HP Workstation xw6000 AA772A

Otherwise, the specifications list is pretty sparse. There's no removable storage except the floppy drive, and all four of the motherboard's PCI slots are vacant. It's also worth noting that while HP has paid good attention to the design of the cooling system, it hasn't done the same with cable routing. There's little use of cable ties inside, and it's not nearly as neat as the insides of the Boston 7033TR (see issue 106, p56).

But the Boston costs more than twice as much, and the xw6000 provides an affordable workstation with fantastic upgrade potential, not to mention a superb three-year, on-site warranty covering both parts and labour. In its current state, however, the performance and features are the bare minimum for 3D work, and we advise starting out with a faster graphics card and adding a second Xeon if you can afford it.

Author: Ben Hardwidge