Compaq AlphaServer 800 RM - Alpha 21164 500 MHz

The DIGITAL AlphaServer 800 system provides large-server performance and features at an entry level price. It excels at applications like mail and messages, Internet web server, and remote communications server. The AlphaServer 800 incorporates many high availability features typically found only on more costly high-end servers, such as hot-swap disk drives, ECC memory, remote management console (RMC), robust server management software (ServerWORKS), and cluster support. The AlphaServer 800 system provides investment protection you can count on. Choose from three popular operating systems: Windows NT, Tru64 UNIX, and OpenVMS. These operating systems and thousands of applications benefit from Alpha chip performance. The CPU is based on a 21164 microprocessor that is a superscalar, super-pipelined implementation of the 64-bit Alpha RISC architecture, running at optimized price/performance speeds. The AlphaServer 800, with the high performance 64-bit Alpha chip architecture, is available with a 333 or 400 MHz microprocessor and 2 MB third-level cache, enhancing system performance, and significantly reducing memory transaction times. The system has an integrated PCI graphics controller and a fast wide SCSI controller, which supports tape, CD-ROM, and hard disk devices; these integrated functions free expansion slots for other I/O applications. An ultra SCSI-ready storage backplane provides high-performance drive technology. The AlphaServer 800 system incorporates several features to enhance reliability and availability. Internal sensors monitor and detect internal system temperature, fan failure, and system status. Variable fan speeds adjust according to system temperature. ECC (error correction code) allows recovery from most cache and memory errors, and hot-swapping of 3.5-inch half-height devices allows for the replacement of disk drives while the system continues to operate. Flexible memory architecture provides a 256-bit memory data path allowing incremental memory expansion from 32 MB to 1 GB. Three 32-bit PCI slots, one shared 64-bit PCI/EISA slot, and two dedicated EISA slots accommodate industry-standard option cards such as Ethernet, FDDI, SCSI, and modems. A modular storage system accommodates up to four 3.5-inch full-height SCSI devices, up to three 5.25-inch half-height devices (CD-ROM or tape), and one 3.5-inch high-density diskette drive, or one 5.25-inch half-height device and one 5.25-inch full-height device. Two serial ports and one parallel port support external options such as printer, modem, or local terminal. DIGITAL has an ongoing program of performance engineering, using industry-standard benchmarks that allow comparisons across major vendors' systems. These benchmarks against competitive systems are based on comparable CPU performance, coupled with comparable memory and disk expandability. Remember that system performance depends on application characteristics. Thus, benchmark information is one helpful "data point" to be used in conjunction with other purchase criteria such as features, service, and price.