How fast is your workstation?

Do you need to justify the expense of a new workstation or are you just curious to see how your system compares to others? Visit www.solidmuse.com and run some of the benchmarks posted on the site and then compare your results with those posted on the site. Anna Wood has done a terrific job of pulling together benchmarks that are easy to run and a results spreadsheet that makes it easy for users to compare their results with other users. The “punch holder” benchmark is the most popular, but the others are interesting, too.

Why no Core i7 workstations?

A quick look at the results posted on Anna’s website will show that the new Intel Core i7 processors deliver outstanding performance for SolidWorks – 20-40% faster than a Core2 processor running at the same clock speed. So, why aren’t there any Core i7 based workstations available from Dell, HP or Lenovo?

Odd as it may seem, Intel positions the Core i7 as a consumer product and the big three OEMs are following Intel’s guidelines and only offering the Core i7 in consumer-oriented gaming systems. A Xeon-branded version of the Core i7 will be available in late March or April.

In the meantime, users who want the best possible performance for SolidWorks can either build their own system or purchased a Core i7 workstation from “second tier” supplies, such as XI Computer.

Attention Shoppers! The Outlet Centers are Open!

Are you in the market for a new workstation, but on a tight budget? You may want to consider purchasing a refurbished system from either the Dell or HP Business Outlet. Refurbished workstations sell for 30-50% off list price and come with a full three year warranty (standard with Dell, optional for HP). The selection on both outlets has been really good lately.

Some examples of particularly good buys:
Dell Precision T3400, C2D 2.66 GHz, 2 GB RAM, Quadro FX 570 Graphics = $589
Dell Precision M6300, C2D 2.5 GHz, 4GB RAM, Quadro FX 1600M = $1,339
HP xw4600, C2D 3.0 GHz, 2GB RAM, Quadro FX 1700 Graphics = $809
HP 8530w, C2D 2.4 GHz, 4GB RAM, Quadro FX770M Graphics = $1,568

For help in selecting or configuring a workstation for SolidWorks,
call Jim Zink at 763 795-7975