High-end PC for Trading

[IAS_LLC]

Many other reasons as well. Torrenting should never be done using SSDs, same goes for saving a TrueCrypt partition onto a SSD - these reduce SSD life significantly. For large amounts of data where speed is not important, hard-drives are still the best choice.

Yup, its all about read/write cycles until failure. HDDs tend to do much better.

 

[wartrace]

The desktop PC I'm considering:

- Intel 4-core i7-6700 CPU at 3.4GHz
- 16GB RAM (DDR4)
- 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 graphics card (to drive 3 monitors at 1920x1200)
- 512GB SSD (solid state drive)
- Solid power supply and cooling
- Windows 10

Thanks
Andy

I would go for more RAM. 16gb is ok but the more ram you have the better off you will be. It is pretty cheap these days.

 

[Scataphagos]

He probably is limited to 4gb due to "32 bit" he mentioned Vista.

I believe his bottle neck isn't the charting or broker platforms, but running all the non-trading related items... CNBC, youtube, etc...

i5 - 8/16gb ram - 250gb SSD plain vanilla desktop with two inexpensive video cards should be more than sufficient to run charts, scanner and order entry platform...
(the computer doesn't care about position size or % at risk) 4 instruments and scanner isn't very intensive...

Personally, I don't see why people spec out "High End Trading Computers" when in fact they trade on General Purpose-Media Rigs...

Simpler solution: Pitch Vista, install Win7-64bit / Win10-64bit, 8 gb ram and an SSD, keep it light, "Dedicated to Trading related programs only" and surf porn on another system....

---------------------------------------------

Edit: Fresh Install of Operating system alone may cure 99% of his problems.

Suggest running Malware-bytes, (just be sure not to install the trial version at end of install and at every update) it will prevent the nag screens to purchase.

Then run official AdwCleaner also. I personally trust How-To Geek

The malware alone can throttle down a system...

TweakHound another trusted resource as an FYI for research

Ditto on ALL of this.

Personally, I favor Dell Precision Workstations, T5810, from Dell's Outlet store. Yesterday they send me an email saying, "40% off, sale ends soon", but didn't mention a date. If you want to look into this, I'd suggest CPU of Xeon e5-1620 or better... current discount price on one is about $675.

 

[Turveyd]

Many other reasons as well. Torrenting should never be done using SSDs, same goes for saving a TrueCrypt partition onto a SSD - these reduce SSD life significantly. For large amounts of data where speed is not important, hard-drives are still the best choice.

I torrent like crazy 10gb on a ssd per day for 2 years, running fine 100% life left, my swap file is there aswell and only got 4gb ram so it gets used ( can only use 32bit version for my dev stuff)

Ssd is fine dont worry about then.

 

[Trader13]

I torrent like crazy 10gb on a ssd per day for 2 years, running fine 100% life left, my swap file is there aswell and only got 4gb ram so it gets used ( can only use 32bit version for my dev stuff)

Ssd is fine dont worry about then.

Thanks for posting this. I thought the limitations of an SSD applied to the early generation units and they had this solved for the current models.

 

[IAS_LLC]

Thanks for posting this. I thought the limitations of an SSD applied to the early generation units and they had this solved for the current models.

I think they mostly have, but its hard to change a first impression

 

[Scataphagos]

Thanks for posting this. I thought the limitations of an SSD applied to the early generation units and they had this solved for the current models.

In many cases, the opposite is true!

Many early models were discovered in hind-sight to have been "overengineered" and have longer life than current ones. Still, you should be able to use any modern SSD for 10 years without fear of wearing out its writes. If you're really concerned about longevity, there are a few SSDs with 10-year warranty.

(New SSDs today have a warranty of "____ TB written"... which may be the equivalent of only 300-1000 write cycles. In one early torture test, an Intel X25-V had gone "40,000 write cycles" and was still performing without fail when the test was abandoned.)

 

[Handle123]

I have the cheapest 2 laptops I can buy so long as they have 8G ram, Have 17" Acer and 15" Toshiba, 17" for charting and 15" platform, then 15" Toshiba for backup and anything else. I never have found in past 29 years that speed or extreme fast internet speed matter that much but Ram most important. Each year I buy a fresh 3 laptops and donate the others. I usually keep couple laptops in reserve as I haul them to Starbucks or wherever and break. My days of buying the best as way over, never will buy again are HPs, always overheating. I have found putting too many apps drains CPUs plus always chance of virus etc.

 

[Trader13]

... never will buy again are HPs, always overheating.

I found the old Toshiba laptops would overheat. Had less to do with the apps load and more a symptom of poor ventilation and fan placement.

 

[Turveyd]

Thanks for posting this. I thought the limitations of an SSD applied to the early generation units and they had this solved for the current models.

Early Gens could only do 1000 blanks to then write data on, before the logic gates fail, theyd mark them as faulty and keep going until there is no spare space left.

Modern day SSDs are 100,000 blanks average, which is huge and no longer an issue.

Most people upgrade 3 to 5 years, so not a worry at all with that time scale, hammer it away.

I have a normal HD 2gb but stop off it as much as possible, too damn slow.