PW's workstation hardware survey results are in. How does your workstation compare?
After collecting our data, we ran the numbers and came out with some expected, and some surprising results.
The first point is to understand if you are using a standard PC for your projects or a workstation. At PW we feel that there are many good reasons for using a workstation. The counter-implication is also in that statement ... if the good reasons for using a workstation do not apply to you, then it is OK to not use a workstation for your projects. In our survey, a clear majority are workstation users.
Are you using a PC or a professional workstation?
Nearly 70% of our respondents are running on workstation class machines, and as we see in future answers, some of those configurations are rather robust. It was a small surprise to see this number above two-thirds of the respondents.
The next question further classifies the system as a desktop or mobile computer. The desktop systems carried the day.
Is your system a desktop or a mobile workstation?
To see only 15% mobile workstations surprised us. We expected a number just above 20%.
As for the most popular brands of workstation, it was not a surprise to see HP and Dell with the highest numbers.
Which brand of workstation do you use?
Interestingly, 15% of respondents use an alternative to a major workstation brand.
A key characteristic of professional workstations and a point that differentiates a workstation from a standard PC is the ability to have a dual processor workstation. Not every user needs 2 CPUs, but the extra processing power comes in handy for users in simulation, analysis, realistic rendering and ray-tracing.
How many processors does your workstation have?
The 26% of dual-processor systems is a surprise. PW expected 5% - 10%. This number is more impressive since we know that 15% of the workstations are mobile workstations and therefore single-processor machines.
One of the most cost-effective paths to higher productivity is to configure your workstation with 2 or more displays. PW posed an open-ended question and offered options for 1, 2, 3, and for more than 3 displays.
How many monitors do you use with your workstation?
The fact that multiple display systems out-numbered single display systems by almost 2 to 1 shows a recognition of the value of multiple displays.
A "standard" mouse is standard equipment. A 3D mouse is a very common accessory and it is used by more than 1/4 of our survey respondents.
Which input devices do you use? (select all which apply)
Workstation technology improves year after year. This question looks at the age of the systems being used today.
How old is your workstation?
These results are good news for most of you out there. 80% of the systems are three years or less in age. None-the-less, almost 1 in 5 workstations is older than 3 years and are due for replacement. 2016 is a great year to refresh as a new wave of technologies has been released - new processors, next-gen graphics, faster SSD storage, and increases in memory speeds and capacities.
The PW Perspective
So how does your workstation compare to our survey results?
It is good to see such a high percentage of users on professional workstations. PW finds it encouraging, albeit a little unexpected, to see the number of workstation users compared to PC users. It was also interesting to see the majority using multiple displays as well as to see a healthy % of customers using 3D mice. Last but not least, the age-spread of workstations looks quite reasonable.
And the winner is:
At PW, we value you input and try to respect your time. For this reason, PW offers a prize drawing at the close of a survey. One of our respondents, Jeremie from Annecy, France, was selected as the winner of a 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse Pro. We congratulate Jeremie, and we extend our thanks to each of you who participated.
