IBM IntelliStation Z Pro: IBM offers a high-performance system.(Workstation)(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)

The IBM IntelliStation has become a popular sight in studios around the world. The machine always has been a sturdy and reliable performer. The IntelliStation Z Pro offers a number of new features, including faster processors, Gigabit Ethernet, and an efficient design.

The review machine came configured with dual 3GHZ processors, 2GB of RAM, and a 3Dlabs Wildcat 7110 graphics card. Given its two 80GB, 7200 RPM drives, storage was more than ample; the machine also had a CD-RW drive. At the time of publication, IBM announced the availability of 3.2GHZ processors for even more speed.

The IntelliStation's case is reasonably compact, and small enough to be turned on its side and rackmounted. No fancy doors or pastel faceplates exist on this machine. Like a Model T, it is black, utilitarian, and functional. The system has two full-size external drive bays, one of which holds the CD drive. Another external bay holds the floppy drive. The front of the machine has a 4-pin FireWire connector, along with two USB and audio in/out ports. I particularly like having a FireWire connector on the front, as it makes it easy to plug a camcorder into the box without moving the whole machine.

The back of the machine is richly configured with standard serial, parallel, USB, and audio connectors. A 6-pin FireWire connector and a Gigabit Ethernet connector also grace the back of the unit.

Getting to the guts of the machine is easy. The side of the case removes at the flip of a lever, revealing a nicely organized interior. The CPUs are housed underneath two very large, passive heat sinks. Two large external fans and a plastic duct pulls air through the case and over the CPUs to provide cooling. It is a much better solution than the standard remedy, which places the fan on top of the heat sink and simply recirculates the hot air already in the case.

One interesting note is that the motherboard has two SCSI connectors along the front edge. Normally, these are used for internal drives, but an external SCSI connector would have been nice. Those using external RAIDs and other SCSI devices will have to install a third-party cable and connector for external SCSI functionality.

The machine has three internal hard-drive slots. The drive cages are angled so that the drives are inserted and removed over the surface of the motherboard. This is cumbersome, as the drives need to be gently slid out over the memory cards and a couple heat sinks. If the machine was a bit wider, IBM could have turned the drives 90 degrees to face ...