Dell Workstations

I am trying to get my employer to purchase a new PC for Solidworks use.
They prefer Dell PCs. Are there any workstation class machines to stay away
from? What would be a good choice for running SW 2004 SP4?

Thanks

Bill

 

i have a precission 650
win xp
3 gig ram
nvivda Quadro fx 3000

Cost $5500

I wouldn't trade for any other machine


Cheers

 

Make sure they choose one from Dell that is certified for SW. Although Dell
is a Solution Partner, they don't really specify which of all their models
are certified for SW.

If you specify a Dell, make sure it uses a graphics card on SW approved
list. Not all Dell's come that way and you can falsely save a bundle by not
buying a CAD quality video card.

We have a Dell and a custom built system at work. The Dell is high end and
the custom system is AMD64. The Dell user has a lot more complaints about
speed and reliability.

 

P.

I agree, every "brand name" box we ever had was considerably slower and less
reliable than our equivelent home built systems. The big names compete on
price. This means cutting corners and cheap components. Motherboard
manufacturers compete on performance. Also, Dell only uses Intel, and they
don't perform as well as AMD64's

The only exeption would be the M60 laptop which is a good performer "for a
laptop". It's all relative.

Regards

Mark



"> If you specify a Dell, make sure it uses a graphics card on SW approved

 

I agree. Another advantage to a custom built machine is that they can be
easily upgraded to extend their life. A few years ago, my last Dell came
with all sorts of "bloatware" and bios and registry locks that prevented any
meaningful upgrades.
Also, a properly built custom machine is actually less expensive.
Best Regards,
Devon T. Sowell
www.3-ddesignsolutions.com

 

www.cyberpowerpc.com

 

I went through their site and configured a box similar to mine. They
didn't have CAD grade graphics cards or water cooling systems. Their
price was $2,179 to which you add $1,300 to $1,400 for the FX3000 and
$250 for water cooling and $80 for a UPS. This would come to about
what I paid for a custom built. Add another $895 for a decent 20" LCD
and you have a very fast system.

 

I went through their site and configured a box similar to mine. They
didn't have CAD grade graphics cards or water cooling systems. Their
price was $2,179 to which you add $1,300 to $1,400 for the FX3000 and
$250 for water cooling and $80 for a UPS. This would come to about
what I paid for a custom built. Add another $895 for a decent 20" LCD
and you have a very fast system.