Hello to all:
I know this list is generally Linux-only, but I figured I'd try to gain wisdom from those with hard-core Windows needs, too.
I was recently pricing out a high-end desktop system for a user who will doing a lot of CAD, Matlab, SolidWorks, and other apps that will utilize a lot of number crunching and video.
The quote for the desktop (64-bit Vista is likely), which included 12 GB RAM, two 1 TB SATA hard drives, a high-end NVidia 3D video card, and two Intel quad-core 3.3 Ghz processors, was about $15k.
An approval manager asked if the money could be better spent towards a cluster for others to use.
This user's needs are for Windows-based apps. The open question, then, is can the results the user needs be derived from a high-end Windows cluster or virtual environment that is multi-user capable and runs Windows-based apps, or do they need bare metal for true results and performance? I awaiting an answer on this from the user.
In the meantime, for those who may have been faced with this, too, what have you discovered/learned?
Thanks.
Scott