Shuttle XPC worth upgrading? And how?

[benha1]

Hello!

I'm less of a computer person and more of a mechanical person, but I use a computer regularly to design mechanical stuff (SolidWorks).

My current system was never designed for CAD in the first place (unsupported graphics card means some features are unavailable) is getting out of date. I'm trying to decide whether to upgrade what I have or start over. I'd love a little advice.

The system is a Shuttle XPC (bummer because the motherboard isn't a standard size).
It's from around 2011 or so and is equipped with 8GB of memory and an i5-2400 CPU @ 3.1GHZ.

Is this something I could readily add a faster processor, some additional memory and a Quadro board to and have a reasonably modern machine? Or does the age of the motherboard mean I'm going to run into limitations on that front?

If it does make sense to upgrade the machine, how do I go about figuring out what processor maxes out the capabilities of the MB without being incompatible or overkill?

If it's relevant, the SystemID for this machine is SH67H0101-B1-00.

Thanks for any guidance!

-Ben

 

[ac13044]

upgrading to todays tech then Imo. i5 6th gen for all of your works. gpu gtx 970/980/1050/1060/1070/1080. A powerful machine.

if installing new components then upgrade the gpu to listed above your choice

 

[James Mason]

This right?
http://global.shuttle.com/main/productsSpec?productId=1477

Yeah, you can upgrade it a bit.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($356.00 @ Amazon)
Memory: Mushkin Essentials 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($149.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PNY Quadro M2000 4GB Video Card ($422.00 @ Jet)
Total: $927.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-10 12:31 EST-0500

Quadro cards aint cheap though, even the low end ones.

 

[benha1]

That's exactly the machine, James, thanks for the component list!

Does that strike you as a wise investment relative to spending another $5-600 for something like one of the new HP Z2 workstations?

(If I go the upgrade route I may also look at either the K1200 Quadro or one of the Firepro cards to keep the costs down a bit.)

 

[James Mason]

Considering the Z2 is ready to go and cheaper, it probably is the smarter option for you.

Turn the shuttle into a web browser system for someone else.

Though depending on how important CAD/Solidworks is for you/your job, it may be worthwhile to spend more for a stronger system.

 

[benha1]

Sorry - the Z2 isn't cheaper. It's like $1500 for a version with Quadro graphics and reasonable memory, so it would be $500-600 _more_ than upgrading the XPC.

 

[James Mason]

Sorry - the Z2 isn't cheaper. It's like $1500 for a version with Quadro graphics and reasonable memory, so it would be $500-600 _more_ than upgrading the XPC.

Lol, oh then you should probably upgrade the XPC.

Maybe look up some solidworks benchmarks for the various quadro cards to decide what's the best for you.

 

[benha1]

Thanks for the replies! This is super helpful.

Cheers.