Build own work station

[Berno]

Hi I am a student at ETH(Eigenossische Technische Hochschule) and I am studying geology. I would like to build a pc. It should be able to use CAD, ARCGis and some oder mapping programs that are used to show geological 3 d models. I really don't know what is the best build but it would be helpful if I can get some inputs. It would be cool if I could integrate the laptop that I have to improve performance. I am often on the go so I have a lenovo T470p but sometimes it is struggling with all the tabs that I have open. Especially because I am combining 3 d modeling with Matlab code and so on. Thanks for help

[GoldenLag]

you cant exactly integrate the laptop, but you can use Synergy to link them together so you can work with a single keyboard and mouse (note that it is a payed service)

 

what budget are we working with?

[EmperorClone]

I actually used to buy laptops FOR geologists and hydrogeologists etc. in my last job. What sort of budget do you have?

 

What I used to buy them were decent i5/i7 core Dell laptops (precision series) with Nvidia M4000M video cards. Pricey machines, but great for those who need to travel. The same principal applies to gaming machines as CAD, ArcGIS or anything else. 3D rendering, as effectively as possible.

 

If you can let us know a budget and your region I'm sure we can make some recommendations.

[GoldenLag]

9 minutes ago, EmperorClone said:

If you can let us know a budget and your region I'm sure we can make some recommendations.

he appears to be Swiss. also he seems to be looking for Desktops, but im shure he will appriciate any suggestions. 

 

still need to know the budget. depending on what budget he has he might consider waiting untill after CES before pulling the  trigger.

[EmperorClone]

1 hour ago, GoldenLag said:

he appears to be Swiss. also he seems to be looking for Desktops, but im shure he will appriciate any suggestions. 

 

still need to know the budget. depending on what budget he has he might consider waiting untill after CES before pulling the  trigger.

Desktops would be better, but a lot of geologists etc. spend a lot of time working in the field on mine sites etc. So if he's gathering info or being given files for GlobalMapper and such can make a difference to what he could expect to do.

 

Regardless, for something like CAD stuff or ArcGIS etc. they're not the most demanding things in the world. But like you said. Budget determines a lot.

[Berno]

On 1/4/2019 at 11:03 AM, EmperorClone said:

I actually used to buy laptops FOR geologists and hydrogeologists etc. in my last job. What sort of budget do you have?

 

What I used to buy them were decent i5/i7 core Dell laptops (precision series) with Nvidia M4000M video cards. Pricey machines, but great for those who need to travel. The same principal applies to gaming machines as CAD, ArcGIS or anything else. 3D rendering, as effectively as possible.

 

If you can let us know a budget and your region I'm sure we can make some recommendations.

From 3000 to 4500 CHF 

[EmperorClone]

On 1/5/2019 at 12:40 PM, Berno said:

From 3000 to 4500 CHF 

That's Swiss Francs, right?

[Manderis]

Is there a need for a quadro or will consumer grade cards do as well? High Vram use? 

 

If you need high vram for a decent price the Radeon VII launching in February is what you are looking for. 

You could build a relatively small formfactor pc if you need one for the field. But still it will never be as Mobil as a laptop is.

Do you need a monitor (or several)? 

And with 3000 chf you could go pretty far if I am right about converting. 

And would German pricing be OK? I don't know a Swiss comparing site