Hardware Requirements for Development Machines

Question

Given that:

• SSD is now [high end] mainstream
• Two + cores are not hard to meet
• 24 + monitors galore
• Dual video outputs are the norm.
• 64-bit OSs complement very cheap memory.

Can I ask two questions to hardware enthusiast developers [not gamers!]

• What high-quality hardware element could you not develop without - [what is your hardware crutch?]

• What does the base dev machine look [no frills], and what basic features should be needed to ensure that any developer can still be productive?

Note. Perhaps it is worth mentioning what the platform and dev-env are for your baseline?

Answer 1

Absolute must have a good monitor, which is easy on the eyes, after which you look at it all day. I drive with a 24-inch Samsung (forget the model). I used two monitors, but I prefer one wide screen. You need to be able to receive documents and code on one screen.

Secondly, a good chair and a desk (sorry, not very technical).

This was ultimately followed by a large amount of RAM (minimum 2 Gbit). As soon as you overcome any beating due to paging, you are fine. Everything that has a dual core has sufficient processing power.

Answer 2

The most important hardware update (and the most underrated) is the monitor.

If you code 8+ hours a day, don't be shy about the costs and get a good maximum of 24 "at least, or even a couple of them.

Answer 3

It completely depends on what you are developing for. Take target system requirements and double them, and use them as your minimum specifications for development machines. This may seem strange, but it is about the fact that I found what I need, at least when developing various projects.

As others have said, the importance of getting good monitors, keyboards, and chairs is underestimated. If you are going to spend a lot of time on this PC, this is very important.

RAM is cheap, and you probably will not have enough. If you are using 32-bit Windows, the maximum size is 4 GB of RAM. If you use another OS that supports more than 4 GB of RAM (for example, Linux or 64-bit Windows), start with a minimum of 8 GB, and if you are working on multimedia projects, you can be ready to upgrade from there.

The best hit for the dollar on processors seems to be a quad-core processor right now, so I would say that a minimum of a quad-core processor (2.4 GHz or so) should be minimal. You may not see much difference going up, but until you reach the dual quad core, which is a big jump in prices.

Find a reliable hard drive or two. Reliability and speed will be more important than size. Personally, I am currently working on a pair of 640-gram western digital discs on all the machines I create.

Answer 4

• Monitor 24 inches or more.
• The base Dev machine would be a 15-inch MacBook Pro with 4 GB of RAM. (For web development)

Answer 5

A couple of the fastest hard drives available. I never found out how to separate separate and fast disks System and Data.

(And please, none of these slow SSDs that you usually get currently on laptops ≤ $$ 2000 - if you really want to hop on the SSD train, you get the right solution, otherwise you could use a 32GB SDHC card )

Answer 6

A study was conducted on the optimal size of computer monitors at the University of Utah. An article in Wall Street magazine . Not surprisingly, large monitors will increase the speed of work. Surprisingly, the optimal size seems to be 26 inches. However, there is no explanation why.

Answer 7

I am not a developer, but I am sitting at a computer all day.
For me there should be a table that is good height or easy to set up, I prefer dual monitors, a 26-inch and a second wide screen that can be rotated sideways to view documents full length without having to scroll a lot, a dual-core computer (preferably 4 ) and in the east there is a 4 GB bar (I usually do a lot of vm work), and as mentioned above, a good chair that has lumbar support and will allow me to lean back when I read or reflect on the situation, the latter for me I was specific, because I have glasses and I can hear high frequencies, I prefer to have an incandescent lamp with a slightly warm spectrum. I hear fluorescent ballast above someone playing loud speakers. fewer glare, and I can focus my eyes on longer periods of time with incandescent bulbs.

Answer 8

Ram, a lot and a lot of ram. Ram offsets many performance bottlenecks.

But make sure you keep track of the memory usage of what you are building. When you create an application with 60 MB of space on a system with 2 gigabytes of developer tools loaded at runtime, it is easy to lose this track in noise, even when it doubles.

Don't bother wrapping yourself around a high-performance processor. The processor is the most advanced component in modern systems. A standard cheap dual core should be more than enough. Compilations are usually associated with a disk, not with a processor binding, so money is better invested in a faster disk.

Answer 9

Dell Outlet sells 30-inch LCD monitors for around $ 800.00. This is a good place to start. In addition, invest time in customizing your OS to your needs and automate as much as possible.

I like it when I tell people: "I will switch to the newest Mac when it somehow helps me launch more terminal windows and text editors." Until then, you better save money on the new machine and invest it in a decent monitor and keyboard.

Answer 10

It depends on the project.

For applications with large images, such as applications for medical images, you may need: large monitors (we need to properly and thoroughly view the images), powerful graphics, lots of RAM and a good processor (applications with images usually require a lot of energy).

Answer 11

I am going to repeat most people on the part of large monitors, and you can always use a pair well.

Secondly, it is a good keyboard. What this means depends on which keyboard design school you sign up for. I am with an ergonomic camp.

After that, there is 2Gb + RAM and a recent desktop processor (everything that has been released in the last 2-3 years).

Answer 12

As already mentioned, large monitors are needed. These days it’s not so expensive to have 2 connections to the car. At work, I was lucky that I was connected to one computer, and it is of great importance for the way I work.

A decent keyboard and mouse are needed. Over the past 10 or so years, I have always used my own mouse and keyboard to work, as you tend to finish everything that comes from the PC manufacturer. I use an ergonomic Microsoft keyboard and it is very difficult to find in the workplace, or get your employer to hammer on one, but I never worked anywhere where the employer had a problem in accepting you.

Answer 13

High-performance hardware I can not do without :

• Ergonomic Kinesis Keyboard ($ 300)

  2. Fast dual SATA drives striped for speed ($ 150).

Affordable luxury that I could do without:

• Dell 30 "Widescreen Monitor ($ 900)

  4. Twin Velociraptor Hard Drives ($ 600)