Maximize Design and Engineering Productivity: How to tune your workstation for optimal SolidWorks performance and what to consider before you buy your next workstation for SolidWorks Is your computer impeding your SolidWorks productivity? We have teamed with Convergent Technologies Group, an HP reseller, to provide you with resources to help make smarter hardware choices for SolidWorks users. In this webinar, we will discuss: •What SolidWorks and other application use scenarios stress specific workstation architecture components •Tips, tricks and best practices to optimize your SolidWorks applications performance •How to find the right balance of system components to maximize your SolidWorks productivity and your performance per dollar After this webinar, you will have a better understanding of possible ways to improve your current workstation application performance and important considerations

1. Maximize Your SolidWorks Productivity:
How to tune your workstation for optimal SolidWorks performance and
new considerations to be aware of before you buy your next workstation
for SolidWorks
Convergent Technologies Group (CTG)
TriMech Solutions

2. Agenda
• HP and SolidWorks
– teaming for customer success
• Workstation technology update
– new options and how to define a balanced solution for your specific
needs
• What stresses a workstation
– SolidWorks user scenarios
• Tips and tricks
- tuning your workstation for optimal SolidWorks performance

3. HP and SolidWorks
TriMech Solutions and Convergent Technologies Group teaming
up to help SolidWorks users achieve optimal productivity
• HP is the workstation market leader for SolidWorks and SolidWorks develops and
tests on HP workstations
• HP and SolidWorks work together to create and certify solutions that are optimized for
different SolidWorks user workflows
• TriMech Solutions and Convergent Technologies work together to understand your
specific needs and define the best mix of workstation architecture components
Team approach allows our customers to maximize productivity while optimizing price
performance for specific needs
HP
SolidWorks
Convergent
Technologies
Group + TriMech
Solutions

4. Workstation Technology
What’s the difference between a Workstation and
a PC?
•
•
•
•
•
Users
Cost
System/Solution Performance
Durability
Expandability
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/workstations/workstation-xeon-e3-workstation-or-pccomparison-brief.html

5. Workstation Technology
Architecture Components:
• Memory (RAM)
• What’s the right amount?
• ECC or standard memory?
• Processor (CPU)
• Core vs. Xeon?
• Clock speed?
• Storage (Hard Drives)
•
•
SSD?
HDD?
• Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

6. Building A Balanced Workstation and Improving Your Experience
If Your System Is
Slow So Are Your
Storage
Engineers &
Graphics
Analysts
Memory
Processors

7. Intel Workstation Configurator
• Build a Productive Workstation
• One size does not fit all
• Configure a custom system that will help make you
the most productive without over investing
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/workstations/workstationconfigurator-tool.html

8. SolidWorks User Scenarios
What Stresses a Workstation Architecture and how to optimize
your investment/performance
• Part Modeling
• CPU must start at the top
• Single core processor frequency is important
• Turbo boost – helps overclock a single core to a higher frequency in single
threaded loads
• Assemblies
• PC must have enough RAM
• HDDs vs. SDDs

9. Preconfigured HP Smart Buy Solutions
3D Design Users
Workstation performance and reliability at compelling prices.
This configuration is ideal for SolidWorks users who are
working on simple 3D assemblies and want to tap into the
capabilities of RealView visualization.
HP Z230 Tower Workstation
Operating System:
Processor:
Memory:
Graphics Card:
Storage:
Windows 7 Professional (available through
downgrade rights from Windows 8 Pro)
Intel® Xeon® E3-1270v3 processor
16GB DDR3-1600 ECC (4x4GB) Unbuffered
RAM
NVIDIA K2000
256GB SATA SSD + 1TB 10k rpm SATA

10. Preconfigured HP Smart Buy Solutions
Mobile Design Users
HP’s most versatile mobile workstation offers high-end professional graphics, robust
processing power, a 15.6-inch diagonal display and a chiseled design that radiates
performance.
Designed for SolidWorks professionals needing powerful processing performance on
the go, SolidWorks certification and with a choice of high-end professional graphics
solutions.
HP ZBook 15 Mobile Workstation
Operating System:
Processor:
Memory:
Graphics Card:
Storage:
Display:
Windows 7 Professional (available
through downgrade rights from
Windows 8 Pro)
Intel® Core® i7-4800MQ processor
16GB DDR3 SDRAM, 1,600 MHz
NVIDIA K2100M
750GB HDD + 32GB SATA SSD SRT
15.6-inch diagonal LED FHD WVA anti-glare
(1920x1080) with camera

11. Preconfigured HP Smart Buy Solutions
Mobile Design Users
HP’s most powerful mobile workstation offers the highest-performing professional
graphics, extreme processing power, a 17.3” diagonal display and a chiseled design
that radiates performance.
Designed for SolidWorks professionals that need mobile design, visualization of large
datasets and laser scanning capabilities.
HP ZBook 17 Mobile Workstation
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional (available through
downgrade rights from Windows 8 Pro)
Processor:
Intel® Core® i7-4800MQ processor
Memory:
32GB DDR3 SDRAM, 1,600 MHz
Graphics:
NVIDIA K4100M
Storage:
512GB SATA SSD + 750GB HDD
Display:
17.3 inch diagonal LED FHD WVA anti-glare
(1920x1080) with camera

12. SolidWorks User Scenarios
What Stresses a Workstation Architecture and how to optimize
your investment/performance
• 2D Drawings
• Quad core CPU handles drawing loads easily
• Dual core with Hyper-Threading

13. Preconfigured HP Smart Buy Solutions
2D Design Users
Workstation performance and reliability at starting prices that
rival desktop PCs. This configuration is ideal for SolidWorks
users who are primarily working in 2D, and starting to explore
3D.
HP Z230 Tower Workstation
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional (available through
downgrade rights from Windows 8 Pro)
Processor:
Intel® Xeon® E3-1245v3 processor
Memory:
16GB ECC, DDR3 1,600 MHz
Graphics:
P4600
Storage:
128GB SATA SSD + 1TB 7200 rpm SATA

14. SolidWorks User Scenarios
What Stresses a Workstation Architecture and how to optimize
your investment/performance
• Simulation/Photview360
• Using either of these features occasionally – you need multiple cores in your
CPU
• Quad core CPU is 2x as fast as an equal dual core CPU

15. Preconfigured HP Smart Buy Solutions
Advanced Design and Simulation Users
High levels of performance and expandability in an accessible tool-free minitower form factor. This configuration is ideal for advanced SolidWorks users
who require a powerful workstation for complex 3D assemblies, robust
simulation and analysis, and stunning visualization.
HP Z420 Workstation
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional (available through
downgrade rights from Windows 8 Pro)
Processor:
Intel® Xeon® E5-1650 processor
Memory:
32GB DDR3-1600 ECC (4x8GB) Unbuffered RA
Graphics:
NVIDIA K4000
Storage:
512GB SATA SSD

16. Preconfigured HP Smart Buy Solutions
Expert Visualization and Simulation Users
Built for high-end computing and visualization. The dual-processor HP Z820
Workstation delivers outstanding performance, award-winning industrial design, and
tool-free serviceability in the industry’s most expandable chassis. With nextgeneration Intel® Xeon® processors, support for up to 16 processing cores, and the
latest professional graphics, you’ll tackle even the most demanding projects like
never before.
HP Z820 Workstation
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional (available through
downgrade rights from Windows 8 Pro)
Processor:
2x Intel® Xeon® E5-2637v2 4Core processor
Memory:
32GB DDR3 SDRAM, 1,600 MHz
Graphics:
NVIDIA K5000
Storage:
512GB SATA SSD

17. Tips and Tricks for tuning SolidWorks Performance
HP Performance Advisor
Best performance on day one
 One-Click bios setting
optimization for your key
applications
 One-Click HP certified drivers
for your key applications
View entire system
configuration
Identify system
bottlenecks
 Consolidated report of all
hardware, software and drivers
 Quick & easy
 One-Click System Config
report to expedite support and
reduce down time
 Extensive library of
white papers at your
fingertips
performance analysis

18. Tips and Tricks for tuning SolidWorks Performance
TriMech Solutions Best Practices
1. Make sure you get the graphics card driver from SolidWorks.com, not from
NVidia or ATI. (http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/videocardtesting.html)
2. Make sure you disable anti-virus on install or updates, otherwise it may not
be installed correctly
3. CAD Admin dashboard through your customer portal would be good to keep
track of your hardware at your company
4. There are settings inside of the software that affect performance as well
5. Feature Statistics

19. Resources and Q&A
Convergent Technologies: www.ctgva.com
Account Manager: Sean Kennedy skennedy@ctgva.com
TriMech Solutions: http://trimechsolutions.com/products/hp.aspx
Elite Applications Engineer: Ryan Zeck Rzeck@trimech.com
Intel Configurator Tool: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/workstations/workstation-configurator-tool.html