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Silicon Graphics Indy 1993-1996
General
TEXT Base Models Through the Years
TEXT Timeline
TEXT Part Numbers
TEXT Indy CPUs
TEXT Indy Video Options
TEXT Indy Presenter
DIR SGI Internal Documentation of the Indy
DIR Pictures
DIR Historical Articles and Reviews
Documentation
Indy Presenter Owner's Manual
R4400 200Mhz CPU Upgrade Installation Guide
Indy Owner's Guide
PROM
ip24prom.070-9101-007 R4400 PROM image
ip24prom.070-9101-001 R5000 PROM image
History
The Silicon Graphics Indy is a small form factor, entry level
workstation. It was introduced in 1993 with its weakest CPU, a 100Mhz
R4000 and when it was replaced by the O2 in 1996 its best CPU option
was a 180Mhz R5000.
The Indy's Performance in Context
SPEC
MODEL CPU CLOCK int95 fp95
SGI INDY R5000PC 150MHz 3.0 3.6
R5000SC 150MHz 3.7 4.2
R5000SC 180MHz 4.1 4.4
SGI Challenge R10000 195MHz 8.75 12.4
IBM PowerPC Machine PPC 604 100MHz 3.59 3.34
PPC 604 133MHz 4.51 3.70
PC / AT Compatible Pentium 75MHz 2.39 2.06
Pentium 90MHz 2.88 2.48
Pentium 100MHz 3.16 2.75
Pentium 120MHz 3.53 2.92
Pentium 133MHz 3.90 3.28
Pentium 166MHz 4.52 3.68
Pentium 200MHz 5.00 3.92
PentiumPro 150MHz 6.25 5.02
PentiumPro 180MHz 7.28 5.59
PentiumPro 200MHz 8.20 6.21
Digital Alpha DEC 21064A 266MHz 4.34 6.03
DEC 21164 300MHz 8.48 9.84
DEC 21164 400MHz 12.1 17.2
Hewlett Packard PA 7100LC 100MHz 2.89 3.47
PA 7150 125MHz 4.04 4.55
PA 8000 160MHz 10.04 16.3
Sun SPARCstaion20 HyperSPARC 150MHz 4.02 4.71
Sun ULTRA1 UltraSPARC 143MHz 4.66 7.90
Sun ULTRA2 UltraSPARC 167MHz 5.56
The Indy's Performance in Context
It took a max of 256MB of memory and included a GIO32bis bus that had
a usuable speed of approx 267MB/s. It also included VINO on board
which allowed NTSC video to be input. It includes 10Mb ethernet, and
10MB fast SCSI. There were three graphics options offered, 8-bit XL,
24-bit XL and 24-bit XZ. The XL had no 3D acceleration, while the XZ
was the same XZ available in Indigo and Indigo2 machines and offered
good non-textured 3D performance
A so-called Mac killer the Indy was intended to be an affordable
but powerful Unix workstation. Introduced at less than $5000 it
was comparable to machines from Apple and SGI worked with Adobe
to port several pieces of software: Photoshop, Illustrator,
Framemaker, that would allow it to compete in the graphic design
market.
However, it was initially underpowered, the original base model
didn't even include a hard drive! Irix 5.0, which was released
in 1993 was extremely bloated see
TEXT Report on Software Usuability
In this same period, Silicon Graphics was experiencing massive
growth. They attempted several joint ventures of which the Indy
served as a central component. With Nintendo they produced
the Nintendo 64, with the Indy serving as a development platform.
With Time Warner cable they attempted to build a set top
interactive TV system
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