New Lenovo ThinkStations oiled with Intel Xeon processors
by Stevie Smith - Mar 24 2009, 17:15
Nehalem architecture applied within Lenovo's new ThinkStation platforms. Image: Lenovo.
The gradual spread of Intel’s latest Nehalem-based Xeon processors continues this week after computer manufacturing behemoth Lenovo officially unveiled its new ThinkStation S20 and ThinkStation D20 workstations.
Not crafted for the desktop benefit of mainstream computer users, Lenovo’s new ThinkStations have been designed specifically for professionals in demanding fields of enterprise such as computer-aided design (CAD), digital content creation, and oil and gas.
“Designers, engineers, developers and scientists require the highest levels in computing performance to help them produce breakthrough innovations,” trumpeted Tom Tobul, executive director for Enterprise, Software and Peripherals at Lenovo.
“The new ThinkStation workstations deliver not only the utmost in performance, but also a user-centric design with an emphasis on quiet operation, even during heavy processing,” he added.
The S20 and D20 are available with a wide range of Intel CPU choices including five dual-core and quad-core W3500 Xeon chips scaling up to 3.2GHz and 8MBs of RAM, and five quad-core E5500 Xeon platforms running up to 2.53GHz and 8MBs of RAM.
Built on the Nehalem architecture used to develop Intel's Core i7, the processing selections are further enhanced by the inclusion of optional Intel Turbo Boost technology for extra performance during peak processing, which is ideal for gaming.
Other features include choices of the latest NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics cards or optional ATI FirePro graphics, 240 additional cores of dedicated math processing power via NVIDIA’s Tesla C1060 GPU, preloaded Windows Vista with support for RedHat Enterprise Linux 5.2, and Lenovo’s ThinkVantage Technologies for data recovery and migration.
Pushing beyond their obvious processing muscle, Lenovo’s new ThinkStations also come with a decidedly greener outlook thanks to a construction boasting as much as 50 percent recycled content.
With the ThinkStation D20, nearly 30 percent of its green credentials can be traced back to post-consumer recycled content that’s the equivalent to the weight of approximately 19 plastic water bottles, according to Lenovo.
And, adding to their eco-worth, Lenovo’s workstations are Energy Star 5.0 compliant and GREENGUARD certified to meet the standards of more than 2,000 chemical tests.
The ThinkStation S20 and ThinkStation D20 are both expected to arrive before the close of March, with the S20 carrying a starting price of $1,070 USD, while the D20 will cost $1,550 USD.
Intel is expected to officially roll out its Nehalem-based processors on Monday of next week.
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