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Thread: Computer Hardware Question

  1. #1

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    Computer Hardware Question

    Doing investigation and would like to understand what others might be using. I have an i7 950 3.0X Ghz processor - quad core, adequate storage and a gamer invidia video card. All were pretty high end when purchased but the internals don't really compare for a xeon of similar clock speed. Internal cache is likely half of the xeon. My graphics card and processor are not even listed on the Solidworks site.

    Are the group in here using a dedicated real workstation with graphics card and SSD500GB drives? If so I will have to go shopping.

    Thanks for any help here.

    Bill

  2. #2
    cwilliamrose's Avatar
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    I'm running an old Dell workstation. The graphics card has been upgraded and that made a nice difference but the rest of the system is nothing special.

  3. #3
    SOLIDWORKS Support Volunteer Jeffrey Meyer's Avatar
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    Hi Bill & Bill,

    I'm using a Dell laptop Precision M4500 that I bought in 2011. 2.67 GHz quad core, 8 Gb RAM, 1 Tb hard disk (steam driven - not SSD), Windows 7.
    It works just fine, I work with it professionally, and yes, like me it's getting a little long in the tooth so I'm considering replacement (the computer, not myself).

    Jeffrey

  4. #4
    cwilliamrose's Avatar
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    My CAD system's life history;

    Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
    System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
    System Model: Precision T7600 (circa 2012)
    Processor: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2630 0 @ 2.30GHz (12 CPUs)
    Available OS Memory: 8150MB RAM
    ---------------
    Display Devices
    ---------------
    Manufacturer: NVIDIA
    Chip type: Q12U-1
    Display Memory: 1683 MB
    Dedicated Memory: 1960 MB
    Shared Memory: 3818 MB
    Current Mode: 1920 x 1200 (32 bit) (59Hz)
    Monitor Name: Dell U2412M(Digital)
    -------------------
    DirectInput Devices
    -------------------
    Device Name: 3Dconnexion KMJ Emulator
    Attached: 1

    Device Name: SpaceExplorer
    Attached: 1

    ------------------------
    Disk & DVD/CD-ROM Drives
    ------------------------
    Drive: C:
    Total Space: 476.1 GB
    Model: ATA WDC WD5000AAKX-7 SCSI Disk Device

  5. #5
    DaleB's Avatar
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    Core i7-7700 @ 3.6 GHz, 16GB RAM, Windows 10, NVIDIA GeForce GT730 with a pair of 20" monitors. No problems so far doing the relatively simple stuff I've done. If you haven't already done so, moving to an SSD gave more of a perceived performance boost than most other upgrades I've done.
    Measure twice, cut once...
    scratch head, shrug, shim to fit.

    Flying an RV-12. I am building a Fisher Celebrity, slowly.

  6. #6
    SOLIDWORKS Support Volunteer Jeffrey Meyer's Avatar
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    Looks like we've started a competition - who's got the worst computer

  7. #7
    DaleB's Avatar
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    I think the point is that you may not really need a 36-core Xeon server with 512GB of memory to run SolidWorks.
    Measure twice, cut once...
    scratch head, shrug, shim to fit.

    Flying an RV-12. I am building a Fisher Celebrity, slowly.

  8. #8
    cwilliamrose's Avatar
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    Exactly Dale. The computer before this one was perfectly happy with SWx 2005-2008 but by the time SWx 2012 came out it was time for new hardware -- it was almost unusable. My current system is still OK but for how long? When will I need to move to a newer version of Windows?

  9. #9
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Mine is a custom box. Cooler Master tower, ASUS H87 motherboard, using an Intel i7-4770 CPU at 3.4 GHz. Windows 7 Pro. Nvidia GeForce GTX 750. Racing stripe down the side. 256 GB SSD, with a 2 TB conventional hard disk for data.

    Bought it at a local computer shop. Prefer getting "no name" computers like this, as they then don't have any bloatware and if something goes on the fritz in the future, there are no proprietary parts. Lets me customize the build, and I can discuss the build directly with the technician doing the work. Been reliable.

    Ron Wanttaja
    Last edited by rwanttaja; 02-15-2019 at 11:01 AM.

  10. #10
    DaleB's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rwanttaja View Post
    Mine is a custom box. Cooler Master tower, ASUS H87 motherboard, using an Intel i7-4770 CPU at 3.4 GHz. Windows 7 Pro. Nvidia GeForce GTX 750. Racing stripe down the side. 256 GB SSD, with a 2 TB conventional hard disk for data.

    Bought it at a local computer shop. Prefer getting "no name" computers like this, as they then don't have any bloatware and if something goes on the fritz in the future, there are no proprietary parts. Lets me customize the build, and I can discuss the build directly with the technician doing the work. Been reliable.

    Ron Wanttaja
    Ron, I'm with ya... since we started owning computers back in the early 80s, we've owned exactly two that were factory-built, if you don't count a couple of laptops. One was a Timex-Sinclair (bought when the price dropped well below what the kit had previously cost; I was an Army E5 with two kids, one on the way, and didn't have two nickels to rub together). The other was an HP box many years later. The rest have all been built by me, from pre-turbo XTs to the present one.
    Measure twice, cut once...
    scratch head, shrug, shim to fit.

    Flying an RV-12. I am building a Fisher Celebrity, slowly.

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