Lenovo revs desktop workstations co-designed with Aston Martin | Tech Fluent

Why it issues: Whereas they actually do not get the eye of PCs, workstations play an extremely essential function on the planet of enterprise computing. And reality is, folks utilizing these excessive energy gadgets typically get to do most of the coolest computing-based duties you may think about. Take, for instance, bringing animated films to life simply exterior Hollywood, or designing sports activities vehicles in a tiny village within the West Midlands area of the UK.

Lenovo was clearly considering alongside these strains once they selected to unveil their newest desktop workstations this week at DreamWorks Animation Studio together with its buyer and design associate Aston Martin. The timing was significantly fortuitous as a result of DreamWorks is at present up for an Oscar for Finest Animated Characteristic Movie for Puss in Boots: The Final Want.

On the occasion, Lenovo emphasised the multi-year connection they’ve had with DreamWorks, beginning with the ThinkSystem servers the studio now makes use of to run its whole operation from rendering animations to operating enterprise processes.

It seems DreamWorks was drawn to the corporate’s Neptune heat water-cooling know-how—now in its fifth iteration—which Lenovo makes use of to chill each CPUs, storage and now GPUs—in its servers. It proved to be significantly engaging to DreamWorks due to the ever-increasing calls for for efficiency (and the ensuing energy draw will increase) that they had together with a space-limited knowledge middle.

The Neptune-equipped Lenovo servers allowed DreamWorks to supply extra efficiency in much less area and scale back their energy consumption on the similar time—a compelling mixture.

The server relationship then allowed the corporate to open discussions round workstations and DreamWorks selected to switch its earlier machines with Lenovo’s ThinkStation P920, P720 and P520. Future purchases, nonetheless, will probably be constituted of the true star of the occasion, Lenovo’s new desktop workstation line, together with the PX, P7 and P5.

These new fashions incorporate the newest workstation-focused CPUs and graphics playing cards, together with Intel’s 4th-gen Xeon Scalable, model new 4th-gen Xeon W and Thirteenth-gen Core CPUs, and Nvidia’s Ada era RTX 6000 graphics playing cards.

What was significantly distinctive about this launch, nonetheless, was that it was the primary main desktop workstation case redesign for the corporate in almost a decade. Most notably, it was executed along side British sports activities automobile firm Aston Martin, who occur to be customers of Lenovo’s workstations as properly.

The ThinkStation PX, P7 and P5 workstations

Whereas which will initially sound like an odd mixture, it seems it truly works on a number of completely different ranges. Because the Aston Martin consultant succinctly put it, “each firms prefer to construct issues that look cool and go quick, however nonetheless must be saved cool for finest efficiency.”

Visually, the influence of the partnership is instantly obvious. The brand new ThinkStation P line includes a 3D hexagonal design-based entrance grill that may be very paying homage to Aston Martin’s DBS Superleggera entrance grill. Extra than simply a pretty add-on, nonetheless, the brand new grill design truly enhance the air consumption into the machine, permitting it to chill its sizzling, power-hungry predominant elements much more effectively. To assist with that course of, the PX additionally features a new manifold-like ingredient that directs the incoming air to the proper elements of the machine.

The elevated airflow is especially essential on the top-of-the-line PX mannequin, which is among the first mainstream workstations to help as much as 4 full-length, full energy Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada graphics playing cards together with two CPU sockets that every help Intel’s newest 60-core 4th-gen Xeon Scalable (a component sometimes related to servers).

Collectively, these six elements together with the remainder of the system require a lot energy that they’ll solely hook up with shops which might be powered by a 20-amp circuit. Lenovo powers the system with two unbiased energy provides which might be ganged collectively. On programs that do not provide this full configuration (and subsequently do not want as a lot energy), the 2 energy provides are hot-swappable for simple upkeep and longer uptime. For organizations who do need or want that stage of efficiency, nonetheless, the PX might be turned on its aspect and function as a 5U rack-mounted workstation.

Along with the PX, Lenovo additionally unveiled the smaller ThinkStation P7 and the P5 with help for each Intel 4th-gen Xeon W, together with the 56-core Xeon W9-3495X and Thirteenth-gen Core CPUs and Nvidia’s RTX 6000 GPUs. The P7 can maintain one Xeon W-3400 CPU and as much as three of the RTX 6000 playing cards, whereas the P5 helps up one Xeon W-2400 CPU and two RTX 6000s.

Along with the slick new grill design, the three machines provide refined Aston Martin design parts akin to crimson particulars that spotlight the place a machine might be opened, accessed, or carried. As a part of the tool-less design, the panel to get into workstations is impressed by Aston-Martin’s flush automobile door handles. In one of the best form of approach, they’re design elements that handle to be each practical and engaging on the similar time.

From a tech perspective, all three machines embrace help for PCIe gen 5 slots, as much as 9 drives, and as much as 2 TB of DDR5 reminiscence. Most significantly for the workstation market, all these programs are ISV licensed, guaranteeing that vital purposes will run on them.

As with premium sports activities vehicles, workstations aren’t ever going to be a mainstream possibility. However for the organizations or customers who demand the very best efficiency for his or her purposes, there’s simply nothing else like them. With the newest Aston Martin design impressed ThinkStations, it is clear Lenovo is keen to not solely compete within the race however has its eyes on the checkered flag.

Bob O’Donnell is the founder and chief analyst of TECHnalysis Analysis, LLC a know-how consulting agency that gives strategic consulting and market analysis companies to the know-how business {and professional} monetary group. You may comply with him on Twitter @bobodtech.