wow I wasnt expecting all these responses. Thanks again everyone. I am probably gonna take down the processor which saves 1g, and get the monitors on my own. Other than that, I think I am keeping everything the same and will probably get XP..
The base Dell T3400 is a good and well priced rig for trading. Get 2, NVS 290 video cards and 4 decent monitors from a good source and you'll be good to go.
Thanks gnome for all your assitance on computer tpics here on ET. What would you recommend for the ff: 1. Heavy Duty Trading/Charting: 2-3 trading platforms running at once 2. Intense Computing: a. MS Outlook (2-3 gb .PSTFILE) b. Internrt Explorer and/or Firefox (with 15-20 tabs open simultaneously) c. MS Word ( 10 -12 files open simulatenously) d. MS Excel ( more than 10 workbooks open simultaneously) e. MS Powerpoint 3. Research & Development: Use of CPU intensive backtesting platform I'm currently using a 3 yr old Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop with 2G ram and 2GHZ processor with XP Pro. I find that the computer is increasingly slow, especially when I am using my research platform. Could you or anyone else recommend to me separate specs for a laptop and also a desktop/workstation. I need the laptop to have the same perf specs as the desktop as I use the laptop as a remote office. The key for me is speed/performance as I constantly use multiple CPU intensive software and have several windows/files open. I would prefer to have specs that exceed what I need to allow for growth in my usage/system deteroriation. Many Thanks.
The terms "heavy duty" and "intense computing" are subjective... they are properly defined by actual "CPU usage". (You can have 50 real-time charts open and not be "intense" on CPU usage.) Check your task manager when you are "heavy" or "intense". If your CPU usage is low, then having a faster CPU won't help much. If your CPU often runs 40% or so, then a faster CPU will be a benefit.
Thanks gnome. 1. "ff" means following 2. Yes heavy duty and intense computing are subjective phrases. To be precise I constantly have my CPU usage at 100% (even right now). Anytime I am running my research/backtesting platform my CPU usage goes up to 100% and using any other software app becomes quite difficult. Given the above what are your precise recommendations. Thanks again.
gnome i agree with you that 3800 is way to much for a trading rig hell even for a gaming rig u can get a decent computer with a nice 24" monitor for about 1500 thats said yes the low (sub 1000) price range is probably cheaper (ur example) but i think the sweet spot for building making $$ sense is the 1500 + area my rig from last year is a sick brushed aluminum case with window whisper queit its a thermaltake tsunami, i got a e6600, 2gb memory, a 7900gt, and a 22" wide screen all for 1400$ and i haven't regretted it one bit.
It's possible your software actually is pegging your CPU, but it's also possible your software has a problem which is causing the 100% use. (It is MUCH more common for a software problem to be responsible for 100% CPU rather than just designed intentional use of the CPU.) If it's the latter, getting a rig with more horsepower won't help much.. it will peg that one too. You need to do some troubleshooting and analysis to determine the cause of the problem, if any, before deciding on what new hardware to buy. Things to do... 1. Contact software maker and see if they have insight. 2. Get a 2nd hard drive and do a fresh install of your OS. Then add one program at a time and run it to see if you can find which program causes the CPU 100%.
I know for certain that the CPU at 100% is due to my research/backtesting platfrm. At times Firefox & Internet Explorer cause CPU spikes, but the main culrpit is the research platform. The software provider acknowledges the problem and recommends I get a faster machine/dual-core machine