What kind of workstation to buy? (Dell, HP,...please help a non computer guy)

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by zizi, Dec 19, 2016.

  1. If you want to buy one and use it "as is", then consider:

    X5650 is strongest CPU

    Quadro 2000 is strongest video card, supports 2560x1600 res, as does Quadro 600. NVS 300 supports maximum of 1920x1200, digital.

    Windows 7 or Windows 10?

    Spend more or spend less?

    As for trading... all other aspects about equal, and all powerful enough to be a good trading computer.
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2016
    #11     Dec 21, 2016
  2. kmiklas

    kmiklas

    How are you connecting to your broker? Cable, T-1, FIOS, private line...?
     
    #12     Dec 21, 2016
  3. zizi

    zizi

    Cable
     
    #13     Dec 21, 2016
  4. kmiklas

    kmiklas

    If you've just got a standard cable connection, that's your bottleneck. You're ultimately sharing bandwidth with your neighbors--one of whom will surely be downloading porn while you're trying to trade. In this case, you probably don't need a liquid nitrogen-cooled CPU clocked in picoseconds. For a rig like that, you'd better have a comparable private or leased line uplink to the exchange, and talking FIX, or you're just wasting your money. (Of course, if you've got $100M lying around, exchange co-location is always an option :D). The diagram below will give you a better understanding. THESE LINES ARE EXPENSIVE... tens of thousands of dollars... and we haven't even talked about data fees.

    With a cable connection, a key question is how many screens do you plan to have? This is where your value is. You can create a very comfortable setup for less than $1000. In this business, just two monitors can really cramp your style. Your video card selection is just as important as your cpu. Make sure that your rig can support a multiple-video card setup. Here is a Radeon that supports 6 monitors for $229:
    http://a.co/atm7oRe


    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2016
    #14     Dec 21, 2016
  5. zizi

    zizi

    I forgot to say that I am only a beginner in trading and for now I really dont need more than 2 monitors.

    One more question. This Quadro 600 graphic card have 1x display port and 1 DVI. Do this days 2K resolution monitor even have DVI, or just HDMI and Display ports?
     
    #15     Dec 21, 2016
  6. kmiklas

    kmiklas

    This shouldn't be a problem. Most monitors today have both DVI and HDMI connections... and often an old VGA connector for legacy support. Worst case, you can buy an adapter for a few bucks. Stock charts on a home rig over a cable uplink are not exactly the most GPU-intensive application; you're not running a flight simulator here... it's more like the old Super Mario Bros. :D

    Based on your comments, don't go crazy. Pick up a rig for around $500 that has dual-display support. That's more than enough to get you going.
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2016
    #16     Dec 21, 2016
    zizi likes this.
  7. NoBias

    NoBias

    OP, suggestion... just follow Scat's advice, if not on this thread but his others. Search his name, he has given great advice, configurations at a low price point over and over again...

    Review his posts, take notes, you will get a better understanding of your needs and will be able to come to a decision on your own...

    Discretionary trading, especially at the entry / learning stage is not equipment intensive

    Edit: There I did the search for you, follow link
     
    #17     Dec 21, 2016
    zizi and kmiklas like this.
  8. Not sure what you mean by "this days 2K resolution"?? The Quadro 2000 has 2DP and 1 DVI... but you can run only 2 at a time, whichever suits your monitors. There are DVI-DP adapters, but good only up to 1920x1200 res. I use those adapters on my older monitors which don't have DP and run @ 1200x1600. Though not native, the res is still plenty good and sharp for charts.
     
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2016
    #18     Dec 22, 2016
    zizi likes this.
  9. easymon1

    easymon1

    www.pcmag.com/article/349406/the-best-products-of-2016
    "...It's been a pretty typical year for PCMag's dedicated staff of editors and reviewers, testing and rating a veritable mountain of products. As you'd expect, the vast majority of those products are just okay, and there are always a few that are just the pits. Thankfully, however, the tech industry also provides these nerds with some genuinely fantastic specimens to rave about."
    PCMAG-Best Products of 2016.jpg
     
    #19     Dec 31, 2016
  10. 2k resolution is standard these days, aka 1080P. The vintage computers, approximately 4 years old can handle 4k, aka 3840x2160 pixels. All you need is a decent graphics card for about $50 bucks. The nvidia 410, 450 can run 4x 1080p monitors and the nvidia fx580 can run 2x 4k monitors. One 4k monitor displays the same amount of data as 4x 1080p monitors.
     
    #20     Dec 31, 2016