hrs hardwareguide

7/30/2019 Hrs Hardwareguide

1/16

www.hawkridgesys.com USA: 1.877.266.4469 CANADA: 1.866.587.6803

Comprehensive Hardware Guide

This document has been written to provide insight on the suggestions made in theHawk Ridge

Systems Hardware Recommendation document and to answer common hardware questions for

users building custom system configurations to run SolidWorks, SolidWorks Simulation and

SolidWorks Flow Simulation. Unlike the hardware guidelines that written for a specific version or

range of versions, this document applies to all versions of SolidWorks unless specifically noted.Guidelinesfor other products and previous versionsare linked at the end of this document.

This is not a troubleshooting guide. If you have any technical issues with SolidWorks please contact

Hawk Ridge Systems Technical Support.

Contents

Comprehensive Hardware Guide .................................................................................................... 1General Comments ........................................................................................................................ 2Unsupported & Not Recommended Platforms.................................................................................. 3Hawk Ridge Systems Computers .................................................................................................... 3Operating Systems ........................................................................................................................ 4Graphics Card ............................................................................................................................... 7Processors .................................................................................................................................... 9Memory (RAM) ........................................................................................................................... 10Storage (Hard Drive) ................................................................................................................... 10Other Required Components/Software ......................................................................................... 11

Display ................................................................................................................................. 11Network/Internet Connection ................................................................................................. 12Input Device ......................................................................................................................... 12Microsoft Excel ...................................................................................................................... 13Internet Explorer .................................................................................................................. 13

Adobe Acrobat Reader ........................................................................................................... 14

Other Optional Components/Software .......................................................................................... 14Benchmarks ................................................................................................................................ 14

SolidWorks Specific Benchmarks ............................................................................................ 15General Benchmarks ............................................................................................................. 15

Other Hardware Guides ............................................................................................................... 15Previous Comprehensive Hardware Guides ............................................................................. 15Other Product Hardware Guidelines ........................................................................................ 15

TITLE: Comprehensive Hardware Guide

DATE: 10/12/11

SUBJECT: Computer hardware guide, system requirements, 2012

ABSTRACT: Comprehensive computer hardware guide, including specific explanationfor all hardware components for building a custom computer
http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/HRS_HardwareRecommendations.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/HRS_HardwareRecommendations.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/HRS_HardwareRecommendations.pdfhttp://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/HRS_HardwareRecommendations.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/HRS_HardwareRecommendations.pdfhttp://www.hawkridgesys.com/


2/16


General Comments

The Hawk Ridge Systems hardware documents combine all HRS knowledge regarding hardwareand are derived from multiple sources including but not limited to internal testing, customer

experiences, user forums, hardware reviews, system/component availability, direct discussions

with SolidWorks Corp. representatives, the SolidWorks Corp. System Requirements pageand the

SolidWorks Customer Portal Knowledgebase.

Hardware recommendations are based on currently available hardware because older hardware isnot readily available for purchase or testing. Unless explicitly defined as no longer supported or

confirmed by support as unsupported it is assumed that older hardware with similar specifications

should be able to run the current version of the software. It should be noted that while users

may stay on older hardware of equivalent specifications, there may be additional performance

benefits from newer technology and clean systems that have been reformatted or had system

maintenance performed on them recently.

Users that are concerned about whether their hardware meets the current specs should comparethe specs of their systems to the current specs using benchmarks, user reviews, internal testing

and if still concerned should contact Hawk Ridge Systems Technical Support. Unfortunately

because HRS does not have all types of hardware at their disposal, beyond general

recommendations and comparison to HRS systems, HRS may not be able to provide additional

information.

While this document does not include an exhaustive list of all hardware options or componentsavailable, resources such ashttp://www.tomshardware.comandhttp://www.3dprofessor.org/

can be consulted for more information. Some additional comments about benchmarks are

available at thebottom of this document.

While SolidWorks does not publish specific minimum recommendations, theHawk Ridge SystemsRecommended Hardware Guidelineshas been written under the assumption that most users are

looking for an optimal configuration rather than the bare minimum. For users looking for the

minimum system requirements a good rule of thumb is that any modern system (no more than 5

years old) will run the current version SolidWorks as long as no hardware components are listed

as unsupported. It should also be noted that systems with these specifications may not perform

optimally for all users.

Developers test and develop new versions primarily on new hardware, leveraging the latesttechnology. As such, it is not possible to guarantee that new hardware will support future

versions of the software. It is difficult to determine the future proof capabilities of a new

hardware configuration, but in general systems should be able to support at least 2 versions. As

such, HRS recommends upgrading computers every 2 years for maximum compatibility,

performance benefits and efficiency. When choosing between buying a new computer versus

upgraded, users should consider the cost of upgrade vs. the cost of a new system. In general,

replacing computers on a 2 year schedule will maintain optimal performance versus upgrading

and older computer or even buying an extremely high-end system from the beginning. For

example buying a system that costs $3000 in 2009 to run the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 versions
http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.htmlhttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.htmlhttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.htmlhttp://customerportal.solidworks.com/http://customerportal.solidworks.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.tomshardware.com/http://www.tomshardware.com/http://www.tomshardware.com/http://www.3dprofessor.org/http://www.3dprofessor.org/http://www.3dprofessor.org/http://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/HRS_HardwareRecommendations.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/HRS_HardwareRecommendations.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/HRS_HardwareRecommendations.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/HRS_HardwareRecommendations.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/HRS_HardwareRecommendations.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/HRS_HardwareRecommendations.pdfhttp://www.3dprofessor.org/http://www.tomshardware.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://customerportal.solidworks.com/http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.htmlhttp://www.hawkridgesys.com/


3/16


may not be as efficient as spending $1500 in 2009 and 2011 because the $3000 system will be

out-of-date by the time that 2011 is available.

Hawk Ridge Systems recommends pre-built computers from manufacturers like Dell, HP, andLenovo because these manufacturers develop drivers specifically for their hardware. It also puts

the burden of compatibility testing and hardware technical support on the manufacturer, saving

time for the end user.

Unsupported & Not Recommended Platforms

While it may be possible to install or run SolidWorks products on unsupported platforms, the extent

of support that can be provided is limited. There are 3 general categories of support issues: User

Related, Hardware/Network Related and Software Related. Customers using platforms described as

not supported by SolidWorks will be exposed to potential support limitations in the last two items

stated above. In order to properly troubleshoot many hardware and software related issues, support

representatives and developers need to be able to reproduce those issues. Hawk Ridge Systemspersonnel will attempt to reproduce issues that are submitted to them with the supported platforms.

However, if the issues are not reproducible or identifiable, Hawk Ridge Systems support personnel

will have to close any issues that reach this as they are not covered by SolidWorks development.

Similarly, customers using platforms described as not recommended may be exposed to similar issues

but generally less severe in nature such as inconsistent behavior or limited performance. While these

issues can be reported to development, a final resolution may not be obtainable or may result in an

enhancement request to improve the softwares functionality under these system configurations.

Predictions as to the nature and number of issues that may be encountered are also difficult as

unsupported and not recommended platforms are not tested.

Hawk Ridge Systems Computers

What is Hawk Ridge Systems using? The tables below show the systems currently in use at Hawk

Ridge Systems, the currently supported versions that they are capable of running and the versions

HRS recommends running on the systems. These systems are aligned with the recommended

hardware guidelines with some upgraded for analysis and/or large assembly support purposes with

more memory and 64-bit operating systems. Windows 7 is the primary operating system of our

computers, with some running Windows XP. Our desktops are a generation old due to the fact that

they are less frequently replaced and laptops are our primary computers.
http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/


4/16


Notebooks Current

Generation

One

Generation Old

Two

Generations Old

Model HP 8560W Dell M4500

HP 8540W

Dell M4400

HP 8530W

Versions Capable Up To 2012

Versions Recommended Up To 2012

Desktops Current

Generation

One Generation

Old

Two Generations

Old

Model Dell T3500

HP Z400

Dell T3400 Dell P390

Versions Capable Up To 2012

Versions

Recommended

Up To 2012 Up To 2009

Operating Systems

All operating systems should be updated 100% on windows updates. Take note of Windows 7service pack specific support in the table below. It should also be noted that it is required that XP

users are running sp2.0 or higher.

SolidWorks Corp. Officially Supported Operating Systemso Supportedo X Supported with limitations. See notes below the table for more information. Outside

of the limitations, the software has not been tested and cannot be supported.

o Not Supported. Installation is not supported and while the software may install and runon these operating systems, these configurations have not been tested and cannot be

supported.


5/16


2008 20092010 &

2011

2012 2013

XP Home

XP Professional 32-bit SP2+ 3 3

XP Professional 64-bit 3 3

Vista Starter, Home Basic or

Home Premium

Vista Business, Ultimate or

Enterprise 32-bit

Vista Business, Ultimate or

Enterprise 64-bit

1,6 6 6

Windows 7 Professional,

Ultimate or Enterprise 32-bit

5,7 5,7 4,5,8

Windows 7 Professional,

Ultimate or Enterprise 64-bit

5,6 5,6 4,5,6,8

Windows 7 Starter, Home, or

Home Premium

(Tablet PC, Media Center)

1. Cannot be installed with SP0.0 and upgraded. Must be installed using 2008 Sp3.1 (or higher) x64DVD or full installer download.

2. Only available SP4.0 onward. The x64 version does not support activation and will require registrationcodes and COSMOS license.dat files. Please contactHawk Ridge Systems Technical Support.

3. While Microsoft has officially retired Windows XP as of April 2009 and will no longer provide supportto software developers, SolidWorks will continue to support Windows XP Professional operating

systems excluding issues resulting from operating system issues or requiring operating system fixes.

These types of issues are very uncommon but should be taken into account when choosing an

operating system. At the minimum customers should have an upgrade plan if necessary.

4. 2010 Cannot be installed with SP0.0 and upgraded. Must be installed using 2010 sp1.0 (or higher)DVD or full installer download.

5. Pre 2009 SP5.0 and 2010 SP0.0 installers may install but are not tested or recommended orsupported. Users in this situation should downgrade to the operating system that supports all the

versions that are required. The reason these versions were not supported is because the operating

system was not available at the time of development and development closes when the new version

is available. For more information on SolidWorks 2009 running on Windows 7, see thisdocument.

6. 32-bit version is only supported on 32-bit operating systems and will be blocked from installation on a64-bit operating system. Windows XP is the only version that supports installing the 32-bit version on

a 64-bit operating system because it was required during the initial release of 64-bit operating
http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/SolidWorks__Windows_7.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/SolidWorks__Windows_7.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/SolidWorks__Windows_7.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/SolidWorks__Windows_7.pdfhttp://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/


6/16


systems when there was limited 64-bit adoption of other add-ins. It is no longer required and as such

is not supported on newer operating systems. If you need this capability please submit an

enhancement request through theSolidWorks Customer Portal.

7. Operating system compatibility modes are not supported.8.

SolidWorks 2010 will not be officially qualified for use with Windows 7 SP1, only Windows 7 SP0.2011 SP4 is the minimum requirement for Windows 7 SP1. Windows 7 SP1 may be installed for usewith SolidWorks 2010, however issues found can be reported, but these issues will likely be fixed onlyin SolidWorks 2012 SP1 or later.

Virtual machines are not supported. SolidWorks must be run on physical machines. Withactivation based standalone licenses, each virtual machine will count towards activation and may

potentially be lost resulting in the software being non-functional and will require Hawk Ridge

Systems Technical Support interaction to resolve.

Intel equipped Apple Macintosh systems with Microsoft Windows operating systems are notsupported hardware platforms for SolidWorks regardless of the emulation system used (VMWare,

Parallels, Bootcamp...etc). For more information, please see ourApple article on eSupport.

When changing operating systems, including operating system upgrades, SolidWorks must beuninstalled and then reinstalled under the correct operating system for optimal functionality.

Users considering operating system changes should confirm that their existing hardware cansupport the operating system if it is newer than what is currently installed. (I.E. upgrading to

Windows 7 from Windows XP) Systems may not functional optimally if they were not built to

support the operating system.

While Hawk Ridge Systems recommends 64-bit variants of current supported operation systems,they are not required.

o However, due to their greater versatility, Hawk Ridge Systems recommends that newsystems are purchased with 64-bit operating systems. In cases where 32-bit users would

be forced to switch operating systems, 64-bit users may simply only need to add RAM or

increase page file to resolve stability or memory issues.

o It should be noted that while the 64-bit version of SolidWorks running on a 64-bitoperating system with a 64-bit processor will not directly translate to faster processing

speed (Opening, Saving, Rebuildingetc), speed benefits usually come from newer

processing technology, clean systems or the ability to install more ram. Currently most

64-bit processors are using 32-bit processing algorithms and true 64-bit processing

architecture which would result in faster processing speed is available in only a few

processors such as SPARC6 and Intel Itanium processors.

Choosing an operating system and suggesting a recommended operating system has become adifficult task due to individual customer corporate requirements, availability of the operating

systems and the near equal performance of the operating systems. The following table outlines

the advantages and disadvantages of the currently supported operating systems. If users have a

choice of operating systems, Hawk Ridge Systems encourages testing the operating systems in

your environment to make sure that it matches your needs.
http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://customerportal.solidworks.com/http://customerportal.solidworks.com/http://customerportal.solidworks.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/Apple_Support.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/Apple_Support.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/Apple_Support.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/Apple_Support.pdfhttp://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://customerportal.solidworks.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/


7/16


Preference (Rank)

1 2 3

Windows 7 Windows Vista Windows XP

Advantages -In general can bedowngraded to Windows

XP or sometimes Windows

Vista and upgraded at a

later date. Please contact

your hardware

manufacturer for more

information.

-Decreased operating

system graphical and

processing overhead

compared to Vista resulting

in more resources available

for SolidWorks.

-Full Microsoft support for

software developers

-More bench time than Windows

7

-In general can be downgraded

to Windows XP and upgraded at

a later date. Please contact your

hardware manufacturer for more

information on eligibility.

-Full Microsoft support for

software developers

-Tried and tested operating

system

-Supported for majority legacy

hardware and software

Disadvantages -Requires carefulconsideration of legacy

software and hardware

which may not be

supported

-For most users it requires

learning a new operating

system interface and new

methods of performing day

to day functions.

-Increased operating

system graphical and

processing overhead

compared to XP resulting

in less resources available

for SolidWorks.

-Requires careful consideration

of legacy software and hardware

which may not be supported

-For most users it requires

learning a new operating system

interface and new methods of

performing day to day functions.

-Increased operating system

graphical and processing

overhead compared to XP

resulting in less resources

available for SolidWorks.

-Not available for purchase

-No operating system fixes

-Retired operating system,

limited support for much new

software.

-x64 variant requires careful

consideration of legacy software

and hardware which may not be

supported

-Not available for purchase

Graphics Card

Consumer graphics cards such as the ATI/AMD Radeon, NVIDIA Geforce, integrated graphics or2D cards such as the NVIDIA Quadro NVS or AMD FirePro Multi-View cards are not recommended

due to graphics related performance and stability limitations. Hawk Ridge Systems highly

recommends the use of 3D workstation graphics cards such as the ones in the table below:


8/16


Entry Level Mid-Range High-End

Desktop PCs NVIDIA Quadro1 600 2000 4000/5000

AMD FirePro2 V4800 V5900 V7900

Notebook PCs NVIDIA Quadro Mobile 880M/1000M 2000M 3000/4000M

AMD FirePro Mobility M5950 M8900 N/A

1. Previous name was NVIDIA Quadro FX2. Previous name was ATI FireGL

SolidWorks maintains a list of certified graphics cards and the drivers recommended for them ondifferent operating systems and versions of SolidWorks at:

o http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/videocardtesting.html.o Recommended cards will show up with a green icon indicating they have passed all tests.

Yellow rated cards are not recommended due tolimitations observed during testing. Red

rated cards are not supported due to severe limitations observed during testing.

o When looking up graphics cards, be aware that notebook systems will only be foundunder the system manufacturer.

o New systems or graphics cards may take several weeks to be certified, so please checkback often to verify that it is certified before purchasing. In general, new cards which

already have certified cards of the same family (for example the NVIDIA Quadro FX

family) will also be certified and will perform well with the latest driver for the system or

card manufacturer until a certified/tested driver is available.

o If the card/system is listed for older versions of SolidWorks, but not for current versions,you can assume that your card is no longer be supported. See ourOpenGL document

for more information.

Along with benchmark results and availability of a recommended driver, the amount of memoryon board, memory bandwidth and number of processing cores are important values when

comparing graphics cards. As values increase, generally performance is better. Some sample

specification comparisons are included below:

o http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_11761.htmlo http://products.amd.com/en-us/WorkstationGraphicCardResult.aspx?f1=FireGL

When displaying greater amounts of graphical information (complex models, large monitors,multiple monitors or high resolutions) more powerful graphics cards should be chosen to improve

display performance.

When using graphics cards with large amounts of onboard memory (1GB+), users may see adecreased memory capacity in SolidWorks due to graphical memory mapping on system RAM.
http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/videocardtesting.htmlhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/opengl.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/opengl.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/opengl.pdfhttp://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_11761.htmlhttp://products.amd.com/en-us/WorkstationGraphicCardResult.aspx?f1=FireGLhttp://products.amd.com/en-us/WorkstationGraphicCardResult.aspx?f1=FireGLhttp://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_11761.htmlhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/opengl.pdfhttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/videocardtesting.htmlhttp://www.hawkridgesys.com/


9/16


The memory mapping is not 1:1 but significantly decreases SolidWorks memory capacity as the

graphics card on board memory increases. When working near the threshold of a 32-bit

operating system this may result in out-of-memory errors which cannot be resolved through

operating system, hardware or SolidWorks software changes. If models cannot be modified to

decrease memory usage from the 32-bit operating system threshold, 64-bit operating systemsshould be considered. Similarly, graphics cards with shared memory will produce an additional

reduction in available memory to supplement on board graphics card memory.

NVIDIA SLI and ATI Crossfire technology are currently not supported and no benefits are gainedby having multiple graphics cards. Hawk Ridge Systems recommends substituting multiple

graphics cards by a more powerful single graphics card if necessary.

At this time SolidWorks does not leverage GPU processing. PhotoView 360 rendering capabilities are not improved by more powerful graphics cards. With Windows Vista and Windows 7, video cards with 256mb or less will experience reduced

performance due to architectural changes in the operating system.

Processors

SolidWorks does not state a minimum processor specification but any modern processor shouldbe sufficient. However for 2010 products and above, Pentium 3, older AMD Athlon and AMD XP

processors are no longer supported because these CPUs do not support SSE2 (Streaming SIMD

Extensions 2). Seehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSE2for more details.

Floating point based (Xeon) vs. integer based processors do not matter. The software is notwritten to benefit one type of processor or another.

Currently there are no specific benchmarks which compare single processors to multi-coreprocessors/multi-processor systems in SolidWorks, however users who multi-task and some

aspects of SolidWorks (Opening Drawings, Draw Compare, Boolean operations, Updating Views),

PhotoWorks(2010 and below), PhotoView 360, Simulation and Flow Simulation will benefit from

parallel processing (multi-core or multi-processors). For other functions, it should be noted that

the majority of parametric operations are required to be performed sequentially (like rebuilding

features in the feature tree) and by nature are single threaded.

Users should make decisions based on the capabilities of a single core rather than the processoras a whole. In general, if you use the clock speed of the processor as the measurement, higher

clock speed values and benchmark results will provide better performance. It should be noted

that AMD processors are rated differently than Intel processors and the manufacturer should be

contacted to ensure those differences are taken into account. These examples illustrate the

selection process between Intel processors:

o Example 1: Similarly priced 2.5Ghz dual core vs. 2.0Ghz quad core, the dual core wouldbe recommended because most operations would be done on a 2.5Ghz core instead of a

2.0Ghz core.
http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSE2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSE2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSE2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSE2http://www.hawkridgesys.com/


10/16


o Example 2: 2.5Ghz dual core processor vs. a slightly more expensive 2.66ghz quad core,the quad core would be recommended because most operations would be done on a

2.66Ghz core instead of a 2.5Ghz core and multi-threaded processes would benefit from

the additional cores.

Disable hyper-threading for older P4 class processors. For modern generation processors (IntelCore CPUs) it should be enabled. Testing so far indicates substantial benefits with turbo boost

and hyper threading. However, we recommend doing individual benchmarks to see if its optimal

or not to leave hyper-threading enabled as results will vary depending on hardware setup.

When choosing a processor, the clock speed is important but you should also review the numberof cores, bus speed, amount of onboard cache, boost capabilities and also hyper-threading

capabilities. While they may not provide direct benefits in SolidWorks, they may provide

additional benefits in general processor capabilities.

Memory (RAM) It is recommended to install as much RAM as is feasible to improve performance and stability by:

o Increasing the opportunity for RAM to be allocated to applications instead of slower,more volatile hard drive based page file.

o Reduce the amount of memory swapping between programs when there isnt enoughRAM to satisfy the needs of all programs.

o Improve the memory threshold for computers running 32-bit operating systems.For more information on how RAM, and page file are related to virtual memory and

SolidWorks please see ourmemory document.

In most cases, more RAM is better. However, more RAM does not always equate to more speed.It is recommended to have enough RAM to handle the needs of your applications.

Faster RAM can also provide performance benefits but please verify with your hardwaremanufacturer that faster RAM is compatible with your system and that existing RAM is of equal

speed. Existing RAM which is slower, may reduce the performance of new, faster RAM.

For an in-depth explanation of SolidWorks and memory,see this document.

Storage (Hard Drive) Some performance benefits can be obtained by having separate drives (not separate partitions

on the same drive) for:

o Operating System/Programs and Current Fileso Page File
http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/memory_and_swx.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/memory_and_swx.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/memory_and_swx.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/memory_and_swx.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/memory_and_swx.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/memory_and_swx.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/memory_and_swx.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/memory_and_swx.pdfhttp://www.hawkridgesys.com/


11/16


o Data Archive (Can be much larger and slower for archive use only) While there are no specific benchmarks which compare performance in SolidWorks with different

RAID versions, (RAID0 (Data Spreading), RAID1 (Data Mirroring) and RAID5 (Data Mirroring and

Spreading)they can be used in a SolidWorks client system to add data redundancy and improve

hard disk access performance. It should be noted that page file should always be located on a

non-RAID hard drive. More information is available here:

http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/Tech_Tips/TT_RaidDrives.html.

The performance of a SSD is the fastest of all storage devices. As SSD technology matures, it willbecome easier to just buy any SSD and get a boost in performance without any side effects.

Please review the article below for more details and helping you decide which type of SSD is right

for you:http://www.tomsguide.com/us/ssd-value-performance,review-1455.html

o We only recommend using SSDs if they support TRIM and you are using Windows 7.More information is available here:http://www.bit-

tech.net/hardware/storage/2010/02/04/windows-7-ssd-performance-and-trim/1

Performance benefits will be seen from upgrading to a 10K or 15K RPM hard drive. As thesedrives have high data transfer rates and can access data very quickly.

Primary hard drives should have enough storage for the OS, other programs, virtual memory,temporary files, free space, file storage, SolidWorks installer and program files (Up to 12GB). The

minimum storage space we recommend is 80GB.

Other Required Components/Software

Display Widescreen monitors are recommended because of the widescreen nature of the SolidWorks

interface.

When displaying greater amounts of graphical information (complex models, large monitors,multiple monitors or high resolutions) more powerful graphics cards should be chosen to improve

performance.

When using multiple monitors, the best compatibility is with monitors with thesame resolution and color settings. This is the configuration that is used during

SolidWorks graphics card driver testing.

SolidWorks 2010, 2011, and 2012 includes limited functionality for multi-touchmonitors. Clickherefor SolidWorks help for functionality that is supported.

Minimum 1024x768 not required but some menus might be cut off at that resolution. This is notan intended functionality and should be reported to Hawk Ridge Systems Technical Support.
http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/Tech_Tips/TT_RaidDrives.htmlhttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/Tech_Tips/TT_RaidDrives.htmlhttp://www.tomsguide.com/us/ssd-value-performance,review-1455.htmlhttp://www.tomsguide.com/us/ssd-value-performance,review-1455.htmlhttp://www.tomsguide.com/us/ssd-value-performance,review-1455.htmlhttp://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2010/02/04/windows-7-ssd-performance-and-trim/1http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2010/02/04/windows-7-ssd-performance-and-trim/1http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2010/02/04/windows-7-ssd-performance-and-trim/1http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2010/02/04/windows-7-ssd-performance-and-trim/1http://help.solidworks.com/2012/english/solidworks/sldworks/c_touch_and_multi-touch_support.htmhttp://help.solidworks.com/2012/english/solidworks/sldworks/c_touch_and_multi-touch_support.htmhttp://help.solidworks.com/2012/english/solidworks/sldworks/c_touch_and_multi-touch_support.htmhttp://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://help.solidworks.com/2012/english/solidworks/sldworks/c_touch_and_multi-touch_support.htmhttp://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2010/02/04/windows-7-ssd-performance-and-trim/1http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2010/02/04/windows-7-ssd-performance-and-trim/1http://www.tomsguide.com/us/ssd-value-performance,review-1455.htmlhttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/Tech_Tips/TT_RaidDrives.htmlhttp://www.hawkridgesys.com/


12/16


Network/Internet Connection

An internet connection is required to:o Access tohttp://customerportal.solidworks.comfor

SolidWorks knowledgebase, technical articles, SPR tracking,

etc.

o Accessing Hawk Ridge SystemseSupporto Downloading software updates (Depending on installed

software the download required averages around 1GB but can range from a few MB to

4.5GB. High-speed internet connection recommended.)

o Standalone license activation and obtaining SolidWorks network licenses. (At minimumthe activation process requires access to e-mail on at least one company computer)

o Remote support sessions and HRS Webinars. (High-speed internet connectionrecommended)

Wired network connections are recommended for SNL and accessing files over a network foroptimal performance and least chance of latency or data loss. Users working with wireless

connections or VPN connections should borrow licenses or move files locally. It should be noted

that Hawk Ridge Systems does not recommend working with files over a network and users that

need this capability should consider a data management solution such as SolidWorks Workgroup

PDM or SolidWorks Enterprise PDM.

Remote desktop connections or VPN connections to SolidWorks clients are not supported. Network components should be speed compatible or adjusted to be speed compatible. If gigabit

Ethernet cards are being used with gigabit routers/switches, it is highly recommended that CAT6

cable is used between them as CAT5 and CAT5e may not provide sufficient bandwidth.

(http://www.edn.com/article/CA46370.html) It should be noted that Hawk Ridge Systems highly

discourages the use of network opening and saving for performance, crashing and file corruption

reasons. PDM systems are recommended for network saving because they provide the best

balance of performance and file backup in addition to revision control and change accountability.

SolidWorks is tested only with Microsoft's Windows Networking and Active Directory networkenvironments. Novell networks and non-Windows based network storage devices are not

supported.

Input Device

A 3-Button mouse with a scroll wheel is required. Hawk Ridge Systemsexperience shows the best compatibility is with Microsoft products with

the most current drivers.
http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://customerportal.solidworks.com/http://customerportal.solidworks.com/http://customerportal.solidworks.com/http://www.hawksupport.com/http://www.hawksupport.com/http://www.hawksupport.com/http://www.edn.com/article/CA46370.htmlhttp://www.edn.com/article/CA46370.htmlhttp://www.edn.com/article/CA46370.htmlhttp://www.edn.com/article/CA46370.htmlhttp://www.hawksupport.com/http://customerportal.solidworks.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/


13/16


3D Controllerscan be used but please check with the manufacturer to ensure that they arecompatible with the version of SolidWorks that you are using.

Tablets are currently not supported but should work in sketch mode. Please contact the hardwaremanufacturer for any compatibility concerns or for information on configuring the tablet for use

in SolidWorks

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel version should be an equivalent or older version than thatof SolidWorks for full functionality and compatibility.

2007 and

below

2008 and

2009

2010 2011 2012

Excel

2002

Excel

2003

Excel

2007

1

Excel

2010

2

1. .xlsx is not supported, must use .xls files2. Only with 2010 SP5.0

Internet Explorer

Used for Installation manager, help files, admin image (one step installer), Workgroup PDMViewer, Enterprise PDM and Hawk Ridge Systems eSupport.

2008 and

below

2009 2010 2011 2012

IE6 IE7 IE8 1 IE9 2

1. 2009 sp5 required.2. 2011 sp4 required.


14/16


Adobe Acrobat Reader

Latest version is recommended but version 7.0.7 or higher will work for reading the Whats NewPDF

Other Optional Components/Software DVD-R/DVD-RW with software for archiving and file transfer. Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware tools: SolidWorks has published a list of compatible Anti-Virus tools:

http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/AntiVirus_SW.html

Additional Cooling: Extra case fans or notebook cooler. System/Disk Imaging Software: Should not be used as it is not supported by SolidWorks. If used,

SolidWorks should be installed after systems have been imaged or should be used with a network

license.

Benchmarks

Unfortunately the number of SolidWorks specific benchmarks and their results are limited. However,

in general, benchmarks which evaluate overall component or system performance can be used when

making component or system selections because the principal functions in SolidWorks are

comparable to functions in other programs and the measurements made in benchmark programs.

Examples of items tested in a benchmark:

Hard drive performance benchmarks apply to SolidWorks for opening and saving functions. Graphics cards that perform well in OpenGL tests or in benchmarks for other 3D CAD applications

based on OpenGL apply to SolidWorks

Single-threaded application performance benchmarks apply to the majority of SolidWorksfunctions such as rebuilding

Multi-threaded application performance benchmarks apply to multi-threaded functions inSolidWorks such as photo rendering and analysis. For more information about what processes are

multi-threaded, pleasequery the SolidWorks Customer Portal Knowledgebase using the search

term multi or review the comments above in the Processor section.

Overall processor benchmarks will still give a decent idea of the performance of a processor aslong as equal core processors are being compared. For example the results of a quad core vs.

dual core should not be compared. If compared, it should be kept in mind that most processor

benchmarks take into account multi-threaded applications which may skew the results towards

the processor with more cores.
http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/AntiVirus_SW.htmlhttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/AntiVirus_SW.htmlhttp://customerportal.solidworks.com/http://customerportal.solidworks.com/http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/AntiVirus_SW.htmlhttp://www.hawkridgesys.com/


15/16


Some of the most common benchmarks used for evaluating existing systems or for choosing new

ones are listed below. These benchmarks have been performed by third parties not associated with

Hawk Ridge Systems and the publishers should be contacted directly with any questions you might

have.

An additional note of caution: The results of benchmarks are subjective. High scores may provide

adequate performance for one user but may be insufficient for another user due their unique use of

the software. Hawk Ridge Systems recommends working with hardware manufacturers to

demo/evaluate systems before purchase whenever possible or make sure there is an acceptable

return policy if the system does not meet your needs.

SolidWorks Specific Benchmarks

SolidWorks RX Benchmark:o See the Add-in tab in the SolidWorks RX utility(start menu>all programs>SolidWorks

2012>SolidWorks tools>SolidWorks RX)

Toms Hardware workstation graphics card testing with SPECapc in SolidWorks 2007:o http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/workstation-graphics-charts/SPECapc-Solidworks-

2007-Overall-Score,123.html

SolidMuses SolidWorks rebuild tests:o http://www.solidmuse.com/benchmarks/

ATIs FirePro and NVidia Quadro FX graphics card testing with SPECapc Viewperf 10:o http://ati.amd.com/products/firepro/firepro_3D_benchmarks.htmlo http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/quadrofx-firepro.html

General Benchmarks

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/has general benchmarks for CPUs, graphics cards, hard drivesand systems. These benchmarks are usually based on multithreaded applications and consumer

graphics applications (Video games and multimedia) and should be evaluated with caution based

on the benchmark comments made above.

Other Hardware Guides

Previous Comprehensive Hardware Guides

2010 2011Other Product Hardware Guidelines

SolidWorks Authored
http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/workstation-graphics-charts/SPECapc-Solidworks-2007-Overall-Score,123.htmlhttp://www.tomshardware.com/charts/workstation-graphics-charts/SPECapc-Solidworks-2007-Overall-Score,123.htmlhttp://www.tomshardware.com/charts/workstation-graphics-charts/SPECapc-Solidworks-2007-Overall-Score,123.htmlhttp://www.tomshardware.com/charts/workstation-graphics-charts/SPECapc-Solidworks-2007-Overall-Score,123.htmlhttp://www.tomshardware.com/charts/workstation-graphics-charts/SPECapc-Solidworks-2007-Overall-Score,123.htmlhttp://www.solidmuse.com/benchmarks/http://www.solidmuse.com/benchmarks/http://ati.amd.com/products/firepro/firepro_3D_benchmarks.htmlhttp://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/quadrofx-firepro.htmlhttp://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/quadrofx-firepro.htmlhttp://www.cpubenchmark.net/http://www.cpubenchmark.net/http://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/2010_HRS_HardwareGuide.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/2010_HRS_HardwareGuide.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/2011_HRS_HardwareGuide.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/2011_HRS_HardwareGuide.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/2011_HRS_HardwareGuide.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/2010_HRS_HardwareGuide.pdfhttp://www.cpubenchmark.net/http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/quadrofx-firepro.htmlhttp://ati.amd.com/products/firepro/firepro_3D_benchmarks.htmlhttp://www.solidmuse.com/benchmarks/http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/workstation-graphics-charts/SPECapc-Solidworks-2007-Overall-Score,123.htmlhttp://www.tomshardware.com/charts/workstation-graphics-charts/SPECapc-Solidworks-2007-Overall-Score,123.htmlhttp://www.hawkridgesys.com/


16/16


o SolidWorks Network License Managero SolidWorks Workgroup PDM Server and Viewer (Scroll to the Bottom)o 3DVIA Composero eDrawings

Hawk Ridge Systems Authoredo Recommended hardware guideo SolidWorks Enterprise PDM Clients and Server

This information is subject to change without notification. Please make sure you are usingthe most

current version of the document.If you have any questions or find that there are discrepanciesbetween this document and the SolidWorks website or documentation, please contactHawk Ridge

Systems Technical Support.
http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.htmlhttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/PDMSystemRequirements.htmlhttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/9251_ENU_HTML.htmhttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/9251_ENU_HTML.htmhttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.htmlhttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.htmlhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/EPDM_Hardware_Guidelines.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/EPDM_Hardware_Guidelines.pdfhttp://www.hawksupport.com/esupport/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=497http://www.hawksupport.com/esupport/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=497http://www.hawksupport.com/esupport/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=497http://www.hawksupport.com/esupport/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=497http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawkridgesys.com/support/http://www.hawksupport.com/esupport/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=497http://www.hawksupport.com/esupport/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=497http://www.hawksupport.com/downloads/EPDM_Hardware_Guidelines.pdfhttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.htmlhttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/9251_ENU_HTML.htmhttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/PDMSystemRequirements.htmlhttp://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.htmlhttp://www.hawkridgesys.com/

hrs hardwareguide

Documents