Ultra fast PC - overkill?

[ninjauser]

Is there any benefit in getting a trading-specific i7-based desktop PC over a standard i3 PC which is over the minimum NT requirements?

The PC would only be used for trading. Would be running auto strategies and also manual trading and charting screens. Max screens would be 6 i think but probably 4 would be most frequent.

Thnx

[NinjaTrader_Joydeep]

Hello ninjauser,
Thanks for writing in and I am happy to assist you.
Our minimum system requirement recommendations are as follows:

• Windows XP (SP3 required), Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 2003 Operating System
• Minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768
• Minimum P4 Processor or higher
• 2GB RAM
• Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5

http://www.ninjatrader.com/support/helpGuides/nt7/index.html?minimum_system_requirements.htm

These are the bare minimums in order to ensure proper functionality of NinjaTrader 7, however the amount of charts, indicators and workspaces you are loading may drive your specific requirements up.

There are a number of factors to consider and we do not have any specific recommendations over our minimum requirements.

You may want to check with our technology partner www.tradingcomputers.com who specializes in computers for traders and are familiar with NinjaTrader.
You may also take some time and see the recording of the webinar from Trading Computers.

Click here to see the webinar by Trading Computers.

Since you will be using NinjaTrader with an addon from a specific 3rd party vendor, you should also ask them if you need any special hardware to run their system, or if they have any particular specifications.

Please let me know if I can assist you any further.

[TradeFollowr]

The only advantage I have found to a super fast PC is if you are going to run a lot of tick based strategies that require a lot of data for computations.

For most users, the most important thing is:

memory
graphics card
internet bandwidth

I always have 1 dedicated computer to trading and then another computer I use for development, web surfing etc. I do not do anything but trade on the trading computer - I do not browse sites or do anything that might get it infected or cause a problem where the computer has issues. I also do not want it bogged down.

If you plan on doing a lot of extensive backtesting, that is where a super fast PC can actually help. On the trading side I have never found the need for it really. I make sure I have lots of memory and a good graphics card that takes the load off the cpu.

[ninjauser]

Thanks Guys !

[ct]

I will agree with TradeFollowr and recommend a separate pc or even as simple laptop. Keep your trading PC clean of anything you don't need including Skype, surfing, or email. 4 screens are more than plenty for most trading, even 2 can be enough. Too many monitors can be information overload.

You don't need an expensive 3D gaming graphics card because charts are only 2D. 4 gigs of memory and you should be fine.

One of the keys to be successful at trading is always keep your costs down. Possibly consider just buying a used computer to start. You can then grow from that base configuration to what you need based on how you trade. It takes years to become a successful trader and there are no shortcuts. Many people think they will be the exception and the roads are littered with their dead bodies and empty trading accounts.

I believe strongly in having good tools for the job. You can buy a brand new gold plated hammer at the hardware store but that 20 year old hammer you bought at a garage sale for .50 will get the job done just fine.