Silicon Graphics Octane ("SPEEDRACER")


 
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General Technical Information

HOSTNAME OCTOPUS
SYSTEM CPU MIPS R10000 @250 MHz 
CACHE (2nd, 1st D/I)
 1 MB, 32 KB / 32 KB
RAM  512 MB (Max.1536 MB)
SYSTEM BUS WIDTH
 		64 bit
SCSI BUS 2 x UW SCSI (40 MB/s) Qlogic QL1040B chips
OPTION BUS 4 x XIO slots
GRAPHICS Solid Impact 24-plane 1280x1024 @76Hz
DISPLAY
 Samsung SyncMaster 959NF Monitor
HARD DISK DRIVE 73 GB Ultra160 SCSI 10K RPM Quantum Atlas
CD-ROM DRIVE 24x Teac UltraSCSI
NETWORK Onboard 10/100baseT
AUDIO
 Onboard audio chip, 2 x 16-bit analog stereo I/O, 2 x 24-bit AES-3id I/O and 8 x 24-bit ADAT optical I/O
OS IRIX 6.5.24
YEAR 1997
SPEED about 300 VAX MIPS
COMMENTS IRIX on this machine is fast to use, even the version mentioned above. The IRIX GUI is very pleasant and the over-all feeling is very positive. If you don't like CDE, this is the hardware & *NIX OS  you should get!  
ESTIMATED PRICE '97 $35,000

Hinv information


1 250 MHZ IP30 Processor
CPU: MIPS R10000 Processor Chip Revision: 3.4
FPU: MIPS R10010 Floating Point Chip Revision: 0.0
Main memory size: 512 Mbytes
Xbow ASIC: Revision 1.2
Instruction cache size: 32 Kbytes
Data cache size: 32 Kbytes
Secondary unified instruction/data cache size: 1 Mbyte
Integral SCSI controller 0: Version QL1040B (rev. 2), single ended
  Disk drive: unit 1 on SCSI controller 0
Integral SCSI controller 1: Version QL1040B (rev. 2), single ended
  CDROM: unit 6 on SCSI controller 1
IOC3 serial port: tty1
IOC3 serial port: tty2
IOC3 parallel port: plp1
Graphics board: SI
Integral Fast Ethernet: ef0, version 1, pci 2
Iris Audio Processor: version RAD revision 12.0, number 1

History and other comments

This system was imported from the U.S. I have no information about its origin. This is my fourth SGI machine.

Octopus is a really nice desktop computer, but unfortunately it makes a lot of noise. It has a hugely over-sized PSU, it is about three times the size and the weight of a peecee/ATX 300W PSU, and it's labelled as max. 850W AC! The noise problem exists because of the huge cooling fan in the rear end of the PSU. I'm now keeping this computer in a special air cooled computer cabinet, to get the noise level down. It works OK.

In May 2004 I got a real SGI Monitor for this computer. It's nice to have at least some original monitors, even if they take up far too much space. Better then to get a Sony Trinitron based monitor. These can almost be as good as new monitors, but sure, 10 years of age on a monitor is very much. It sure shows that monitors from 2004 are far better, compared to the ones made 1994. Even some new Low-End CRTs have a brighter picture with stronger colours, compared to a High-End monitor from a decade ago.

This computer was sold in February 2005, in favour of my newer Octane2.

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Last updated:  18-3-2007