the difference between the 2 is that with a workstation you can work with powerful software without any problem, and 1 GB of Ram from a more powerful workstation than 1 GB of Ram from a simple PC
A workstation as its name suggests is made for work
On a workstation the graphics card is often pro and approved for Log Pro
@+
Good evening
the big difference between a home PC and a workstation is the components
A component station that allows faster execution between the organs, the processor, the RAM, the GPU and the video card
in short, a workstation connects the components by highway while the domestic PCs depending on the price only have national or even departmental ones to connect the key elements
So putting a pro card and a big processor in a commercial PC is not much use
Hello
Between a workstation and a pc of the same price, there won't really be any difference because if the price is the same on the 2 workstations it's because the components are about the same. Your pc will therefore be a workstation...
Generally, a pc is cheaper than a workstation because the pc is used at home and most of the time a family setting without the need for big performance and professional components. The first difference will be in the Microsoft OS, we will find Windows Family for a traditional consumer PC, and Windows Professional on a workstation.
I remind you that in most CAD software used in companies can only be supported if it is installed on Windows Pro.
Then, a workstation will have the different configurations which can vary enormously compared to the use of the workstation, because workstations are not limited to the BE.
They can be used for design, computer graphics, architecture, simulation, calculation, development... Traders, for example, use workstations, as you will have understood, the use of a workstation is very extensive.
In the end, a workstation remains a powerful computer in a professional world and therefore usually connected to a network, the configuration will depend on the user's final need. Use by people who have significant QoS needs such as CAD applications.
Have a nice day
3 Likes
Hello
To complete the answers above, it's simply power! In a workstation there is the possibility of having several cores, a RAID which is really useful in CAD, a good graphics card and in general good components... In addition, the components are easily interchangeable so it is very easy to upgrade your workstation later.
To do only CAD, the choice is simple even if there is still a minimum price at the time of purchase.
Have a nice day
2 Likes
To pick up on what Matthieu Koch said, RAID is not for CAD stations, but for a server.
RAID is, to put it simply, "multi-disk". Data is duplicated from one HDD to another. As a result, if one HDD "breaks", the other takes over and production is not stopped, impacted by this hardware failure.
If you wish, I can write an article on an ideal machine configuration for an average design office...
1 Like
If I may say so, Yves Boutherand, you talk about RAID 1, but there are different types of RAID, each with its own particularities.
Indeed, RAID 1 guarantees the integrity of data by ensuring redundancy. However, there is also RAID 0, called Stripping, which allows you to increase performance by about 30% depending on the controller card used and the disks chosen.
Thus, this configuration is not incompatible with a workstation. I myself use a DELL workstation with two RAID 0 disks coupled with 2 quad-core Xeon processors. If you wish, I can detail my current configuration.
Have a nice day.
2 Likes
@Matthieu Koch Ha yes, there, ok... I didn't think you were talking about the RAID in that sense...
And yes, there are different levels of RAID indeed.
But then, your configuration is very muscular... It's obviously a beast of a racer, it must pulsate :-)
I see that this simple question covers different topics, for RAID technology.
Yves is right. This technology is used in 95% of cases for servers.
Indeed, there are different levels of RAID : RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5... then the rest of the RAID remains a composition of these RAID.
As a reminder, the RAID solution is usedon servers for 2 reasons:
- The first reason, and probably the most important : for SECURITY, not to be confused with backup.
RAID will make it possible to securethe data in the event of a breakage of one of the disks.
- The second reason, as mentioned by Matthieu : RAID allows a performance gain in theory (30% seems a lot to me).
It is now necessary to measure the need for the gain in relation to the price of the solution.
You need at least 2 identical disks for RAID 1, and 3 disks minimum for RAID 5 and above all a REALdisk controller, it is the one that allows the RAID configuration.
In the end, for a workstation, it is possible to configure a RAID level if data security is desired.
On the other hand, it is better to invest in a fast hard drive such as SAS technologies with a speed of 15,000 rpm rather than reducing the speed and relying on the performance gain of RAID technology.
For any other information on RAID technology, you know where to ask.
^^
Mathieu
Once again, using Raid on a workstation seems crazy to me (excuse the expression).
The cost of such a station, if the configuration is "clean", that all the components follow, is so high...
A good 15,000 RPM SAS HDD is preferable in my opinion, with a very good graphics card.
If you're going to take RAID, you might as well plan it on a real file server, and then it's fantastic in terms of security.
In any case, this discussion is really interesting...
1 Like
To bounce back on performance and the choice of a 15000rpm drive, why not choose an SSD?
I'm looking for a new config and I'm seriously thinking about switching to SSD. Access time is significantly reduced and read/write rates on large files are impressive.
Similarly, we can imagine putting two SSDs in RAID! :p
1 Like
Matthew
Regarding the choice of SSD disk, it is to be taken in the price of the station. It is important to know that for an application such as SolidWorks, there is no difference between an SSD hard drive or a 15,000 rpm drive. However, the price of an SSD is still high and the 15k solution is known and recognized.
Today, more and more people are choosing the SSD, I would recommend it first of all for a mobile workstation because they received a maximum of 7,200 rpm disks, so the SSD offers a real performance gain.
For the RAID solution, the theory tells us that it's faster (I don't think the gain is transcendent) but such a solution gives an additional cost of at least 500 € (additional disk + controller).
Mathieu
A PC is assimilated to office automation (limited in processor, graphics card and other components therefore not very scalable especially for 3D CAD)
A workstation is designed for more advanced use: Design, graphics, CAD, Video, etc.
The workstation is nothing more or less than a supercharged PC.
After that, we can get very high quotes on PCs but they will not be designed for CAD.
Hello
The raid is theoretically faster... but for having tested it, it's only a mess in truth... The real revolution is high-performance SSDs (Be careful, there are big differences between manufacturers and models). Here we can talk about gains! And as for putting them in raid, I don't really see the point, unless you have huge and permanent disk accesses, which is quite rare.
Personally, the 15,000 rpm remains a mechanical disk, which can also crash... Often.... And you need a CM that accepts the SAS. Of course, between a high-end 15,000rpm and an SSD there is not a chasm either, but the price is also very close!
There is a specific hardware working group for CAD where we have already detailed a lot of things.
In any case, looking only at the disks, and for example fiddling with the graphics card, is not very useful.
And as some have already said, a station is nothing more or less than a supercharged PC... Which you can assemble yourself, or buy from HP or Dell.
You also have to evaluate whether it's more calculation or simulation or CAD... The configs are different, not to mention the endless possibilities of the cloud.
For those who want advice, you need to detail your request: mechanical CAD, surface, large assembly, calculation, simulations, etc...
Francois
1 Like