A Product Review by Michael Anonuevo Introduction walkthroughs, one of the things I did a few months back was conduct a research on computer systems optimized for these types of Revit tasks. It is a subject matter that I know will occupy a chapter on its own in the eBook. I’ve looked at brand names such as HP, Dell, Lenovo, and Asus. However, I could not find any computer system specifically targeted for Revit modeling. By chance, I ran into a colleague who suggested that I look into BOXX computer workstations (www.boxxtech.com . I had never heard of the company, although I found out later that they had been around for the last 15 years! As a full time Revit modeler who is always busy creating complex families or writing about them, I never really got into the details of a good Revit computer workstation. And so with this new eBook project, I had a chance to look at a workstation made for Revit. After emailing my credentials and review proposal to a BOXX specialist, I was connected to the right channels and eventually was sent a unit for evaluation.
referred to as The World’s Fastest Workstation for Autodesk Revit . On the internet, you’ll find great reviews about this workstation, including its technical details and specifications. To avoid being redundant, the main focus of this review is how effective this workstation is for Revit Architecture users. I will, however, highlight certain features worth taking a look at. makes this workstation special from the rest of the pack? How does this computer compare to yours or other workstations? These questions (and many more) are tackled in this review. If you are in the process of upgrading your Revit workstations or want to add a dedicated power workstation for generating renderings and walkthroughs, this article will help you decide which system to purchase.
The 3DBOXX 4920 XTREME Workstation programs and tests I’ll be running. Based on my input, they sent me a customized 3D BOXX 4920 XTREME workstation with the following specifications:
Intel Core i7 Six Core Enhanced Performance Processor (4.5 GHz)
32GB DDR3 1600 (8 DIMMS) NVIDIA Quadro 4000 2GB 180GB & SSD SATA 6Gb/s; second 240 SSD 20X Dual Layer DVD±RW Writer Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition 64−Bit Logitech USB Keyboard & M500 Laser Corded Mouse BOXX Premium Support 1 Year (Years 2 and 3 Standard) − US and Canada Only BOXX 3 Year Limited Warranty Price as tested: $6,499.00 (basic configuration price: $2,980.00)
Note: This computer is going to be referred to in this article as the 4920 . For Comparison… brand name computer with the following specifications:
Intel Core i7-930 Four Core 2.8 GHz (up to 3.0 GHz turbo)
24GB DDR3 (6 DIMMS) ATI Radeon HD 5770 1 GB 1 TB SATA SuperMulti Blue-ray Player with Lightscribe Technology drive Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition 64−Bit USB Keyboard & Wireless Mouse
Note: This computer is going to be referred to in this article as the i7-930 . Miscellaneous equipment used for both systems:
3Dconnexion Space Mouse Pro
3Dconnexion SpacePilot Pro 32 GB Flash Drive 500 GB Western Digital Passport HD Two-BENQ EW2420 24″ monitors 1-LG Flatron W2486L 24″ monitor Alesis 6-track mixer 2-KRK Rokit 5 powered speakers 1-KRK Rokit 10 powered subwoofer 1-name brand laptop w/ Intel Core 2 Duo processor
How the 4920 was Evaluated That meant installing all the programs and utilities I use on a daily basis. The workstation came at a time when I was finishing the Metric versions of my family modeling eBooks (Creating Custom Revit Architecture 2012/2013 Families). By doing so, I was able to observe and record how the 4920 fared in multi-tasking. On any given day, depending on the topic I’m writing about, I could have as much as four to fifteen applications open at the same time. Unpacking the Box
Manuals & DVD pertaining to the motherboard and power supply
Windows 7 Ultimate DVD and a 4 GB bootable thumb drive containing various drivers Spare parts (screws, various cable connectors, extra front grille filter, & a display port adapter) Hardware warranty papers Black promo T-shirt
Turning the Computer On Windows Experience Index 4920 :i7-930 :Taking a Closer Look at the 4920 Overall Appearance
1.
Lightscribe technology enables users to create direct-to-disc labels as opposed to stick-on labels using its optical disc writer (special discs and a compatible disc writer are required).
2. 5 1/4″ bay3. 4.
Released in 2008, USB 3.0 is ten times faster than USB 2.0 in terms of connectivity bandwidth. It is backwards compatible with USB 2.0.
5. Microphone jack6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
This is a button that allows an external update of the firmware from a flash drive. The flash drive is plugged into the USB 2.0 port (with the white plastic tab) above it then this button is pressed. A light flashes during the process and stops when the update is completed.
6. S/PDIF port.
S/PDIF stands for Sony-Phillips Digital Interface. This is a sound port that enables the 4920 to be connected to an external home theater audio system with the use of a TOSLINK (Toshiba Link) cable. It provides a digital output with the best signal quality.
7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 1.
80 plus Gold is a certification that allows consumers to know which power supplies are the most efficient. The certificate guarantees that the power supply is able to present efficiency of 80%, thereby allowing users to save money on electricity bills.
2. Intel Core i7 3960X Extreme Edition processor with Intel X79 Express chipset; six cores and twelve threads; over-clocked at 4.5 GHz
Over-clocked means the processor was made to run at a faster speed than it was intended for. The advantage of overclocking is higher performance in CPU intensive tasks.
3. 4.
When a processor is over-clocked, it generates more heat. Liquid cooling is a highly effective way of removing excess heat. The principle used in this system is similar to that used in cars. Liquid is circulated through a block mounted on the CPU and out to the radiator.
5.
This GPU falls under the High-End category of NVIDIA’s line of Professional 3D graphics processors for workstations. It is 8 times faster than previous generations and delivers performance gains in intensive tasks such as ray tracing, video processing, and animation.
Note: Just recently, I discovered that this product comes with NVIDIA nView Desktop Manager, a neat program that organizes desktops across multiple displays. Had I known about it at the time I received the BOXX workstation, I would have used it to my advantage. For example, it allows the taskbar to span multiple monitors. Therefore, when an application that is open on a second monitor is minimized, it can be restored at the extended taskbar below it without having to go to the first monitor. Watch this YouTube video clip to see the other features of the software demonstrated for AutoCAD (also applicable to Revit): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqswLrXxgBE
6.
2-PCIe x 16 slots (at x16) Blue (one occupied by the NVIDIA card)
2-PCIe x 16 slots (at x8) Black 2-PCIe x 16 slots (at x4) Gray
A BOXX trademark on its line of high end workstation is a separate compartment housing the hard drive and solid state drive (SSD) bays. It is located behind the chassis and accessed through a detachable metal door similar to the chassis’s door.1. 2.
Solid state drive uses flash memory that delivers superior performance. There are no moving parts, hence they are faster and more efficient and durable. SSDs requires less power to operate. They weigh less and very easy to install.
3. 4.
This the i7-930′s second hard drive which I installed to compare its performance against the SSDs.
BOXX does not spare any expense in building a high quality workstation. This is evident in the enclosure’s 1/8″ thick metal top and pair of solid metal feet.Testing & Evaluating the 4920 Multitasking to find out how the computer fared in multitasking. The main program I use for writing and laying out the eBook pages is Indesign CS5. This workflow requires that Revit 2012 and 2013 are open as I am documenting and capturing images of Revit tasks. Here is the list of all open programs in my eBook writing process:
Adobe InDesign CS5
Autodesk Revit Architecture 2012 Autodesk Revit Architecture 2013 Adobe PhotoShop Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel Adobe Acrobat Snagit Screen Ruler Google Chrome Notepad
On a typical eBook writing day, I would also occasionally have the following applications open:
Skype
Microsoft Outlook Internet Explorer Windows Media Player Pandora itunes
It was no surprise that any task I did with the 4920 was faster than my i7-930. However, with the i7-930, I would have to occasionally restart the computer to regain memory for InDesign and PhotoShop. Like a CAD program, InDesign starts to load and save longer as the file size increases. When I reached over 700 pages filled with tons of graphics, switching back and forth with InDesign and other programs became painfully slow with the i7-930. For example, when I was capturing any Revit modeling tasks with Snagit and switching back to InDesign, I had to wait about 7 seconds or more before InDesign became the active application. With the 4920, it only takes two seconds or less. Switching between the two Revit versions or other programs were almost instantaneous with the 4920. I probably could have finished producing my eBook projects in half the time (or less) it took to finish them in my i7-930.
Copying files from an external hard disk
Opening applications such as Word, Excel, Acrobat, PhotoShop, Revit Architecture 2012, and Revit Architecture 2013
VIDEO Revit and the 4920
In Revit’s family editor, I model very fast. By that, I mean sketching fast in sketch mode, switching views, loading groups or nested families, typing values, etc. The 4920 is one computer that can keep up with the speed at which I model complex families. With the i7-930, there was a lot of time wasted in screen redrawing, loading projects and families, saving, opening files and doing common computer tasks.
It only takes 10.2 seconds for Revit 2012 Recent Files Window to appear (10.3 for Revit 2013) after its icon is clicked from the taskbar. The i7-930 takes 22.9 seconds. One thing I noticed with Revit 2013 is that it takes a few fractions of a second more to do the same tasks done in Revit 2012 on both computers. This is a software issue and while the difference is relatively insignificant, I expect new Revit releases to be more efficient and faster. This is not apparent in the 2013 release. VIDEO
To test the graphics capability of the 4920 in rendering a large size project (519 MB), I put together several projects with linked Revit files as well as DWG files. I also loaded it with numerous highly detailed families as well as complex families such as curtain walls and landscaping, as shown in the following video clip. The view is an aerial view and the render quality was set to Medium, with the lighting scheme set to Sun only.
VIDEO
VIDEO The 4920 as a Music Workstation
Mixcraft 6
Audacity Itunes Finale Acrobat Amazing Slow Downer WAV to MP3 and MP3 to WAV converters Windows Media Player
The sound output on both machines produces high quality digital sound. I did not notice any perceptible difference. The Realtek HD Audio Manager that came with the 4920, however, is very user friendly and easy to configure for customized sound output.How the 4920 and the i7-930 Stacks up with Other Computers 4920 :
i7-930 :4920 :
i7-930 :
The OpenGL test scores for both computers are fairly high, with the 4920 edging the i7-930. In the CPU test, the 4920 scores high among the top systems, which also include the Intel Xeon processors. The i7-930, on the other hand, is at the bottom of comparable systems.Conclusion
CPU
RAM Graphics processor
There are other faster computer systems in the market, however, these are geared for gaming. The thing to keep in mind is the importance of having the right combination of processor and Autodesk certified graphics card. RAM is cheaper these days, so we can potentially max it out to our advantage. If that doesn’t do it and you’re in the market for a high end Revit workstation, I suggest you do the following:
2. BOXX offers a 30-day risk free trial. Take them up on it. You don’t have anything to lose (except maybe your computer…because once you experience their workstation, you will want to keep it!). Click on this link for more information:http://www.boxxtech.com/solutions/revit_solution.asp
I highly recommend the 4920. The price is high, but the computer will pay for itself in the long run. You will become more productive, accomplishing more in less time. For now, it is the fastest workstation tailored for Revit. Any model that can outperform this workstation can only come from BOXX…when they come up with a new model based on a newer processor!
About BOXX
