The NEC Computer Systems Division of Packard Bell NEC Inc has launched two new mid-range servers, the four processor HX4100 and six processor HX6100 servers. Both can be upgraded to Microsoft’s forthcoming Deschutes Slot 2 chipset when they become available, but currently use the Champion chipset from Reliance Computer Corp, a company 60% owned by NEC rival Fujitsu Ltd. The Reliance technology, which features dual memory controllers and dual peer PCI buses to transfer data between each CPU and the memory and disk drive subsystems, enables NT servers to scale beyond the four processor limit that Intel’s own chipsets currently impose. In fact NEC already has eight-way servers using its own technology, but these are currently sold only by Compagnie des Machines Bull under the Bull badge in the US and under the Bull and Zenith Data Systems badges in Europe. NEC claims its new servers are the fastest four and six way Pentium Pro systems on the market. Prices for the 4100 start at $7,870 for a single 200MHz processor system with 128Mb memory and 4Gb hard drive, and $23,565 for a dual processor with the same memory and disk and built-in RAID. The systems are certified to run Windows NT, Novell NetWare or SCO Unix, or after shipment sales of Solaris and OS/2.
