Systems Architecture 6th Edition by Stephen Burd

Exercise 1

Choose two computer systems from a single manufacturer, such as Dell or HP. The first system should be from the standard desktop family (for example, Dell Optiplex or HP/ Compaq Elite series), and the second system should be from the workstation family (for example, Dell Precision or HP Z-series). For both systems, select a configuration to achieve optimal performance, and examine the computers technical specifications to determine the differences underlying the high-performance designation for the workstation. Concentrate on the system bus, video bus, storage bus, available processors, memory type, and architecture for interconnecting processors and memory. Is the price difference between these computers commensurate with the performance difference?