Options for a new CAD workstation

We are having stability problems with our SW machine at work and it really
is about time to upgrade anyway (3+ year old system) The last one was put
together by a small company and originally resulted in several rounds of
finger pointing (hardware guy: "it's the software", software guy: "its the
hardware") before we decided to just live with it.

This time round we have decided to skip that hassle and go with one that is
certified by SW so they have to take responsibility. The main question is
"are there any other options than Dell in Australia?" They seem quite pricey
but if that is what we have to buy then so be it.

Thanks for your help, sorry if this has been answered before, I did have a
quick look.

Michael

 

I went through the same thing. I will never buy another name brand
computer. Buy individual components and put it together yourself. You
won't save any money, but you'll have a lot easier time dealing with the
supplier.

--
J Kimmel

www.metalinnovations.com

"Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum." - When you have
their full attention in your grip, their hearts and minds will follow.

 

SideShift Option: Find the local Geek Store who does white box
construction and who may indeed plug the components together for less
than Dell (because they buy parts by the dozens or more), plus giving
you a ready supply of tech. support & parts if and when you need them.

These types of guys/companies produce equipment just as good as the
name brand and possibly better, because they need to please their
local customers, and therein is the committment.

Bo

 

See the recent post called PNY Nvidia Nightmare.

I personally would never build a box myself for the same reason this
fellow is running into, and it sounds like you have as well. I wouldn't
even have my friendly neighborhood box builder do it. I buy stuff from
vendors like Boxx, who specialize in CAD and graphics boxes. I have
also bought from Hypersonic, a little lower cost, and primarily aimed at
gamers, but they had a very nice cad-speced laptop.

There are options in between Dell and the local corner finger pointer.

The amount of time you can sink into troubleshooting a home built box is
mind boggling, and well worth the pocket change you save. What you can
get in Australia is a different issue.

 

Matt, you noted using Boxx <http://www.boxxtech.com/>

Do they actually configure boxes specifically for CAD?

I didn't see 3D CAD noted in a quick scan of their website, though I
suspect it is buried 3 levels down somewhere.

Thanks - Bo

 

What about HP? They have some nice AMD systems.

 

I am on my third system from XI computer, they even have overclocked/
water cooled systems out of the box.

 

If you do get a local computer builder for a CAD box, ask them how
many they have built, and who for, and what CADsystem is was built
for. Get references from the computer dealer.

Did you check with your reseller? Sometimes they have leads or know
who a good builder is in your area or maybe give you a reference.

A local shop is nice, just need to be experienced with the right
hardware for CAD/SW.

samurai.

 

I would not buy from a small supplier again if I didn't save money. As the
systems are certified by SW, surely my SW vendor would have to deal with any
problems. Or even better I would get a stable SW workstation (surely they
exist?). Having looked at the SW website again I notice they also give HP &
IBM as vendors. The HP workstations have a confusing array of possibilities.
The IBM page has removed a lot of the clutter and specifies which systems
are better for SW. But really I probably have a budget of up to AUD $4000
(and already have screens).

I was also wondering whether now would be a good idea to upgrade what with
Vista coming out & none of the systems certified with it yet.

Michael

 

I find it hard to believe that your var is going to take
responsibility for a windows computer running solidworks. This is way
outside of there scope. When you say 'any problems' that could be
hardware or software of any kind that you've installed since purchase,
or drivers or ... well the list is long. What does a 'certified by
sw' system actually mean? My guess is like all other certifications,
it means that solidworks has reviewed the components, found them to be
satisfactory for running sw (ie. enough ram, good graphics card etc)
and that's it. They sure aren't going to send someone right over when
your system crashes!

 

I took a dump in a cardboard box. I taped it shut and then wrote
"Certified for Solidworks" on it. I took it to work and put it on top
of my computer. Everyone was very impressed, but a few asked about
the bad smell.

 

Just as a thought .....
http://support.ugs.com/online_library/certification/
If it works well for UG perhaps it would work for SW .... but I dont
know how current that link (& the ones from it) are.
(Hint: click on platform of interest).
Also use certified drivers.