New PC for AD14.3 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: blueskull
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 10, 2014, 04:09:45 pm
content: Hi, folks. I can not bear with my MacBook Pro anymore. It is a nice computer, even running Windows, but the boot camp drivers package just sucks, and the machine behaves weired. I tried to run memory tests from Windows memory test utility, and several Linux/Mac memory test utilities, but they can find no errors. After tried my best debugging my computer, I eventually gave up, and I am planning to build a new computer, a desktop one.Based on my knowledge, AD depends on GPU, especially the DirextX part, a lot. Also, based on my personal experience, AD will use CPU a lot when doing polygon pour. Therefore, I need reasonably high GPU and CPU power to drive AD (I am the kind of person that hates to wait). In addition, I don't want to use non-ECC memory anymore, because I do not want to experience "weired" problems anymore.This machine will be my main workstation for schematic design, simulation, PCB layout, software coding and gaming (not latest games, just some old games, like Portal 2).I'm currently running AD14.3 academic license, I plan to upgrade to AD15 after graduation. Also, I will use a bunch of free softwares, such as gcc, octave, maxima and libreoffice. Virtual machines may be hosted on this machine, so at least 8GB ECC memory is a must. I prefer Windows 7 professional or Windows 8.1 professional.Can anybody give me any suggestions? I prefer a small case, such as a micro ATX SFF or USFF case. Cost doesn't matter, since AD is much more expensive than the hardware itself.This is my current DIY BOM:Intel DBS1200V3RPL MotherboardIntel Xeon E3-1271 V3 CPUSamsung MZ-7KE128BW SSDKingston 4GB ECC DDR3 1600*2Gigabyte GV-N75TOC-2GLIn Win CE685 w/300W PSUMicrosoft Windows 7 Pro 64Total $1146Here are my questions:1. Will this BOM work?2. Should I wait to mid 2015, and buy a Skylake CPU?3. Do you have any better BOM suggestions?

author: TheBay
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 10, 2014, 04:30:23 pm
content: I like Supermicro, have a look at their workstation boards. Intel have white/blacklists on their boards and don't play nice with non intel PCIe cards, such as RAID/HBA'sI have a Supermicro 743-865B-TQ & Supermicro Motherboard with IPMI, Love this chassis!The E3-1271 must be nice, looks to be the Xeon version of my i7, I have an E3-1230v2 and an E3 1220v2 in another, also a i7 4790k in my work station.Ram I like Crucial, find them the best for compatibility, I use 32GB of DDR3 1600 ECC Unregistered/Unbuffered, Make sure it's Unregistered/Unbuffered (Guess you know this)Is that GPU on the list for AD? Would you be better off with a Quadro or Firepro?Don't like that PSU/Case, it's not suitable for Server/Workstation class imho, Look at Supermicro or Chenbro.Broadwell is next, not Skylake. And Skylake takes DDR4, don't be an early adopter of any Intel cycle.

author: TheBay
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 10, 2014, 05:07:17 pm
content: Quote from: blueskull on November 10, 2014, 04:48:42 pmHaswell will do you just fineOEM will be fine, don't worry about that! Or pull a sticker off an old Laptop/PC and install it, then use the telephone activation wizard (providing that key is no longer in use on anything)OEM media is available to download legally from DigitalRiver/Microsoft.