UGS NX 5 32bits vs 64bits performance 1

[bsideB]

Hi,
I'm configuring a new workstation to run nx v5.
I'm wondering about the performance of nx executing under WinXP 32 vs. WinXP 64?
Is it a good chance to go into 64bits?
Would we notice a real improvement?
The workstation we are looking at would be a Dell Precison T3400 with Intel Core 2 3GHz, 4Gb ram and Nvidia Quadro FX1700.

Thanks to all.

 

[bsideB]

Hi again,
I forgot to say that our main task under NX it is the Machinning module.
Is it 64 bits also? Or it is just 64 bits for the design modules?

Thanks,
Dani.

 

[JohnRBaker]

In terms of speed of execution, there is no significant difference in performance between most all 32-bit and 64-bit applications including NX. The importance of 64-bit is the ability to address more memory, thus allowing users to work with larger models without exhusting the addressable memory space. With 32-bit systems, about the best that you could get in terms of memory being available to any one application, such as NX, was about 3 gb. With 64-bit systems this limitation is, for all intents and purposes, removed. However, the speed of the code execution does not benefit from the larger word-length. In fact, if all things are equal, it's possible that an application could actually run slower on a 64-bit system than on a 32-bit system. Granted, over time the extra computing resources that are theoretically available with a 64-bit archetecture may allow some future breakthroughs in raw system performance for applications like NX, but for now I wouldn't hold my breath.


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

http://www.siemens.com/plm

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

 

[DavidTolsma]

The 64Bit machines we have NX5 running on is miserable. Mostly Windows 64bit issues. Drivers, NX errors, etc. I would stay away from it, for at least another version (windows that is). It's not worth the pain.

-Dave

http://plmwiki.com

http://groups.google.com/group/NX_CAX/

 

[vt951]

plmexchange, are you talking about 64-bit Vista or XP?

Just wondering why you would have any additional problems with drivers or nx errors using XP 64-bit vs. XP 32-bit.

Thanks,
Alan

 

[ewh]

We have had no major issues running NX4 on 64-bit Windows XP. It has enabled us to multi-task more effectively, running several programs at the same time. As far as NX performance, we don't see any improvement (but didn't expect to).

Believe it if you need it
or leave it if you dare

 

[hudson888]

ewh,

The first better news I have heard on this forum about 64bit. Are you using any particularly special hardware, certified or otherwise that seems to work for you?

Outside the forum I have several contacts running Xp64 without many problems, as you say the NX performance in not especially improved but the multitasking aspects are of some benefit. I wonder does this translate to more of a benefit when running NX under teamcenter for example?

None of my buddies are using anything more that good solid "bang for you buck" hardware configurations. So many people post threads that touch on hardware problems and don't always give a lot of information about their systems O/S or even the version of NX they are running. Reading between the lines I wonder if those who are having the problems are mostly running Vista 64 Bit rather then Xp. I'd like to hear more from the users out there about their experiences.

Best Regards

Hudson

 

[JohnRBaker]

Also remember that much of the multitasking improvement might be coming from the fact that these 64bit CPU's are generally dual-core. Even on a 32bit system, dual-core configurations will improve the performance when more than one application is running or when applications that support multi-threads is running. For example, in NX several of the compute intensive tasks in the solid kernel supports multiple CPU's such as Boolean Operations, Hidden-Line and Mass Property Calculations, etc.

Also there are occasionally opportunities where certain new appliations are added to a product like NX that can take implemented in ush a way to leverage multiple CPU configures such as Intel and AMD multi-core based systems. One such application is a 'Movie Capture' application that is being added to NX 6. If you're running in a multiple CPU configuration, this function will take advantage of that when capturing AVI's of your running session (this is like a video 'macro').

So the bottom line is that what you're seeing in terms of multi-tasking peformance improvements is probabaly more the result of the dual-core processors than the 64bit OS.

And yes, if you're running any TeamCenter applications on the syse multi-core system as you are NX, the overall performance of both application will probably be enhanced, be a 64bit OR 32bit system.


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

http://www.siemens.com/plm

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

 

[ewh]

We are using Dell Precision PWS670 computers with Intel Xeon 2.80GHz CPUs and NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500. As John points out, they are dual-core.

Believe it if you need it
or leave it if you dare