Solidworks components and advice

Harraja · Feb 12, 2016

I need a build exclusively for solidworks. This is what I came up with on my own and please do not tell me to get a gaming card. I know I need a workstation card.

PCPartPickrer part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/WFt3qs
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/WFt3qs/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($102.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($139.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($108.90 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: NVIDIA Quadro M4000 8GB Video Card ($799.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Full - USB (32/64-bit) ($189.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($24.99 @ Micro Center)
Total: $1995.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-12 09:22 EST-0500

2Be_or_Not2Be · Feb 12, 2016

Are you trying to stick to a specific limit on the cost? If not, I would recommend a couple of changes.

Harraja · Feb 12, 2016

2Be_or_Not2Be :

Ideally under $3000 but I will go higher if necessary as this is a build that I am putting together for our school robotics team and I have a $5000 budget for one computer, networking and a NAS and the last 2 are my specialty. The reason we need a high end build is that we send the models to a company in town that has CNC machines that they create custom parts with the model. If we need more money we can fundraise a bit more.

2Be_or_Not2Be · Feb 12, 2016

Alright, since this is for your robotics team, I'll modify what I was going to say to lean more towards limiting the cost. I was going to recommend a higher-end workstation card, but what you have will be fine.

What I do recommend is that you use a Skylake build. That will give you anywhere from 10-15% better performance, especially as Solidworks is a more computational program. I would recommend the i7-6700k, not to overclock, but to give you 4.0GHz right from the beginning. Use that with a Z170 motherboard, especially with one that has USB 3.1. That will help the longevity of the system; it will be able to use & connect to more things at the higher speeds. If you get one with Thunderbolt 3, that will also help long-term connectivity. I estimate it will add $150-200 to the price, considering you'll also be getting DDR4 memory. Alternatively, you could also go with a Xeon processor & a workstation motherboard.

Now, a big thing to add would be an increase to your monitor size. I would recommend a 27" 1440p (2560 x 1440 - sometimes called 2K), a 24" 1440p, or a 27" 1080p. The reason is that you'll be able to fit more things onto the screen, you can show students more easily things on the screen, and more students simultaneously would be able to see the screen. I suppose if you're the only user, then you could hook the output to a projector for all to see, as well. Acer makes both 24" 1440p and a 27" 1440p at decent prices. This will add $150 or $350 to your cost.

Finally, I would drop the 1TB hard drive, and upgrade the main SSD to a larger size (512GB+). For secondary storage, you would want larger than 1TB, and since you have the NAS, it really isn't needed. For the same price or even less than the current SSD and HDD, you can easily get a 500GB Samsung or Sandisk drive. The SSD will also help when you have to render out a drawing with thousands, sometimes even 10's of thousands, of individual parts.

Harraja · Feb 12, 2016

2Be_or_Not2Be :

Alright, since this is for your robotics team, I'll modify what I was going to say to lean more towards limiting the cost. I was going to recommend a higher-end workstation card, but what you have will be fine.

What I do recommend is that you use a Skylake build. That will give you anywhere from 10-15% better performance, especially as Solidworks is a more computational program. I would recommend the i7-6700k, not to overclock, but to give you 4.0GHz right from the beginning. Use that with a Z170 motherboard, especially with one that has USB 3.1. That will help the longevity of the system; it will be able to use & connect to more things at the higher speeds. If you get one with Thunderbolt 3, that will also help long-term connectivity. I estimate it will add $150-200 to the price, considering you'll also be getting DDR4 memory. Alternatively, you could also go with a Xeon processor & a workstation motherboard.

Now, a big thing to add would be an increase to your monitor size. I would recommend a 27" 1440p (2560 x 1440 - sometimes called 2K), a 24" 1440p, or a 27" 1080p. The reason is that you'll be able to fit more things onto the screen, you can show students more easily things on the screen, and more students simultaneously would be able to see the screen. I suppose if you're the only user, then you could hook the output to a projector for all to see, as well. Acer makes both 24" 1440p and a 27" 1440p at decent prices. This will add $150 or $350 to your cost.

Finally, I would drop the 1TB hard drive, and upgrade the main SSD to a larger size (512GB+). For secondary storage, you would want larger than 1TB, and since you have the NAS, it really isn't needed. For the same price or even less than the current SSD and HDD, you can easily get a 500GB Samsung or Sandisk drive. The SSD will also help when you have to render out a drawing with thousands, sometimes even 10's of thousands, of individual parts.

Would it make sense to go x99

2Be_or_Not2Be · Feb 12, 2016

Harraja :

No, not really. You don't need the extra PCI lanes, and you're not running multiple GPUs. So it's not really necessary and will only increase your cost.

Harraja · Feb 12, 2016

2Be_or_Not2Be :

Is this a good build
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zHjnZL
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zHjnZL/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($395.00 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-WS ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($348.77 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($214.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($149.00 @ B&H)
Video Card: NVIDIA Quadro M4000 8GB Video Card ($799.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Full - USB (32/64-bit) ($189.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: AOC Q2778VQE 60Hz 27.0" Monitor ($299.99 @ Micro Center)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($24.99 @ Micro Center)
Total: $2561.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-12 13:31 EST-0500

2Be_or_Not2Be · Feb 12, 2016

Harraja :

I would save on the motherboard by switching to the Gigabyte Z170X Gaming 7, which has TB3/USB 3.1 - $209 at Newegg, which is almost $150 cheaper.

You also might consider the 29" LG 29UB55-B for only $20 more at Newegg. If you have to save some $, then you could also drop down to a 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 kit.

Looks like a beast of a machine for less $ than some of the professional workstations!

Harraja · Feb 12, 2016

2Be_or_Not2Be :

Harraja :

I would save on the motherboard by switching to the Gigabyte Z170X Gaming 7, which has TB3/USB 3.1 - $209 at Newegg, which is almost $150 cheaper.

You also might consider the 29" LG 29UB55-B for only $20 more at Newegg. If you have to save some $, then you could also drop down to a 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 kit.

Looks like a beast of a machine for less $ than some of the professional workstations!

Thanks for your help, this is my first time building a workstation, typically I build PCs for gaming with i5s and mid range graphics cards

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