6 (PA-RISC) geo engines
- Optional ELSA GLoria II (with hp visualize technology)
- Optional ELSA Synergy II with 32 MB SGRAM
- Optional NVIDIA Quadro2 MXR
CS4280 and CS4297 sound chips
Optional Adaptec SCSI card for Ultra-wide LVD and SE SCSI

System buses

Intel 133 MHz 2x Front-side bus (FSB), 64-bit with Parity, data rate
Memory bus 133 MHz (SDRAM) CL2, 288/144-bit with ECC, 2 GB/s data rate
PCI 33 MHz 3.3V bus
PCI 66 MHz 5.0V bus
AGP Pro 66 MHz 4X bus
SCSI Ultra160 storage bus, 160 MB/s
IDE PIO mode 4 and Bus Master IDE

Memory

133 MHz SDRAM 2-way interleaved
X-Class (A1280): Eight slots for 64-512 MB SDRAM DIMMs
P-Class (A6034): Four slots for 64-512 MB SDRAM DIMMs
64 MB to 2 GB (P-Class) or 4 GB (X-Class) supported

Expansion slots

One AGP Pro slot, 66 MHz
- Possibly on A1280B and A6034: Visualize fx4, fx6, fx2+, fx4+, fx6+ (with plain AGP) will not work and might damage the board
- However, model A1280A was apparently shipped with fx2+ and fx4+ AGP Pro versions
Three PCI slots, 32-bit 33 MHz, 5V
Two PCI slots, 64-bit 66 MHz, 3.3V
I/O slot layout (from top to bottom):
1. AGP Pro
2. PCI 32-bit, PCI 1
3. PCI 32-bit, PCI 2
4. PCI 32-bit, PCI 3
5. PCI 64-bit, PCI 4
6. PCI 64-bit, PCI 5

Storage

Hard drives either Ultra ATA/33 or Ultra160 SCSI
3.5″ Floppy drive
Two internal trays for 3.5″ drives
Two external trays for 3.5″ drives
Three external trays for 5.25″ drives, CDs etc.

External ports

Two serial RS232C DB9
VGA DB 15-pin
Parallel DB25
Two USB ports
Two PS/2 ports for keyboard/mouse
Four phone jacks for audio

Operating systems

Windows NT
Windows 2000
Linux

Benchmarks

No official SPECint or fp results could be found for newer HP Visualize x- and p-class systems, but some comparisons might be made with systems using a similar ServerWorks ServerSet III chipset, such as DELL Power Edge 4400.

* - possible using ServerWorks ServerSet LE III, like the p/x-class
^ - data extrapolated for BX-based P-Class for comparison
Model	Processor	SPEC95 int	SPEC95 fp	SPEC2000 int	SPEC2000 fp
DELL Power Edge 4400	Pentium III Xeon 1 GHz*			437	302
P750C^	Pentium III 750 MHz	35.7^	22.9^	325^	219^
B1000	PA-8500 300 MHz	23.9	39.3
C3000	PA-8500 400 MHz	31.8	52.4	313	321
C3750	PA-8700+ 875 MHz			678	674

As can be seen, PA-RISC were always good performers on FPU loads and pretty strong on a MHz-for-MHz comparison; granted on synthetic benchmarks.

Dimensions

Model	Height	Width	Depth	Weight
Desktop	483mm	208mm	473mm	15kg

There is an LCD panel on the front of the case which shows BIOS and configuration info and possible detected errors by the BIOS, enhanced by beeps. The LCD can also be used for diagnostics.

References