The latest PC configuration based on the MPC (formerly Micron) ClientPro
345 is now available under the Lab’s Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA)
for PCs. The new configuration adds the following features:
- additional flat-panel displays (including
a 21-inch Samsung)
- a modern hard drive technology referred to
as Serial ATA that offers much greater performance at about the same
cost and is easier to maintain, and
- more graphics card options.
The new systems will come with disk drive options starting at 80 gigabyte
and going to 160 Gb, given the current cost of drives and the increasing
need for disk space.
If Lab customers look at the components, they will find some familiar
names (Intel motherboards and processors - up to 3 GHz now, Nvidia graphics
cards, Samsung flat panels, Microsoft optical mouse, and so on.
“We have had excellent warranty parts service from MPC and highly
recommend this agreement for its ease of use through Pcard,” said
Charlie Verboom, the Lab’s desktop support manager. “This
agreement also provides the option of installing the Lab-standard XP image,
which includes software under site license to the lab (SSH, Norton antivirus,
Winzip, Oracle Calendar Client), plugins for some browser based applications
that require a specific Java runtime environment, as well as the Lab standard
browser and email client.”
To buy a computer, go to the Lab’s procurement
page. That page also has a link to the LBNL-specific
on-line store.
Lab organizations intending to buy new PCs during the current fiscal
year are advised to start ordering systems now. MPC cannot guarantee to
have systems arrive at the Lab by September 30 unless the computers are
ordered at least two weeks in advance. Because the Web site offering is
the most current in the industry for single-processor desktop systems,
there is no need to wait until the last minute in hopes of getting a more
powerful system.
Here’s a chart showing advantages of the ClientPro 345:
| Feature |
Detail |
Benefit |
| Intel
Pentium 4 Processors with faster 800MHz front side bus |
NEW
-- 800MHz (vs. 533MHz) Pentium 4 Processors supports higher throughput
for greater system responsiveness |
Ultra
fast! |
| 800MHz
System Bus on board |
NEW
-- Faster 800MHz system bus (vs. 533MHz) creates better performance.
Increased system bus bandwidth supports greater bandwidths for memory
and I/O. |
Better
overall performance of system |
| Integrated
Gigabit Ethernet PRO/1000 CT with Communication Streaming Architecture
(CSA) |
NEW
-- Faster and more reliable network connection; CSA feature provides
a dedicated link from the network bus directly to the memory controller
hub on the chipset. This removes PCI bottlenecks and relieves the
PCI bus to accomplish other things. |
Satisfies
today’s need for ultimate network speed due to increased use
of network connections via email and internet access. Also provides
headroom for up-and-coming technology where network connections
will be utilized to a greater degree. Also saves customers dollars
being integrated; it prevents them from buying an additional card
to achieve Gigabit speed. |
| DDR400
SDRAM (PC3200) or Dual Channel DDR333 (PC2700) |
NEW
– Both Dual Channel DDR400 & DDR333 memory exceed the
previous DDR226 because they are “Dual Channel”.
Dual channel memory doubles the bandwidth available for processors
and graphics. |
Up
to 10-25% performance gain on overall system performance. |
| Integrated
Intel Flex-6 Audio |
NEW
-- SoundMAX 4 Audio ESP allows the audio solution to detect and
identify what device the user plugs into an audio port. Provides
flexibility of 2- or 6-channel analog or 5.1 digital from standard
triple stack connectors so it supports true surround sound technology,
but also can be utilized for economy configuration. |
Saves
money and provides flexibility for customers to use basic or higher
end speakers without the need to buy higher end audio cards. |
| Integrated
Extreme Graphics2 |
Extreme
Graphics2 supports up to 64MB of memory support.
|
Saves
money by not buying a video card for a good graphics solution. |
| Serial
ATA Controller |
NEW
-- Next generation industry standard interface; Higher performance
(150MB/sec transfer rate vs. 100); Simpler cabling provides better
airflow inside the chassis. |
Customer
gains quicker hard disk transfer rates. |
| 8X
AGP Slot |
NEW
- Latest 8X AGP port for graphics cards (vs 4X) |
Increased
speed produces sharper images in graphic intensive applications. |
| 4
DIMMS |
NEW
- 4 DIMMS vs 2; Note: at launch, the max is still 2GB memory –
same as previous generation. However, with the launch of the 1GB
memory modules, 4GB will be the max (2 per channel) |
Customers
will be able to add more memory in the future as their needs grow. |
| Quiet
Cooling Technology |
Efficiently
cools the system while running noticeably quieter |
A
quieter working environment while still maintaining the necessary
cooling for higher end processors |
