OS options and NX performance ....

[3dr]

I'm looking to get a new workstation and this is heavily on my mind. I don't see much posted here on the topic...

Win 7 64...
Linux..
Mac...

I've always neen Win Pro but its so targeted by online bugs and with registry corruption issues... they tend to get weaker over time.


Anyone have experience to offer me?

TIA Dave

 

[looslib]

Go with Windows7x64.
I just ordered a new HP laptop with a Nvidia graphics card, 8GB RAM and Win7x64 Professional. While not an enginering one, it should be good.

"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

 

[3dr]

Are the Linux & Mac OS ligit with NX or just an offering Siemens had to make for marketing reasons?

 

[looslib]

Mac OS is a viable option if you like Apple computers. You can get the same Intel chip and Nvidia graphics card for less running Windows.
Apple tends to integrate and control their products to a higher degreee than the Wintel machines. Plus, most Wintel laptops are made in the same chinese factory. One day HP, the next Lenova, the next Compaq. Might even be more frequent switching.
In the 60's, GM's Linden, NJ, assembly plant made made Chevroloet, Cadillac and Buicks one after the other coming down the line. It is all in the inventory control and queing of parts.


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

 

[3dr]

I know what you mean... For me it all comes down to performance. I'm tired of machines that are less than snappy.

Some of the jobs I'm working on are killing me as I approach the end. I design a lot of large stamping tools and fastening usually takes place at the end. As those features accumulate things just seem to start slowing down badly. Constantly updating links etc... It takes minutes just to make a componet the "work part"


Maybe I can manage some of that a little better but the hardware and OS needs to rock too.

Dave

 

[JohnRBaker]

What version of NX are you using? If you're not yet on NX 7.5, I hope that you're using lightweight Reference Sets (in NX 7.5 there are no more 'Lightweight' Reference Sets, but rather NX uses 'Lightweight' representation of assemblies as the default behavior whether you've ever set-up lightweight Reference Sets in the past or not) and partial loading so that you are not using any more memory than is needed.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[3dr]

Yeah.. I'm on 7.5 and using partial loading.

I'm running a Dell Prec 670 with dual xeon 3.2ghz chips and 4gb of memory.

I've got the NX EV set to use two chips and the 3gb memory switch on for XP Pro.

My work is just demanding I guess.

Dave

 

[JohnRBaker]

And you've left the defaults in place so that lightweight models are being created when a model is saved (Save Options) and that when an assembly is opened, that it's in the 'Lightweight' mode (Load Options), correct?

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[3dr]

I see that in "Assembly load Options" "Use Lightweight Representations" was unchecked.

This was bad eh?

 

[JohnRBaker]

Yes, that was bad :-(

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[NXMold]

If you had any real legitimate want or need to use linux or mac, you wouldn't be here asking for other opinions. I say stick with windows. Creeping death comes with the territory, reinstall windows bi-anually to solve.

NX 7.5.0.32 MoldWizard

 

[wecurb]

John, in reference to 7.5 and Lightweight models: are the Assembly constraints active? My company is still on 6.something and is using faceted ref. sets, as they did on NX4. The constaints are kaput with Faceted sets.

 

[3dr]

No ligit need. Just want to rock the work. Looks like windows is the only real option. Anything else isn't worth the heart burn.

Dave

 

[MickyV007]

@ 3dr what also could be a bottleneck is the network. When working with Teamcenter integration it is very important that your server is placed close enough to the workstations, if you place it to far away your load and saving times will drop significant (due to latency). So maybey invest some extra money in a decent networkcard/network and make sure that you have a dedicated server for your parts/TC.

Best regards,

Michäël.

NX4+TC9 / NX6+TC8Unified / NX7.5 native

 

[JohnRBaker]

Starting in NX 7.5 you can use Lightweight representations right from the beginning since you can now assign Assembly Constraints directly to 'faceted' components and they will be just as solid and enduring as they would have been if you had loaded the precise models instead.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[3dr]

Thankfully Mick, I dont use TC and run local on my own hard drive.

It looks like my answer for now is going to be installing Win 7 64 on my current box. I'm running a Dell Prec 670 thats as hot as these boxes were ever configured. In addition to normal registry slow down this thing was once scared by a virus and never really the same after.

I wanna see what this yeilds. If it's dissapointing I'll get another and hand this one down. lol

Dave

 

[3dr]

John,
Now that I changed that setting solid bodies display pretty course. It's not the end of the world but sometimes it's hard to see finer relationships in edge contours.

Is there a setting to adjust that?

Dave

 

[MickyV007]

Dave,

if youre planning to do a clean install of Win7 x64, and running all your files localy, maybey a faster harddisk could serve your needs, i'm thinking of a SSD, or 15k RPM harddisk if the SSD is to expensive.

Best regards,

Michäël.

NX4+TC9 / NX6+TC8Unified / NX7.5 native

 

[3dr]

Mick,
That would probably be the next step. How much of a factor is the hard disk after bumping memory to 8G and above?

You think it would be well spent $?

 

[MickyV007]

I think so. Because NX need to load the parts from your hard disk, the faster the I/O read is the faster all the parts of your assies are loaded.
8GB RAM, will be commited as 3GB or more for the system and the rest to the programs, but your parts won't be loaded in the memory but directly from and to your HD. Thus the faster the HD the quicker loading/saving times. Once loaded then the amount of RAM will kick in.


Best regards,

Michäël.

NX4+TC9 / NX6+TC8Unified / NX7.5 native