Desktops and workstations buying guide - Your unique workstation needs

The technical application you plan to run on a workstation will be the single biggest driver for the type or processor you need to purchase. Evaluate your application to find out if you need 32- or 64- bit processing as well as the recommended processor speed. Also, consider if you need a single processor or if your application needs to support dual processors. In addition to wide ranging support for single 32- bit processors, select HP workstations also support AMD Opertron or Xeon dual processors for 64-bit computing.

When selecting a workstation, the most important consideration around memory is the maximum memory the workstation will support. You should let the memory requirements of your technical applications guide your initial memory purchase, but be sure that you have additional room to grow as your application requirements change. HP workstations support from 4 GB to 16 GB of memory. Before you purchase memory, also consider the memory support in your operating system. For example, Microsoft® Windows® XP (32-bit) supports a maximum of 4GB of memory. 

As with other components of your workstation, your technical application requirements will drive your required graphics support. Verify the type of graphics card recommended by your application and look for a workstation that supports that card. HP workstations support a wide range of technologies from leading graphics providers.   

Due to the significant amounts of data typically generated by workstation applications, your workstation will necessarily need to support extensive data storage. Consider the amount of data you expect the workstation to store, and look for a system that supports that data with room to grow. Most workstations accommodate a series of drives instead of just a single drive, giving you expanded storage space as well the ability to add even more storage space during the life of your workstation by adding higher capacity drives.