Best Hardware for Solidworks?

[jwarnke]

I'm going to build a new PC to run solidwork 2008 and I'd love your guys expertise!

Currently when I run the solidworks benchmark, I clock at about 250 seconds total.

Here's the stuff that really matter that I'm currently using:

SATA 7200RPM HD
3 GB DDR2 Matched 400mhz RAM
256 MB Firegl 7200
AMD Athlon X2 4200(2.2GHZ)


I would like my new computer to clock about 160 seconds or under. What are the best/most reasonably price components I can build this with? I'm looking to spend about $1700 w/o a monitor or any extras. Has anyone clocked 160 or below? What did you use?

Thanks!

 

[ctopher]

I search here (and the FAQ's) will turn up A LOT of discussions on this.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 08
ctopher's home (updated Aug 5, 2008)
ctopher's blog
SolidWorks Legion

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Some specs here might also help.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pz7wTpIkC7LA28ybEyxyTPw

 

[Theophilus]

The Core 2 Duos are quick and cheap. I use an E8400 and it posts ~79 on Anna's benchmark (linked above). I'd recommend an nVidia Quatro card of some sort over what you've chosen--be sure to check if your card will handle SW v2009 at the SW site before buying--one of the most important mistakes not to make.

My system cost something like ~$1,800 after newegg.com rebates. By the way, if you want 4GB of Corsair (2x2GB sticks) DDR2 RAM cheap, let me know. I accidentally purchased twice what I could use, thinking each purchase was only 2GB. It's 4GB, and I will take a big restocking hit if I try to return it to newegg.com this late. It's not been opened.

Also, get decent hard drives. Western Digital are great, Seagate used to be great, but I'm not so sure anymore with their purchase of Maxtor a while back. I use WD 10K drives in RAID. Work great.

Lots of other info on this site, as was mentioned.



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

A people who value security over freedom will soon find they have neither.

 

[TheTick]

Metric vise grip.