Cheap First Build to Run Solidworks

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mjarrettp

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Sep 25, 2013
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I'm an engineering student, I'm looking to build my first desktop now that my laptop has died. Solidworks is probably the harshest thing I ever run on my computer, I don't do much gaming so I'm not worried about optimizing that. I want to build a cheap setup, probably under $500, that will run solid works and TF2 or HL2 without much issue. I plan on using some freebie dell 17" monitors for a dual monitor setup. I really have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to building a computer, my main focus is to get better better performance than my dead Toshiba satellite a505 on a budget.

Thanks for any help.
 
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bambiboom
mjarrettp,

The system that can run Solidworks with all the viewport features, be capable of assemblies with more than a few parts, run simulations, run several applications at one- which always seems to be ncessary and that that can rendering the models is actually quite demanding. I would always recommend a Xeon- quad core at least 2.9GHz or higher > ECC - minimum 8GB> Quadro - 1 GB or better,

Accordingly, I believe that a $500 budget is better spent on a used system with features along these lines >

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Precision-Workstation-T3500-Xeon-W3580-3-33GHz-Quad-Core-Computer-12GB-RAM-/390647805257?hash=item5af46c7549

> a completed eBay listing for a Dell Precision T3500 > quad core 3.33 Xeon, 12GB RAM...
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Deemo13

Deemo13

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Jul 18, 2011
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Any basic computer would work well with Solidworks. At my school, the computers in our school run APU's with the integrated Radeon graphics, and it runs Solidworks and Matlab great.

Building a computer is not that hard. Most things you make on Solidworks would probably be more difficult to design than building the computer itself...maybe save for extruding a rectangle. Just look up videos on Youtube. Newegg has good videos for it. I believe Part 2 of their series is the actual building.
 
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bambiboom

bambiboom

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Apr 7, 2012
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mjarrettp,

The system that can run Solidworks with all the viewport features, be capable of assemblies with more than a few parts, run simulations, run several applications at one- which always seems to be ncessary and that that can rendering the models is actually quite demanding. I would always recommend a Xeon- quad core at least 2.9GHz or higher > ECC - minimum 8GB> Quadro - 1 GB or better,

Accordingly, I believe that a $500 budget is better spent on a used system with features along these lines >

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Precision-Workstation-T3500-Xeon-W3580-3-33GHz-Quad-Core-Computer-12GB-RAM-/390647805257?hash=item5af46c7549

> a completed eBay listing for a Dell Precision T3500 > quad core 3.33 Xeon, 12GB RAM, that recently sold for $275.

To this add a used Quadro 2000 (1GB) like this one >

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NVIDIA-Quadro-2000-VCQ2000-PB-1-GB-GDDR5-SDRAM-PCI-Express-x16-Graphics-/141063996504?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item20d811c458

> a completed listing for a 6-month old one for $145, and sometimes on these systems, you you need to add the operating system.

Solidworks may open and run in a basic way on a wide range of systems, but is very demanding once there is any complexity in the project, certain features only work with cards like Quadros and Firepros, can be very frustrating in navigation without a fast CPU and good graphics card, and not very usable unless you can have multiple applications running.

It is possible to build a decent Solidworks system for about $1,000-1300, and building is a great teacher to understand the software / hardware relationship and fixing it, but building can also be frustrating and distracting at a time when you need to be using it. If you are on a strict budget, buying a used Dell Precision or HP z-series is a bettre use of you time , effort, and money.

If you are still set on building a system, here's an idea that I think is about the minimum for effective Solidworks use >

BambiBoom PixelSnaffler Cadamodagrapharific iWork WalletJoyScream IV £®©™?$$_8.21.13

The system is based on a quad core Xeon E3, ECC, error correcting RAM , multiple RAID configuration capable server /workstation Intel C216 motherboard supporting 32GB, dual LAN, USB 3.0, 6GB/s drives, and mounted in a case that can accommodate three 5.25" drives and six 3.5" drives. The E3-1230 was chosen as it is has a healthy clock speed (3.3 / 3.7GHz), is hyperthreading (the 1220 is not), as a V2 (Ivy Bridge) as it is 69W instead of the Haswell (V3) 80W, but mostly because there are at the moment more server / workstation motherboard choices using LGA 1155 than 1150. The Firepro V4900 is very good value at $151, performing about the same as a Quadro 2000 ($382) - quite good in 3D. For those CUDA-centric applications- , providing 192 cores, there is listed an optional Quadro K600 ($170), but the K600 is not brilliant in 3D, and a used Quadro 2000 or better yet, Quadro K2000 is preferable.

It is very encouraging that today, $1,000 can build a Xeon 3.3 / 3.7GHZ quad core > 16GB ECC 1600 > Quadro / Firepro > 1TB workstation.

1. CPU > Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 Ivy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1155, 69W Quad-Core Server Processor BX80637E31230V2 > $235 (On Passmark CPU benchmarks, this CPU is rated as No. 50, scoring 8880 - compare to E3-1220 V2 at No. 128, score 6464 )

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...


2. Motherboard > ASRock C216 WS ATX Server Motherboard LGA 1155 Intel C216 > $183

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

3. Memory > 16GB Kingston (2X 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 ECC Unbuffered Server Memory w/TS Model KVR16E11/8 > $154 ($77 each) (Using 2 X 8GB allows expansion to the full 32GB)

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

4. Graphics Card > AMD 100-505649 FirePro V4900 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 Workstation Video Card > $151

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

4A. OPT'L> Graphics Card > NVIDIA Quadro K600 VCQK600-PB 1GB GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Low Profile Workstation Video Card > $170

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...


4B. OPT’L < Graphics Card > PNY NVIDIA Quadro K2000 2GB GDDR5 DVI/2DisplayPorts PCI-Express Video Card > $420

____ http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=PNY-K2000

5. Storage > Western Digital WD Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive> $90

____ http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Caviar-Internal-D...

6. Case > Antec Three Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $70 ( 3 external 5.25", 6 internal 3.5", USB 3.0)

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

7. Power Supply > SeaSonic S12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply > $65 (This power supply is somewhat oversized to accommodate a future 150W graphics card)

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

8. DVD burner > ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM > $20

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

____________________________________________________________
Total= $968 or $987 with Quadro K600 or $1,237 with Quadro K2000


Cheers,

BambiBoom

[Dell Precision T5400 (2009)> 2X Xeon X5460 quad core @3.16GHz > 16 GB ECC 667> Quadro FX 4800 (1.5GB) > WD RE4 / Segt Brcda 500GB > Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit > HP 2711x 27" 1920 x 1080 > AutoCad, Revit, Solidworks 2010, Sketchup Pro, Corel Technical Designer, Adobe CS MC, WordP Office, MS Office > architecture, industrial design, graphic design, rendering, writing]




 
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enginoor

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Oct 13, 2014
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I put together a Solidworks work station recently and have two recommendations.

Don't skimp on RAM, 16gb should be a minimum. A SSD is definitely recommended.

Here's the build: http://enginoor.com/solidworks-pc-2015/
 
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bambiboom

bambiboom

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enginoor,

Your Solidworks solution appears in general a very good approach from a cost / performance view. I would note that at about the same price as the Quadro K2000, the recent K2200 with 4GB memory approaches the performance of the previous series K4000. The new K4200 is so good, I've abandoned my dreams of a K5000- the K4200 outperforms it and costs less new than used K5000's. Also, While 500+GB SSD is very fast, and a useful capacity, you might consider adding a good-sized mech'l drive for storage.

Here's my current $1,500 CAD solution:

BambiBoom Cadagrapharific WalletJoyScream Turbosignaturextreme X9000 $$©& £℞™_10.1.14

CPU: Xeon Intel E3-1231 v3 3.3 / 3.7GHz 8MB L3 Cache 80W Server Processor BX80646E31231V3 >$242

http://ark.intel.com/products/75054/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E3-1230-v3-8M-Cache-3_30-GHz

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120 mm PWM Fan > $40

Motherboard: ASUS Z97I-PLUS LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Mini ITX $140

Memory: 16GB (2) Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model BLS8G3D1609DS1S00> $144

GPU: PNY VCQK2200-PB Quadro K2200 4GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Workstation Video Card > $459

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133559&cm_re=quadro_k2200-_-14-133-559-_-Product

PSU: CORSAIR CXM series CX600M 600W ATX12V v2.3 SLI CrossFire 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply > $70.

Drive 1: Crucial MX100 CT256MX100SSD1 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) ) > $113 (OS, applications, working files)

Drive 2: Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive - OEM > $60

Case: LIAN LI PC-9NB Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case > $100

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit - OEM > $138

______________________________________________________________________

TOTAL = $1506.

It's interesting to me how few architects and engineers have almost any interest in computer performance- at least not until the work bogs down and the screaming starts. My brother's architectural office is still using a couple of 1.86GHZ Dell Precisions from 2005 including for 3D rendering and another engineer's office is only now replacing Dell Precision T3400's, with 2.4, Q6600's from 2007.

But , it appears that much of interest-disinterest in performance depends on the quality of the software used. Autodesk software can be run confidently on almost any system: I have a 1998 Dell XPS Pentium III 750MHz that ran a demo version of AutoCad 2013 perfectly well- in 3D too and a 2004 Dell Pentium 4 3GHz can run about anything, I fussed with large sample files in a trial version of Solidworks 2011 on it. Autodesk and Dessault seem beautifully crafted in this way- the more one spends on the software, the less needs be spent on the system to run it- except the GPU has to be a hot rod.

The only CAD users that regularly complain about performance are Sketchup users, me included. I have a 105MB model that became unusable on a quite competent Xeon E5 system, apparently due to Sketchup being 32-bit and therefore limited to using 2GB memory. I went thought a scrupulous process of components and layers and eventually changed the 400 high polygon 3D trees to a new tree design- reducing the polygons by 13M !, but I still can't extract renderings- Sketchup runs out of memory.

What is your current work system and what kind of work are you doing?


Cheers,

BambiBoom

_________________________________

Current office systems:

HP z420 (2014) > Xeon E5-1620 quad core @ 3.6 / 3.8GHz > 24GB DDR3 ECC 1600 RAM > Quadro 4000 (2GB)> Samsung 840 SSD 250GB /Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > AE3000 USB WiFi > HP 2711X, 27" 1920 X 1080 > Windows 7 Ultimate 64 >[Passmark system rating = 3923, CPU= 9223/ 2D= 839 / 3D=2048]

Dell Precision T5400 (2008) > 2X Xeon X5460 quad core @3.16GHz > 16GB DDR2 ECC 667> Quadro FX 4800 (1.5GB) > WD RE4 500GB / Seagate Barracuda 500GB > M-Audio 2496 Sound Card / Linksys 600N WiFi > Dell 24" and Dell 19" LCD > Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit > [Passmark system rating = 1859, CPU = 8528 / 2D= 512 / 3D=1097]

Dell Precision 390 (2005) Xeon x3230 quad core @ 2.67GHz > 6 GB DDR2 ECC 667 > Firepro V4900 (1GB) > 2X WD 320GB > 2X Dell 19" LCD > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit [Passmark system rating = 1431, CPU = 3642 / D= 433 / 3D=1346]

Dell Dimension E520 (2006) Core2 Duo E6700 dual core @2.66GHz > 4GB DDR2 667 > GeForce GT440 (1GB GDDR5) > 2X Dell 19" LCD > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit [Passmark system rating = 1219, CPU = 2024 / 2D= 457 / 3D=978]

Server: Dell Poweredge 2900

2D, 3D CAD, Image Processing, Rendering, Text > Architecture, industrial design, graphic design, written projects
 
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