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MillimeterReview: HP Z800
Apr 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Jan Ozer
Workstation integrates the Intel Nehalem processor into a brand-new toolless chassis.
With hyper-threading technology enabled on the HP Z800, you get 16 cores on a dual-processor, quad-core Intel Nehalem system. Rhozet Carbon Coder got them all working, too.
Since the launch of the Core 2 Duo line of processors in mid-2006, new workstations have been more about evolution than revolution, with solid incremental but uninspiring performance gains. This is no longer. Sporting a completely redesigned case and Intel’s new Nehalem processor, the HP Z800 knocks the socks off HP’s existing workstation line—especially for video editors and streaming producers.
Is “knocks the socks off” a bit too vague for you? Try this: In a real-world trial, I compressed a 90-minute HD-recorded ballet performance to DVD format. The previous performance champ in my office—a 3.3GHz dual-processor, quad-core system (64-bit Windows Vista, 16GB of RAM)—finished in two hours and two minutes. The Z800, equipped with two 3.2GHz quad-core Nehalem processors (64-bit Vista, 18GB of RAM), finished in 59 minutes and 30 seconds—more than 50 percent faster.
Before you jump over to hp.com to place your order, you should know that your mileage will definitely vary, not only by application but even by project type within the same application. To understand why, we need to take a quick look at Nehalem.
Continue the discussion on Crosstalk the Millimeter Forum.