new desktop or workstation

[p2000]

Hello,

I am buying a new machine at work and want to know your recommendation.
I have 2 quotations and was wondering if i will need to go for the high performance one or the other will do the job?

1- Desktop, Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550, 2.83Ghz Dual core 12MB
cache memory
-8 GB ram
-Windows XP 640
-Quadro FX 1700 , 512 MB

or

2- Intel Xeon E5420 , 2.5 Ghz Quad 12 MB cache(2 processors)
-all the rest are the same

knowing that the 2nd machine is double the price of the first.

Do you think that i will need it , knowing that i mainly use it for very large assemblies (in size and not number of parts included)

 

[Theophilus]

In terms of dealing with SolidWorks best, the most bang for the buck will be a dual-core option (like the Core 2 Duo E8400 or E8500, etc.). You won't get much use out of the extra two cores, but you'll really pay for them (at least double, plus double again for something like a Xeon).

You might also want to check what other CAD systems tend to use and how much they cost. Great new article for a more pricey system here:

http://management.cadalyst.com/cadm.../Article/detail/556436?contextCategoryId=6791

Xi makes great CAD stuff for very reasonable prices, with great service.

One other thing about the dual-core offerings. They're often FASTER than the quad-core stuff in SolidWorks. SolidWorks rarely makes use of more than one core of a chip, so most of the time the extra cores idle. Also, with four cores, the clock speed is slower. So you'll make better use of two cores with higher clock speeds, typically with faster results, always for less money. If you do lots of renderings, you'll see all your cores at full tilt--if not, there's not any point.



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

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

 

[AnnaWood]

Get system 1 with the fastest Core 2 Duo or Quad you can get. If you do just core SW, no rendering or FEA stick with the Core 2 Duo.

Get Windows Vista x64, general concensus on the SW forums it is much better then Windows XP x64.

I would stay away from Xeons for a SW workstation.

SW is CPU bound, the higher the clockspeed the better the SW experience.

Cheers,

Anna Wood
SW2008 SP4.0, Windows Vista SP1
IBM ThinkPad T61p, T7800, FX570M, 4 gigs of RAM

http://designsmarter.typepad.com/solidmuse

http://www.phxswug.com

 

[MadMango]

Vista x64 Business or Ultimate only.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?

 

[ctopher]

Also, check out the FAQs above.

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