2y ago

SGI Octane: What can a $30,000 computer from the 90's do ?

I'm Soo mad I sold all of my sgi machines :( still want a Tezro

5 comments

Used to own an O2, sold it dirt cheap a decade ago, one of the dumbest things I’ve done.
- same here, sold an expensive workstation for 50 euro in the early 2000s and i regret it
  
  They're worth something, are they?
  I have an octane 2 that I run OpenBSD on.
Specs:
Processors • Single or dual MIPS 64-bit R14000A™ 400MHz, R14000A™ 550MHz and 600MHz 2MB L2 cache Graphics • Integrated vertex processing engine • Integrated image and texture engine • 12-bit per component color and alpha • 24-bit eye space Z buffer and 8-bit stencil • 10-bit digital to analog (DAC) display interface • Multiple concurrent visuals (8-bit window ID) • V6 & V10: 32MB graphics memory, including up to 8MB texture memory • V8 & V12: 128MB graphics memory, including up to 104MB texture memory • Resolution up to 1920x1200 pixels @ 60 Hz and 72 Hz • Support for dual channel and stereo viewing mode Memory • 256MB-8GB synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) Key Applications • MCAD/MCAE • Digital Prototyping • 3D Animation • Medical Imaging • Scientific Visualization • Oil and Gas (seismic interpretation) • Visual Simulation • Editing and Compositing • Geospatial Imaging
Source
https://web.archive.org/web/20090621072040/http://www.sgi.com/products/remarketed/octane2/
#savedyouaclick
- I'm reading that as somewhat unfavourably comparable with a mid-level mobile phone, as of 2023. Phone will certainly have more CPU cores, probably has as much RAM as the maxed-out SGI, and better graphics ability. SGI might win out on floating-point maths, persistent storage, and system cooling, but I wouldn't bet on it.