OUCH!!!!!!!!!! That's gonna gurt the wallet. I'd really like to replicate your rig, the only diference being I need to run eight 22"s vs the six you're running. I certainly don't need any #d supported hardware, as it's all charting, and maybe one monitor for doomberg tv. My other option is what me and Scat have been talking about, but I've not seen the w3690 processor in one in a couple of weeks, and I check the outlet site often.
This must be what you're talking about http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131702&Tpk=ASUS SABERTOOTH P67 But will it handle 4 graphics cards like Tiki used in his build? This guy is another vendor out there. He's not as bad as falcon, but he's gotta make $ and it's hidden somewhere I'm sure. He DOES recommend the P67 for the "ZR1 system" he's selling halfway down the page that is more "fitting" to what I'm looking to do. http://tradingcomputersnow.com/all-trading-computers/ I'm not paying $2400 to run 8 monitors though...
It's not a MUST that you get a W3690, you know. A W3565 @3.2Ghz isn't chopped liver... especially with the fact that your CPU will sit at/near idle almost all the time in a trading environment.
How does the W3565 comapre to the i7-2600K sandy bridge Tiki used? I'm hearing so many strong reviews on the i7-2600k. I'm absolutely open to a deal on a Dell though. I was stunned to know what you could get for the $ through the outlet. Btw, the 3565 is a $600 CPU new. Is that the CPU you got with your T3500 recently for around $700?
For the price, the i7-2600 is the BONG! Passmark of about 9800, while Passmark on a W3565 is about 6000. (Passmark on the i5-2500 is none too shabby either... about 7250.) The $629 deal I got a couple of weeks ago has a W3530... Passmark about 5050. (I was actually looking for a W3690 for myself... and there was one available at $1219.... but when I thought about the price differential and considered how little the CPU is actually used, I passed up the W3690.) In a trading rig, as the CPU usually sits at/near idle most of the time, it's often one of the least important factors/components. For multiple video cards to run 3-4+ monitors, the mobo is most important followed by the video cards.
Makes sense! Thanks! Sooooo, what do I do now? I'll either go with the Dell outlet deal for the money, but it's gotta be able to take the cards to run 8 monitors, or build it. I can get that guy who used to work the line for Dell in assembly who now owns a gaming cafe/repair/build store to build the tower for $150 vs. a... well, not too smart in this stuff guy like me. lol And agreed, I don't need a Ferrari CPU. A well tuned Corvette CPU, yes. I do run NUMEROUS tick charts, NUMEROUS minute charts, numerous range, volume and NUMEROUS studies when trading Fx for my own account though. My semi-fast T3500 home system won't cut it. I've gotta upgrade, and I'm going to use the same 8 monitor layout that I use at my office in my house for Fx trading as I'm used to it, and comfortable with it. I keep thinking Scat, Bolimomo, and Tiki need to go into some joint business building me a rig for home!
The major exceptions to my statement about "CPU sits idle most of the time in a trading rig"...(1) multiple tic charts, and (2) custom indicators. CPU can work overtime with these. If you're running "tic charts w/custom indicators", there may be no CPU which can handle that to your satisfaction. WinstonTJ does various modelings... he uses dual-cpu mobos (X5690 CPUs) with 24-36G of RAM... like you could find in a T7500... but such a rig is far North of $1200. (Addendum... I just checked Outlet and eBay... at Outlet, there's a T7500 with X5675 CPU for $1,919, and another X5675 CPU only available on eBay for $559. I haven't priced such machines before, but for $2,600-ish, sounds like a lot of horsepower.... The Outlet rig has only 12G of RAM however, and running dual CPUs you definitely want to have LOTS more RAM, so I'm told.) I strongly suggest you cut back or eliminate tic charts. See if you can get comfortable with 1-minute charts instead. Which CPU is in your T3500??
I bought an ULTRA ZR1 from ez trading computers and my cpu benchmark score using passmark software is 11,750! Believe me its worth the money since I run automated trading and quite a few indicators. Its the third one down on this page http://tradingcomputersnow.com/all-trading-computers/
Yes, I mentioned that one in a post above. Also, if you read Scat's comments on the ram, the "ZR1" has 16. He's recommending more ram for what I need to do. I do need the numerous tick charts, so the need for ram is there. What I've got isn't cutting it. There's actually is a method to my madness. And Scat, I have an E5520 2.26GHz in the T3500 at home.
E5520 Passmark = 4365, not that bad actually. As for "lots more RAM"... I was referring to dual-CPU setups... each CPU will want "enough" RAM and not be competing with the other for limited RAM.