IDEAS 11 recomennded hardware

[rugger80]

Could someone who uses the latest release of IDEAS recommend hardware for a Dell workstation? I need to spec. a couple workstations and I do not want the minimum required, but I need to be reasonable.

 

[RCDLtd]

Are you looking for a Standalone machine that will hold the TDM or a client machine to a TDM Server already on your local Network?

 

[rugger80]

These will be stand alone machines.

 

[RCDLtd]

Then I'd suggest a Dell Precision 670 Worstation
Single Xeon Processor (3.0GHz is enough but what ever your budget allows)
...Dual Xeon (or dual core) will not benefit I-DEAS, but if you wish to run other applications in parallel then this would be a benefit.
Recommend 2Gb RAM minimum, more if budget allows.
SCSI Harddrives if budget allows, SATA if not. As this is you TDM then I would recomend 2 identical HDs running RAID to protect your data and reduce the number of physical backups you need to run. For ease of upgrades I'd also suggest a 3rd HD for the OS.
The Quadro FX 1400 Graphics Card, once again upgrade to FX440 if budget allows, although additional RAM would be more cost effective.
And the largest screen you budget allows.

You need to consider how you will back up your TDM info.

It surprises me you're considering multiple Standalone machines, unless they will not sit on the same LAN.

It would be better to have a Single TDM Server (which could also be used as a client) and then a number of lower spec clients.

 

[rugger80]

OK thanks for the infor. What would you recommend for a Dell 380 used as the lower spec clients?

 

[RCDLtd]

If it's truly a client so that the TDM and license serving is done elsewhere then:-

CPU:- I have know recent experience with Pentium processors, but as long as the quoted 3.0Ghz is a genuine 3.0Ghz, as with the Xeons, then I see know problem with the entry level processor for this machine.

RAM:- This (and Graphics card RAM) is where the user will see the most performance benefit. Depending on use you may get away with 1Gb of RAM. If however you're expecting to manipulate large assemblies and generate complicated geometry there is a performance increase to be had from upgrading to 2Gb.

HD:- Without the TDM, 80Gb SATA will suffice. I would configure the Model Files to be on the local machine and ensure the users know that their data is not protected from HD failure unless it is Checked back in to the TDM. I don't think that a user would notice the difference between a 7,200 RPM and a 10,000 RPM spindle speed so keep your money.

Graphics Card:- Remains unchanged, I just love the Quadro FX1400. But if you really need to save the pennies then I see no problem with the FX540. I'm not mentioning the ATI purely because I have no experience of it's compatability with I-DEAS.

Network Card:- If you've now got a separate TDM Server then having Gigabit connectivity will see a marked performance improvement. But for that, everything between the client and the Server needs to be Gigabit capeable.

Hope it helps.