Virtual reality

The past few years have seen computers undergo a significant evolution. What were once devices for business and personal use are now akin to digital Swiss Army knives. Recently, a new partnership between two major names was formed with the intention of transforming computers into digital content development powerhouses. 

HP and NVIDIA are teaming up to launch new workstations specially designed to be used by 3D content creators and game developers to aid them in their quest to craft high-quality virtual reality environments and experiences.

“We are embarking on a new frontier that will change how content producers and artists develop the most immersive, visually stimulating content available,” Jeff Wood, vice president, Worldwide Product Management, Workstations and Thin Clients for HP Inc. said in a press release. “HP Z desktop workstations with NVIDIA graphics are the ideal combination for this new content creation era.”

The new desktops are NVIDIA VR Ready configurations. They feature NVIDIA’s Quadro professional-grade graphics processing units (GPUs), and can hold up to two 24GB Quadro M6000 cards. Chief among them is the Z840, which takes advantage of the dual-card setup to support NVIDIA’s VR Scalable Link Interface (SLI) to increase system rendering power for larger VR applications. Equipped with Quadro M6000 graphics, the Z840 also helps improve performance and reduce image tearing by using NVIDIA’s GPU Affinity API and VR Synchronization.

Also joining the Z series are the new Z240 and Z640 workstations. Designed for use by various industries, such as oil and gas exploration, healthcare and architecture, they rely on configurations that are similar to the Z840. The Z240 is furnished with a Quadro M5000 card, while the Z640 features an M6000 card.

“VR is expanding beyond gaming to revolutionize fields across everyday life, like medicine, architecture, education, product design and retailing,” explained Bob Pette, vice president, Professional Visualization for NVIDIA. “Our VR Ready initiative makes it easy for professional users to adopt VR technology to make better, more informed decisions and perform their best work.”

The workstations are available now at a cost of $4,363, while the 24GB Dual M6000 cards are available as an aftermarket option, with integration scheduled for May.