ALR’s vision of the perfect Pentium server entails upscale evolution: the Evolution V is a mammoth. It’s almost wide enough to be called a double tower case, holds as many as 15 drives, and supports as much as 1G of RAM. With memory and data paths wide enough to support the new chip, the Evolution V becomes an excellent file server with lightning-fast performance potential.
ALR has unveiled its new QuadFlex architecture for this model. A custom ASIC allows the Evolution V to send data from the CPU to the external cache along a 64-bit data path, and from the external writeback cache to memory along a 128-bit path. At this point this design supports a single processor, and ALR says there are no plans for the Evolution V to support dual Pentium processors.
The Evolution V’s motherboard is gargantuan but provides plenty of upgrade potential in return. Amazingly, this system supports almost as much RAM as it does storage: 1G if you fill all 16 memory sockets with PS/2-style, 64M SIMMs. The system uses a 512K secondary cache and provides up to 1.2G of SCSI hard disk storage.
The Evolution V contains 10 32-bit EISA expansion slots (six are bus masters) and three CESA local-bus slots. Although most file servers don’t need it, the prototype we examined contained a VESA-compliant ATI local-bus video controller. ALR says the slots themselves add almost no cost to the system and may add functionality in the future, whether from video or a high-end drive controller. When the Fast EISA-2 specification is approved, ALR says the Evolution will be further upgraded in response.
Despite the roomy motherboard, ALR placed the keyboard controller, serial and parallel circuitry on an expansion card. Nevertheless, there are plenty of expansion slots left, and ALR says that this approach allows for overall smoother system performance.
ALR redesigned the Evolution V’s outside, too. The case’s flat-black colour is attractive and modern, and the huge chassis allows for easy access to all system components. However, the motherboard and drive bays each need to be accessed from opposite sides of the case and neither side is on hinges; both need to be unscrewed.
On the other hand, five internal fans ensure that your Pentium remains cool and collected, and the fault-tolerant 450W power supplies will help stave off disasters as well.
The product is supported by ALR’s standard, three-year parts-and-labour warranty with a service charge for onsite service. The combination of a Pentium processor and ALR’s QuadFlex architecture has the power to make the muscle-bound Evolution scream.
Configuration: 16M RAM, 1G hard disk, VGA video
