[jan-jaap]

So how does it perform, compared to the IR3 system?

Well, all I did so far is run 'irsaudit' to make sure it's 100% OK. I'm busy with the network here so the system isn't even wired at the moment. I did receive more parts (GE16-4's, RM11's etc) so I'll be busy for a while. I also have some new Gefen VGA to DVI Scalers (EXT-VGA-2-DVISP) and I want to see if that results in usable DVI output from the Onyx2. I will also have another look at the IR demos scripts vs. IR3/IR4.

IR4 should give a little extra compared to the jump from IR2E to IR3. In that case the performance is identical (I think), you just get a different texture memory board with 256MB instead of 64MB of TRAM. The frame buffer memory board of the sandwich is the same between RM9 and RM10. Not so for the RM11; you get a different raster board with 2.5GB of raster memory and the texture board has 1GB TRAM. It also has a higher fill rate. Other limitations of IR stay: you do not get more geometry performance, and you still cannot have two screens at 1920x1200.

So it's really going to depend on what you want to do with it. Discreet software makes good use of it, the number of HD streams you can handle simultaneously depends on the amount of TRAM. Of course the IR4 crushes the V12 there. Since I have the DM2 and the DG5-TVO I have what it takes to piece together a sweet Inferno setup. Originally, these ran on the tall rack Onyx2 which has many more XIO slots, so I don't know if I can install enough FC bandwidth in a deskside. Also, the 500MHz R14K CPUs are going to loose to the 1GHz R16Ks in the Tezro. Will be interesting to see where this goes.

I said it before: when it comes to the graphics of Silicon Graphics, the Onyx2 is the sweet spot. And IR4 is the ultimate graphics upgrade for the ultimate (silicon) graphics system you can still run in a residential setting. It's a taste of Infinite Reality without having to worry about 3-phase power and structural reinforcements to your house. I've seen a real life Onyx 3900 in action at a customer in ~ 2011. 7 tall racks, 7 IR4 pipes and "as many 1GHz CPUs as SGI was able to supply". It only makes me appreciate my little Onyx2 deskside more, because in the basis it's the same. The Onyx 3900 is just more of the same. Lots and lots more.