Please review new day trading system with 6 monitors

[ChrisTinaBruce]

Please review new day trading system with 6 monitors.

I actively trade the e mini and a few select equities every day on TradeStation platform. I am upgrading from a 100 GB hard drive, 4 GB Ram, 3 monitor system to a trading only system. I developed the build here: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/H0Nj and would appreciate any critics. Do I have the right comments, to much Ram, etc?

I will be using 6 DVI monitors I already have and this system will only be for trading. No internet surfing, etc. I do trade everyday and have about 6 workstations active all day.

Thanks for any in sight.
Chris Tina Bruce

 

[twelve25]

I think the build look pretty good, but you've picked a card that only has 2 DVI plugs. So it's going to be hard to run 6 monitors with it. You can run one off the motherboard DVI, and use HDMI to DVI conversion cables for HDMI ports, but you still need either 2 low end cards with 2-3 plugs each or a high end one with 5 ports and you can use one on the MB.

You could use something like this card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150642

It has 2 DVI, 2 Displayport and 1 HDMI. You would need converson cables for the displayport and HDMI to DVI, but it can run 5 monitors. You could then run one of your motherboard for 6 total.

Or you could just get 3 $40-50 basic GT 630 or GT620 cards with 2 DVI each.




You won't be able to overclock the Xeon, so no reason for a fancy CPU cooler. The CPU will come with a basic one that works fine.

You don't need the network card unless you think it will provide a superior experience to the motherboard network card that is built in. I don't, personally.

Also look closely at that case, I don't think it uses 80mm fans, probably 120mm

 

[ChrisTinaBruce]

Thank you for the analysis. This is my first build and excited to start ordering parts. $900 is much better than what trading computer builders are asking.
Chris Tina

You could use something like this card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150642 It has 2 DVI, 2 Displayport and 1 HDMI. You would need converson cables for the displayport and HDMI to DVI, but it can run 5 monitors. You could then run one of your motherboard for 6 total.

You won't be able to overclock the Xeon, so no reason for a fancy CPU cooler. The CPU will come with a basic one that works fine.
You don't need the network card unless you think it will provide a superior experience to the motherboard network card that is built in. I don't, personally.
Also look closely at that case, I don't think it uses 80mm fans, probably 120mm

 

[ChrisTinaBruce]

Oh, forgot I made the changes you suggested here is the updated list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/H4Mu

 

[manofchalk]

By trading, how do you mean that?
Just that if all your doing is essentially just monitoring the stock market and making transactions, then you don't need that powerful a machine (much less a Xeon processor).
But if you were say running intensive programs (predictive software for the stock market lets say) then I would say you would need a more powerful rig.

Also you will likely need to Crossfire/SLI multiple graphics cards to get the necessary display outputs. That Xeon processor doesn't have any integrated graphics, so the mobo display outputs wont do anything.

Plus a few little tweaks I would make to the build just to round it out, like slightly faster memory,HDD for mass storage, downgrading to a H77 or B75 motherboard since you dont need the enthusiast features of Z77.

 

[ChrisTinaBruce]

Wow, it is obvious I am over my head. I will only be using the system for every day trading running Tradestation (a intensive indicator and predicative charting platform) here is Tradestation suggestions.

Processor: Multi-core Intel® or AMD® processor at 3 GHz or faster
Memory (RAM): 4 GB or more
Hard Drive: Solid State Drive (SSD) or 7200 RPM drive 1 GB free space or more
Video Card (s): 32-bit graphics support 256 MB or more for multiple monitors

Based on this criteria what would you suggest? I was told 8 GB RAM was plenty.

Chris Tina

By trading, how do you mean that?
Just that if all your doing is essentially just monitoring the stock market and making transactions, then you don't need that powerful a machine (much less a Xeon processor).
But if you were say running intensive programs (predictive software for the stock market lets say) then I would say you would need a more powerful rig.

Also you will likely need to Crossfire/SLI multiple graphics cards to get the necessary display outputs. That Xeon processor doesn't have any integrated graphics, so the mobo display outputs wont do anything.

Plus a few little tweaks I would make to the build just to round it out, like slightly faster memory,HDD for mass storage, downgrading to a H77 or B75 motherboard since you dont need the enthusiast features of Z77.

 

[twelve25]

I wondered if maybe they could get buy with a lesser processor, but with 6 monitors worth of charting apps running, that sounds like enough threads to keep a quad core with HT busy. I agree a Z77 board is probably overkill since we can't overclock and won't be gaming.

ChrisTinaBruce, Do you already have all of the monitors? If so, check the available inputs to see if they can take HDMI, VGA, DVI or displayport, because you are going to have a mix of display outputs. If you don't, keep in mind the different ports that that card has. There is no card that will have 5 ports all the same, though.

If they are all DVI, you need something like this for the HDMI port: http://www.amazon.com/BlueRigger-Speed-Adapter-Cable-Meters/dp/B004S4R5CK/ref=pd_sim_e_5

And these for the Displayport plugs: http://www.amazon.com/HP-DisplayPort-DVI-D-Adapter-481409-001/dp/B0045JTAC6/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1362269648&sr=1-6&keywords=displayport+to+DVI

 

[manofchalk]

Would say something like this would be bit better for what your after.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3930K 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($499.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock X79 Extreme4 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($209.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($114.00 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7750 2GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7750 2GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1506.85
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-02 19:22 EST-0500)

Using HDMI/DVI adapters (fairly cheap) you have all the necessary display outputs needed.
If the rig needs to be cheapened I can do that, its likely that the Xeon processor could handle what your after, but I am not sure how intensive Tradestation is, sop I erred on the side of caution and got a power CPU.
Also a silence oriented case that is appropriate for the business context.

 

[ChrisTinaBruce]

THANK YOU!!! That was very sweet and helpful. I have a question about the storage as I was suggested to get a solid state I see you also added 2TB drive as well. Currently I am only using 20 GB on my drive and will not be doing anything but trading on this system so is there a need for 2 drives?

Thank You so much again,
Chris Tina

Would say something like this would be bit better for what your after.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Using HDMI/DVI adapters (fairly cheap) you have all the necessary display outputs needed.
If the rig needs to be cheapened I can do that, its likely that the Xeon processor could handle what your after, but I am not sure how intensive Tradestation is, sop I erred on the side of caution and got a power CPU.
Also a silence oriented case that is appropriate for the business context.

 

[manofchalk]

I suppose if you think the SSD is enough storage to go by, then you can drop the HDD. Just remember that after formatting and a Windows install you will only have about 90GB left of free capacity.

 

[ChrisTinaBruce]

Best answer selected by ChrisTinaBruce.

 

[ChrisTinaBruce]

For $90 I would add the extra drive if it makes sense. So the OS would go on the 2 TB drive then leaving all 128 GB SSD for trading platform? Which is only using about 20 GB now and doubt it would need much more as I have been trading for a year and all my workstation, graphs, indicators, etc are set.

Chris Tina

I suppose if you think the SSD is enough storage to go by, then you can drop the HDD. Just remember that after formatting and a Windows install you will only have about 90GB left of free capacity.

 

[manofchalk]

Nup, other way around. Put the OS and any programs on the SSD, this will mean the computer will boot up and generally run much faster. For an idea of the performance difference between an SSD and HDD based system, have a look at this video. Just note that its a bit old now, so the prices he states aren't accurate and the SSD's are even faster now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lR0XoHFU6Y

The HDD is there to store any files that wont benefit from the extra speed, its basically just a place to dump any large files you have. But again, if you think you don't need the capacity then there's no need to get it.

 

[twelve25]

If you aren't using a lot of space, I'd just get a 240 or 256GB SSD and forget about the extra hard drive. Then you don't have to worry about what to put where.


Personally I think the 6-core is overkill and it requires a more expensive motherboard as well. I like the case and the two video cards with 3 ports each better, but I think you were on the right track with the Quad core Xeon, which is already giving your a lot of performance headroom.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/H6KD
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/H6KD/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/H6KD/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Crucial M4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($186.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7750 2GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7750 2GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1069.42
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-02 21:03 EST-0500)

 

[ChrisTinaBruce]

One last question as I am about to start ordering parts and this is my first build. Here is my list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/H7q0 and I am not sure I have enough for 6 monitors that use DVI or VGA. The GIGABYTE GV-R775OC-2GI video card should support (2) by DVI and (1) by VGA, so with two cards I have my 6 monitors. In addition my mother board has (1) DVI and (1) VGA so theoretically I could run 8 monitors. Correct?

Thanks again for all the input.
Chris Tina

 

[manofchalk]

The motherboard has the Display outputs, but the CPU that powers them doesn't have any integrated graphics, so the motherboard display outputs are in effect not connected to anything.
If you want them to work, you would need to switch over to a mainstream chip, and I believe that Xeon is roughly equivalent to a Core i7-3770.

 

[ChrisTinaBruce]

But the two video cards will operate 6 monitors, correct?

 

[manofchalk]

Yep.

 

[twelve25]

One last question as I am about to start ordering parts and this is my first build. Here is my list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/H7q0 and I am not sure I have enough for 6 monitors that use DVI or VGA. The GIGABYTE GV-R775OC-2GI video card should support (2) by DVI and (1) by VGA, so with two cards I have my 6 monitors. In addition my mother board has (1) DVI and (1) VGA so theoretically I could run 8 monitors. Correct?

Thanks again for all the input.
Chris Tina

Yes, with the motherboard in the part list linked in this post, you could run 2 extra monitors and the PCIe slots are far enough apart to support both cards so you should be in good shape. Actually, those cards have 2 DVI, one VGA and one HDMI, so if you bought two extra monitors that supported HDMI cables (or HDMI to DVI adapters), you could run 8 without using the onboard video.

I would start with the video on the motherboard disabled and make sure you have your BIOS set to make one of the 7750s the primary video card. If you add more monitors later, enable the onboard video in the BIOS and verify that PCIe slot the 7750 is still the primary video. You don't want the weaker motherboard based video as the primary video card.

I think that build looks really good. I think you will be impressed with how well it performs.

 

[ChrisTinaBruce]

Wrong..when you add a graphic card the motherboard card doesn't work.

I think the build look pretty good, but you've picked a card that only has 2 DVI plugs. So it's going to be hard to run 6 monitors with it. You can run one off the motherboard DVI, and use HDMI to DVI conversion cables for HDMI ports, but you still need either 2 low end cards with 2-3 plugs each or a high end one with 5 ports and you can use one on the MB.

You could use something like this card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150642

It has 2 DVI, 2 Displayport and 1 HDMI. You would need converson cables for the displayport and HDMI to DVI, but it can run 5 monitors. You could then run one of your motherboard for 6 total.

Or you could just get 3 $40-50 basic GT 630 or GT620 cards with 2 DVI each.




You won't be able to overclock the Xeon, so no reason for a fancy CPU cooler. The CPU will come with a basic one that works fine.

You don't need the network card unless you think it will provide a superior experience to the motherboard network card that is built in. I don't, personally.

Also look closely at that case, I don't think it uses 80mm fans, probably 120mm