We just had a good presentation on this at our local
TradeStation User Group meeting last night.
You don't need any "special" machine to run TS or to
trade. Just get a machine with lots of RAM (1 Gig will generally do, but
2 is better), a pretty fast hard drive and a pretty fast processor (they
don't have to be the latest and most expensive) and you will be fine.
If you run multiple monitors, make sure you have a good
graphics card and don't use the CPU for driving the monitors. You will
not save any money be specing out a machine as any manufacturer produces
machines to company specs in volume to reduce costs. Your one-of-a-kind
will be more expensive.
Your most intensive CPU usage is generally when you are
backtesting and optimizing systems and not when you are trading, useless you
have many, many indicators running.
There are ways to streamline and raise the efficiency of
EasyLanguage code if you are running a lot of indicators. Change the
function calls to straight code and change the indicators to update only when
there is a price change and you will probably save about 30% or better on CPU
overhead.
Also, be sure you look at the minimum and preferred
hardware for MS Vista, the operating system that Microsoft will introduce next
year (they say). You don't want to get something that is outdated in a
year or so.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2006
11:06 AM
Subject: [RT] Trading Computer
Specs
I'm in the market for a new trading computer. I trade primarily the
Dow Jones mini using Tradestation with a 2 monitor display containing
20 charts and two time & sales windows.
I've always purchased
Dell in the past, and to a large extent have
been pleased. But now I'm
wondering if purchasing a computer
specifically designed for trading may
by a better route. I've talked
to both TradingComputers.com and
CustomTradingComputers.com. They've
both specked out machines that
cost about twice as much as similar
systems that I've specked out myself
at Dell. Both claim that the
parts that they specify in combination will
run faster and more
efficiently than anything that Dell can
provide.
What do the more experienced traders in the group do when
they want
to upgrade to a new trading machine? Is it worth the extra
money to
have it designed by a trading computer specialist, or can I
spec out
a comparable machine myself and save allot of money? If the
latter is
the case, what sort of specs would you
recommend?
Thanks in advance,
Bob