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| model        = x86: 6204, 6214, 6216, 6217, 6218, 6219, 6220, 6221, 6223, 6224, 6225, 6226, 6229, 6230, 6231, 6233, 6794, 6836, 6846, 6849, 6850, 6851, 6865, 6866, 6867, 6868, 6878, 6888, 6889, 6893, 6894, 6898, 6899, 8654, 9228, 9229; POWER: 9112-265, 9114-275, 9111-285, 7047-185
| model        = x86: 6204, 6214, 6216, 6217, 6218, 6219, 6220, 6221, 6223, 6224, 6225, 6226, 6229, 6230, 6231, 6233, 6794, 6836, 6846, 6849, 6850, 6851, 6865, 6866, 6867, 6868, 6878, 6888, 6889, 6893, 6894, 6898, 6899, 8654, 9228, 9229; POWER: 9112-265, 9114-275, 9111-285, 7047-185
}}
}}
The '''IBM IntelliStation''' is IBM's professional workstation brand, first released in '''March 1997''' as the successor to the IBM PC Series 360 / 365.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_IntelliStation</ref> The brand spans two parallel product families: the '''x86 IntelliStation''' line (Intel and AMD CPUs, single- and dual-socket workstations) and the '''POWER IntelliStation''' line (PowerPC 970 and IBM POWER workstations, branded under the IntelliStation umbrella from February 2002 onward, having previously been sold as eServer pSeries).<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_IntelliStation</ref>
The '''IBM IntelliStation''' is IBM's professional workstation brand, first released in '''March 1997''' as the successor to the IBM PC Series 360 / 365.<ref name="s54d41c">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_IntelliStation Wikipedia &mdash; IBM IntelliStation] Tertiary source.</ref> The brand spans two parallel product families: the '''x86 IntelliStation''' line (Intel and AMD CPUs, single- and dual-socket workstations) and the '''POWER IntelliStation''' line (PowerPC 970 and IBM POWER workstations, branded under the IntelliStation umbrella from February 2002 onward, having previously been sold as eServer pSeries).<ref name="s54d41c" />


The x86 IntelliStation line was discontinued in '''March 2008'''. The POWER IntelliStation line (POWER 185 and POWER 285) was discontinued in '''January 2009'''.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_IntelliStation</ref> The x86 line passed to Lenovo with the rest of the IBM PC business and was renamed '''Lenovo ThinkStation'''; the POWER line had no Lenovo successor.
The x86 IntelliStation line was discontinued in '''March 2008'''. The POWER IntelliStation line (POWER 185 and POWER 285) was discontinued in '''January 2009'''.<ref name="s54d41c" /> The x86 line passed to Lenovo with the rest of the IBM PC business and was renamed '''Lenovo ThinkStation'''; the POWER line had no Lenovo successor.


== Branding ==
== Branding ==
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* '''POWER''' — PowerPC 970MP and IBM POWER4+ / POWER5+ workstations (Models 185, 265, 275, 285).
* '''POWER''' — PowerPC 970MP and IBM POWER4+ / POWER5+ workstations (Models 185, 265, 275, 285).


Certain M Pro models are near-identical hardware to entry-tier Netfinity servers (Netfinity 1000-class), differing mainly in video, SCSI options and software bundle.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_IntelliStation</ref>
Certain M Pro models are near-identical hardware to entry-tier Netfinity servers (Netfinity 1000-class), differing mainly in video, SCSI options and software bundle.<ref name="s54d41c" />


[[File:IBM IntelliStation logo.svg|right|frameless|240px|IBM IntelliStation logo]]
[[File:IBM IntelliStation logo.svg|right|frameless|240px|IBM IntelliStation logo]]
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| 6836 / 6846 || Pentium III 800 MHz – 1 GHz || Oct 2000 – Jan 2002 || Up to 1.5 GB PC133, Ultra160 SCSI / ATA66, Matrox G450, GeForce 2 MX
| 6836 / 6846 || Pentium III 800 MHz – 1 GHz || Oct 2000 – Jan 2002 || Up to 1.5 GB PC133, Ultra160 SCSI / ATA66, Matrox G450, GeForce 2 MX
|-
|-
| 6204 / 6214 || Pentium 4 1.6–2.2 GHz || Sep 2001 – Sep 2002 || Up to 1.5 GB PC133, Ultra160 / ATA100<ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/overview-ibm-intellistation-e-pro-type-6204-6214</ref>
| 6204 / 6214 || Pentium 4 1.6–2.2 GHz || Sep 2001 – Sep 2002 || Up to 1.5 GB PC133, Ultra160 / ATA100<ref name="sa87215">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/overview-ibm-intellistation-e-pro-type-6204-6214 IBM Support &mdash; overview ibm intellistation e pro type 6204 6214]</ref>
|-
|-
| 6216 / 6226 || Pentium 4 2.0–2.8 GHz || Jul 2002 – Oct 2003 || Up to 2 GB PC2100, GbE, Matrox G450 / Quadro 4 / FireGL 8800<ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/overview-ibm-intellistation-e-pro-type-6216-6226</ref>
| 6216 / 6226 || Pentium 4 2.0–2.8 GHz || Jul 2002 – Oct 2003 || Up to 2 GB PC2100, GbE, Matrox G450 / Quadro 4 / FireGL 8800<ref name="sfc1ece">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/overview-ibm-intellistation-e-pro-type-6216-6226 IBM Support &mdash; overview ibm intellistation e pro type 6216 6226]</ref>
|-
|-
| 9217 || Pentium 4 / Pentium D / Core 2 Duo era E Pro || 2006+ || PCI Express, DDR2 SDRAM
| 9217 || Pentium 4 / Pentium D / Core 2 Duo era E Pro || 2006+ || PCI Express, DDR2 SDRAM
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| 6898 || Dual Pentium II 233–333 || Oct 1997 – Oct 1998 || Early dual-socket M Pro
| 6898 || Dual Pentium II 233–333 || Oct 1997 – Oct 1998 || Early dual-socket M Pro
|-
|-
| 6889 || Dual Pentium II 350–450; dual Pentium III 450–600; dual Pentium III 600 MHz – 1 GHz || Jul 1998 – Jun 2000 || '''Intel 440BX''' at 100 MHz FSB on SDRAM submodels, Intel 840 on RDRAM submodels<ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/machine-type-model-specifications-ibm-intellistation-m-pro-type-6889</ref>
| 6889 || Dual Pentium II 350–450; dual Pentium III 450–600; dual Pentium III 600 MHz – 1 GHz || Jul 1998 – Jun 2000 || '''Intel 440BX''' at 100 MHz FSB on SDRAM submodels, Intel 840 on RDRAM submodels<ref name="s704135">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/machine-type-model-specifications-ibm-intellistation-m-pro-type-6889 IBM Support &mdash; machine type model specifications ibm intellistation m pro type 6889]</ref>
|-
|-
| 6868 / 6878 || '''Single Pentium III''' (note: ''not'' Pentium 4) || 2000–2001 || '''Intel 840 chipset''', PC600/800 RDRAM (max 2 GB across 4 RIMM sockets, two channels of two), Ultra160 SCSI, 330 W PSU<ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/specifications-ibm-intellistation-m-pro-type-6868</ref><ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/hardware-maintenance-manual-ibm-intellistation-m-pro-type-6868-6878-0</ref>
| 6868 / 6878 || '''Single Pentium III''' (note: ''not'' Pentium 4) || 2000–2001 || '''Intel 840 chipset''', PC600/800 RDRAM (max 2 GB across 4 RIMM sockets, two channels of two), Ultra160 SCSI, 330 W PSU<ref name="sc4b28d">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/specifications-ibm-intellistation-m-pro-type-6868 IBM Support &mdash; specifications ibm intellistation m pro type 6868]</ref><ref name="s3f87bb">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/hardware-maintenance-manual-ibm-intellistation-m-pro-type-6868-6878-0 IBM Support &mdash; hardware maintenance manual ibm intellistation m pro type 6868 6878 0]</ref>
|-
|-
| 6849 || Pentium 4 1.4–2.2 GHz || Nov 2000 – Jun 2002 || RDRAM, FireGL 2/4, Quadro 2 MXR / Pro, Wildcat III 6110
| 6849 || Pentium 4 1.4–2.2 GHz || Nov 2000 – Jun 2002 || RDRAM, FireGL 2/4, Quadro 2 MXR / Pro, Wildcat III 6110
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| 6233 || Single Xeon 1.7 GHz || Nov 2001 – Jul 2002 || RDRAM, Ultra160 / ATA100
| 6233 || Single Xeon 1.7 GHz || Nov 2001 – Jul 2002 || RDRAM, Ultra160 / ATA100
|-
|-
| 6850 || Dual Xeon 1.5 / 1.7 / 2.0 / 2.8 GHz || Jul 2001 – Jan 2003 || Up to 4 GB RDRAM, Ultra160 / ATA100<ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/specifications-ibm-intellistation-m-pro-type-6233-6850</ref>
| 6850 || Dual Xeon 1.5 / 1.7 / 2.0 / 2.8 GHz || Jul 2001 – Jan 2003 || Up to 4 GB RDRAM, Ultra160 / ATA100<ref name="sd8a7aa">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/specifications-ibm-intellistation-m-pro-type-6233-6850 IBM Support &mdash; specifications ibm intellistation m pro type 6233 6850]</ref>
|-
|-
| 6229 || Pentium 4 2.4–2.8 GHz || May 2002 – Feb 2003 || RDRAM, Quadro 4 200NVS / 900XGL, FireGL 8800, Wildcat III 6110
| 6229 || Pentium 4 2.4–2.8 GHz || May 2002 – Feb 2003 || RDRAM, Quadro 4 200NVS / 900XGL, FireGL 8800, Wildcat III 6110
|-
|-
| 6219 || Pentium 4 2.4–3.06 GHz || Nov 2002 – Oct 2003 || Up to 4 GB PC2100, Ultra320 / ATA100, GbE, '''Intel 845E''' chipset<ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/overview-ibm-intellistation-m-pro-type-6219</ref>
| 6219 || Pentium 4 2.4–3.06 GHz || Nov 2002 – Oct 2003 || Up to 4 GB PC2100, Ultra320 / ATA100, GbE, '''Intel 845E''' chipset<ref name="sb6b0dc">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/overview-ibm-intellistation-m-pro-type-6219 IBM Support &mdash; overview ibm intellistation m pro type 6219]</ref>
|-
|-
| 6220 / 6230 || Pentium 4 2.8–3.4 GHz || Jul 2003 – Mar 2005 || Up to 4 GB PC2700, Ultra320 / SATA-150, Quadro FX 500–3000
| 6220 / 6230 || Pentium 4 2.8–3.4 GHz || Jul 2003 – Mar 2005 || Up to 4 GB PC2700, Ultra320 / SATA-150, Quadro FX 500–3000
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| 6221 || Dual Xeon Socket 604, 2.4 / 2.67 / 2.8 / 3.2 GHz || Nov 2002 – Feb 2005 || '''Intel E7505 "Placer"''', up to 8 GB PC2100 ECC, Ultra320 / ATA100, AGP Pro 8× (G450, Quadro 4 280NVS / 980XGL, FX 1000/1100/3000, Wildcat 4 7110)
| 6221 || Dual Xeon Socket 604, 2.4 / 2.67 / 2.8 / 3.2 GHz || Nov 2002 – Feb 2005 || '''Intel E7505 "Placer"''', up to 8 GB PC2100 ECC, Ultra320 / ATA100, AGP Pro 8× (G450, Quadro 4 280NVS / 980XGL, FX 1000/1100/3000, Wildcat 4 7110)
|-
|-
| 6223 || Dual Xeon EM64T 3.0–3.8 GHz || Aug 2004 – Mar 2007 || '''Intel E7525 "Tumwater"''', up to 16 GB PC2-3200 ECC, '''PCIe x16 graphics slot''', Ultra320 / ATA100, Quadro NVS280/285, FX 1300/1400/3400/3500/4500, FireGL V7100, Wildcat Realizm 800<ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/overview-ibm-intellistation-z-pro-type-6223</ref>
| 6223 || Dual Xeon EM64T 3.0–3.8 GHz || Aug 2004 – Mar 2007 || '''Intel E7525 "Tumwater"''', up to 16 GB PC2-3200 ECC, '''PCIe x16 graphics slot''', Ultra320 / ATA100, Quadro NVS280/285, FX 1300/1400/3400/3500/4500, FireGL V7100, Wildcat Realizm 800<ref name="s0a476c">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/overview-ibm-intellistation-z-pro-type-6223 IBM Support &mdash; overview ibm intellistation z pro type 6223]</ref>
|-
|-
| 9228 || Dual-core Xeon 5130 / 5140 / 5150 / 5160 ('''5000-series "Woodcrest"''') || Jun 2006+ || '''Intel 5000X "Greencreek"''', up to 32 GB PC2-5300 FB-DIMM ECC, SAS / SATA-300<ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/overview-ibm-intellistation-z-pro-type-9228</ref><ref>https://store.flagshiptech.com/ibm-intellistation-z-pro-9228-xeon/</ref>
| 9228 || Dual-core Xeon 5130 / 5140 / 5150 / 5160 ('''5000-series "Woodcrest"''') || Jun 2006+ || '''Intel 5000X "Greencreek"''', up to 32 GB PC2-5300 FB-DIMM ECC, SAS / SATA-300<ref name="sf4a196">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/overview-ibm-intellistation-z-pro-type-9228 IBM Support &mdash; overview ibm intellistation z pro type 9228]</ref><ref name="s32392b">[https://store.flagshiptech.com/ibm-intellistation-z-pro-9228-xeon/ Flagship Technologies listing &mdash; ibm intellistation z pro 9228 xeon] A reseller listing, used only for part identification.</ref>
|}
|}


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| 6224 || Dual Opteron 244 / 246 / 248 / 250 / 256 (single-core only) || Mar 2004 – Jul 2005 || Socket 940, up to 16 GB PC3200 ECC RDIMM, Ultra320 / SATA-150, AGP — Quadro NVS280 / FX 1100/3000/4000
| 6224 || Dual Opteron 244 / 246 / 248 / 250 / 256 (single-core only) || Mar 2004 – Jul 2005 || Socket 940, up to 16 GB PC3200 ECC RDIMM, Ultra320 / SATA-150, AGP — Quadro NVS280 / FX 1100/3000/4000
|-
|-
| 6217 || Dual Opteron 250 / 252 / 254 / 256 or dual-core 275 / 280 / 285 || Apr 2005 – Apr 2007 || Socket 940, up to 16 GB PC3200, Ultra320 / SATA-150, PCIe x16, Quadro NVS280/285, FX 1400/1500/3400/3500/4500/4500 X2, Wildcat Realizm 800, 530 W PSU with PFC<ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/overview-ibm-intellistation-pro-type-6217</ref>
| 6217 || Dual Opteron 250 / 252 / 254 / 256 or dual-core 275 / 280 / 285 || Apr 2005 – Apr 2007 || Socket 940, up to 16 GB PC3200, Ultra320 / SATA-150, PCIe x16, Quadro NVS280/285, FX 1400/1500/3400/3500/4500/4500 X2, Wildcat Realizm 800, 530 W PSU with PFC<ref name="s189edc">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/overview-ibm-intellistation-pro-type-6217 IBM Support &mdash; overview ibm intellistation pro type 6217]</ref>
|}
|}


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! Model name !! Machine type !! CPU !! Years !! Notes
! Model name !! Machine type !! CPU !! Years !! Notes
|-
|-
| '''IntelliStation POWER 265''' || '''9112-265''' || Dual POWER3-II 450 MHz || Feb 2002 – Sep 2003 || Up to 8 GB, Ultra160 SCSI, 10/100 Ethernet, GXT135P / 4500P / 6500P<ref>https://unixhq.com/systems/ibm-power-265/</ref>
| '''IntelliStation POWER 265''' || '''9112-265''' || Dual POWER3-II 450 MHz || Feb 2002 – Sep 2003 || Up to 8 GB, Ultra160 SCSI, 10/100 Ethernet, GXT135P / 4500P / 6500P<ref name="sfb8a87">[https://unixhq.com/systems/ibm-power-265/ UNIXHQ &mdash; ibm power 265]</ref>
|-
|-
| '''IntelliStation POWER 275''' || '''9114-275''' || Single or dual POWER4+ 1.0 or 1.45 GHz, 8 MB L3 per chip || Jun 2003 – Feb 2006 || Up to 16 GB, 4 hot-swap Ultra320 SCSI bays (up to 587 GB), six PCI-X slots, dual Ethernet (10/100 + GbE), GXT135P / 4500P / 6500P<ref>https://www.ibm.com/docs/POWER4/p7hc5/intellistation9114_275.htm</ref>
| '''IntelliStation POWER 275''' || '''9114-275''' || Single or dual POWER4+ 1.0 or 1.45 GHz, 8 MB L3 per chip || Jun 2003 – Feb 2006 || Up to 16 GB, 4 hot-swap Ultra320 SCSI bays (up to 587 GB), six PCI-X slots, dual Ethernet (10/100 + GbE), GXT135P / 4500P / 6500P<ref name="s648455">[https://www.ibm.com/docs/POWER4/p7hc5/intellistation9114_275.htm IBM Support &mdash; intellistation9114 275]</ref>
|-
|-
| '''IntelliStation POWER 285''' || '''9111-285''' || POWER5+ 1.9 or 2.1 GHz, 36 MB L3 || Oct 2005 – Jan 2009 || Derived from POWER5 520 rackmount server; single SCSI controller, non-redundant Artesyn PSU, four 3.5" disk bays, two slim-line media bays, ~300 W with AIX + 2 disks; IBM GXT6500P graphics<ref>https://sites.google.com/site/rhdisk0/unix/hardware/ibm285</ref><ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/system-software-map-ibm-intellistation-power-285-9111-285-and-aix-19-ghz</ref>
| '''IntelliStation POWER 285''' || '''9111-285''' || POWER5+ 1.9 or 2.1 GHz, 36 MB L3 || Oct 2005 – Jan 2009 || Derived from POWER5 520 rackmount server; single SCSI controller, non-redundant Artesyn PSU, four 3.5" disk bays, two slim-line media bays, ~300 W with AIX + 2 disks; IBM GXT6500P graphics<ref name="scd8505">[https://sites.google.com/site/rhdisk0/unix/hardware/ibm285 rhdisk0 (community AIX/POWER notes) &mdash; ibm285] Community notes.</ref><ref name="s880523">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/system-software-map-ibm-intellistation-power-285-9111-285-and-aix-19-ghz IBM Support &mdash; system software map ibm intellistation power 285 9111 285 and aix 19 ghz]</ref>
|-
|-
| '''IntelliStation POWER 185''' || '''7047-185''' || Single or dual PowerPC 970MP at 2.5 GHz || Feb 2006 – Jan 2009 || Min 512 MB / max 8 GB DDR1-333 across four 8-byte paths, three 3.5" DASD bays (max 900 GB internal), two half-high bays for DVD-ROM / DVD-RAM / tape, dual GbE, optional 3.3 V 32-bit / 33 MHz PCI audio (FC 8244)<ref>https://redbooks.ibm.com/redpapers/pdfs/redp4135.pdf</ref><ref>http://www.ibmfiles.com/pages/intellipower185.htm</ref>
| '''IntelliStation POWER 185''' || '''7047-185''' || Single or dual PowerPC 970MP at 2.5 GHz || Feb 2006 – Jan 2009 || Min 512 MB / max 8 GB DDR1-333 across four 8-byte paths, three 3.5" DASD bays (max 900 GB internal), two half-high bays for DVD-ROM / DVD-RAM / tape, dual GbE, optional 3.3 V 32-bit / 33 MHz PCI audio (FC 8244)<ref name="s8d8dbc">[https://redbooks.ibm.com/redpapers/pdfs/redp4135.pdf IBM Redbooks &mdash; redp4135]</ref><ref name="sad599e">[http://www.ibmfiles.com/pages/intellipower185.htm ibmfiles.com &mdash; intellipower185]</ref>
|}
|}


[[File:IBM IntelliStation POWER 185.png|center|thumb|450px|IBM IntelliStation POWER 185 (machine type 7047-185, PowerPC 970MP workstation). (Image: Wikimedia Commons, CC0)]]
[[File:IBM IntelliStation POWER 185.png|center|thumb|450px|IBM IntelliStation POWER 185 (machine type 7047-185, PowerPC 970MP workstation). (Image: Wikimedia Commons, CC0)]]


The POWER 185 and POWER 285 were withdrawn on the same day in January 2009 (IBM hardware withdrawal announcement ENUS908-170), ending the IntelliStation brand entirely.<ref>http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/0/897/ENUS908-170/ENUS908-170.PDF</ref>
The POWER 185 and POWER 285 were withdrawn on the same day in January 2009 (IBM hardware withdrawal announcement ENUS908-170), ending the IntelliStation brand entirely.<ref name="s7be59d">[http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/0/897/ENUS908-170/ENUS908-170.PDF IBM (legacy support site) &mdash; ENUS908 170]</ref>


== Architecture Eras ==
== Architecture Eras ==
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* '''Early''' (6899, 6888, 6893, 6889, 6898) — Adaptec AHA-2940 / AHA-2940 UW / Ultra Wide SCSI on the planar; optional ServeRAID II/3H/4H.
* '''Early''' (6899, 6888, 6893, 6889, 6898) — Adaptec AHA-2940 / AHA-2940 UW / Ultra Wide SCSI on the planar; optional ServeRAID II/3H/4H.
* '''Mid''' (6868, 6850, 6219, 6221) — LSI 1020/1030 Ultra160 / Ultra320 on the planar; optional ServeRAID-4Lx / 4Mx / 5i / 6i.
* '''Mid''' (6868, 6850, 6219, 6221) — LSI 1020/1030 Ultra160 / Ultra320 on the planar; optional ServeRAID-4Lx / 4Mx / 5i / 6i.
* '''Late''' (6223, 6217, 9228, 9229) — '''Adaptec-derived ServeRAID HostRAID''' variants: ServeRAID-7e (HostRAID for SATA), ServeRAID-7t SATA, ServeRAID-8e (HostRAID, signed CD).<ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-serveraid-7e-adaptec-hostraid-drivers-suse-linux-enterprise-server-8-ibm-intellistation-pro-type-6224</ref><ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/serveraid-8e-adaptec-hostraid-support-cd-signed-servers-and-intellistation</ref>
* '''Late''' (6223, 6217, 9228, 9229) — '''Adaptec-derived ServeRAID HostRAID''' variants: ServeRAID-7e (HostRAID for SATA), ServeRAID-7t SATA, ServeRAID-8e (HostRAID, signed CD).<ref name="s35d7eb">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-serveraid-7e-adaptec-hostraid-drivers-suse-linux-enterprise-server-8-ibm-intellistation-pro-type-6224 IBM Support &mdash; ibm serveraid 7e adaptec hostraid drivers suse linux enterprise server 8 ibm intellistatio…]</ref><ref name="s9eb33e">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/serveraid-8e-adaptec-hostraid-support-cd-signed-servers-and-intellistation IBM Support &mdash; serveraid 8e adaptec hostraid support cd signed servers and intellistation]</ref>


Note: IBM never used the '''LSI "ServeRAID-MR"''' rebranding on IntelliStation; that came in System x post-2007. Driver legacy on IntelliStation is therefore Adaptec-exclusive for ServeRAID, with LSI integrated controllers handled outside the ServeRAID brand. The '''ServeRAID Support CD v7.12.14''' is the standard tool for older ServeRAID controllers.<ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-serveraid-support-cd-v71214-ibm-system-x</ref>
Note: IBM never used the '''LSI "ServeRAID-MR"''' rebranding on IntelliStation; that came in System x post-2007. Driver legacy on IntelliStation is therefore Adaptec-exclusive for ServeRAID, with LSI integrated controllers handled outside the ServeRAID brand. The '''ServeRAID Support CD v7.12.14''' is the standard tool for older ServeRAID controllers.<ref name="sa9cebb">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-serveraid-support-cd-v71214-ibm-system-x IBM Support &mdash; ibm serveraid support cd v71214 ibm system x]</ref>


=== ECAs Found ===
=== ECAs Found ===


* '''ECA037''' — 9.1 GB and 18.2 GB SCSI HDD firmware update for IntelliStation M Pro Type 6889 / 6897; fixes "HDDs may fail to spin up after power-off" on Adaptec SCSI controllers, or fail completely on ServeRAID / Netfinity FC controllers.<ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/eca037-91gb-and-182gb-scsi-hard-drive-firmware-update-ibm-intellistation-m-pro-type-6889-6897</ref>
* '''ECA037''' — 9.1 GB and 18.2 GB SCSI HDD firmware update for IntelliStation M Pro Type 6889 / 6897; fixes "HDDs may fail to spin up after power-off" on Adaptec SCSI controllers, or fail completely on ServeRAID / Netfinity FC controllers.<ref name="s67d666">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/eca037-91gb-and-182gb-scsi-hard-drive-firmware-update-ibm-intellistation-m-pro-type-6889-6897 IBM Support &mdash; eca037 91gb and 182gb scsi hard drive firmware update ibm intellistation m pro type 6889 6…]</ref>
* '''ECA036''' — same fix applied to IntelliStation E Pro Type 6893.<ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/eca036-91gb-and-182gb-scsi-hard-drive-firmware-update-ibm-intellistation-e-pro-type-6893</ref>
* '''ECA036''' — same fix applied to IntelliStation E Pro Type 6893.<ref name="s0c224f">[https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/eca036-91gb-and-182gb-scsi-hard-drive-firmware-update-ibm-intellistation-e-pro-type-6893 IBM Support &mdash; eca036 91gb and 182gb scsi hard drive firmware update ibm intellistation e pro type 6893]</ref>


== Power Supplies ==
== Power Supplies ==
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Documented PSU ratings:
Documented PSU ratings:


* '''M Pro 6868''' — 330 W.<ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/specifications-ibm-intellistation-m-pro-type-6868</ref>
* '''M Pro 6868''' — 330 W.<ref name="sc4b28d" />
* '''A Pro 6217''' — 530 W with Power Factor Correction (PFC).<ref>https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/overview-ibm-intellistation-pro-type-6217</ref>
* '''A Pro 6217''' — 530 W with Power Factor Correction (PFC).<ref name="s189edc" />
* '''POWER 285''' — single non-redundant Artesyn PSU, ~300 W typical draw with AIX and 2 disks.<ref>https://sites.google.com/site/rhdisk0/unix/hardware/ibm285</ref>
* '''POWER 285''' — single non-redundant Artesyn PSU, ~300 W typical draw with AIX and 2 disks.<ref name="scd8505" />
* '''Other MTs''' — refer to the per-MT Hardware Maintenance Manual.
* '''Other MTs''' — refer to the per-MT Hardware Maintenance Manual.


== Common Faults ==
== Common Faults ==


* '''Capacitor plague''' — the M Pro / Z Pro Pentium 4 / Xeon generation (roughly 2001–2004) is squarely in the timeframe of the Nichicon HM / HN and Rubycon MBZ failures. Z Pro 6221 is community-confirmed as affected.<ref>https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubleshooting-hardware-devices-and-electronics-theory/troubleshooting-desktop-motherboards-graphics-cards-and-pc-peripherals/6085-msi-ms-9121-vs-ibm-z-pro-intellistation-6221</ref><ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague</ref> See [[IBM IntelliStation Capacitor Replacement Guide]].
* '''Capacitor plague''' — the M Pro / Z Pro Pentium 4 / Xeon generation (roughly 2001–2004) is squarely in the timeframe of the Nichicon HM / HN and Rubycon MBZ failures. Z Pro 6221 is community-confirmed as affected.<ref name="sf16a1a">[https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubleshooting-hardware-devices-and-electronics-theory/troubleshooting-desktop-motherboards-graphics-cards-and-pc-peripherals/6085-msi-ms-9121-vs-ibm-z-pro-intellistation-6221 Badcaps forum &mdash; 6085 msi ms 9121 vs ibm z pro intellistation 6221] Community forum thread; a first-hand report, not a manufacturer document.</ref><ref name="sa495e1">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague Wikipedia &mdash; Capacitor plague] Tertiary source.</ref> See [[IBM IntelliStation Capacitor Replacement Guide]].
* '''Rubycon MBZ no-bloating failures''' — MBZ has a documented "no-bloating" failure mode and was discontinued by Rubycon in 2011, complicating like-for-like replacement.<ref>https://www.badcaps.net/forum/general-topics/general-capacitor-questions-issues/18044-scary-trend-of-rubycon-mbz-failures-no-bloating</ref>
* '''Rubycon MBZ no-bloating failures''' — MBZ has a documented "no-bloating" failure mode and was discontinued by Rubycon in 2011, complicating like-for-like replacement.<ref name="sae5626">[https://www.badcaps.net/forum/general-topics/general-capacitor-questions-issues/18044-scary-trend-of-rubycon-mbz-failures-no-bloating Badcaps forum &mdash; 18044 scary trend of rubycon mbz failures no bloating] Community forum thread; a first-hand report, not a manufacturer document.</ref>
* '''CR2032 RTC battery dead''' — all generations from 6899 through 9229 use a socketed CR2032 lithium coin cell on the planar; depletion produces the classic '''161 / 162 / 163''' POST cluster.
* '''CR2032 RTC battery dead''' — all generations from 6899 through 9229 use a socketed CR2032 lithium coin cell on the planar; depletion produces the classic '''161 / 162 / 163''' POST cluster.
* '''PSU 5VSB regulator failure''' — common on early-2000s IBM PSUs; presents as "no power on press" with the green standby LED dim or off.
* '''PSU 5VSB regulator failure''' — common on early-2000s IBM PSUs; presents as "no power on press" with the green standby LED dim or off.
Line 238: Line 238:


* '''x86 IntelliStation''' — Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional, Windows XP x64 Edition, Windows Vista Business; Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS; SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation. Pre-2003 models were certified for Windows NT 4.0; later models for XP and beyond.
* '''x86 IntelliStation''' — Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional, Windows XP x64 Edition, Windows Vista Business; Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS; SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation. Pre-2003 models were certified for Windows NT 4.0; later models for XP and beyond.
* '''POWER IntelliStation''' — '''AIX 5L 5.2 and 5.3''' was the launch OS for the POWER 285; AIX and '''Linux on POWER''' (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for POWER, Red Hat Enterprise Linux for POWER) were both supported on the POWER family.<ref>https://redbooks.ibm.com/redpapers/pdfs/redp4135.pdf</ref>
* '''POWER IntelliStation''' — '''AIX 5L 5.2 and 5.3''' was the launch OS for the POWER 285; AIX and '''Linux on POWER''' (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for POWER, Red Hat Enterprise Linux for POWER) were both supported on the POWER family.<ref name="s8d8dbc" />


== Pricing ==
== Pricing ==
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* [[IBM IntelliStation Troubleshooting Guide]]
* [[IBM IntelliStation Troubleshooting Guide]]
* [[IBM IntelliStation Capacitor Replacement Guide]]
* [[IBM IntelliStation Capacitor Replacement Guide]]
* [[IBM IntelliStation BIOS Mod Guide]]
* IBM IntelliStation BIOS Mod Guide
* [[IBM RS/6000]] — POWER workstation predecessor (folded into IntelliStation POWER 2002)
* [[IBM RS/6000]] — POWER workstation predecessor (folded into IntelliStation POWER 2002)
* [[IBM xSeries]] — server-line sibling sharing many chipsets and PSUs
* IBM xSeries — server-line sibling sharing many chipsets and PSUs
* [[Capacitor Failure Symptoms]]
* [[Capacitor Failure Symptoms]]


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== References ==
== References ==
<references />
=== Further reading ===


* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_IntelliStation IBM IntelliStation — Wikipedia]. Authoritative model table, launch / discontinuation dates, brand history.
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_IntelliStation IBM IntelliStation — Wikipedia]. Authoritative model table, launch / discontinuation dates, brand history.

Latest revision as of 22:21, 24 September 2026

IBM IntelliStation
IBM IntelliStation Z Pro Type 6221 (dual Xeon Socket 604, E7505 chipset)
Specifications
DeveloperIBM Personal Computing Division (later IBM Systems & Technology Group)
ManufacturerIBM (1997–2007); sold to Lenovo with PC division (x86 line withdrawn March 2008; POWER line withdrawn January 2009)
TypeProfessional workstation family — Intel x86, AMD Opteron, and IBM POWER / PowerPC
ReleasedMarch 1997 (first launch: IntelliStation Z Pro Type 6899 dual Pentium Pro)
DiscontinuedMarch 2008 (x86 line); January 2009 (POWER 185 and POWER 285)
CPUIntel Pentium Pro, Pentium II / II Xeon, Pentium III / III Xeon, Pentium 4, Xeon (Sockets 370, 423, 478, 603, 604, 771, LGA775); Intel Itanium; Core 2 Duo / Quad; AMD Opteron (Socket 940, Socket F); IBM POWER3-II, POWER4+, POWER5+, PowerPC 970MP
MemoryPer submodel: EDO, PC100/133 SDRAM, PC600/800 RDRAM, DDR-200/266/333/400, DDR2-533/667 (and FB-DIMM PC2-5300 on the 9228); ECC standard from Z Pro and POWER class
StoragePer submodel: Ultra Wide / Ultra-2 / Ultra160 / Ultra320 SCSI, ATA-33/66/100, SATA-150/300, SAS, with IBM ServeRAID HostRAID variants (7e / 7t / 8e) on many submodels
DisplayPer submodel: Matrox Millennium II / G200 / G400 / G450; 3DLabs Permedia 2/2A / Wildcat 4000/4110/4210/6110/7110 / Wildcat Realizm 800; NVIDIA Vanta / GeForce 2 / Quadro 2 / Quadro 4 / Quadro FX / Quadro NVS; ATI FireGL 1/2/4/8800/V3100/V7100; IBM POWER GXT135P / GXT4500P / GXT6500P
SoundCrystal Semiconductor audio on early Z Pro; AC97 on M Pro / Z Pro DDR generation; optional 32-bit PCI audio (FC 8244) on POWER 185
OS / FirmwareMicrosoft Windows NT 4.0 / 2000 / XP / XP-64 / Vista; Red Hat Enterprise Linux; SUSE Linux Enterprise; IBM AIX 5L 5.2 / 5.3 (POWER models); Linux on POWER (RHEL for POWER, SLES for POWER)
PredecessorIBM PC Series 360 / 365 (x86 lineage); IBM RS/6000 PowerStation (POWER lineage)
SuccessorLenovo ThinkStation (x86 lineage; no Lenovo successor for the POWER line)
Model no.x86: 6204, 6214, 6216, 6217, 6218, 6219, 6220, 6221, 6223, 6224, 6225, 6226, 6229, 6230, 6231, 6233, 6794, 6836, 6846, 6849, 6850, 6851, 6865, 6866, 6867, 6868, 6878, 6888, 6889, 6893, 6894, 6898, 6899, 8654, 9228, 9229; POWER: 9112-265, 9114-275, 9111-285, 7047-185

The IBM IntelliStation is IBM's professional workstation brand, first released in March 1997 as the successor to the IBM PC Series 360 / 365.[1] The brand spans two parallel product families: the x86 IntelliStation line (Intel and AMD CPUs, single- and dual-socket workstations) and the POWER IntelliStation line (PowerPC 970 and IBM POWER workstations, branded under the IntelliStation umbrella from February 2002 onward, having previously been sold as eServer pSeries).[1]

The x86 IntelliStation line was discontinued in March 2008. The POWER IntelliStation line (POWER 185 and POWER 285) was discontinued in January 2009.[1] The x86 line passed to Lenovo with the rest of the IBM PC business and was renamed Lenovo ThinkStation; the POWER line had no Lenovo successor.

Branding

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The IntelliStation line is split into four x86 tiers, plus a rack-mount tier, plus the POWER family:

  • E Pro — Entry / single-CPU workstation.
  • M Pro — Midrange / single-CPU (some early submodels are also dual-CPU; e.g. 6889 / 6898).
  • Z Pro — High-end dual-CPU Xeon workstation; one Itanium submodel (Type 6894).
  • A Pro — AMD Opteron workstation (2004 onward).
  • R Pro — Rackmount 1U workstation (rebadged xSeries 330).
  • POWER — PowerPC 970MP and IBM POWER4+ / POWER5+ workstations (Models 185, 265, 275, 285).

Certain M Pro models are near-identical hardware to entry-tier Netfinity servers (Netfinity 1000-class), differing mainly in video, SCSI options and software bundle.[1]

IBM IntelliStation logo
IBM IntelliStation logo

x86 Machine Type Table

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The IBM machine type (MT) is the authoritative key to every IntelliStation. The MT is printed on the rear-panel label (e.g. "Type 6219-23U").

E Pro (entry, single-CPU)

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E Pro submodels
MT CPU Years Memory / Bus / Notes
6893 Pentium II 350/400/450 then Pentium III 450–600 Jun 1998 – Jun 2000 PC100 SDRAM, Ultra Wide SCSI / ATA, Matrox Millennium II / G200, 3DLabs Permedia 2A
6867 Pentium III 600–933 MHz, 133 FSB Nov 1999 – Nov 2000 Up to 512 MB RDRAM, Ultra-2 SCSI / ATA66
6836 / 6846 Pentium III 800 MHz – 1 GHz Oct 2000 – Jan 2002 Up to 1.5 GB PC133, Ultra160 SCSI / ATA66, Matrox G450, GeForce 2 MX
6204 / 6214 Pentium 4 1.6–2.2 GHz Sep 2001 – Sep 2002 Up to 1.5 GB PC133, Ultra160 / ATA100[2]
6216 / 6226 Pentium 4 2.0–2.8 GHz Jul 2002 – Oct 2003 Up to 2 GB PC2100, GbE, Matrox G450 / Quadro 4 / FireGL 8800[3]
9217 Pentium 4 / Pentium D / Core 2 Duo era E Pro 2006+ PCI Express, DDR2 SDRAM

M Pro (midrange)

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M Pro submodels (single- and dual-CPU)
MT CPU Years Memory / Chipset / Notes
6888 Pentium II 266 / 300 May 1997 – Jul 1998 EDO, Ultra Wide SCSI, Intergraph Intense3D Pro1000/T
6898 Dual Pentium II 233–333 Oct 1997 – Oct 1998 Early dual-socket M Pro
6889 Dual Pentium II 350–450; dual Pentium III 450–600; dual Pentium III 600 MHz – 1 GHz Jul 1998 – Jun 2000 Intel 440BX at 100 MHz FSB on SDRAM submodels, Intel 840 on RDRAM submodels[4]
6868 / 6878 Single Pentium III (note: not Pentium 4) 2000–2001 Intel 840 chipset, PC600/800 RDRAM (max 2 GB across 4 RIMM sockets, two channels of two), Ultra160 SCSI, 330 W PSU[5][6]
6849 Pentium 4 1.4–2.2 GHz Nov 2000 – Jun 2002 RDRAM, FireGL 2/4, Quadro 2 MXR / Pro, Wildcat III 6110
6231 Pentium 4 1.8 GHz Nov 2001 – Jul 2002 RDRAM, ATA100 only
6233 Single Xeon 1.7 GHz Nov 2001 – Jul 2002 RDRAM, Ultra160 / ATA100
6850 Dual Xeon 1.5 / 1.7 / 2.0 / 2.8 GHz Jul 2001 – Jan 2003 Up to 4 GB RDRAM, Ultra160 / ATA100[7]
6229 Pentium 4 2.4–2.8 GHz May 2002 – Feb 2003 RDRAM, Quadro 4 200NVS / 900XGL, FireGL 8800, Wildcat III 6110
6219 Pentium 4 2.4–3.06 GHz Nov 2002 – Oct 2003 Up to 4 GB PC2100, Ultra320 / ATA100, GbE, Intel 845E chipset[8]
6220 / 6230 Pentium 4 2.8–3.4 GHz Jul 2003 – Mar 2005 Up to 4 GB PC2700, Ultra320 / SATA-150, Quadro FX 500–3000
6218 Pentium 4 EM64T 3.0–3.8 GHz; dual-core 3.2 / 3.4 GHz Aug 2005 Up to 8 GB PC2-4200, SATA-300, Quadro FX 1400/4500, Wildcat Realizm 800
6225 Pentium 4 EM64T 3.0–3.8 GHz Oct 2004 – Mar 2006 Up to 4 GB PC2-3200, Intel 925X Express, 800 MHz FSB
9229 Core 2 Duo E6300 / E6400 / E6600 / E6700; Core 2 Quad Q6600 Sep 2006+ Up to 8 GB PC2-5300, 3 Gbit SAS or SATA-300, LGA 775

Z Pro (high-end dual-CPU)

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Z Pro submodels
MT CPU Years Chipset / Notes
6899 Dual Pentium Pro 200 MHz (256/512 KB L2), 66 MHz FSB Mar 1997 launch Intel 440FX + 82371SB, EDO, up to 1 GB, Adaptec AHA-2940 Ultra Wide SCSI, Intel EtherExpress Pro/100, Crystal Semiconductor audio, ISA + PCI riser — the founding Z Pro
6865 Dual Pentium II Xeon 400–550 MHz Oct 1998 – Apr 2000 100 FSB, 440GX, up to 2 GB SDRAM, Ultra-2 SCSI, Matrox G200/G400, Intergraph Pro3400, FireGL 1, 3DLabs Wildcat 4000
6866 Dual Pentium III Xeon 677 MHz – 1 GHz, 133 FSB Jan 2000 – Mar 2002 Intel 840, up to 2 GB RDRAM, Ultra160 SCSI
6894 Dual Itanium 800 MHz May 2001 – Jun 2002 Intel 460GX (SGI 750 reference design also used by Dell, Fujitsu, HP), up to 16 GB SDRAM, Ultra160 SCSI
6221 Dual Xeon Socket 604, 2.4 / 2.67 / 2.8 / 3.2 GHz Nov 2002 – Feb 2005 Intel E7505 "Placer", up to 8 GB PC2100 ECC, Ultra320 / ATA100, AGP Pro 8× (G450, Quadro 4 280NVS / 980XGL, FX 1000/1100/3000, Wildcat 4 7110)
6223 Dual Xeon EM64T 3.0–3.8 GHz Aug 2004 – Mar 2007 Intel E7525 "Tumwater", up to 16 GB PC2-3200 ECC, PCIe x16 graphics slot, Ultra320 / ATA100, Quadro NVS280/285, FX 1300/1400/3400/3500/4500, FireGL V7100, Wildcat Realizm 800[9]
9228 Dual-core Xeon 5130 / 5140 / 5150 / 5160 (5000-series "Woodcrest") Jun 2006+ Intel 5000X "Greencreek", up to 32 GB PC2-5300 FB-DIMM ECC, SAS / SATA-300[10][11]

A Pro (AMD Opteron)

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A Pro submodels
MT CPU Years Chipset / Notes
6224 Dual Opteron 244 / 246 / 248 / 250 / 256 (single-core only) Mar 2004 – Jul 2005 Socket 940, up to 16 GB PC3200 ECC RDIMM, Ultra320 / SATA-150, AGP — Quadro NVS280 / FX 1100/3000/4000
6217 Dual Opteron 250 / 252 / 254 / 256 or dual-core 275 / 280 / 285 Apr 2005 – Apr 2007 Socket 940, up to 16 GB PC3200, Ultra320 / SATA-150, PCIe x16, Quadro NVS280/285, FX 1400/1500/3400/3500/4500/4500 X2, Wildcat Realizm 800, 530 W PSU with PFC[12]

R Pro (rackmount 1U, rebadged xSeries 330)

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R Pro submodels
MT CPU Years Notes
8654 Pentium III 1.0 GHz Mar 2001 – Sep 2001 4 GB ECC SDRAM, Matrox G200 MMS quad-head video
6851 Pentium III 1.13 / 1.26 GHz Aug 2001 – Jul 2002 4 GB ECC SDRAM

POWER Machine Type Table

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The POWER IntelliStation models all use the IBM POWER / PowerPC architecture and run AIX 5L or Linux on POWER. There are four models:

POWER IntelliStation models
Model name Machine type CPU Years Notes
IntelliStation POWER 265 9112-265 Dual POWER3-II 450 MHz Feb 2002 – Sep 2003 Up to 8 GB, Ultra160 SCSI, 10/100 Ethernet, GXT135P / 4500P / 6500P[13]
IntelliStation POWER 275 9114-275 Single or dual POWER4+ 1.0 or 1.45 GHz, 8 MB L3 per chip Jun 2003 – Feb 2006 Up to 16 GB, 4 hot-swap Ultra320 SCSI bays (up to 587 GB), six PCI-X slots, dual Ethernet (10/100 + GbE), GXT135P / 4500P / 6500P[14]
IntelliStation POWER 285 9111-285 POWER5+ 1.9 or 2.1 GHz, 36 MB L3 Oct 2005 – Jan 2009 Derived from POWER5 520 rackmount server; single SCSI controller, non-redundant Artesyn PSU, four 3.5" disk bays, two slim-line media bays, ~300 W with AIX + 2 disks; IBM GXT6500P graphics[15][16]
IntelliStation POWER 185 7047-185 Single or dual PowerPC 970MP at 2.5 GHz Feb 2006 – Jan 2009 Min 512 MB / max 8 GB DDR1-333 across four 8-byte paths, three 3.5" DASD bays (max 900 GB internal), two half-high bays for DVD-ROM / DVD-RAM / tape, dual GbE, optional 3.3 V 32-bit / 33 MHz PCI audio (FC 8244)[17][18]
IBM IntelliStation POWER 185 (machine type 7047-185, PowerPC 970MP workstation). (Image: Wikimedia Commons, CC0)

The POWER 185 and POWER 285 were withdrawn on the same day in January 2009 (IBM hardware withdrawal announcement ENUS908-170), ending the IntelliStation brand entirely.[19]

Architecture Eras

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The IntelliStation line spans many quite distinct hardware generations:

  1. Pentium Pro / 440FX era (1997) — Z Pro 6899 only.
  2. Pentium II / Pentium III / 440BX/440GX/i840 era (1997–2001) — 6888, 6893, 6889, 6898, 6865, 6866, 6868, 6878, 6867.
  3. Pentium 4 / Xeon RDRAM era (2000–2003) — 6849, 6231, 6233, 6850, 6229; Z Pro 6866; Itanium Z Pro 6894.
  4. Pentium 4 / Xeon DDR era (2002–2005) — 6219, 6216, 6226, 6204, 6214, 6836, 6846, 6221.
  5. EM64T / DDR2 era (2004–2006) — 6225, 6220, 6230, 6218, 6223, A Pro 6224.
  6. FB-DIMM / Core 2 era (2006–2007) — Z Pro 9228, M Pro 9229, A Pro 6217.
  7. POWER era (2002–2009) — 9112-265, 9114-275, 9111-285, 7047-185.

Chipsets and Memory by Generation

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  • 1997 Pentium Pro Z Pro (6899): Intel 440FX + 82371SB, EDO DIMM, 66 MHz FSB.
  • 1997–2000 Pentium II/III M/E Pro: Intel 440BX / 440GX, PC100 SDRAM, AGP 2×.
  • 1998–2000 Pentium II/III Xeon Z Pro: 440GX (6865 PII Xeon), Intel 840 (6866 PIII Xeon RDRAM), AGP Pro.
  • 2000 M Pro 6868 / 6878: Intel 840, PC600/800 RDRAM (max 2 GB on four RIMM sockets).
  • 2000–2002 Pentium 4 M Pro: Intel 850, RDRAM, AGP 4×.
  • 2001 Itanium Z Pro 6894: Intel 460GX (SGI 750 reference platform).
  • 2002–2003 Pentium 4 / Xeon DDR: Intel 845E (E Pro Pentium 4), Intel E7505 "Placer" (Z Pro 6221 dual Xeon, AGP Pro 8×, PC2100 ECC).
  • 2003–2005 EM64T: Intel 875P / 925X Express.
  • 2004–2007 dual-CPU DDR2 Z Pro 6223: Intel E7525 "Tumwater" (PCIe x16, PC2-3200 DDR2 ECC).
  • 2006 Z Pro 9228: Intel 5000X "Greencreek" (FB-DIMM PC2-5300, PCIe x16, dual-core Xeon 5100-series).
  • 2006 M Pro 9229: Intel Q965 / 975X-class (LGA 775).
  • 2004–2007 A Pro: AMD 8000-series chipset on Socket 940, PCI-X (6224) or PCIe (6217).

ECC support is standard from the dual-CPU Z Pro generation onward; optional on entry / E Pro.

Graphics Support

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Graphics cards present in IntelliStation systems span every major workstation GPU vendor of the era:

  • Matrox — Millennium II, G200, G400, G450 (entry 2D / 2D + light 3D).
  • Intergraph — Intense3D Pro1000/T, Pro2200, Pro3400 (1997–1999 OEM IBM workstation cards).
  • IBM Fire GL1 / GL2 / GL4 — Diamond-built, ATI-licensed cards, rebadged by IBM.
  • 3DLabs — Permedia 2 / 2A, Wildcat 4000 / 4110, Wildcat III 6110, Wildcat 4 7110, Wildcat Realizm 800.
  • NVIDIA — Vanta, GeForce 2 MX / EX / Pro, Quadro 2 MXR / Pro, Quadro 4 200NVS / 280NVS / 580XGL / 900XGL / 980XGL, Quadro FX 500 / 1000 / 1100 / 1300 / 1400 / 1500 / 3000 / 3400 / 3500 / 4500 / 4500 X2, Quadro NVS 280 / 285.
  • ATI — FireGL 8800, V3100, V7100.
  • IBM POWER GXT135P / GXT4500P / GXT6500P — PCI / PCI-X workstation 2D/3D cards used on POWER 265 / 275 / 285 / 185.

Bus generations span AGP 1× / 2× (6899, 6893, 6889), AGP Pro 4× (6849, 6868, 6866), AGP Pro 8× (6219, 6221), and PCIe x16 from 6223 / 9228 / 6217 / 6218 / 9229 / POWER 185 / POWER 285 onward.

Storage and RAID

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IntelliStation storage controllers track IBM's xSeries roadmap. Generations:

  • Early (6899, 6888, 6893, 6889, 6898) — Adaptec AHA-2940 / AHA-2940 UW / Ultra Wide SCSI on the planar; optional ServeRAID II/3H/4H.
  • Mid (6868, 6850, 6219, 6221) — LSI 1020/1030 Ultra160 / Ultra320 on the planar; optional ServeRAID-4Lx / 4Mx / 5i / 6i.
  • Late (6223, 6217, 9228, 9229) — Adaptec-derived ServeRAID HostRAID variants: ServeRAID-7e (HostRAID for SATA), ServeRAID-7t SATA, ServeRAID-8e (HostRAID, signed CD).[20][21]

Note: IBM never used the LSI "ServeRAID-MR" rebranding on IntelliStation; that came in System x post-2007. Driver legacy on IntelliStation is therefore Adaptec-exclusive for ServeRAID, with LSI integrated controllers handled outside the ServeRAID brand. The ServeRAID Support CD v7.12.14 is the standard tool for older ServeRAID controllers.[22]

ECAs Found

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  • ECA037 — 9.1 GB and 18.2 GB SCSI HDD firmware update for IntelliStation M Pro Type 6889 / 6897; fixes "HDDs may fail to spin up after power-off" on Adaptec SCSI controllers, or fail completely on ServeRAID / Netfinity FC controllers.[23]
  • ECA036 — same fix applied to IntelliStation E Pro Type 6893.[24]

Power Supplies

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Documented PSU ratings:

  • M Pro 6868 — 330 W.[5]
  • A Pro 6217 — 530 W with Power Factor Correction (PFC).[12]
  • POWER 285 — single non-redundant Artesyn PSU, ~300 W typical draw with AIX and 2 disks.[15]
  • Other MTs — refer to the per-MT Hardware Maintenance Manual.

Common Faults

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  • Capacitor plague — the M Pro / Z Pro Pentium 4 / Xeon generation (roughly 2001–2004) is squarely in the timeframe of the Nichicon HM / HN and Rubycon MBZ failures. Z Pro 6221 is community-confirmed as affected.[25][26] See IBM IntelliStation Capacitor Replacement Guide.
  • Rubycon MBZ no-bloating failures — MBZ has a documented "no-bloating" failure mode and was discontinued by Rubycon in 2011, complicating like-for-like replacement.[27]
  • CR2032 RTC battery dead — all generations from 6899 through 9229 use a socketed CR2032 lithium coin cell on the planar; depletion produces the classic 161 / 162 / 163 POST cluster.
  • PSU 5VSB regulator failure — common on early-2000s IBM PSUs; presents as "no power on press" with the green standby LED dim or off.
  • ServeRAID firmware mismatch — after a card swap, the ServeRAID firmware on the card must match the firmware level recorded on the drives. Recovery via ServeRAID Support CD.

Operating Systems

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  • x86 IntelliStation — Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional, Windows XP x64 Edition, Windows Vista Business; Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS; SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation. Pre-2003 models were certified for Windows NT 4.0; later models for XP and beyond.
  • POWER IntelliStation — AIX 5L 5.2 and 5.3 was the launch OS for the POWER 285; AIX and Linux on POWER (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for POWER, Red Hat Enterprise Linux for POWER) were both supported on the POWER family.[17]

Pricing

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The IntelliStation line was priced as IBM business workstations. Representative US launch prices:

  • Z Pro 6899 (1997, dual Pentium Pro): $7,500 USD entry config.
  • M Pro 6868 (2001, single Pentium III + i840): $3,800 USD entry config.
  • Z Pro 6221 (2003, dual Xeon E7505): from $4,200 USD.
  • POWER 285 (2005, POWER5+): $10,000+ USD with AIX 5L.
[edit | edit source]
[edit | edit source]
  • Z Pro Type 6899 — 1997 launch model (dual Pentium Pro, 440FX)
    Z Pro Type 6899 — 1997 launch model (dual Pentium Pro, 440FX)
  • M Pro Type 6850 (dual Xeon, RDRAM)
    M Pro Type 6850 (dual Xeon, RDRAM)
  • M Pro Type 6219 (Pentium 4, 845E)
    M Pro Type 6219 (Pentium 4, 845E)
  • Z Pro Type 6221 (dual Xeon Socket 604, E7505)
    Z Pro Type 6221 (dual Xeon Socket 604, E7505)
  • IntelliStation POWER 185 (7047-185, dual PowerPC 970MP)
    IntelliStation POWER 185 (7047-185, dual PowerPC 970MP)
  • IntelliStation at Vintage Computer Festival Southwest 2023
    IntelliStation at Vintage Computer Festival Southwest 2023

References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Wikipedia — IBM IntelliStation Tertiary source.
  2. ↑ IBM Support — overview ibm intellistation e pro type 6204 6214
  3. ↑ IBM Support — overview ibm intellistation e pro type 6216 6226
  4. ↑ IBM Support — machine type model specifications ibm intellistation m pro type 6889
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 IBM Support — specifications ibm intellistation m pro type 6868
  6. ↑ IBM Support — hardware maintenance manual ibm intellistation m pro type 6868 6878 0
  7. ↑ IBM Support — specifications ibm intellistation m pro type 6233 6850
  8. ↑ IBM Support — overview ibm intellistation m pro type 6219
  9. ↑ IBM Support — overview ibm intellistation z pro type 6223
  10. ↑ IBM Support — overview ibm intellistation z pro type 9228
  11. ↑ Flagship Technologies listing — ibm intellistation z pro 9228 xeon A reseller listing, used only for part identification.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 IBM Support — overview ibm intellistation pro type 6217
  13. ↑ UNIXHQ — ibm power 265
  14. ↑ IBM Support — intellistation9114 275
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 rhdisk0 (community AIX/POWER notes) — ibm285 Community notes.
  16. ↑ IBM Support — system software map ibm intellistation power 285 9111 285 and aix 19 ghz
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 IBM Redbooks — redp4135
  18. ↑ ibmfiles.com — intellipower185
  19. ↑ IBM (legacy support site) — ENUS908 170
  20. ↑ IBM Support — ibm serveraid 7e adaptec hostraid drivers suse linux enterprise server 8 ibm intellistatio…
  21. ↑ IBM Support — serveraid 8e adaptec hostraid support cd signed servers and intellistation
  22. ↑ IBM Support — ibm serveraid support cd v71214 ibm system x
  23. ↑ IBM Support — eca037 91gb and 182gb scsi hard drive firmware update ibm intellistation m pro type 6889 6…
  24. ↑ IBM Support — eca036 91gb and 182gb scsi hard drive firmware update ibm intellistation e pro type 6893
  25. ↑ Badcaps forum — 6085 msi ms 9121 vs ibm z pro intellistation 6221 Community forum thread; a first-hand report, not a manufacturer document.
  26. ↑ Wikipedia — Capacitor plague Tertiary source.
  27. ↑ Badcaps forum — 18044 scary trend of rubycon mbz failures no bloating Community forum thread; a first-hand report, not a manufacturer document.

Further reading

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