Workstation or PC: How to Decide What Type of System Is Right for You

Workstation Advantage Versus PC: Comparison Brief

From Computer Aided Design (CAD) to number-crunching to video editing, compared to a desktop PC an entry-level workstation will provide intelligent performance for many applications. Still, not everyone needs a workstation. A typical office worker running standard office applications such as word processing, e-mail, and presentation software will get all the performance needed from a standard business PC.

However, designers, engineers, financial analysts, and researchers running more demanding applications – rendering complex graphics, digital content creation, and financial analysis and computations – can expect to be more productive, creative, and satisfied using a workstation. Even office “power users” will most likely find that an entry-level workstation is a smart investment that enables new capabilities that can help increase productivity, improve reliability, and limit downtime.

The Workstation Advantage

Workstations are purpose built for high performance and heavy workloads. They are also designed so you can tailor the system, and the price, to match your application requirements in five key ways:

Faster Rendering for Complex Graphics A workstation is designed to support one or more professional-grade graphics cards, while a PC typically supports only consumer-grade cards. Anyone working with detailed 2D or 3D graphics can expect to see dramatic improvements in system responsiveness using a workstation, even if the two systems are otherwise identical. In addition, entry systems based on the new Intel® Xeon® processor E3 family with Intel® HD Graphics P3000 present users with optimized graphics built in that reduce the need for third-party graphic cards. It delivers the graphics performance and quality demanded by many CAD, media, and entertainment applications.

Read the full Workstation Advantage Versus PC Comparison Brief.