[Help] How to organize the PCs/ Workstations?

[cmosbjt]

We have a IC design team and we have a budget to buy either 2 workstations or some PCs. We will install IC EDAs such as ADS/Cadence in these machines. If we buy PC, then we install Linux and using floating license.

My question is, what should we buy, PCs or Workstation? What kind of configuration should I use?

 

[soway]

PC may be more cheap,and fast!
But the support time will cost some of your time.

If you use workstation,the engineer will have a thin client for them.it will cost some your money.

If you use PC,the windows for your design will have some problems.

The configuration is desided by your environment.

 

[ryang]

To critical project, workstation is a must.
My suggestion:
YOu can buy a powerful workstation.Then install tool on it.
Then you can buy some cheap pc.Just use them as clients to log on the workstation.

 

[edavio]

PC is only 32 bits, so it has memory limit. If you are doing IC design, 4G RAM is not enough for you. So, Buy workstation.

 

[sinwave]

I would suggest you buy one used SUN workstation for NIS, NFS and network related managing stuff. An ultra2, ultra30 or ultra60 would be the best performance/price choice.

Spend the rest of money for PCs and use the computing power of those PCs. You may also assign one PC as a file server and put Software RAID on it. In addition, you may utilize another PC as a part-time file backup server and schedule the backup during the night.

Regards,

Henry

 

[eins99]

I knew a company they are doing IC designs. All they used are PCs. Many much powerfull PCs are running linux and they are used for CAD Tools Servers regarding the design-flow final session about P&R, ATPG etc. More less powerfull PCs being eithier running linux or windows are used for front end designs such as RTL coding, compiling, debugging, documentation. And they are running well and do success many more complicated design chips and selling them. So the choice is your own.