Cad Workstation
To do a project in 3d, you will need to have a 3d cad workstation instead of a regular desktop. What is the difference? Many people think of a workstation and a desktop as the same thing, but there are subtle differences that must be noted.
Graphics Cards
The most important factor is the graphics card. Many people think that their stellar Geforce or Radeon will perform well because the ram is higher than similar open GL graphics cards. This is not good reasoning. Open GL graphics cards are needed to make a cad workstation device work well. It may seem frustrating because the specifications make it look like a lot less card for a lot more money. What you don't know is that the open GL graphics card is filled with lots of software that makes the cad work properly.
You need to buy an Nvidia Quadro or an ATI Firepro open gl graphics card. You should not purchase a Geforce or a Radeon.
The prices are crazy. You can spend thousands of dollars for the top graphics card on the market. These expensive cards are mostly purchased by large organizations that are doing very large and multiple projects or perhaps writing their own editing software with customized plugins. Most people will do great with a graphics card in the $200-$300 range.
Motherboards
The workstation motherboard should be able to have a lot of expandable ram. At least 12 gigabytes of ram is a good idea. The motherboard should also have slots so that more than one graphics card can be used. Many times cad operators will find that they need to add more power by adding another graphics card. A good motherboard will allow up to three graphics cards. Look for a motherboard that supports high end gaming or graphics applications.
In motherboards, Asus is the market leader. Their boards look great and are made really well.
Ram
Get a motherboard that will allow at least 12 gigabytes of ram.
CPU>
Most workstations will use a server processor because of the way it can handle multi threading and the reliability. Most cad stations will carry Xenon or Opteron processors. These are all good processors. However, you should keep in mind that the lower level I7, from Intel, and the inexpensive Athlons, from AMD, can also work just fine for a cad workstation. If you are on a budget, you don't have to buy one of the server processors.
Monitors
It is a good idea to get two monitors. The reason is that you will need to open lots and lots of files at the same time. Two monitors make the job much easier. To accomplish this, make sure the graphics card you pick will handle two monitors (most will).
If you are on a budget, get two 19-23” monitors. The cost for monitors above 23 inches increase a lot. For example, you can pay around $500.00 for one 32 inch monitor or may around $500.00 for two 23 inch monitors.
Power Supply
You will need a large supply of power to make the whole thing work properly. Graphics intense applications and the additional graphics cards and monitors all require power. For this reason, get a power supply near the top of the game. Get one that can put out around 1000 watts.
Case
You will need a large case for expandability. Workstations tend to need lots of hard drives added on later because the graphics files are so large. Cases are so inexpensive that it doesn't make sense to buy a tiny one and cram it all in unless you really need the space in your home or office quite badly.
Hard Drives
You should have at least one Sata drive. Again, since graphics applications take up so much space, get the largest hard drive you can afford (2.0 trilobyte would be good). Many people like to have another solid state hard drive because they boot up so much faster. A lot of people get a sixty gigabyte solid state hard drive and then a very large Sata drive.
Accessories
You will also need a mouse with at least three buttons on it and a keyboard (preferably wireless). You will need HDMI cables for the monitors. You will need to also install a PCI wireless card 802.11b/g. You may wish to purchase a hardware firewall and other security devices for your internet access.
Should You Build Your Own Cad Workstation
The workstation market is typically for large corporations that think the hardware cost is minimal. The reason is that it costs so much more for a good programmer and the software being run can also cost thousands of dollars. These corporations only want the best and pay a premium for it. A comparable workstation to a desktop and the workstation will cost double the cost.
If you start looking for a low end workstation, they don't really exist. There are low priced workstations with very low hardware in them, but that isn't what you want.
You can't just go and buy a high end desktop. The graphics card will be wrong and most large computer manufacturers refuse to sell a desktop with an open gl graphics card. The desktop will also not tell you what motherboard is in the machine. You can be sure it is a board that isn't very expandable. In addition, the case is usually small and crammed. Computer manufacturers don't make desktops to be very expandable. Finally, the power supply will be too low and the computer will become unstable.
Build Your Own Workstation
If you build you own desktop, piece by piece, you won't save a nickel. In fact, you will probably lose money. However, in workstations, you can save a bundle building it yourself because of the price premium for workstations. It is also a good idea, because you will know what you are getting. You can pick the best parts out there and not have to rely on a company throwing some inadequate products in.
Operating System
Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows Vista Business are good operating systems for cad workstations. You should check the cad software manufacturer that you plan to work with prior to getting the operating system. Most of the new cad operating software no longer works well with Windows XP because it is so old.
Make sure and get a 64 bit operating system because that is the standard nowadays and is important for graphics applications. 32 bit systems are still for sale so don't assume that you will get the right operating system without checking it.
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