Computer hardware for mastercam-which components to spend money on...

[?Mark]

1.       Single Xeon vs dual? I think MC supports only one multicore processor?

2.       Spending money on a faster processor with bigger cache memory E5-2620 v3 (6C, 2.4GHz, Turbo, HT, 15M, 85W) vs E5-2630 v3 (8C, 2.4GHz, Turbo, HT, 20M, 85W) ?

3.       Or go for an upgraded video card (NVIDIA® Quadro® K2200 4GB) vs (NVIDIA® Quadro® K4200 4GB) ?

 

What we're after is higher verification speed. It takes hours everyday for each of us to verify parts. Getting some quotes from boxx and dell.

 

Current rigs (Kick a$$ 5 years ago):

Dell precission T7600

2 x Xeon 6 core 2.96 ghz

48 gb ram

146 gb ssd

fx4800

 

 

[MadPickinSkills]

Regarding the Xeon processor. I've used 2 pc's that have multiple Xeon processors and I feel I get better performance out of a Pentium. I'm sure some will disagree.

 

I would upgrade the video. Not sure which of the ones you listed would be the best. AMD (ATI) makes a FirePro that is just as good as nVidia's Quadro (IMO) in case you want to look at additional options. 

[Guest]

Cache is king. The more, the better.

[Müřlıń®]

Cache is king. The more, the better.

I am in need of new hardware also...are SSD's required to get the best out of MC?

 

....taking me forever to crunch a HS Pencil...

 

and I got a twin Xeon with 16 gig...it's old though a T5400.

[Guest]

I am in need of new hardware also...are SSD's required to get the best out of MC?

Not required but... dayum if it isn't a seriously big bang for the buck. :

 

Myself, I would not even consider owing a rig without an SSD as my boot drive. Not sure how much you know about CATIA, it takes a couple minutes to start up normally. I'm ready to work in about 35sec. Mastercam is ready to go in about 7-10sec. depending on what else I've got going.

[BenK]

Regarding the Xeon processor. I've used 2 pc's that have multiple Xeon processors and I feel I get better performance out of a Pentium. I'm sure some will disagree.

 

I would upgrade the video. Not sure which of the ones you listed would be the best. AMD (ATI) makes a FirePro that is just as good as nVidia's Quadro (IMO) in case you want to look at additional options. 

 

There has been many issues with using ATI video cards over the years. Its been hit or miss. I would go with a Quadro card any day of the week.

[Guest]

There has been many issues with using ATI video cards over the years. Its been hit or miss. I would go with a Quadro card any day of the week.

yup

 

Never an issue with a decent Quadro card

[MadPickinSkills]

We tried high end Quadro's at work and they all had issues. We ended up returning them. I can't remember the model.
 

just sayin

[Guest]

We tried high end Quadro's at work and they all had issues. We ended up returning them. I can't remember the model.

 

just sayin

 

You had something else in play, bad cards maybe, can't say wasn't there but you can't go wrong with Nvidia for performance vs Ati.

 

Having been on both sides, I have seen the issues first hand and know how to solve them. An Ati card has never solved an issue vs an Nvidia Quadro

[MadPickinSkills]

Probably. Others may have those same things in play.

[crazy^millman]

Dual Always if doing more than one task. Only ever going to program and never run anything else on the box then single should be fine. Asking for Multi-Tasking like 99.999% of the companies out there then will be best to get Dual if going the XEON Route.

 

SSD would be at least a 250gb might look at 2 and run a RAID setup. Been hearing some improvements of 10% to 20% with RAID. I have not done it never enough money or time to attempt it.

 

I7 processors have the most ability to be overclocked. Risks involved, but time is money and if you plan around it maybe burning up in 2 years the time saved verse the cost of one. Water Cooler a must.

 

Power Supply is often over looked. Get 25% to 40% more power than you will ever need. I hate the 10% above marginal most IT people use as a rule.

 

That card for me is the bottom of the list. I am seriously considering the K6000 12 gig if I can ever afford it. http://www.nvidia.com/object/quadro-desktop-gpus.html Will support 4 Displays and I run 2 27" ASUS MX279H displays. http://www.asus.com/us/Monitors/MX279H/ I would add a 3rd if my laptop supported it on a tower this would be no problem.

 

I showed a company not to long ago where the old computers that could barley support X5 were costing them over $200k in losses in their programming department. Record those hours and once you get something in track how much that reduction really meant. Then do a 6 month and 12 month ROI. Hopefully that will show the bean counter cheap for computers is such a dumb decision and direction.

[crazy^millman]

We tried high end Quadro's at work and they all had issues. We ended up returning them. I can't remember the model.

 

just sayin

 

Edited:

 

Nope if I remember correctly you tired very low end cards and thought they were high end. K600 is the very very low end of Quardo Cards. Had you got K4000 or above then you would be correct in your comments. Edit: If it was you that put up the reply in a thread saying your company got the K600 cards and replaced them with something else.

 

just saying.....

Edited February 4, 2015 by 5th Axis Consulting

[RaiderX]

Regarding the Xeon processor. I've used 2 pc's that have multiple Xeon processors and I feel I get better performance out of a Pentium. I'm sure some will disagree.

 

I would upgrade the video. Not sure which of the ones you listed would be the best. AMD (ATI) makes a FirePro that is just as good as nVidia's Quadro (IMO) in case you want to look at additional options. 

 

agree with the Xeon vs pentium. I would go with I7 with largest cache.

have not run many ATI card rigs with mastercam but every one of them choked. am a big fan of Quadro card models 2000 and above. am currently running a k600 (not my choice) that I think an FX card would run circles around.

[MadPickinSkills]

Edited:

 

Nope if I remember correctly you tired very low end cards and thought they were high end. K600 is the very very low end of Quardo Cards. Had you got K4000 or above then you would be correct in your comments. Edit: If it was you that put up the reply in a thread saying your company got the K600 cards and replaced them with something else.

 

just saying.....

 

You're probably right and I don't know what I'm talking about.

btw, what do you mean "if I remember correctly"

[Guest]

You're probably right and I don't know what I'm talking about.

 

Well, anyone who states ATi is the answer is suspect to begin with  

[MadPickinSkills]

Well, anyone who states ATi is the answer is suspect to begin with  

Who said ATI is the answer?

[Guest]

Mark, PM

[BenK]

I'm with Ron, I would have picked up a K6000 if I could afford it. Went with the K5200 instead, less than half the price. The K600 in my opinion doesn't even deserve consideration, I have the K3000M in my laptop and that would be minimum for me. 

 

As far as raid, if you run raid 0 you can theoretically double your performance with two drives but you also double your chance of failure. I plan on running raid 1 for security, if one fails I will not lose anything.  Raid 10 would be the way to go but you need 4 drives for that.

[Guest]

Curious, I just got a phone call from a San Diego exchange, someone's feelings hurt?

 

Now you have me wondering who you are out there in San Diego because I KNOW he has called others before, including my office

[?Mark]

CAD Workstation Xeon vs i7 vs i5 Processors

 

http://graitec.co.uk/hardware/cad-workstation-guide/xeon-vs-i7

 

Really interesting article...

[Guest]

CAD Workstation Xeon vs i7 vs i5 Processors

 

http://graitec.co.uk/hardware/cad-workstation-guide/xeon-vs-i7

 

Really interesting article...

 

 

Mark, as I stated in my PM, it's really going to come down to what you expect that you will be doing.........

 

2D and occasional 3D op, you could use an I5 all day and not really know the difference.  The higher end your work, the more robust you want need your work station.

It would be pointless to build a $6k work station for 2D work, you'd die with a $2k work station on highend mold and milti-axis work

[?Mark]

Hi John,

I'm back at the old place, they asked nicely .. The 2 morons that run the place got fired...so I'm back at multiaxis and pretty involved 3d high speed surfacing...

Verifying takes between 1-3+ hours/day. Looking to improve this number with a better PC. We also got a really sharp programmer that come from a shop where they used boxx pc's and he said they were flying thru similar verification.  That started the whole conversation about upgrading.

[Guest]

Hi John,

I'm back at the old place, they asked nicely .. The 2 morons that run the place got fired...so I'm back at multiaxis and pretty involved 3d high speed surfacing...

 

Knowing what you do, you want to go HIGH end

 

I think they are WAY overpriced for what they offer but you want something on this level

 

http://mysolidbox.com/mastercam/product/carbide-desktop-level-2

[crazy^millman]

You're probably right and I don't know what I'm talking about.

btw, what do you mean "if I remember correctly"

 

If you were the person that replied in a topic they went with high end Graphics card and they went with the K600 cards. Those cards are what I consider very low end and that thread if you were the person that replaced them with ATI cards. I again disagreed with it at the time, but since so many on here consider me to be the mean old troll that lives under the bride most of the time I kept my thoughts to myself. I thought it was you that replied in that thread and then again here. After I made the above statement I tried to remove my grumpy old troll comments and make them nicer. Hopefully my explanation makes sense.

[BenK]

I think when you get to this level of computer you are much better off building. That Boxx costs more than the computer I am building right now. 

 

 

I7 5960X

Asus x99e-ws motherboard

32GB Corsair ddr4

Nvidia Quadro K5200

2X OCZ 480GB SSD's

2X WD Red 3TB HDD's

Corsair liquid cooler

Corsair 1050W PS

Coolermaster Cosmos 2 case

 

I will be just over $5000 up and running. More computer for less money.