Silicon Graphics

http://www.sgi.com/Works/FiveStrengths.html (Einblicke ins Internet, 10/1995)

Silicon Graphics

The Five Unrivaled Strengths
of SiliconWorks

There are five primary elements of a workstation system that are critical to application performance-the most realistic measure of overall system performance. SiliconWorks systems have been designed to maximize each of these five elements to achieve no-compromise maximum performance for even the most demanding applications.

CPU

The CPU is so important as a starting point for high performance that we have an entire subsidiary-MIPS Technologies, Inc.-devoted to leading-edge RISC CPU development. MIPS sells more RISC chips annually than the five other leading RISC chip manufacturers combined.

SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

Cache

Memory System-When you access main memory, the prime determinant of response speed is the memory system bus. Silicon Graphics systems' high- bandwidth memory bus and advanced memory control give the CPU fast access to data and instructions stored in main memory.

System Bus-The system bus bandwidth determines how fast workstation subsystems, such as graphics and I/O, can access the CPU. Slow system buses cause bottlenecks. Silicon Graphics desktop systems incorporate the fastest system bus available.

I/O-Workstation applications are demanding, and I/O-intensive processes are often the critical path in overall system performance. A dedicated, high-bandwidth peripheral bus, fast transfer rates, and custom I/O-control ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits) deliver as much as twice the performance of other desktop systems.

VLSI-The Indigo® family makes extensive use of custom ASICs to manange tasks that can be off-loaded from the CPU, thereby increasing overall application performance.

USER INTERFACE

Indigo MagicTM is a new-generation user environment that combines an intuitive desktop management system with powerful digital media tools in one user interface. It's called "Media User Interface" because it simplifies system and network access and gives you full collaborative computing through SiliconWorks unique digital media tools. Indigo Magic leads the UNIX® community in ease of use.

GRAPHICS

High-performance systems from Silicon Graphics deliver the industry's best solid modeling graphics and unique digital mock-up capabilities. Our all-hardware pipeline graphics architecture uses custom Silicon Graphics ASICs for maximum performance of everything from geometry to rasterization. Our entry-level graphics systems combine software and hardware to deliver high-performance graphics at a low cost.

DIGITAL MEDIA

SiliconWorks is the only computing environment that offers an integrated hardware and software solution for manufacturing collaboration, including integrated text; 2D graphics; 3D modeling; audio; audio and video conferencing; shared white-board for text, graphics, and video; real-time, full-screen print-to-video; digital media presentations; digital media mail; and visual file distribution of all digital media.