512MB is *often* enough, and it is for my 4-monitor rig. However, there's a pricing sweet spot on 1GB now.
You can have a dualhead x16 + a PCI single or dualhead. As far as I know, there is still only 1, x1 dualhead card.. it's by Matrox. You cannot plug a PCI card into a PCIE slot. So far, there are few peripherals for PCIE except for the x16 primary video cards. PCIE is *all about gaming*. It's no surprise that there aren't many workstation-like applications yet... if ever.
Easiest solution? Get one Matrox G450 MMS Quad. They come in a pci version. List price is around $600 +/-, but buy it new via Ebay for less. You can then add another monitor at a later date. Even if you don't need another, a quad array on one of the various monitor stands available looks really cool. Or get 2 of the dual g450's, pci. Also, via Ebay, but harder to find than the AGP's, which are CHEAP. I picked one up for $50. I don't use the thing though cause I run a quad via my AGP. Read up at matrox.com Jay
I have been using the same computer for 3 years to day trade on without a problem except replacing a video card once. So I kind of challenge you needing a high end computer. I have 3 21 inch monitors and can add a 4th if I needed too. All you need is the basic dell P4 and 1 gig of ram, 80 hard drive, and 2 pci dual video cards. I bet you can buy Geforce dual cards for 50 bucks each. Thatâs 500 at the most to build on your own. You can pick up LCD monitors 19 inches for 225 sometimes on the internet sales. You donât need these high end computers for the most part itâs all a joke. The high end ones are needed most to play video games but its not needed to run an execution software, higher end charting software, and a stock filter all at the same time.
"Any basic box with a meg of memory is fine. Trading does not work a PC hard at all." Are we back to 80286 scenario? I still remember having a 500mb harddrive is plenty.
I was talking RAM, not hard drive. Maybe I should have said a gig, not a meg. I always get these mixed up. Anway, its cheap to setup. An expensive system is over kill.
If you want to spend some money spend it on bullet-proof broadband because broadband is the weak link in all this besides the server on the other side. A bargain P4 @ $500 + $900 for 4x (19 in monitors) + dual 2D dvi graphics cards @ $100 each($200) = $1,600 for a capable 4 monitor system, less if you use 2 monitors. I've had a few boxes and the best advice is to set it up in a stripped stable configuration (get rid of all the excess crap software wise and/or turn it off) then don't f$#k with it and it'll run well forever. Hardwire everything, tunnel everything and turn off any anti-virus stuff because you don't need it if you're tunneled and using that address only behind a hardware firewall. Did I leave anything out guys?
I see majority prefer P4 to something like AMD 64 bit Athlon. Why is that? I've been using Athlon 64 bit system without any problems whatsoever, rock solid, not a single crash since almost 2 years ago. Also, prior to buying the system, I've done some reading regarding benchmarks between Athlon 64 bit and P4 running various applications simultaneously, and P4 was under performing most of the time.
Conroe Duocore chips from intel are on the way and blow the doors off everything. That means AMD will be giving away their overpriced dual core chips. Yes they are better than Intel has right now but overpriced. FYI Buy.com Deals Acer 19" Widescreen LCD = $240.79