Workstation FAQ
So you’re interested in purchasing 1 or more high-performance workstations.
We have some details that might aid your understanding of what is available.
IT currently supports these four Dell's Precisions workstations models. The models numbers are the 3680, 5860, 7960 and 7865. Dell typically refreshes these models every few years. The internal components change throughout the year.
1. What can I do with these computers?
These systems are typically used for Parallel Programming, CAD/CAM design, CFD & FEA, CUDA/GPU programming. If you are interested in CUDA programming, AI, Machine Learning, Tensorflow, Caffe, Keras, PyCuda, these models are best suited for these types of research tools.
2. How much are these?
They range from $1200 to over $250,000. From our experience, most researchers on campus typically have budgets in the $3k -$5k price range for high-end workstations.
3. What kind of warranty does Dell offer?
The standard warranty period is 5 years,
4. What Operating Systems are available?
These systems handle our Campus Windows 11 install as well as our Campus Debian 12 install.
5. What components are available?
Each model has a variety of processor versions, RAM quantities and hard drive and GPU options. The main components that affect the price are processors, RAM and video cards. These are typically the largest costs in a computer and can vary greatly between options.
Key features of each model.
The 3680 can support 1 CPU socket
It's the smallest chassis.
Up to One 24 core Intel Core series processor
Up to 128GB RAM
Up to 20TB of drive space
The 5860 can support 1 CPU socket
It's larger than the 3660 chassis.
Up to One 24 core Intel Xeon processor
Up to 2TB RAM
Up to 56TB drive space
The 7960 can support 1 CPU socket
This is the largest chassis option.
Up to 1 56 core Intel Xeon processor
Up to 4TB RAM
Up to 100TB drive space
The 7875 can support 1 CPU socket
This is the largest chassis option.
Up to 1 96 core AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro processor
Up to 2TB RAM
Up to 56TB drive space
GPU options and considerations.
- Dell uses Nvidia Quadro and AMD Pro WX cards as the base options.
- RSS recommends Nvidia cards as they are the owner and developer of the CUDA programming language and the driver compatibility for Windows and Linux seem more stable and up-to-date, compared to AMD but AMD is gaining ground.
- CUDA/Gaming/Tesla cards range from $800 to $12,000.
- There are CUDA cards that DO NOT work in workstations, these are the H100, A100 and V100 datacenter cards. These cards have no ACTIVE cooling. Meaning, they have no onboard fans, to keep the graphic chips cool. These are designed to only live in datacenter servers, utilizing data center levels of cooling and airflow.
- The fastest current Desktop CUDA card is the Quadro RTX A6000. Dell does offer this card in the larger Precisions chassis.
6. Are these discounted like the laptops and smaller desktops?
We leverage our Dell discount on these systems as well. When users ask about these systems, we invite them to visit us, so we can use our contract website and the users can see all of the available components.
7. Can I add parts later?
These systems are upgradable. Typically, as funding becomes available, users ask about more RAM, larger/faster hard drives or adding another graphics card. Each request is reviewed by an RSS FTE, as Dell does have limited available parts. For example, components for 5+ year old system is going to be hard to find in today’s computing market. Our approach is to do all that is possible to future-proof the hardware, if funding is available. Meaning, building a system that should be able to handle the next two operating system changes or other major OS upgrade. This isn’t always possible, but if the funding is available today, build out what you think you need for the future.
***Disclaimer. Hardware models and operating system changes due occur. We will put forth our best effort to update this information, reflecting those changes.