In an educational conference HP have released a quad-core workstation which is inexpensive considering the power packed into it, it starts at just $579, the HP xw4550 uses a latest-generation 2GHz AMD Opteron.

This Quad-core workstation can handle video editing and other heavy-duty tasks and is gonna be durable and tamper-proof. In addition to the more advanced processor, the HP xw4550 is also unique among budget pro systems in having dedicated graphics with an NVIDIA Quadro FX 290 both giving a boost to Windows Vista (XP Professional is preinstalled) and to any 3D. At least 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive are included.

HP is going to sell the system immediately and gives the base model a price of $579. Prices increase up to $1,349 for a model with a 2.8GHz quad-core Opteron, 4GB of memory, a 250GB disk, and an upgraded Quadro FX 570 video card.