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SGI Onyx is a series of
The deskside variant can accept one CPU board, and the rackmount variant can take up to six CPU boards. Both models were launched with the IP19 CPU board with one, two, or four MIPS R4400 CPUs, initially with 100 and 150 MHz options and later increased to 200 and 250 MHz. Later, the IP21 CPU board was introduced, with one or two
SGI Onyx is a series of visualization
Visualization or visualisation may refer to:
*Visualization (graphics), the physical or imagining creation of images, diagrams, or animations to communicate a message
* Data visualization, the graphic representation of data
* Information visualiz ...
systems designed and manufactured by SGI SGI may refer to:
Companies
*Saskatchewan Government Insurance
*Scientific Games International, a gambling company
*Silicon Graphics, Inc., a former manufacturer of high-performance computing products
*Silicon Graphics International, formerly Rac ...
, introduced in 1993 and offered in two models, deskside and rackmount, codename
A code name, call sign or cryptonym is a Code word (figure of speech), code word or name used, sometimes clandestinely, to refer to another name, word, project, or person. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage. They may ...
d Eveready and Terminator respectively. The Onyx's basic system architecture is based on the SGI Challenge
The Challenge, code-named ''Eveready'' (deskside models) and ''Terminator'' (rackmount models), is a family of server computers and supercomputers developed and manufactured by Silicon Graphics in the early to mid-1990s that succeeded the earlie ...
servers, but with graphics hardware.
The Onyx was employed in early 1995 for development kits used to produce software for the Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and Au ...
and, because the technology was so new, the Onyx was noted as the major factor for the impressively high price of – for such kits.
The Onyx was succeeded by the Onyx2 in 1996 and was discontinued on March 31, 1999.
CPU
The deskside variant can accept one CPU board, and the rackmount variant can take up to six CPU boards. Both models were launched with the IP19 CPU board with one, two, or four MIPS R4400 CPUs, initially with 100 and 150 MHz options and later increased to 200 and 250 MHz. Later, the IP21 CPU board was introduced, with one or two R8000 The R8000 is a microprocessor chipset developed by MIPS Technologies, Inc. (MTI), Toshiba, and Weitek.Hsu 1994 It was the first implementation of the MIPS IV instruction set architecture. The R8000 is also known as the ''TFP'', for ''Tremendous Flo ...
microprocessors at 75 or 90 MHz; machines with this board were referred to as POWER Onyx. Finally, SGI introduced the IP25 board with one, two, or four R10000
The R10000, code-named "T5", is a RISC microprocessor implementation of the MIPS IV instruction set architecture (ISA) developed by MIPS Technologies, Inc. (MTI), then a division of Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI). The chief designers are Chris Rowe ...
CPUs at 195 MHz.
Graphics
The Onyx was launched with the RealityEngine2 or VTX graphics subsystems, and InfiniteReality was introduced in 1995.RealityEngine2
The RealityEngine2 is the original high-end graphics subsystem for the Onyx and was found in two different versions: deskside and rack. The deskside model has one GE10 (Geometry Engine) board with 12 Intel i860XP processors, up to four RM4 or RM5 (Raster Manager) boards, and a DG2 (Display Generator) board. The rack model differs by supporting up to three RealityEngine2 pipes (display outputs) vs the single pipe of the deskside.VTX
The VTX graphics subsystem is a cost reduced version of the RealityEngine2, using the same hardware but in a feature reduced configuration that can not be upgraded. It consists of one GE10 board (6 Intel i860XP processors vs 12 in RE2), a single RM4 or RM5 board, and a DG2 board.InfiniteReality
InfiniteReality
InfiniteReality refers to a 3D graphics hardware architecture and a family of graphics systems that implemented the aforementioned hardware architecture that was developed and manufactured by Silicon Graphics from 1996 to 2005. The InfiniteRealit ...
succeeded RealityEngine2 as the high-end graphics subsystem for the Onyx when introduced in 1996. As with RealityEngine2, two versions correspond to the form factors of the Onyx. The deskside version consists of a GE12 board, one or two RM6 boards (limited due to the amount of cooling the deskside system provides), and a DG4 board. The rack model increases the number of RM6 boards supported to four per pipe and allows up to three pipes to be installed resulting in an Onyx rack with a maximum of three GE12 boards, three DG4 boards, and twelve RM6 boards.
References
Further reading
* POWER Onyx and Onyx Deskside Owner's Guide (document number: 007-1733-070). * POWER Onyx and Onyx Rackmount Owner's Guide (document number: 007-1736-060). {{Silicon GraphicsOnyx
Onyx primarily refers to the parallel banded variety of chalcedony, a silicate mineral. Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered chalcedony that differ only in the form of the bands: agate has curved bands and onyx has parallel bands. The c ...
Computer-related introductions in 1993
64-bit computers