Symmetry Solutions Blog

HP and Lenovo have begun shipping new mobile workstations that offer exceptional performance and mobility at affordable prices. Lenovo has also announced, but is not yet shipping, a new high-end ThinkPad for power users. Finally, Dell has also introduced new lower cost Intel Dual Core Processor i5/i7 options for their top end Precision 6500M.

HP Elitebooks

The HP Elitebook 8540w delivers a superb balance of performance and portability. Featuring a 15.6″ widescreen display and nVidia Quadro FX 880M graphics, the 8540w supports processors ranging from the dual core 2.4 GHz Core i5 520M to the quad core 1.73 GHz Core i7-820QM and can be configured with up to 16 GB RAM. They’ve even managed to fit a dedicated numeric keypad into the motherboard – very unusual for a 15″ notebook. HP is currently offering a nicely configured system with a 2.66 GHz dual core CPU (with a maximum Turbo Boost speed of 3.33 GHz!), 4GB RAM, and 320 GB hard drive for $1,679. Higher end configurations can easily top the $3,000 mark, but that is a fair price to pay for such a thoughtfully designed system.

For global engineers requiring even greater mobility, HP has introduced their thinnest and lightest mobile workstation ever, the HP Elitebook 8440w. With a starting weight of under 5 lbs, the 8440w sports a 14″ widescreen display, nVidia Quadro FX 380M graphics, and the same range of Core i5 and Core i7 processors as the larger 8540w, but the smaller system is limited to 8GB RAM.

Lenovo ThinkPads

The ThinkPad w510 may not be as sexy as the Elitebook 8540w (no dedicated numeric keypad) but it offers great performance, up to 16GB RAM, and a 15.6″ widescreen display at an aggressive price point. Lenovo forgoes the cheaper dual core CPUs and offers only industrial strength Intel Quad Core Processor i7 CPUs – up to the 2.0 GHz Intel Quad Core Extreme Processor i7-920XM. I put together a very nice system with a 1.7 GHz Intel Quad Core Processor i7 820QM CPU, 8GB RAM, Quadro FX 880M graphics and 320GB hard drive for under $2,100 – more than $1k less than comparably configured Elitebook 8540w.

Lenovo has announced, but is not yet shipping the high-end ThinkPak w701. With a 17″ display, nVidia Quadro FX 2800M/3800M graphics and choice of Intel Quad Core Processor i7 CPUs the ThinkPad w701 will offer exceptional performance. If money is no object, Lenovo offers a dual screen version and the option of an integrated Wacom digitizer for creative artists.

Dell Precision M6500

Introduced in December, Dell’s Precision M6500 was the first Core i7 based mobile workstation and still tops the wish list of many engineers. Unfortunately, pricing of Dell’s flagship mobile workstation put it out of reach for most. Dell is now offering lower cost Intel Dual Core Processor i5/i7 options for the M6500, but “lower” is a relative term. A Precision M6500 with a 2.66 GHz Intel Dual Core Processor i7-620M CPU, 4GB RAM, 320 GB hard drive and nVidia Quadro FX 2800M graphics still adds up to over $2,800 and the dual core models are limited to a maximum 8GB RAM.

Who wins this round?

The Lenovo ThinkPad w510 delivers the best peformance for the price, while the HP Elitebook w8540w gets kudos for incorporating a dedicated numeric keypad in a 15″ notebook. The Dell Precision M6500 is a true powerhouse for those who can afford it.

Dell has launched the Precision M6500 – the first mobile workstation based on the Core i7 Mobile processors.  Based on the same chassis as the popular M6400, the M6500 supports up to 16 GB RAM, up to three hard drives and/or solid state drives, and a choice of high-end graphics from nVidia and ATI.

There are three processor choices.  All are quad core CPUs running at 1.6, 1.73 and 2.0 GHz.  Don’t let the low clock speeds fool you, these are top performers.  In TurboBoost mode, these same CPUs run at speeds up to 2.8, 3.06 and 3.2 GHz, respectively.   Even the entry level 1.6 GHz Core i7-720QM performs as well as the fastest mobile Core 2 Duo and Quad processors. And the top-end Core i7-920XM outperforms any previous mobile CPU by 15-40%.

Now for the bad news:   These puppies are expensive!  Even a modestly configured system with the 1.6 GHz CPU, ATI graphics and 4GB RAM comes in at over $3000.  Opt for the fastest CPU, 8 GB RAM, an SSD drive, and Quadro FX graphics card and the price can easily climb over $5000.

And the silver lining:  Dell is offering up to $627 Instant Savings on the M6400 (up to $485 Instant Savings if configuring with a 64-bit OS.)  I priced out very robust configurations (8GB RAM, Quadro FX2700, 250 GB hdd, UXGA screen) for under $3200 with a 2.53 GHz Core2 Quad CPU
 and under $2700 with a 3.06 GHz Core2 Duo processor. 

HP and Lenovo should be introducing their Core i7 mobile workstations soon.

SolidWorks continues to update the list of mobile workstations certified for SolidWorks 2010.  The last two generations of mobile workstations from Dell and HP using nVidia Quadro FX graphics are certified for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of XP and Vista.    The Lenovo ThinkPad W700 has been certified with Quadro FX3700M graphics only, but the FX2700M graphics should work fine.   All of these models are expected to be certified for Windows 7, as well.

The older Dell Precision M90 and M65 notebooks have been certfied for 32-bit XP/Vista only.  These notebooks can address a maximum of 3.2GB RAM, so 64-bit operation doesn’t make much sense anyway.  The Vista driver should work for Windows 7, but probably will not be certfied.  These are the last drivers that will be available for these computers.    Kudos to Dell for supporting these systems with updated drivers.  The same generation notebooks from HP (nw8440/9440) and Lenovo (T60p) will not be getting updated drivers.

The only notebook with ATI FireGL or FirePro graphics certified so far is the Dell M6400 with FirePro M7740 graphics.  The Lenovo ThinkPad W500 and models of the HP 8530w/8730w with ATI graphics will probably be certified eventually, but it’s not certain.    We recommend sticking with Quadro FX graphics, at least for the time being.

For the most up to date certification information, see http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/videocardtesting.html.  Look up notebooks by computer manufacturer, not by the graphics manufacturer.

Contrary to our previous announcement, SolidWorks 2011 WILL continue to support the Windows XP Professional operating system.

Intel Quietly Ships Faster Xeon 3500 Series Processors

Without much fanfare, Intel has begun shipping new and faster Xeon 3500 Series processors.  The new W3580 and W3550 CPUs run at 3.33 and 3.06 GHz, marginally faster than the 3.2/2.93 GHz W3570 and W3540 chips introduced earlier this year.  So far, Lenovo is the only major workstation manufacturer listing these chips as options and they are priced exactly the older and slower parts.

Intel has also been releasing more details on the forthcoming “Lynnfield” processors, which will be the Nehalem architecture for mainstream and consumer markets.  The consumer versions of the processors will be dubbed the Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 and will require different (and much less expensive) motherboards from the current Core i7 and Xeon 3500 Series.  The Core i5 and new Core i7 look particularly interesting.  They will have only dual channel memory, which will reduce bandwidth somewhat, but will make up for it with faster turbo modes (important for SolidWorks performance) and lower power consumption.  It’s unknown whether Intel will come out with Xeon-branded versions with ECC memory support, but I hope they do.  This would be the optimal platform for entry and mainstream SolidWorks users.

The following are recommendations for new workstations for SolidWorks. See http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.html for minimum requirements.

SolidWorks 2009 Hardware Recommendations 090812

Please contact Jim Zink at (763) 560-8600 x219 for more specific recommendations.

SolidWorks Corporation has newly certified updated drivers for both Windows XP and Vista for desktop nVidia Quadro FX graphics cards.  These drivers support the full range of desktop boards – from the three year old FX 540/1400/3400 generation to the newest products.  Download the new drivers from www.solidworks.com/sw/videocardtesting.html .  Be sure to follow installation instructions carefully.

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