Is this overkill

[jktrader]

I'm just a day trader and having a new system built by avaDirect.com. this is what i'm thinking but is this overkil?? No gaming just a muliple app's at one time.

Ths core of this sytem:
asus p5k
cpu Q9450 or Q6600
RAm 2-4g 1066mhz(5-5-5-5-2T0 2.1v or should i move up to DDR3 pc-10600
2- radeon HD 2600xt 800Mhz 256MB pci-e

 

[jdkick]

What applications do you run? At first glance, my response is that C2Q and high-speed memory are indeed overkill... and DDR3 is still pricey. Do you intend on running dual 2600XTs or is that a typo?

Without knowing more about the applications you intend to run, i'd say that a decently priced dual-core w/ DDR2-800 would fit the bill just fine. And if you're not gaming, you could probably scale back on the video card and go with something cheaper that still gives DX10 and dual-display support. Maybe even something passively cooled to keep the noise down.

 

[mcveigh]

hell yes that's overkill!

2 vid cards? no way.
I'd say go with 1 radeon 3450 (if you going ATI) or whatever. I don't think the video card would matter for you
Q9450 (faster than the 6600)
4GB DDR2 ram (the DDR3 isn't that much faster)

make sure your disks are fast. the disks/and ram will affect how fast the computer feels for you. take the money you save on the video card and upgrade the CPU and ram.

I am little out of date on cpu's and ram but I know you don't need a powerful vid card

 

[jktrader]

This is what I'll be running.

4 monitors:
1-24" w/ flanked 2-17" in portrait mode, and 1-20" above the 24"

Live Direct access trading platform
chat room w/ a trader broadcasting his platform
live news wire
1-3 I'M's
Skype
mcafree internet secirty suite
email and ms works
high speed cable 15mps

 

[jktrader]

Also, my pentium4 maxed out 1G of Ram locks up when there's alot of data coming in, especially at the market opening or during a high volume very viotile stock. Sucks when you have a postion on and you have to call the home office to get you out because rebooting the system is too slow

 

[lxskllr]

That might not be overkill. I'd use DDR2-800 for ram though, the 1066 is overkill. It might be a little much cpu, but I assume you want it to be snappy at all times, while running several apps simultaneously. I think the system looks pretty good, and since it's your business you can deduct the expense.

 

[jkresh]

considering what your business is and how fast you need to react a quad core is a good idea, and with ram prices as cheap as they are now there is no reason not to go with 4 gigs (of ddr2, ddr3 is not justifiable at this time, unless money is no object then go with 8 gigs of ddr3 and call it a day).

I don't know how much money you are working with, but if you are a successful trader then you could easily make (or loose) significantly more then the cost of that system in a given day and getting stuck on a trade while waiting for you computer to catch up could be a disaster. If that's the case then it might not be unreasonable to go with a dual quad core xeon workstation (dell/hp or even a mac pro).

 

[richwenzel]

no its not overkill

this is your business, $300 extra on hardware is dirt cheap...

let me as you, are you manually trading or are you going to run any execution/algos? you buying breakouts? you scalping? what is your trading style? how bad is 20ms lag, how bad is 200ms lag, how bad is 2000ms lag to you?

if you are an active trader, your systems performance is critical, if you are are buy and hold, its less important, but either way, the difference in price going from a cheap chip to a 9450 or 6600 is a couple of $100 dollars...

to give you my background, i am developing algos for a large bank on the FX (and soon to be fixed income side) and then trading them...i am in the tech ramp up stage (i am not really tech oriented, more math/finance) but we spent at least 50,000 on hardware for servers, storage, etc....obviously this is not my dime, otherwise i would be on a lot cheaper (dont even ask my software costs, im guessing 400,000 right about now, for all in)....but this is your business and if you are day trading equities, i bet you trade 9-11am mostly (give or take)...thats 2 hours where you make your money or lose it....you dont want slow pcs messing it up when its only a few $100 more....

 

[mcveigh]

Originally posted by: jktrader
This is what I'll be running.

4 monitors:
1-24" w/ flanked 2-17" in portrait mode, and 1-20" above the 24"

Live Direct access trading platform
chat room w/ a trader broadcasting his platform
live news wire
1-3 I'M's
Skype
mcafree internet secirty suite
email and ms works
high speed cable 15mps

FOrget what I said earlier.

I'd go 4GB ram (unless you're running Vista 64bit then 8GB)
the 2 video cards.
maybe WD raptor hard drives? for more speed?

DDR2, I don't think DDR3 is much better for you anyways.

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: jktrader
I'm just a day trader and having a new system built by avaDirect.com. this is what i'm thinking but is this overkil?? No gaming just a muliple app's at one time.

Ths core of this sytem:
asus p5k
cpu Q9450 or Q6600
RAm 2-4g 1066mhz(5-5-5-5-2T0 2.1v or should i move up to DDR3 pc-10600
2- radeon HD 2600xt 800Mhz 256MB pci-e

YIKES!

if you call this overkill i better get out of this thread. My rebuild is scarier, and im not a crysis player. :X


I personally think nothing is overkill. If it can do 1 thing you need faster then its competition, it more meets a purpose then an overkill.

But then again people say my entire cooling system is major overkill. :T


Anyhow as people said, quadcores = upgradeability.

For a business the extra 300 is almost pocket change for the scalability of your machine. That quadcore should last you a good long time unless you guys do massive amounts of SQL and DBing.

If the machine will let you recop its cost faster then the other priced machine, and hold out longer in technology wise, i would call it being very smart.

 

[richwenzel]

Also on what Aigomorla said, the time it takes to update a new computer is not insignificant...If you ask me, would I rather save $1000 now but have to upgrade in 1 year versus 1.5 to 2 years, I would pay that 1000 in a heart beat.

 

[Puffnstuff]

I'd max out that mb ram wise especially since you multitask and the applications will all respond better with more available ram. I would definately go quad core on the cpu and run fast hd's in raid for redundancy plus battery backup for the system plus networking equipment.

 

[trexpesto]

Tax Deduction
----------------

OS compatible with Live Direct ??

Raid is not backup! Use tape, dvd, at least my fave email it to myself or put on usb key

backup connectivity - learn to use your cell just in case, keep a spare computer, NIC or whatever.

Try to go ethernet cable rather than wireless.

Ditto wired keyboard and mouse. I like the Razer Copperhead I just got.

An you need a Biiiiiiiiiiiig mousepad I bet


EDIT!: Minimize virus scans, can be a major performance impact. If you have a good NAT firewall and a non-public IP address - well that's all I have ever had.
Stay off email lists and stuff. If your email is on the net, make it a pic and not text.
I have some friends that refuse to browse the internet, email, or put flash, or windows media player on their gaming machines, "save that for the laptop"

If you think you may ever hit the pagefile, put it first on a non-system hd.

Run defrag a few times after installation of OS, ServicePacks and Updates, and before installation of each major program you want to function optimally. Consider a dedicated drive for Live Direct, not sure how it uses disk.

You may know - I think MS Works has no Word or Powerpoint just FYI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Works

Vista has Ready-Boost, now fixed after a windows update sposedly: NOT ENDORSING VISTA yet. IT standard is wait until after the first Service Pack.
http://www.istartedsomething.c...0307/readyboost-works/

 

[Chapbass]

Originally posted by: trexpesto
Vista has Ready-Boost, now fixed after a windows update sposedly: NOT ENDORSING VISTA yet. IT standard is wait until after the first Service Pack.
http://www.istartedsomething.c...0307/readyboost-works/

ready to endorse it tomorrow then?

 

[jktrader]

thanks.....

 

[spikespiegal]

Also, my pentium4 maxed out 1G of Ram locks up when there's alot of data coming in

The computer doesn't lock up. The application you are using locks up because it likely can't handle all the fragmentation or it times out waiting for data.

There's also a reason businesses use Commercial T-1's rather than residential Cable lines for critical data. I recall supporting a lot of Bloomberg boxes running on Pentium 300's and multiple monitors on NT4 that ran for months without a hitch.

Nobody bothered to ask if the financial app you are using can even run on multiple processors, but there's always the affinity switch when it doesn't work. I like the bit about faster, multiple core processors giving you the edge over other traders though. Is OPenGL or DirectX better for stroking Hedge Funds

 

[trexpesto]

Originally posted by: Chapbass

Originally posted by: trexpesto
Vista has Ready-Boost, now fixed after a windows update sposedly: NOT ENDORSING VISTA yet. IT standard is wait until after the first Service Pack.
http://www.istartedsomething.c...0307/readyboost-works/

ready to endorse it tomorrow then?

Maybe ready to test it, and sometime soon because I did jump on the 99$ all you can eat MS smorgasbord in Hot Deals.

 

[jktrader]

i"m using lightspeed trading platform and their minimum system requirements seem minimal at best. Unless i trade at one of their locations, which i'm not about to do, i need to build a better home based system.

 

[geoffry]

Do you know another trader who uses that platform / similiar setup that is also good with computers?

You could prob ask him to see if the software is multithreaded well and how much ram it takes up and things like that.

 

[seemingly random]

I suggest two or more pc's.
Run the trading platform on one pc - it might not lock up if it's the only thing running - if it still does, look at a different platform. Run the im's, charting, news feeds, etc. on others. One missed transaction could be the price of another pc...