Dec 13, 2011 2:38:33 PM
I was one of those CAD geeks who did the loop around my small office when AutoCAD WS was released. It is a sophisticated mobility tool that Autodesk was savvy enough to release for free. Now available on the App Store for Apple devices and native Macs as well as the Android Market for Android devices, it gives a massive scope to CAD users and facilities managers alike.
Topics: Workstations, Autodesk, Hardware, Facilities Management, AutoCAD, Mobile Workstations, Connectivity, Laptops, CAD
Dec 8, 2011 3:44:32 PM
This series is comparing hard disk drives (HDD) versus solid state drives (SSD) for CAD workstation storage. Read part 1 here.
Topics: Workstations, Hardware, Hard Drive, SSD Drive, CAD
Dec 6, 2011 3:31:31 PM
When it comes to thinking about what should go in our workstations, we — both hardware suppliers and users— too often dwell on the glitzier technology inside, the "speeds and feeds." How many CPU cores or GPU shaders there are, what frequencies they're clocked at, and how many polygons/second or texels/second the GPU can churn through.
Topics: Workstations, Hardware, Hard Drive, SSD Drive, CAD
Dec 1, 2011 12:58:47 PM
We're talking about what you can do with the older CAD hardware systems after an upgrade in this two-part series. The first section reviewed possible internal needs. Now we'll look at what to do with hardware systems that are surplus or simply too outdated to be reused.
Topics: Workstations, Hardware, Sustainability, Upgrade, CAD
Nov 30, 2011 1:05:10 PM
I am in the process of updating my workstation configuration specs for new CAD workstations. The one thing I cannot locate information on is a comparison of a SATA drive vs. an SSD drive. Most of our workstations have 160 GB 10K SATA drives, some will have 7200 rpm drives. I am considering getting new workstation with 256GB SSD drives. I would like to know what kind of effect that will have on the workstation performance and ultimately the end-user productivity.
Nov 29, 2011 2:11:33 PM
Exponential growth in the capabilities of CAD software eventually will require companies to upgrade CAD hardware systems so an organization can benefit from the new design functions. The overall goal of any upgrade should be to maximize these benefits to improve the company's workflow (and the bottom line).
Topics: Workstations, Hardware, Sustainability, Upgrade, CAD
Nov 22, 2011 2:41:49 PM
This series focuses on helping our readers understand what CAD workstations cost and how much they are going to have to spend to find a machine that meets their CAD production needs. The first part focused on entry-level systems. This post will discuss mid-range ($2,500 to $7,000) and high-end (more than $7,000) systems.
Topics: Workstations, RAM, Hardware, Graphics Card, Hard Drive, Processors, Memory, Graphics Cards, Video Cards, Display, CAD
Nov 17, 2011 5:30:30 PM
Here at CADspeed, we sometimes talk about hardware in general terms, using descriptions like "entry-level" and "high-end" to describe the different categories of computer systems available on the market today.
Topics: Dell Workstations
Nov 15, 2011 4:08:31 PM
What's the difference between a workstation or consumer-grade PC, and why should you care? Well, ten to fifteen years ago, no one had trouble distinguishing between one and the other. Workstations were very expensive, high-performance, proprietary, 3D-equipped RISC or UNIX boxes. PCs were lower-cost, lower-quality toys that couldn't handle 3D.
Topics: Workstations, Hardware, Graphics Card, Processors, GPU, Graphics Cards, Sustainability, Video Cards, CAD
Nov 10, 2011 3:55:05 PM
Optimizing hardware for SolidWorks is essential for getting the most out of this heavy-hitting CAD application, as we've discussed on CADspeed previously. So we were thrilled when the SolidWorks forum addressed this very issue recently on their forums.
Topics: Workstations, RAM, SolidWorks, Hardware, Graphics Card, Multi-Threading, Hard Drive, Processors, SSD Drive, GPU, Memory, Graphics Cards, Backup System, Video Cards, CAD
