| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1999 |
| Period | Intel |
| Series | Visualize |
| CPU | 1-2 32-bit Pentium III |
| Cache | 512-1024 KB |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Design | Intel GX |
| Drives | 1 FD 4 IDE |
| Expansion | 1 AGP 4 PCI 1 PCI/ISA |
| I/O | 2 serial parallel 2 USB audio |
HP Visualize X-Class were Intel-based personal workstations for Windows NT, released in 1999. With the Pentium III-based X-Class, HP complemented its expensive PA-RISC workstations for entry-level technical design.
X-Class X500 to X550 (model A5014A) were high-performance HP NT workstations, above similar, but lower-tier Visualize P-Class.
Based on Intel Pentium III processors and up to two-way SMP capable with Intel 440GX chipset, X-Class used modern 32-bit Xeon CPUs in contrast to Katmai/Coppermine and BX P-Class.
HP Visualize X-Class were dedicated professional graphics workstations for 3D design, CAD and CAM on Windows NT, used for professional digital content creation.
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. They also were shipped with 3rd-party graphics such as Elsa Gloria Synergy.
The dark-grey mini-tower HP X-Class used was similar to PA-RISC HP Visualize B1000, C3000, C3600, C3700 workstations and slightly different to P-Class.
- HP Visualize X500, A5014A, were introduced in 1999
- HP Visualize X500, A5014A, with dual-CPU, 512 MB RAM and Visualize fx6 cost $12,326
- HP Visualize X550, A5014A, were introduced in 1999 for $5,906
The later different Visualize x-class workstations were released soon after, based on Pentium III Xeon processors with RCC chipset, HP models A1280A and A1280B.
System
Processors
X500 and X550 use Pentium III Xeon processors with 512 KB or 1 MB L2 cache on full-frequency. CPUs are installed in SEC cartridges in two Slot 2 slots.
| System | CPU | Speed | L1 Cache | L2 Cache* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| X500 | 1-2 Intel Pentium III | 500 MHz | 32 KB on-chip | 0.5-1.0 MB on-package |
| X550 | 1-2 Intel Pentium III | 550 MHz | 32 KB on-chip | 512 KB back-side on-package |
Chipset
- Intel 440GX AGP chipset
- Intel 82443GX Host Bridge North Bridge, connects CPU bus (FSB), memory bus (SDRAM), PCI and AGP buses
- Intel PIIX4E (82371EB) South 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
- Adapter AIC 7880 PCI Ultra Wide SCSI controller
- Graphics through separate boards, usually shipped with:
- Optional Visualize fx OpenGL 3D with 18 MB SGRAM and 16-32 MB SDRAM, dual PCI-AGP
- Optional Visualize fx2+, fx4+, fx6+ with 18 MB SGRAM, dual PCI-AGP
- Optional ELSA GLoria Synergy+ with 8 MB SGRAM
- Optional ELSA Synergy II
- Optional Oxygen GVX1
- Analog Devices AD1816 sound chip
- Optional Combo LAN/SCSI card with HP 10BT/100TX Ethernet (AMD PCNET) and Symbios SYM5C875JE Ultra Wide SCSI
- Optional HP FastRAID card for caching and RAID (133 MB/s)
- Optional Some X-Class apparently had SCSI on-board
System buses
- Intel 100 MHz Front-side bus (FSB), Processor-Local (AGTL+) bus, 64-bit with ECC, 800 MB/s data rate
- Memory bus 100 MHz (SDRAM) CL2, 64-bit with ECC, 800 MB/s data rate
- PCI 33 MHz 3.3V bus
- AGP 32-bit 66 MHz (2X), up to 568 MB/s data rate
- SCSI Ultra-wide storage bus, 16-bit, 40 MB/s
- ISA bus, 16-bit, 8.33 MHz, 16 MB/s
- IDE PIO mode 4 and Bus Master IDE
Expansion
Memory
- 100 MHz SDRAM DIMMs either non-buffered or Registered ECC
- Four slots for 64/128/256 MB or 512∴ (Registered) modules
- Non-buffered or Registered ECC cannot be mixed
- 64 MB to 1 GB maximum (Non-Buffered)
- 64 MB to 2 GB supported (Registered ECC)
Expansion cards
- One AGP slot, 66 MHz
- Four PCI slots, 33 MHz
- One ISA or PCI slot
- I/O slot layout (from top to bottom):
- AGP
- PCI 32-bit, PCI 1
- PCI 32-bit, PCI 2
- PCI 32-bit, PCI 3 + HP RAIDport
- PCI 32-bit, PCI 4
- PCI 32-bit or ISA 16-bit, PCI 5
Storage
- Hard drives either Ultra ATA/33 or Ultra Wide 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.
Ports
- Two serial RS232C DB9
- VGA DB 15-pin
- Parallel DB25
- Two USB ports
- Two PS/2 ports for keyboard/mouse
- Two phone jacks for audio
Operating systems
- Windows NT, original support and drivers
- Windows 2000, original support and drivers
- Linux, original support and drivers
- many other PC operating systems
HP Visualize with Pentium III were used for CAD and CAE, especially with MSC Nastran and Patran optimized for Pentium III Xeon, after a joint development agreement by MSC and HP.
Pictures
Dimensions
| System | Height | Width | Depth | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop | 510mm | 270mm | 416mm | 22kg |
The LCD panel on front of the case shows BIOS and configuration info and errors by the BIOS, enhanced by beeps. The LCD can also be used for diagnostics.
Performance
No official SPECint or fp results could be found for HP Visualize X-Class, so a similar Dell workstation 610 with GX chipset is taken as reference.
| System | Processor | SPEC95 int |
SPEC95 fp |
SPEC2000 int |
SPEC2000 fp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP Visualize P500* (BX) | Intel Pentium III 500 MHz | 20.7* | 14.7* | 231* | 191* |
| Dell Precision 610 | Pentium III 500MHz | 21.6* | 15.5* | ||
| Dell Precision 610 | Pentium III 550MHz | 24.2* | 16.8* | ||
| HP Visualize B1000 | PA-8500 300 MHz | 23.9 | 39.3 | ||
| HP Visualize C3000 | PA-8500 400 MHz | 31.8 | 52.4 | 313 | 321 |
| HP Visualize C3750 | PA-8700+ 875 MHz | 678 | 674 |
Documentation
Most HP documentation is only available at archive.org and other archives, with most official sources, articles and journals having disappeared in the 2010s.
Manuals
- HP VISUALIZE X-Class Personal Workstations (X500 and X550), HP 2000, A1280-90002 archive.org
- HP VISUALIZE X-Class Personal Workstation, HP 1999, 5968-4832E archive.org
- HP VISUALIZE Personal Workstation X-Class Technical Reference, HP 1999, A5014-90020 archive.org
- hp x-class overview & features, HP website 2001 archive.org
- hp x-class workstation Data Sheet, HP 2001, 5980-3724ENUS archive.org
Articles
- HP Intros HP Visualize Personal Workstations, HPC Wire, April 1999
- Reviews: HP Visualize P600C, Computer Graphics World, February 2000
- HP Intros HP Visualize Personal Workstations, HPC Wire, November 1999
- HP Announces Visualize X-Class Personal Workstation, HPC Wire , January 2000
- 1999 CATIA Version 5 Benchmark, CATIA Solutions Magazine, July/August 1999, FTP mirror
- An Overview of the VISUALIZE fx Graphics Accelerator Hardware, HP Journal 1998, Article 4 archive.org
- VISUALIZE Workstation Graphics for Windows NT, HP Workstation Lab 1998 archive.org
- HP VISUALIZE Workstation Family photo card, HP 1998, 5968-4840E archive.org
- The MacNeal-Schwendler Corporation (MSC) Teams With Hewlett-Packard, press release, MSC 1999 archive.org
Drivers and BIOS
- hp workstation Windows NT 4.0 drivers for x class, HP website 2001 archive.org
- HP Workstations Windows 2000 drivers, HP website 2000 archive.org
- X-Class Windows 2000 drivers , HP website 2001 archive.org
- hp workstation BIOS for Intel based systems , HP website 2001 archive.org
- hp workstation ID.W2.02 BIOS for x/xL class, p/pL class, HP website 2001 archive.org
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