Over the Long Haul

We keep review systems in the Windows NT Magazine Lab forgeneral use and testing for six or more months to find out how they perform inthe long term. We used an Intergraph TDZ-400, a DeskStation Technology Raptor 3,a NeTpower Calisto, an Aspen Systems Alpine, an HP Vectra XU, and a TotalPeripherals Lighten PRO for testing various hardware peripherals and softwarepackages. Although we won't present their performance data here, we will commentabout the usability and reliability of these manufacturers' systems.

Intergraph TDZ-400
The Intergraph systems with the GLZ graphics cards are first-rate performersfor 3D work. Our test TDZ-400 had a GLZ-1T card, which wasn't the top of theline and isn't nearly as fast as the new RealiZm cards, but the system stilloffered excel-lent OpenGL performance. With two 200MHz Pentium Pro CPUs, 128MBof RAM, and 4GB of disk, we didn't find much in the way of 3D animation andrendering that this system couldn't handle.

The Intergraph never broke, rarely crashed, and was a stable platform fortesting all varieties of graphics software. Although we experienced stickershock when we first received this system last winter (almost $40,000 at thetime), the prices have dropped by more than 70 percent.

DeskStation Technology Raptor 3
The DeskStation Technology Raptor 3 also performed well for us. DeskStationstarted out in the MIPS market, but quickly found out that Alpha was the way togo for high-end RISC performance. The Raptor 3 can accommodate CPU daughtercardswith any of three different CPU types: Intel, Alpha, and MIPS. This featurecarries over to the current line of systems (the Raptor Reflex), without MIPS.Even though MIPS is gone, you have a variety of CPUs to choose from, dependingon your speed and monetary requirements--and you can upgrade at any time to morecurrent technology.

Our Raptor 3 test system has 128MB of RAM, a 300MHz Alpha 21164 with 2MB ofLevel 3 cache, and Fast SCSI-2 (estimated street price is now under $7000). Youdo take about a 10 percent to 15 percent performance hit because the CPU is notwired directly into the system board--the price of modularity. Extra connectorsand a longer distance between CPU and memory resources take their toll in thisarchitecture.

However, don't be scared away from these machines simply because of slightlyslower compute times. Not many systems of this class and overall performanceoffer such excellent upgrade options: You can go from Pentium to Alpha in onebox. The Raptors are well-built, solid performers with plenty of room forexpansion and enhancement options.

NeTpower Calisto
NeTpower sent us a Calisto with a 200MHz Pentium Pro, 128MB of RAM, and anAccelPRO OpenGL graphics adapter from AccelGraphics. We used this system formany tests, including Alpha-to-Pentium Pro per-

formance comparisons, and even Web server software reviews.

The Calisto uses a standard Intel-designed motherboard, but NeTpower addedvalue and functionality by using fast peripheral components such as Fast andWide SCSI, 100Mbps Ethernet, and OpenGL accelerated video cards. Thiscombination results in a potent graphics workstation.

With off-the-shelf standard components and an NT-focused strategy, NeTpowersits solidly in the NT workstation--and server--arena. These systems have provento be reliable performers.

Aspen Systems Alpine 275XS
We've had the Aspen Systems Alpine 275XS in the Lab since we reviewed itmore than a year ago (see "Aspen Systems' Alpine 275XS," December1995). This 275MHz Alpha 21064 never suffered a system failure or experiencedsoftware compatibility problems.

When we tried to use a Perception Video Recorder (PVR) from DigitalProcessing Systems, the card was large enough that one corner sat on thesystem's CPU. Although we couldn't review the card on the Alpine, Aspen provideda full-tower Timberline that handled the PVR with no difficulty.

The Lab has run several performance tests on the Alpine. We've found thatwith 64MB of RAM and a Fast SCSI hard disk, the Alpine makes an excellent 3Drendering station.

HP Vectra XU
We first reviewed the HP Vectra XU in January 1996 (see "HP's PentiumPro-based Vectra XU 6/150") as a single-processor 150MHz Pentium Pro. Wereceived another version (with a few kinks worked out) with dual 200MHz PentiumPros. What a change in performance! The Pentium Pro 150 scored 428 on the BAPCoSYSmark/NT tests, and the dual 200MHz system scored 670.

Is buying a 200MHz system worth the price? You bet! Based on the differencein CPU speed, the finalized BIOS, and the production versions of NT devicedrivers, the Vectra XU is one of the fastest systems we've tested. At only $5137with 32MB of RAM, an 8X CD-ROM, and a 2GB disk drive, you get a lot for yourmoney.

The HP systems we've tested--production models, not pre-releaseversions--haven't given us significant problems. When we had a problem loadingsomething, it was usually because we didn't have the proper driver.

Total Peripherals Lighten PRO
The Total Peripherals system we received in the Lab included an IntelPentium Pro 200MHz processor, 128MB of RAM, a Diamond Multimedia Stealth 64Video VRAM PCI video card, an Adaptec 2940 SCSI controller, a Seagate 2.1GB SCSIhard disk, and an Acer 8X IDE CD-ROM in a minitower case.

We used the Lighten PRO to test Citrix WinFrame software and the TektronixWindows terminal. This system was fast, scoring 610 on the SYSmark/NT testsuite. An affordable clone, the Total Peripherals Lighten PRO providesindustry-standard components and top-end performance.