Introduction
 The
O2 is a real allrounder and another perfect entry system for a
fair price. Of course it costs more than an Indy,
but it offers more power and many more features, especially for
graphics. The really nice thing about an O2 is that it has hardware
accelerated textures in contrast to most of the Octanes or Indigo²s
that are sold on ebay.
1. CPUs
There are plenty CPU options available - but keep in mind, that
you cannot easily upgrade a R5x00 O2 to a R1x000 O2 by changing
the CPU module. Probably you have to change the complete mainboard
and case of your O2, so better get the processor series you really
want to have.
| Processor |
Speed |
L2 Cache |
| R5000PC |
180 Mhz |
none |
| R5000SC |
180 Mhz |
512KB |
| R5000SC |
200 Mhz |
1MB |
| R5200SC |
300 Mhz |
1MB |
| R10000SC |
150 MHz
175 MHz
195 MHz
225 MHz
250 MHz
|
1MB |
| R12000SC |
270 MHz
300 MHz |
1MB |
| R12000SC |
400 MHz |
2MB |
| RM7000A |
350 Mhz |
256KB |
Note that there may be some systems with a R5000SC CPU running
at 200 MHz but with only 512KB of cache - this is simply a sign
that the CPU has been overclocked, as there never existed such
a system from SGI.
2. Graphics
The O2 has only one graphic option available - and it is soldered
onto the mainboard, so you really do not need to worry about graphics.
Plus the O2 has a standard VGA connector (and no 13W3!), so you
can use any good PC monitor that is capable of 'Sync on Green'.
3. Memory
Your O2 should have at least 128MB. And you should check that
the memory isn't distributed among all slots - that would mean
that with each memory upgrade (you need special memory modules
for the O2) you would have to sacrifice some of the already installed
memory. Of course, when your O2 already has 512MB of memory, then
it does not matter.
4. Disc Drives
Your O2 should have at least a 4GB drive, as always more is better.
Especially if you want to capture movies or install much of the
freeware available at sgi,
you need at least a 9GB drive.
5. Other Details of Interest
There are some other items you should check before buying a specific
Octane:
- What is the general cosmetic condition?
- Are keyboard and mouse included? Of course, you can also use
normal PS/2 styled keyboards and mice.
- Is IRIX installed, which version? Is it a clean install? Do
you also get the installation CDs?
- Is the famous O2 camera included?
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