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Killer System


siderus

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I wouldn't go to 64 bit if you are running 2009. I am not sure 2011 is all that great for 64bit, but with every MS bell and whistle turned off it seems to be running really well. Multiple core processors do nothing for AutoCAD, it is still a one core program with the exception of rendering and maybe one other small item. I swear by Xeons for workstations, but that is me. The research I have done suggests Xeons are better for CAD workstations than the i7s. (Google it if you want more information I don't keep the links.) I buy Dell due to corporate constraints but they come with 3 year warrantee so we just call them up and another one is on the way, no questions asked. We get a good discount from the web site prices, generally about 40% off the price listed.

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I selected the Intel SSD drive because of the SSD toolkit available for XP is a substitute for Trim, not available from other drive manufactures. I’ve been using SSD drives in servers for awhile now with great success and highly recommend them for desktops as they are faaaaassssstttttt. If you move up to Windows 7 you’ve made the right choice here.
This might be a bit overkill. AutoCAD files I believe will fully load into RAM as much as Windows is allocated, making RAM more important than HDD. I agree as they are fast, but there's not a lot of "file usage" as there is RAM usage. No budget, go right ahead. On a budget, I would say stick with a normal HDD.

 

I’ve been looking at various widescreen monitors in the 24 inch / 300$ range. It seems that the newer LED/LCD monitors are nearly all 1920 x 1080 whereas to obtain higher resolutions, say 1920 x 1200 the older ccfl technology is still dominate, at least in this price range.
My opinion of this is to always always always go with the highest resolution possible. Screen real estate is very important in CAD land, so if you're already going to spend the money, get the extra pixels to go along with it.

 

Other than that, I would absolutely love to have that build. Very sweet setup with very good components that are selected.

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Thanks for the advice StykFacE, wow 4000 posts, I will for sure consider your advice seriously. I also see we have things in common. I designed estimating systems similar to QuickPen for PHCC contractors way back when. The systems I’m building are actually for a plumbing contractor.

I’m am however absolutely sold on SSD, they really aren’t budget busters anymore. The Intel drive is 190$. The Crucial C300 64GB drive at 355MB/sec read is one of the first sata drives to really need sata III and is only $134.00. Extremely fast boots, program loads, zero noise, low power, no heat, etc. As one Newegg reviewer said: "Dear lord, this is quick."

Ok, 1920x1200 it is, as there are no x1200 LED monitors close to this price range (some I found advertise max 1200 but native resolution is only 1080) I’m looking at an Asus VW266H which looks like an outstanding value.

What do you think?

Today, as expected I’m finding the lack of xp 64 and Win 7 drivers for older (expensive) plotters/printers, this upgrade may get a bit more tangled and expensive.

Thanks.

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Thanks for the advice StykFacE, wow 4000 posts, I will for sure consider your advice seriously. I also see we have things in common. I designed estimating systems similar to QuickPen for PHCC contractors way back when. The systems I’m building are actually for a plumbing contractor.

 

I’m am however absolutely sold on SSD, they really aren’t budget busters anymore. The Intel drive is 190$. The Crucial C300 64GB drive at 355MB/sec read is one of the first sata drives to really need sata III and is only $134.00. Extremely fast boots, program loads, zero noise, low power, no heat, etc. As one Newegg reviewer said: "Dear lord, this is quick."

I'm sold on SSD as well. I just don't know how far 64GBs will go considering Win 7 64bit takes up 20GB alone, leaving only 44GB to go for other programs and page file. I still don't think SSD will have any added performance to the DWG file, since it loads into RAM. Accessing files is considerably faster, but once the file is loaded there's not much more "accessing". It still will be faster, but at what cost?

 

That's the point in building a rig - hitting that perfect sweet spot of performance to cost. In other words, best bang for the buck. For a $3,000 budget (including monitor) the SSD would hinder more important specs, like video and RAM. I wouldn't install anything less than a 300GB SSD personally. I have loads of programs that would laugh at a 64GB primary drive. :wink:

 

Ok, 1920x1200 it is, as there are no x1200 LED monitors close to this price range (some I found advertise max 1200 but native resolution is only 1080) I’m looking at an Asus VW266H which looks like an outstanding value.

 

What do you think?

 

Today, as expected I’m finding the lack of xp 64 and Win 7 drivers for older (expensive) plotters/printers, this upgrade may get a bit more tangled and expensive.

 

Thanks.

Screen real estate is more important than LED monitors (in my honest opinion). Work is work. Save the LED for personal use. 8)
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I am switching to autocad 2011 Do I have to order the 64 bit specifically or do I have an option to select either?

We use AutoCAD MEP Suite, and we get two discs: One for 32bit, and one for 64bit. I don't know about plain vanilla AutoCAD but ask your reseller just to confirm.

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Got it, interesting conversation, hitting that sweet spot is always a challenge as things change so fast.

 

I should have mentioned the system in question is server based, not a lot of client storage is needed, hence the SSD only adds 40$ over say a 1T black.

 

In my personal win 7 system I use a Crucial SSD as the primary drive and 1T blacks for data, most of which is historcial that I seldom or never access. Boot time is 13 seconds from post to login and it takes 8 seconds from login to a ready desktop. Granted I only have about 20GB free on the primary drive but I am extremely happy with this setup, for me this was the way to go.

 

As for my client, say they had a little more to spend, what would you change? BTW the Newegg price, complete with monitor and OS is $1811.45 with shipping.

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Buy a SSD for these reasons: reliability, read/write speeds, noise, vibration, power usage and heat dissipation. You don't buy a SSD based on price per gigabyte. Currently this is about $3/GB for a SSD compared to 20 to 30 cents/GB for a traditional hard drive.

Edited by ReMark
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SSD will let Windows boot in under 15 seconds. However, you need to make sure you're getting a quality drive. A lot of the smaller, cheaper, value models won't really offer you much improvement for CAD. If you want SSD, I'd say go ahead and put in a 64 MB drive, but not the cheapest one you can find. Also add a normal drive as your D:\ for your applications and just use the SSD for your windows installation and maybe a few program installs. Before you pick a drive, research it online and read the reviews. Also know that the stats given by the manufacturer don't always show "real-world" use, so be sure to read some independent reviewers.

 

Personally, I don't think SSD is quite worth the money. Maybe next year.

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Do almost nothing but CAD on this system and you can squeak by with a 64GB hard drive for everything. That includes your OS, Microsoft Office (or OpenOffice), your mail program (if separate), a browser and even another application like AutoCAD Electrical AND store all your dwg files too. My main SCSI drive is basically set up this way and at a paltry 73GB it is still two-thirds empty. As insurance I do have a second 73GB SCSI drive installed as well.

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Take the specs for the best system you can afford, then go borrow every dime you can from your friends, relatives and anyone else, and buy better than you can afford. You can never have a fast enough processor, a big enough hard drive or enough ram. Get the best video on the market...that's even more important than the ram! Solid state hard drives are the only way to fly...and get the biggest monitor you can lay your hands on. You'll never regret it.

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You do realize they make 15k RPM drives in SATA right? Easier and plenty less expensive. :thumbsup:

 

Yes. My system is four years old. When I replace it I will no longer use SCSI drives.

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Everyone has personal preferences, ideas, and needs.

 

For me, unless there is a quantum leap in performance I would not spend significant money on a workstation today just to have a 5% faster this or that. Spend all your money now and be sorry in a few months when Sandy Bridge, bulldozer, etc will be the name of the game.

 

The leap forward next year is going to be akin to a 486 to Pentium jump; up to 16 cores, quad channel memory, faster and bigger SSD’s. Intel will be using 32nm architecture for everything, including the integrated graphics processor and memory. It all kinda makes your head spin.

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I agree. It does make your head spin, but I sure love trying to keep up with the evolving technology. Just a loving hobby of mine.

 

Mark, when you do replace it, build it. And post pics!!

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