HP Professional AP500 Compaq Professional Workstation AP500 Key Technologies W - Page 10

WHITE PAPER (cont'd) Compaq Workstations - Key Technologies AGP promises to enable photo-realistic 3D rendering and other high-performance 3D graphics capabilities. The cutting edge graphics performance of AGP will benefit 3D content providers by enabling a much wider market for their products. GRAPHICS Two graphics solutions are available for the Compaq Professional Workstation AP500. Both are AGP controllers, which take advantage of main memory for texture mapping operations. All controllers have been tested to ensure optimum compatibility and reliability. • For 2D and entry 3D applications, the Compaq Professional Workstation AP500 includes the ELSA GLoria Synergy+ (AGP). The ELSA GLoria Synergy+ (AGP) comes standard with 4 MB of SGRAM and is upgradeable to 8 MB. It provides fast 2D windowing and is a great low-cost 3D solution for CAD and DCC applications. For multiple display requirements, additional ELSA GLoria Synergy+ (PCI) controllers may be added. • For mid-range 3D applications, the Compaq PowerStorm 300 (AGP) provides a competitive high-performance solution. The Compaq PowerStorm 300 (AGP) is a 3D graphics solution for users working in demanding, true color environments. Standard on certain models of the Compaq Professional Workstation AP500, the Compaq PowerStorm 300 (AGP) has 15 MB of 3D-RAM frame buffer memory and 16 MB of texture memory. Dual display capability is achieved using an additional Compaq PowerStorm 300 (PCI) controller. Compaq Graphics Driver Compatibility All controllers are high-performance graphics solutions, optimized for Microsoft Windows NT applications that require up to 16.7 million color processing and high resolutions. The drivers for each are developed by their respective manufacturers and have been thoroughly tested by Compaq to ensure compatibility with existing applications. ELSA GLoria Synergy+ (AGP) Graphics Controller The ELSA GLoria Synergy+ (AGP) graphics controller in the Compaq Professional Workstation AP500 is a low-cost, high-performance leader in the 2D/entry 3D segment. Users requiring fast windowing and menu level performance, as well as robust 3D rendering capabilities, use 2D/3D graphics. Requirements for the 2D/3D graphics segment include exceptional 2D/3D-vector performance, 3D shading and lighting, and texture mapping support. These features, used by mainstream OpenGL- and Heidi-based applications, typically offer great price and performance without sacrificing required functionality. This combination is important for mainstream CAD applications, such as AutoCAD, Microstation, and SolidWorks, which have recently integrated 3D techniques into their environment. It is also useful in DCC where 2D and 3D animation applications are used in the same environment. Financial analysis and trading environments can benefit from the 2D performance provided by these solutions. Graphics controllers in this segment also provide investment protection as financial analysis application developers add 3D modeling to their environment in FY98. 10