The NextDimension means you don’t have to choose a laptop if you want portability and you don't have to lug around a full-sized workstation if you want power. All images © NextComputing.

NextComputing knows the importance of portability. That’s why they're focused on providing their customers with the industry’s highest-powered mobile workstations and servers. What does that mean to you? It means that you don't have to choose a laptop if you want portability and you don’t have to lug around a full-sized workstation if you want power. If you’re an end user in DCC, CAD or the oil and gas industry, NextComputing may very well have the mobile solution of your dreams.

Pricing and Configuration
NextComputing gives you a lot of choice when configuring a system. From operating system to video and memory, just about everything is customizable. The FlexTop system that I reviewed, NextDimension, included an Opteron 248 (2.2GHz dual core), 4GB RAM, a Quadro FX 3500 video card, 100GB SATA hard drive, a 17" LCD with 1920x1200 native resolution and soft carrying case. All this power and portability does come at a price, however. While this system carries a retail price of $11,500, an entry level system with Windows XP Pro 64, 2GB RAM, a single core Opteron processor, SATA hard drive, DVD-RW drive, three Gigabit ethernet ports, two external SATA ports and a 1920x1200 display costs $5,000. For $23,000, you get a fully decked out system with two dual core Opteron processors, 16GB RAM, 300GB hard drive, DVD-RW drive, Quadro FX 5500 video, three Gigabit ethernet ports, two external SATA ports, a 1920x1200 display, Windows XP Pro 64 and SuSE Linux, plus NextComputing’s new clip-on LCD monitor with 1920x1200 resolution. It's also possible to configure a lower cost server system, thanks to the onboard ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 video.

Performance
Unlike the other systems I’ve reviewed for VFXWorld, the NextDimension has only a single dual core Opteron processor inside. But that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in power; and if you need more oomph, you can always configure a system with dual processors.

xw9300 and NextDimension SpecViewPerf 9 test results
This time, I’m using an HP xw9300 as a reference system. It includes two dual core Opteron 2.4GHz (280) processors, 2GB RAM and a Quadro FX 1500 video card. Here’s how the two systems stacked up:

NextDimension
SUM_RESULTS3DSMAXSUMMARY.TXT0
3dsmax-04 Weighted Geometric Mean = 21.77

SUM_RESULTSCATIASUMMARY.TXT
catia-02 Weighted Geometric Mean = 26.12

SUM_RESULTSENSIGHTSUMMARY.TXT
ensight-03 Weighted Geometric Mean = 18.64

SUM_RESULTSLIGHTSUMMARY.TXT
light-08 Weighted Geometric Mean = 21.04

SUM_RESULTSMAYASUMMARY.TXT
maya-02 Weighted Geometric Mean = 19.95

SUM_RESULTSPROESUMMARY.TXT
proe-04 Weighted Geometric Mean = 24.88

SUM_RESULTSSWSUMMARY.TXT
sw-01 Weighted Geometric Mean = 29.85

SUM_RESULTSUGNXSUMMARY.TXT
ugnx-01 Weighted Geometric Mean = 10.78

SUM_RESULTSTCVISSUMMARY.TXT
tcvis-01 Weighted Geometric Mean = 5.742