MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - Silicon Graphics has introduced the fourth generation of its Onyx visualization system, a solution that promises eight-times the performance of previous Onyx systems, such as its InfiniteReality, at one-fifth the price. The Onyx4 UltimateVision System has a starting price of $45,000, making it within reach of individuals and small design studios.
SGI says that the Onyx4 out ranks single-system and cluster offerings from Sun, HP, IBM and Evans and Sutherland, and attributes this to its fourth-generation scalable, high-performance architecture and expertise in graphics technology. In a single-system configuration, Onyx4 scales from two to 32 graphics processors, or pipelines. This is more than twice the scalability of previous Onyx systems and 16 times that of competitors, says the company.
The new system supports SGI's Visual Area Network (VAN) technology, giving advanced visualization access to users throughout an organization regardless of location via thin-client access and standard networks.
Configurations range from two microprocessors and two pipelines, in a system that fits under a desk, to 64 microprocessors and 32 pipelines. For more extreme visualization needs, custom solutions can be designed. Onyx4 UltimateVision also comes complete with the power and flexibility to create extremely high-resolution environments. The smallest configuration is capable of delivering 20M pixels of highly interactive graphics, enough to power two ultrahigh-resolution 10M pixel LCD displays. At the top end, Onyx4 can render over 100M pixels of display, enough to power the next generation of fully immersive environments.