I am just curious if you guys could sound off as to how often you guys upgrade or replace your computers/hardware w/in your respective companies? every 3 years, 4 years, 5 years?

Do you replace all of your equipment at once, or rotate through, a couple of work stations at a time.

Additionally, do you guys (or gals) spec computers based on what you think your computing requirements will be, or do you just build a super tough workstation that will last as long as possible?

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Swim - Bike - Run ...Repeat
@BreakingChad
The Company Website

We do our CAD workstations around every 3-4 years and generally buy the best we can at each interval. The rest of the computers around here are not replaced unless they die, simply because they are only running Word or Excel and upgrading those is not worth the money. We will also replace if we are changing the OS across the company.

We generally have been replacing 1 workstation first to try its hardware layout and then after its working fine we go ahead and do the other station. We only have 2 Workstations here so its not a big overtaking.

All of my Workstations are under 3 year leases. They are all pretty stacked as far as power.
The one I am on now is:
HP Z800 Workstation running Windows 7 Pro
Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU X5650 @2.67 Ghz (2 processors)
24 GB of Ram
NVIDIA Quadro 5000

Most of them are on the same schedule to come and go. However, there are a few that have a different timing on their leases. It just depends on when they were added as to when the 3 year clock starts.

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Todd Hudgins

This is good information guys. Thanks.

Sent from my HTC Rezound using Forum Runner

We replace our CAD machines every 2-3 years, and the re-assign the old machines to new uses in departments that don't need quite as much power as we do... like the shop floor for example. There are only 2 of us, so we usually spec out based on the most power available at the time of purchase.

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ChrisB IV 2011 Tube & Pipe (mostly)
Windows 7 Pro 64 Bit, Dell Precision T7500
NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600

"I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said: "I drank what?!""

We will replace the machine until it was broken down.

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Thinking carefully before acting.

Chad...the consensus has always been 3-5yrs depending on the workstation or desktop purchased...if your budget only allows for "B" or "C" and you really need "A"...then 3yrs...but if "A" is approved then 5 yrs.

The consensus would also tell you that a large number of folks are still running 32bit (XP or Vista) and have not made the leap into 64bit...this I think is where you drive your point home when going for "A"! ...its almost absurd to buy 32bit these days for a CAD workstation.

If a company was SMART they would lease through a major mfg (Dell/HP/Lenovo/ etc...) and setup a schedule of workstation swap outs every 3 yrs either by alternating years per workstation (1 per yr) or all at once if desired...IMHO that's only do able if < qty of 10.

The "Lease" option makes it a constant budget item appose to a LARGE $$$ hit every 3-5 yrs which is frankly the issue in most cases which stretches the purchase out 6-7 yrs in some cases...

...so its makes sense to lease because #1) always have relevant spec workstations #2) a consistent workstation budget ...and #3) Most likely a lease program will include a service contract or the budget will allow for one.

I'm not positive what the actual Financial benefits of the "Lease" options are besides not having to deal with a large hit a once, but I suspect less taxes on assets because you do not own...and I think its classed different on budgets (i.e. Capital vs. Expenditures???)

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Steve Robbins
Inventor Design Solutions & Innovations
"I believe in being an innovator " - Walt Disney
@_iDSi

_iDS, I am not sure...typically, our work stations get passed on to other users in the company who don't require the power we do to run excel and the intergoogle and such. I would think you can't write off much on a computer since they depreciate so quickly, due to the exponential growth of technology from year to year.

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Swim - Bike - Run ...Repeat
@BreakingChad
The Company Website

You can pretty much deduct the full cost of the PC in a single year. Sometimes accounting will do it over a couple of years, but it is pretty easy to do it all at once with the way technology changes.

Apparently we waited too long on some of our servers.... It's hard to get much work done with the Vault server dead as a doornail.

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ChrisB IV 2011 Tube & Pipe (mostly)
Windows 7 Pro 64 Bit, Dell Precision T7500
NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600

"I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said: "I drank what?!""

"Avg" IT Dept = Reactive

"Above Avg" IT Dept = Proactive

Its a shame most are "Avg"

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Steve Robbins
Inventor Design Solutions & Innovations
"I believe in being an innovator " - Walt Disney
@_iDSi

Where I use to work, policy was determined by financial and keeping the engineers productive. It varied from 1.5 to 3 years. For me personally, it was closer to 6 years, but I would typically over buy so I had some confidence my PC or laptop would still be reasonable by the time I re-purposed it. I am still using some much older, because it is impossible to find a laptop with a real serial port, which some industrial controllers still require.