Please Help Me Build 12 Monitor System
- Thread starter kevinqc
- Start date
All my charts are tick ( Volume ) charts with at least 18 custom studies on them & I will be having 12 charts on 12 Monitors with each chart updating 18 studies in real time.
Question :
Any idea how much CPU power & RAM would I need ?
Would Dell T 5500 with Xeon E 5606 2.13GHz, 8M cache and 8 GB DDR3 ECC be enough ? If not, which CPU will handle it ?
WinstonTJ
Thank you for all those links.
I did some research on T5500 & T7500.
Yes, both have 4 & 5 PCIe x16 slots respectively.
Do you know why only 2 have locking system & others don't ?
How does Xeon E5606 2.13GHz compare to i7 2600k ?
T 5500 has only one processor ?
Is 8 GB ECC RAM enough ?
It says the PSU is 875 Watts. I guess that should be enough for 3 FirePros each taking max of 20W only.
Thank you for all those links.
I did some research on T5500 & T7500.
Yes, both have 4 & 5 PCIe x16 slots respectively.
Do you know why only 2 have locking system & others don't ?
How does Xeon E5606 2.13GHz compare to i7 2600k ?
T 5500 has only one processor ?
Is 8 GB ECC RAM enough ?
It says the PSU is 875 Watts. I guess that should be enough for 3 FirePros each taking max of 20W only.
No, I just saw the picture. Seems they would need something like a mobo with 6, x16 slots... each running an Eyefinity 12 video card... or something custom.
Have you run that setup before? Seems on the surface, to me anyway, that perhaps NO commercially available CPU could handle that. (Passmark score on E5606 is approx 3900. On i7-2600K, 10,450)
Suggestion...
1. Change those tick charts to 1-minute... lots easier on the CPU.
2. If you're just "planning" to run all of that and haven't done so before, be sure to get a "dual CPU" mobo just in case you need to add the 2nd CPU... Like Precision T5500/T7500. You don't necessarily have to buy the 2nd CPU off the bat... could test the setup with only one CPU first. And perhaps a bad idea to skimp on the CPU, but more horsepower = more $$.
OR... get all of your monitors together before you order the computer. Then get a single-socket, T3500 with strong CPU and 8-12G of RAM. Then, set up the way you want and see how the computer handles it all. If inadequate, return to Dell during your 21-days and order more power.
3. Not sure what kind of RAM it would take for that... perhaps not as much as we might imagine, but perhaps a TON also. So in buying your initial RAM, keep in mind the number of DIMMS and the maximum RAM capability of the mobo. You might want to be buying 4GB or 8GB sticks to start with. Example... the T5500 has 9 DIMMS, and a max capacity of 72G RAM. So, you should probably buy 8G RAM sticks... 3 of them to run triple channel = 24GB. Or, you could buy 3, 4GB sticks to begin with = 12GB... which could be OK if you never needed to RAM-up to the mobo's max.
Bottom Line... None of us ETers KNOW "how much RAM" or "how powerful a CPU" it would take for all of this because we're not running such a setup... all we can do is conceptualize and estimate.
Good luck... hope your pockets are deep.
Not sure.. but it's an easy way to identify which of the x16s run 16 lanes and which run only 8.
I'm not even sure the clips on the end of the slot are necessary. They could be just a "carry over" concept from the AGP boards.. which were notoriously sensitive to the card being "fully and perfectly" seated. If the seating were off just a fraction of a mm, they wouldn't run. Those clips were added to assure full seating... though perhaps not really necessary for PCIE. (If some slots have the clips and others do not, how critical can they be?)
If you have a large cooler/fan on the video card, sometimes unclipping those damned things can be a pain.
I hate how they don't let you see even the last post when you go to reply to a thread on this forum.
IDK - It's like that across Dell's line - I believe that the x16 slots that have the extra power capacity (like x16 up to 75W in the pic I posted earlier) are always the ones to have tabs while the others don't. Once you put the cards in they shouldn't be falling out - with or without a tab. To be honest they are kindof a pain the way they are located - if you have multiple cards in there its difficult to get your fingers in to flip the tab & pull the card. (also remember Dell makes millions of PCs so if they can save a buck here & there it goes a long way)
T5500 has a funky setup - Personally I don't have any problem with it (performance wise) but most hard-core computer guys really rip on Dell (or hate on Dell) for the design. There is an add-in CPU socket for the motherboard.
See the two white squares (one is by the pink parallel port)
there is an additional CPU riser board (or daughter board) with its own memory controller, CPU controller, 3 DIMMS, etc. (below)
The two fit together and then you can add in a 2nd CPU - its a bit funky but it works.
To be honest I think putting a CPU like that in a machine like that is a total waste. I think you would be better off with a quad-core i7 with hyper thread technology. 2.13ghz quad without HT is going to be pretty slow.
Do a completed listings search on eBay for a "dell precision t5500" or for a "dell precision t7500" and you'll get an idea for what these things are really worth. My advice would be to contact the seller and make sure it is under warranty and eligible for a full ownership transfer to you.
If you look at a T5500 vs. T7500 you'll see the T7500's are much more expensive - but then go look at a T5400 vs. T7400 and you'll see that you can't get rid of the T7400's. They are HUGE and heavy and in 3-4 years no one will want them.
You said you have all your own parts right?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Precis...Desktop_PCs&hash=item45fdf13f50#ht_5758wt_720
^^ Barebones on the cheap that's most probably still under warranty
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Precis...Desktop_PCs&hash=item336d66016f#ht_5759wt_720
Same Seller + this one has 2nd CPU riser. Probably better to give a low-ball offer on the one with the riser.
Also look for some of Intel's "Confidential" engineering samples like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Quad-...7108?pt=CPUs&hash=item4160102d24#ht_817wt_882
It'll help you save a ton of money - although that specific CPU is only 3.07ghz not 3.2ghz like a true W5580 CPU.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Xeon-...541?pt=CPUs&hash=item3cbeddb4cd#ht_1713wt_691
^^^ That looks like a legit sale (true Xeon W5580).
For $600 (delivered) you could buy that barebones T5500 with the 2nd CPU riser... for another $600 you can buy 2x W5580 CPUs (that's 16 cores @ 3.2ghz) and you'll have a matching system to what I'm typing to you on right now
(and probably one of the fastest & most overkill systems on ET). FWIW, I paid over $1,300/each for those CPUs not 20 months ago. My Dell T5500's were $4,500 each new and now you can pick up the same thing for ~$1,500 all up.
If you buy these things, message the seller and MAKE SURE that you ask him/her if they can sell you a matching pair of CPUs with an identical STEP CODE. They only pair if they match.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Quad-...887?pt=CPUs&hash=item4160102477#ht_1028wt_882
^^ Take a look at that CPU, its an intel confidential and see in the picture how it says "QGXP", you need to make sure you have two of the same step codes.
Also, for reference, the QGXP "confidential" CPUs are NOT W5580 CPUs, they run at 3.07ghz (but speedboost goes higher, sometimes as high as 3.59ghz) whereas the W5580 is 3.20ghz and 3.46 on speedboost.
They also show up in device manager differently:
Here you can see the difference in how they show up - Personally I think the confidential CPUs are fine - you can pick them up for $200-$350/each vs. a real W5580 is going to run you closer to $800 each...
Too much typing, need to head out for a while but that's what I'd recommend. eBay that Barebones T5500 for $500 shipped (offer best offer of like $450 shipped and go from there) and then pick up a pair of those intel confidential CPUs and buy 6x 1GB ECC RAM and 3x 2GB ECC RAM and you'll be good to go for $1200 or so.
Couple of followups - scat is 100% right on the "no one knows how much it'll take to drive your setup"
Windows7 self-manages its page file. I'd consider a (even if small 64gb) SSD for your main OS drive. It'll make a difference if you have RAM issues (or overflow into a larger page file).
Obviously run a 64-bit operating system.
Regarding Power Supply - you are correct on 875W PSU. I ordered my boxes with 1000W (Dell will let you upgrade to their enterprise "kilowatt" PSU for an extra $300 and its not worth it).
You'll draw about 200W from the mobo + CPU riser, another 130W each from 2x 5500 series CPUs with HT, 20W each from your 3 video cards puts you at 490W max power draw... even if your HDD's and other crap pull another 200W (which is extremely unlikely) you'll still be at 690W max draw which is ~200W under the PSU so you are totally fine with that PSU.
You need to buy ECC RAM for that setup. You mentioned 8GB earlier - this is DDR3 RAM which is triple-channel not Dual like DDR2. All this means is that its best practice to install DDR3 RAM in sets of 3 so if using 1GB sticks you'd have 3GB, 6GB, 9GB and so on.
I mentioned the Dell CPU daughter board is a bit funky in that it has its own onboard memory controller. You MUST install at least one stick of memory on the 2nd CPU riser if its installed so at a minimum you need 1 stick on the mobo and 1 stick on the CPU riser.
Because it has its own memory controller that's why I recommend keeping the same amount of memory for each CPU - you don't *need* to but the system performs much better this way. 1GB sticks are CHEAP (less than $10 per 1GB stick) and 2GB sticks are less than $20/stick. For about $100 you should be able to get 6x 1gb sticks and 3x 2GB sticks. This will be PLENTY of memory for your application.
Windows7 self-manages its page file. I'd consider a (even if small 64gb) SSD for your main OS drive. It'll make a difference if you have RAM issues (or overflow into a larger page file).
Obviously run a 64-bit operating system.
Regarding Power Supply - you are correct on 875W PSU. I ordered my boxes with 1000W (Dell will let you upgrade to their enterprise "kilowatt" PSU for an extra $300 and its not worth it).
You'll draw about 200W from the mobo + CPU riser, another 130W each from 2x 5500 series CPUs with HT, 20W each from your 3 video cards puts you at 490W max power draw... even if your HDD's and other crap pull another 200W (which is extremely unlikely) you'll still be at 690W max draw which is ~200W under the PSU so you are totally fine with that PSU.
You need to buy ECC RAM for that setup. You mentioned 8GB earlier - this is DDR3 RAM which is triple-channel not Dual like DDR2. All this means is that its best practice to install DDR3 RAM in sets of 3 so if using 1GB sticks you'd have 3GB, 6GB, 9GB and so on.
I mentioned the Dell CPU daughter board is a bit funky in that it has its own onboard memory controller. You MUST install at least one stick of memory on the 2nd CPU riser if its installed so at a minimum you need 1 stick on the mobo and 1 stick on the CPU riser.
Because it has its own memory controller that's why I recommend keeping the same amount of memory for each CPU - you don't *need* to but the system performs much better this way. 1GB sticks are CHEAP (less than $10 per 1GB stick) and 2GB sticks are less than $20/stick. For about $100 you should be able to get 6x 1gb sticks and 3x 2GB sticks. This will be PLENTY of memory for your application.
Thanks Scataphagos.
I like your idea of trying Dell for 21 days.
By the way all the charts are same symbol but different time ftames.
Currently I am running 6 tick charts each with 18 studies on them using two 24 inch monitors & Dell XPS 8300, 2600K CPU & 8 GB DDR3 using one FirePro 2460 & it seems to be working fine.
What I don't understand is why Dell T5500 with a cheap Processor & motherboard & HDD is twice as expensive compared to XPS 8300.
I like your idea of trying Dell for 21 days.
By the way all the charts are same symbol but different time ftames.
Currently I am running 6 tick charts each with 18 studies on them using two 24 inch monitors & Dell XPS 8300, 2600K CPU & 8 GB DDR3 using one FirePro 2460 & it seems to be working fine.
What I don't understand is why Dell T5500 with a cheap Processor & motherboard & HDD is twice as expensive compared to XPS 8300.