Workstation for a software developer [closed]
I'm a software developer, planning to get a new desktop workstation. Partly because of company policies and partly because I've got other things to do than building hardware, the machine must be a readily available package from a major manufacturer such as Dell. But I'm overwhelmed by the choice, as I'm not really a PC hardware geek or game enthusiast. Regardless, I would like to get a decent machine since I'll be spending lots of time with it.
Some requirements:
- Quiet!
- At least 6 GB memory
- Quad-core processor
- Raid 1
- 24" 1920 x 1200 monitor
Easy enough, but how about:
- Graphics controller. How much memory? Which chipset? What brand? I have no clue what I need (so probably the cheapest one would do?)
- What's a good enclosure/chassis? Is some of the Dell ones strudy and quiet?
I had a quick look at Dell Precision T5500, but don't know why I should pick it and not something else. So, any good (or bad) experiences and recommendations appreciated!
Edit: Starting to realize that I'm just looking for a simple good quality computer, nothing fancy, except maybe a bit more than average processor muscle and memory. Nevertheless, raid 1 is still almost mandatory: while normal backups prevent working data loss, they don't help with re-setting up every tiny detail of a good development box in case of hardware failure; it would take days. Well, taking a disk image of a working setup would be some kind of poor man's option, but...
Solution 1:
Have you thought about getting an iMac and putting Windows and / or Linux on there using Bootcamp? The 27" model meets most of your requirements, especially for being quiet, and for having good build quality. They also have decent graphics hardware for a non-gamer-dedicated system.
Solution 2:
I develop apps for a living... tools include Visual Studio 2005, 2008, SQL Server 2005, 2008, Reporting Services, Analysis Services, etc. I also have VMs (VMWare Workstation) to run older versions of browsers for compatibility testing (IE 6.0), run Servers, and so on. I also do image and video editing (Adobe Photoshop/Premier) on my rig so here are the parts that I put on my latest built and which I highly recommend:
- CPU: Intel i7 860 Quad Core Hyperthreading with Turbo mode when not all cores are running.
- RAM: 4 x 2 GB sticks DDR3 1333 Kingston Value RAM.
- Motherboard: Intel P55 based chipset (Gigabyte P55A-UD4P).
- HDD: 1 x 640 GB Western Digital Black for OS and Apps; 1 x 1 TB Western Digital Black for Data; 1 x 640 GB Western Digital Black dedicated to page file, Photoshop and Premier Scratch files, and to store Virtual Machines.
- Video Card: ATI Radeon 5850 based. I also use my PC for playing games.
- Power Supply: Corsair HX650W
- External Drive to store backup and for imaging OS drive: 1.5 TB Western Digital Green.
- CPU Heatsink/Fan: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus.
