Cadalyst - May 2008 - (Page 15)

cadalystlabsreview a given system was, as always, entirely up to the vendor who submitted the system. Each submitted system had to have a minimum of 2 GB system memory and a minimum of 120 GB total hard drive storage capacity, which could be attained with either a single or multiple drives. The systems had to have a CD-RW drive and a DVDROM drive (combination drives were acceptable), as well as a network card and a wheel mouse. A 3D OpenGL graphics card with at least 64 MB of onboard RAM was required, and it had to support at least 1,280 x 1,024 resolution with 24/32-bit color at a minimum 85 Hz refresh rate. Each system had to be preloaded with the 32-bit version of Windows XP Professional with the latest service packs installed. Cadalyst specified that none of the systems include a monitor or speakers, so the system prices don’t reflect these extras. These system requirements were the minimum, but as long as they were met, vendors could configure the systems however they pleased, though too many extras typically affect the price and the Cadalyst ratings for that category. Testing Procedures After I unpacked each submitted workstation, I checked for the appropriate amount of RAM and graphics-card capabilities and then installed the underlying application software and benchmarks. I used the Cadalyst C2008 benchmark with AutoCAD 2008 using Service Pack 1 for the AutoCAD component of the tests. If you want to test your own system with this benchmark, you can download the C2008 benchmark at www.cadalyst.com/C2008 and give it a try on your own system. The C2008 results gives three figures, the first two for the native OpenGL and Direct3D drivers. I ran two concurrent sessions of AutoCAD 2008, each running a separate copy of the C2008 benchmark. I use this procedure to test multicore systems, with both instances of the test producing high scores in approximately the same amount of time that a single test requires to run. Because this procedure accomplishes approximately twice the amount of work in essentially the same amount of time required to run a single benchmark iteration, I’ve found it to be an effective means of evaluating performance on multicore systems — at least until AutoCAD itself incorporates this ability. The third figure in the C2008 results is the combined C2008 total index score for both concurrently running sessions. I tested each workstation with Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 with the latest available updates and fixes running the MAXBench4 benchmark test. I typically test with an accelerated driver if one is available, but recent problems with some of these drivers precluded their use for this particular roundup. These problems were subsequently resolved but not in time for these tests. Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 uses Direct3D as its default driver, so I tested with both the native OpenGL and the Direct3D drivers included with the product. As a result, the online feature table (www.cadalyst.com/0508workstationtable) incorporates two figures for the MAXBench4 benchmark — the default OpenGL driver is the first figure and the Direct3D score is the second score. As noted, no accelerated drivers were May 2008 cadalyst www.cadalyst.com used for testing in this particular roundup, so the third figure for each system is None. For the final benchmark, I ran the full SPECviewperf 10 benchmark suite (www.spec.org). The results for each of the individual tests are given both in the specific reviews and in the online feature table (www.cadalyst.com/ 0508workstationtable). After all of the benchmark tests had been performed on a given workstation, the system was evaluated based on several criteria: meeting the minimum system configuration requirements, the benchmark results, pricing, features, warranty, and documentation. I figured all of these factors into the overall grade that determined the Cadalyst ratings. Any system with a grade of A or higher received the Cadalyst Highly Recommended rating. If you need the additional processing power afforded by quad-core processors, the workstations reviewed in this article represent a range of high-performance systems that can speed their way through complex tasks. All the systems reviewed are of consistently high quality, so you should be able to find a system that suits your particular needs. Expandability is a given for the four systems reviewed here, so the potential for future growth certainly exists. And if four processing cores aren’t enough, stay tuned! Soon Cadalyst Labs will review its first dual quad-core system. Xi MTower PCIe @Xi Computer 800.432.0486 www.xicomputer.com Price: $5,499 For this roundup, @Xi Computer submitted a Xi MTower PCIe quad-core system based on the pricey Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 3.20 GHz processor that had been overclocked to 3.82 GHz and cooled with a Silent Water Cooling system. The processor was mounted in an ASUS P5E3 Deluxe/WiFi-AP@n motherboard that used the Intel X38 chipset. A total of 2 GB of The pricey but dazzling Xi MTower PCIe workstation earned an A+ for its performance. 15 http://www.spec.org http://www.cadalyst.com/0508workstationtable http://www.cadalyst.com/0508workstationtable http://www.cadalyst.com/C2008 http://www.xicomputer.com http://www.cadalyst.com/0508workstationtable http://www.cadalyst.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cadalyst - May 2008

Cadalyst - May 2008 Contents Editor's Window Cad Central A Solid Job in AutoCAD Today’s Power — Quad-Core Workstations Performance — Tomorrow’s Possibilities Reverse Engineering an Antique Italian Treasure Trends in Reverse Engineering NextEngine 3D Scanner — Reverse-Engineering Tool Setting CAD Standards Fight for Your Hardware Rights The Jack and Jill of Ergonomics Technology for Civil Infrastructure Cad Cartoon Issue Indexes Shortcuts and Solutions

Cadalyst - May 2008

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