buying a computer for day trading

tradesoftware · Sep 7, 2010

which features I need to look for when you buy a computer for day trading?
I want to look for a computer with an enormous amount of speed and power, run multiple programs at the same time and constantly scan the markets for trading setups.Besides, I can take the video card into consideration. The average day trader tends to watch 3 or more monitors at one time. do computer must have multiple-monitor capability?

Please give me more features and a set of computer. Thanks

Scataphagos · Sep 7, 2010

Quote from tradesoftware:

which features I need to look for when you buy a computer for day trading?
I want to look for a computer with an enormous amount of speed and power, run multiple programs at the same time and constantly scan the markets for trading setups.Besides, I can take the video card into consideration. The average day trader tends to watch 3 or more monitors at one time. do computer must have multiple-monitor capability?

Please give me more features and a set of computer. Thanks

There is no need for multi-monitor unless you desire it. If you do, decide that in advance and how many monitors you're likely to run... both now any any notions you have about increasing the number. This is important because motherboard capability for more than 2 monitors is usually an issue.

"Video card performance" is not an issue. Trading taxes the video system very little.

Any modern CPU... i5 or i7 by Intel, or AMD Phenom/Opteron will be fine.

Use W7-64 OS with 6GB of RAM and you should be good to go. Everything else is just bells and whistles.

All-in price for a new rig (not including monitors) should be $1,000-$1,200 ish. (Less, if only 1-2 monitors... you can get by with a lesser motherboard)

Get In Get Out · Sep 7, 2010

Quote from tradesoftware:

which features I need to look for when you buy a computer for day trading?
I want to look for a computer with an enormous amount of speed and power, run multiple programs at the same time and constantly scan the markets for trading setups.Besides, I can take the video card into consideration. The average day trader tends to watch 3 or more monitors at one time. do computer must have multiple-monitor capability?

Please give me more features and a set of computer. Thanks

I am also in the market for a new trading machine. I was looking at tradingcomputers.com or ibuypower.com

Bolimomo · Sep 7, 2010

Quote from tradesoftware:

which features I need to look for when you buy a computer for day trading?
I want to look for a computer with an enormous amount of speed and power,
.....

This is like asking:

What car should I buy? I want to look for a car with an engine that deliver "enormous" amount of power.

Your definition of "enormous" maybe different from others'.

Would an i7 quad core processor (with Passmark score >5000) be fast enough for you?

tradesoftware · Sep 8, 2010

Quote from Bolimomo:

This is like asking:

What car should I buy? I want to look for a car with an engine that deliver "enormous" amount of power.

Your definition of "enormous" maybe different from others'.

Would an i7 quad core processor (with Passmark score >5000) be fast enough for you?

thanks Bolimomo, It is not stranger to you with the word "enormous" but for me LOL

Bolimomo · Sep 8, 2010

Quote from tradesoftware:

.....
The average day trader tends to watch 3 or more monitors at one time. do computer must have multiple-monitor capability?

Please give me more features and a set of computer. Thanks

Here is what I posted in another thread. Cross-posting here.

Visit your local computer shop like Fry's or something. Look around. Many makes/models to chooce from. The prices are competitive. The key factors of the pricing are:

1) The processor used (from not so fast to really fast)
2) Memory installed (the higher the better)
3) Any higher-end peripherals (e.g. blu-ray DVD drive, etc.)

If you trade using an internet browser, then a low-end PC will do. Intel i3 class and equivalent AMD processors. Price is about $500 or so.

If you trade using many charts, maybe a mid-end PC. Intel i5 class and equivalent AMD processors. Price is about $800 or so.

If you need to do a lot of backtesting, real time scanning, real time charts, heavy number crunching, then maybe a high-end PC. Intel i7 class. Won't be under $1000. Probably around $1200-$1300 and up.

The other thing to look for is how many PCIe slots available for expansion. These days most pre-configured boxes give only 1. It's only enough to drive 4 monitors if you buy a 4-head display card (more expensive). Or you can buy 2 dual-head display card (PNY, EVGA, etc.) for about $50-$60 each. But you must have at least 2 PCIe slots.

Bolimomo · Sep 8, 2010

The i7-930 processor (passmark score 5830) or i7-950 (passmark score 6273) processor are pretty "enormous" for retail traders. Cost under $300. (The chip itself)

If this is not "enormous" enough, may be i7-980X (passmark score 10326), almost twice the speed of 930/950. Cost about $1000.

If these are not enormous enough, you may need a custom built Cray computer or something. Ask ProfLogic how he built his. >$10000.

Scataphagos · Sep 8, 2010

Quote from Bolimomo:

The i7-930 processor (passmark score 5830) or i7-950 (passmark score 6273) processor are pretty "enormous" for retail traders. Cost under $300. (The chip itself)

If this is not "enormous" enough, may be i7-980X (passmark score 10326), almost twice the speed of 930/950. Cost about $1000.

If these are not enormous enough, you may need a custom built Cray computer or something. Ask ProfLogic how he built his. >$10000.

Another ETer has a Dell dual Xeon number cruncher (Precision T7400, I think).... he says "it's a beast". One of those with >3Ghz can be had for $2500-ish.

killthesunshine · Sep 8, 2010

Quote from Scataphagos:

There is no need for multi-monitor unless you desire it. If you do, decide that in advance and how many monitors you're likely to run... both now any any notions you have about increasing the number. This is important because motherboard capability for more than 2 monitors is usually an issue.

"Video card performance" is not an issue. Trading taxes the video system very little.

Any modern CPU... i5 or i7 by Intel, or AMD Phenom/Opteron will be fine.

Use W7-64 OS with 6GB of RAM and you should be good to go. Everything else is just bells and whistles.

All-in price for a new rig (not including monitors) should be $1,000-$1,200 ish. (Less, if only 1-2 monitors... you can get by with a lesser motherboard)

Another thing to look for is a large power supply (>450 watts) if you will drive more than one vid card

Surdo · Sep 8, 2010

Quote from tradesoftware:

which features I need to look for when you buy a computer for day trading?
I want to look for a computer with an enormous amount of speed and power, run multiple programs at the same time and constantly scan the markets for trading setups.Besides, I can take the video card into consideration. The average day trader tends to watch 3 or more monitors at one time. do computer must have multiple-monitor capability?

Please give me more features and a set of computer. Thanks

You are really fine with any i5 or i7 processor, dual 22-24" screens is plenty of real estate to start, you can always add one or two more. A video card is not a huge investment now or later.

I lose just as much dough on my multiple screen setup as I do my laptop, concentrate on a strategy, not how many screens you have!