i7 Processors...better than xeon?

[BTA]

Wondering about this because I can get a Dell 8500 right now for $800 with 12 gig ram. I need to replace our old dual core with the crappy Asus motherboard that they programmed a "stop wokring at such and such a date".

[gcode]

check out the benchmark thread

http://www.emastercam.com/board/index.php?showtopic=25855

 

the i7's do seem to outperform the Xeons until you get into the very high end expensive Xeon's

the video card is just as important as the proccessor.

You're going to want an Nvidia Quadro video card or a high end Nvidia Geforce gaming card.

Onboard Intel video should be avoided at all cost.

Some people have success with ATI cards, but not very many

[jeff]

It depends on which Xeon you are comparing to which i7

[jeff]

Mid-range Xeons go for $800-$1,000 with the most expensive one over $2,000

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100008494%2050001157&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=PRICED&PageSize=100

 

If you want the best bang for the buck, the i7 2600k is VERY hard to beat.

If you don't plan on using the extremely easy 1 step overclocking feature, then just get the i7 2600 (non-K version) and save a few bucks.

IMO the amount of money you'd have to spend on a xeon to beat this cpu is not worth it, when you can take that money and buy a better Quadro video card

[RaiderX]

I have found systems with Xeons tend to be very stable and bullet proof but speed for the buck is as stated above. currently running an i7 with very good results. it seems to crash bout once per week, note this is relitive to what I am throwing at it. mcam, solidworks, catia, vericut plus all the standard av and office apps. its a buisy machine.

[Thoob]

the video card is just as important as the proccessor.

 

Can you explian this please? I don't understand why the video card is "as important" as the cpu. You can run Mastercam with a low end gaming video card, you can't run Mastercam with a low end CPU. Not saying your wrong, just want to know why you need a $1000.00 video card vs a decent $150.00 one.

[EX-wccprogrammer]

Can you explian this please? I don't understand why the video card is "as important" as the cpu. You can run Mastercam with a low end gaming video card, you can't run Mastercam with a low end CPU. Not saying your wrong, just want to know why you need a $1000.00 video card vs a decent $150.00 one.

The video card really comes into play when you are verifying. This is very video intensive.

[gcode]

You can run Mastercam with a low end gaming video card

true, but not very well

 

I said that because BTA was looking at an $800 Dell

For that kind of money, it's probably got an onboard Intel video card which will give

very poor results running Mastercam

[drafting3]

i7 2600k

 

i wish i had a nickel every time you said "i7 2600k". lol

[gcode]

The video card really comes into play when you are verifying. This is very video intensive.

 

a incompatible video card will also give you trouble with drawing/selecting geomtery,

screen refeshing, chaining and general useabilty.

You are not doing youself any favors lowballing the video card.

If you don't want to pay for a Quadro Cad/Cam card, you should at least get a Geforce gaming card in the $200+ range

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

[rant]

Why do people always want to get chintzy on their rigs???

 

I'm not sayin' any/everyone has to dump $3k+ into a rig, but for as much as people pi$$ and moan about MC's performance, you'd think they would want to eliminate as many possibilities for performance realted issues as possible and get a solid rig. The cost of your rig CANNOT be calculated by the bottom line price you pay for it. When User X has a rig that cost $2k and he runs the bench mark in a minute, and user Y skimped and went with the $1,200 rig and he runs the bench mark in 2:20. How much is the really costing him over the lifetime of that rig? While he saved $800 on the price, he lost his @$$ in productivity.

 

Just sayin'

 

[/rant]

[jeff]

[rant]

Why do people always want to get chintzy on their rigs???

 

I'm not sayin' any/everyone has to dump $3k+ into a rig, but for as much as people pi$$ and moan about MC's performance, you'd think they would want to eliminate as many possibilities for performance realted issues as possible and get a solid rig. The cost of your rig CANNOT be calculated by the bottom line price you pay for it. When User X has a rig that cost $2k and he runs the bench mark in a minute, and user Y skimped and went with the $1,200 rig and he runs the bench mark in 2:20. How much is the really costing him over the lifetime of that rig? While he saved $800 on the price, he lost his @$$ in productivity.

 

Just sayin'

 

[/rant]

 

because $3,000 to someone California isn't a lot of money, but here in Michigan where the cost of living is much lower, and the wages reflect that, $3,000 is a lot of money to a lot of people lol.

not trying to be snarky.

[jeff]

i wish i had a nickel every time you said "i7 2600k". lol

 

LOL!

Hey, I can't help it, it's one of the best CPU's ever made.

[Bob W.]

Agree with CNC Apps Guy. Sometimes the cheapest equipment ends up being the most costly...

[Chris Rizzo]

rig that cost $2k and he runs the bench mark in a minute, and user Y skimped and went with the $1,200 rig and he runs the bench mark in 2:20.

 

My skimpy 1300$ rig runs the benchmark in 54 seconds...and that is on a first gen 940 i7 Quadro 580 170$ card. VERY good value for performance.

 

Btw, tomorrow my new Sager 9170 arrives. Can't wait! That was't cheap however.

[drafting3]

new computer parts are starting to trickle in now. hopefully i'll have everything for my build next week.

 

can't wait to benchmark it. (i7-3820)

 

already have X6 sitting here on my desk

[RaiderX]

Seen way too many company's trip over $100 bills to save $1. jus sayen

[BTA]

I will let you know how it goes...

 

 

 

12 GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz

Black Chassis w/19:1 media card reader

Software

2 TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive

Processor: Intel Core 3rd Gen i7-3770 Processor (3.40 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.90 GHz)

No Speakers

Shipping Material

Video Ports Cover

Software

Dell Wireless 1703 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0

Software

Documentation

Software

Wave Systems Software

Dell USB 6-Button Laser Mouse

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Operating System DVD

Software

Software

Shipping Material

Genuine Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

Microsoft Office Starter – reduced functionality Word & Excel w/ads & no PowerPoint or Outlook

Software

Heatsink

NVIDIA GeForce GT 640 1GB GDDR5

Screw

Dell Wired Multimedia Keyboard

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium

Label

Image Restore Software

16X DVD +/- RW Drive

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

because $3,000 to someone California isn't a lot of money, but here in Michigan where the cost of living is much lower, and the wages reflect that, $3,000 is a lot of money to a lot of people lol.

not trying to be snarky.

 

Ok Jeff,

 

I'll bite. Let's say the shop rate is a 2nd world $30/hr. The $800 price diff comes down to roughly 27 hours @ said crazy low shop rate. If you or anyone else for that matter does not think they will save 27 measly hours over the course of a year, I'm at a loss for words.

 

Just some rough numbers to make a point in case anyone is pondering the TRUE cost of bargain shopping for rigs;

1 hour a year in boot up time alone savings (assuming 1 boot per day 5 days per week, 50 weeks a year)

1 hour a year in if you launch Mastercam once per day (assuming 1 launch per day 5 days per week, 50 weeks a year)

 

Two hours without even thiking about it.

 

Given that the average user replaces their rig once every 3 or 4 years... how much does that $800 savings COST you? Yes, it costs you something. There is no savings in that $800, just lost productivity. Hours spent on something that should take minutes. Project after project. Crashes, instability, etc... all for what, to save $800?

 

Don't make this a Kaliforniastan vs. Michigan thing. It has nothing to do with cost of living. I'm not talking about buying a rig to write e-mail with at your house, I'm talking about a work rig that is going to enable your company to program faster and more reliably, ship product faster so you can get paid faster. Bottom line; it's about getting paid... ya?

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

I will let you know how it goes...

 

 

 

12 GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz

Black Chassis w/19:1 media card reader

Software

2 TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive

Processor: Intel Core 3rd Gen i7-3770 Processor (3.40 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.90 GHz)

No Speakers

Shipping Material

Video Ports Cover

Software

Dell Wireless 1703 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0

Software

Documentation

Software

Wave Systems Software

Dell USB 6-Button Laser Mouse

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Operating System DVD

Software

Software

Shipping Material

Genuine Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

Microsoft Office Starter – reduced functionality Word & Excel w/ads & no PowerPoint or Outlook

Software

Heatsink

NVIDIA GeForce GT 640 1GB GDDR5

Screw

Dell Wired Multimedia Keyboard

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium

Label

Image Restore Software

16X DVD +/- RW Drive

 

You're selling that rig short without a Solid State Drive. Just sayin...

[Jeremy Herron@DBS Solutions™]

+10000000 to what James said. Dual SSD'S running raid 0 or at least a SSD for your programs and and conventional hard drive for storage. Jus sayin...

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

Cash flow. A little money now is often worth more money later.

[jeff]

Ok Jeff,

 

I'll bite.

 

<snip>

 

Bottom line; it's about getting paid... ya?

 

I totally hear ya, I'm all for buying the best and fastest rig out there,but some companies just can't afford it. Especially the small 8 man job shops, which there are a ton of here in the metro Detroit area, even though I'm just outside of that.

I'm also for not overpaying for performance,my current computer here is faster than most of those solidboxx computers, with zero issues, and a warranty.

That's all I'm trying to say, I paid 1/2 the price, still get a 3yr warranty and it's faster. They do nothing special to their overpriced computers, there is no such thing as "optimized" for Mastercam. lol it's a marketing ploy that everyone falls for.

[jeff]

I will let you know how it goes...

 

 

 

12 GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz

Black Chassis w/19:1 media card reader

Software

2 TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive

Processor: Intel Core 3rd Gen i7-3770 Processor (3.40 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.90 GHz)

No Speakers

Shipping Material

Video Ports Cover

Software

Dell Wireless 1703 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0

Software

Documentation

Software

Wave Systems Software

Dell USB 6-Button Laser Mouse

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Operating System DVD

Software

Software

Shipping Material

Genuine Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

Microsoft Office Starter – reduced functionality Word & Excel w/ads & no PowerPoint or Outlook

Software

Heatsink

NVIDIA GeForce GT 640 1GB GDDR5

Screw

Dell Wired Multimedia Keyboard

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium

Label

Image Restore Software

16X DVD +/- RW Drive

 

 

You'll like that setup,an SSD would be faster, but it's not a dealbreaker,I'm not so sure about the GT640 card though. Let us know how that card works out for ya! And what kind of files you're using it for.

[BTA]

Most of what we do is 2d high speed but the multiaxis will be taking over next year. Toolpaths were just taking too long with X5 and with X6 zig zagging we are alot happier but still the long processing time is irritating enough to spend a few dollars. What would a SSD cost for this PC? Maybe I will add it later. We may also pickup 2 of these PCs so I will have that option later.