Content-Type: text/html

Don't expect the GX280's to be image-conpatible with anything else, they
have radically different chipsets.  New stuff:

- Intel 915 Chipset
- LGA775 land grid array (pinless) socket
- Support for Prescott 500 series and Celeron 300 series processors (up to
3.6 Ghz)
- DDR2 533/400 MHZ dual channel RAM (4 GB max)
- 4 SATA controllers (only 1 PATA controller)
- PCI Express x16 graphics slot (no AGP slot at all)
- 1 PCI Express x1 slot, 3 PCI slots
- No PS/2 ports standard (for mouse and keyboard, available as slot bracket)
- Networking integrated onto the PCI Express bus

I also thought they redesigned the case so that the front USB ports were
actually usable, not pointing into the floor, like they do now, but the
pictures show otherwise.  I vaguely recall that the case redesign may come
later in the year.

IOW, the GX280 is a *major* upgrade.  It's also a good bit more expensive
($100-$200 more for a similar type purchase compared to the GX270), though
I'm sure that'll come down.  Personally, I think the new chipsets,
processors and RAM add more headroom than actual speed yet.  Online
benchmarks don't seem to show the Prescotts as significantly faster than the
Northwoods yet, and they generate a *lot* more heat.  However, I think when
the chipsets get upgraded to 1066 MHz bus speeds (w/ dual channel 533 MHz
DDR2 RAM) over 800 MHz, than the lack of other bottlenecks will really allow
a speed improvement.

Randy S.


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Campus Computer Coordinators [mailto:<a href="/cgi-bin/wa?LOGON=A3%3Dind0408%26L%3DCCC%26E%3D7bit%26P%3D352544%26B%3D--%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Dus-ascii" >[log in to unmask]</a>] On Behalf Of
> Ken Sallot
> Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 6:11 PM
> To: <a href="/cgi-bin/wa?LOGON=A3%3Dind0408%26L%3DCCC%26E%3D7bit%26P%3D352544%26B%3D--%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Dus-ascii" >[log in to unmask]</a>
> Subject: Re: Dell GX60 image the same as something else?
>
> We've had success with the same GX models over and over, but as Brian
> said, there are major changes between the GX models.  GX-270's for
> example introduced SATA, a newer intel chipset, etc.  The only time I
> can recall a change within a model line was with the GX-240's when
> they updated the ethernet chipset to include gigabit support, however
> the drivers didn't change.
>
> You can't expect an image for a GX-240 to work on a GX-60, they're
> radically different beasts.  But, an image for GX-240 should work with
> all GX-240's.
>
> The only caveat would be if you added different video/sound/etc cards
> which would change the stock configuration.  We add video cards
> because getting the DMT on-board video cards to play nice with XFree86
> used to be a chore.
>
> BTW, has anyone picked up a GX-280 yet?  What's different?
>
>
> On Tue, 31 Aug 2004, Brian Bartholomew wrote:
>
> > > I recall from a Dell sales thingy on campus that all GX systems
> > > _should_ be image compatible.
> >
> > This may or may not be relevant to Windows, but from a Linux
> > perspective there are a lot of hardware differences within the GX
> > line, even when attempting to order the "same" machine again several
> > months later.
> >                                                         Brian
> >