You have made a serious investment purchasing SOLIDWORKS 2024 that will ultimately help your engineers, designers, and drafters to be more productive. While navigating through the challenging process of choosing their new CAD system, clients often overlook SOLIDWORKS 2024 system requirements and the importance of having the appropriate hardware to support their new purchase.

To help minimize your frustrations and maximize your capabilities, TriMech has compiled this recommended SOLIDWORKS 2024 hardware guide to aid you in the process of upgrading or purchasing new hardware. SOLIDWORKS provides a general list of minimum requirements and recommendations on their website. We suggest using the following recommendations in tandem with those requirements.

Common SOLIDWORKS Hardware Misconceptions

“Build your own custom SOLIDWORKS 2024 system to save money!”

Though building and configuring your own SOLIDWORKS CAD system (workstation) can be fun, TriMech strongly recommends purchasing a pre-configured system from a reputable hardware manufacturer. These workstations have been tested, optimized, and certified to run professional applications like SOLIDWORKS. Your businesses time is better used designing and building great designs with SOLIDWORKS, not troubleshooting compatibility issues with your hardware components.

“Higher numbers are always better”

Do not simply look at raw numbers and specifications when comparing components. Many components will tout similar model numbers and specifications but perform very differently. Consult an IT professional or TriMech technical consultant for additional assistance when assessing hardware components.

“SOLIDWORKS performance is the same every release”

Besides the dozens of new features and enhancements, SOLIDWORKS also takes more and more advantage of hardware technology in each new release. Consider upgrading your SOLIDWORKS to the newest and best version to benefit from these hardware based performance enhancements.

TriMech Recommended SOLIDWORKS 2024 Hardware Configurations

Below, the TriMech technical team has compiled a general hardware recommendations. These recommendations are made based on the purchase of a NEW computer.

For special pricing and promotions for US clients from Dell, visit our hardware page »

1. Multi-processing can greatly aid rendering and analysis computations.
2. Requires hard disk space to install application and ample free space for files and swap space (virtual memory).
3. Consult SOLIDWORKS Hardware Certification page for exact model numbers.

Core Systems Considerations

Processor (CPU)

• The processor can be the single most influential component to your systems overall performance. Generally speaking, the faster the processor, the faster SOLIDWORKS will perform, but here are some other options to consider.
• When purchasing a new computer, TriMech would not recommend anything below a current generation Intel Core i7 or a current generation AMD Ryzen processor.
• Newer series CPUs may show similar clock speeds and cores to previous series CPUs. However, improvements to the overall architecture can yield overall improved performance beyond what raw specifications may indicate.
• The multiple processors, cores, and hyper-threading that come in today’s processors are not widely utilized within the core SOLIDWORKS modeling application. For general modeling, aim for higher clock speeds over number of cores.
• Though multi-processing is not heavily utilized within the core SOLIDWORKS modeling program, they can be helpful to run multiple applications simultaneously on your computer.
• SOLIDWORKS add-ins like SOLIDWORKS Simulation, and SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation do utilize multi-processing capabilities extensively. Prioritize number of cores over clock speed for Simulation workstations.

System Memory (RAM)

System memory is another important component for overall system performance. The amount of RAM directly correlates to the number and size of programs that can run at any given moment on your system. The more RAM you have, the more and larger the programs you can run at peak performance. Not enough system memory results in poor system performance.

• SOLIDWORKS recommends at least 16 GBs of RAM.
• TriMech recommends at least 32 GBs of RAM, at least 64 GBs if you are conducting regular FEA and CFD simulations.
• Additional RAM will not improve performance if sufficient memory space is available. If physical memory resources are exhausted, virtual memory may be used causing poor performance.

Graphics Card

The graphics card is one of the most commonly overlooked component when configuring a SOLIDWORKS workstation. Your graphics  card affects how smoothly the images on screen rotate, zoom, pan, and refresh. Graphics cards can also enable visualization features to display images more realistically.

• It is highly recommended to purchase a workstation class graphics card to run SOLIDWORKS optimally. Consumer class graphics cards are optimized to play the newest video games, but not to run professional applications like 3D CAD and are the most common source of SOLIDWORKS instability.
• The SOLIDWORKS Hardware Certification page provides a comprehensive list of supported graphics cards and certified drivers. Some features, like RealView graphical rendering requires a supported card.
• SOLIDWORKS only supports OpenGL hardware acceleration. Additionally, SOLIDWORKS 2019 and newer leverages OpenGL 4.5 for improved performance with the Enhanced Graphics Performance option enabled.
• SOLIDWORKS Visualize utilizes different GPU architectures for rendering in hybrid and GPU modes. Refer to SOLIDWORKS Visualize requirements for more information.

Hard Drives

Other than acting as storage space for applications and files, the hard drive can play a vital role in your system’s overall performance.

• For optimal performance, SOLIDWORKS recommends a high-speed Solid State Drive (SSD). Though older SATA based SSDs will yield a significant improvement over disk based storage, TriMech would recommends newer higher bandwidth NVMe/PCIe over SATA based SSDs.
• When selecting a drive capacity, allow for a sufficient amount of free space on the drive for virtual memory and scratch space. Drives, especially disk based non-SSDs, run optimally when sufficient “empty” hard drive space is provided.
• Only Windows-based storage is supported. NAS or SAN storage is not officially tested or supported by SOLIDWORKS.

Supporting Software Considerations

Operating System

SOLIDWORKS 2024 is only supported under the Windows operating systems.

• Windows 11 is supported with SW 2022 SP2 and newer.
• SOLIDWORKS 2020 was the last version that supported Windows 7 SP1, (64bit).
• eDrawings 2024 is supported under the macOS 12.0 (Monterey) or higher operating systems.
• Refer to the SOLIDWORKS system requirements page for additional information.

SOLIDWORKS Network License (SNL) Server

Many clients prefer their licenses to be internally networked opposed to activated as standalone licenses. Operating system and hardware requirements for license servers are slightly different than their clients.

• The 2024 SOLIDWORKS Network License (SNL) Server is only supported under the Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016, 2019 and 2022.
• SOLIDWORKS offers support for certain Virtual Environments. Please review the list of approved virtualized environments on the SOLIDWORKS system requirements page.
• For Network Licensing, the default setup requires TCP ports 25734 and 25735 to be open through your firewall for license access.

Partner Software

There are related software packages that work with SOLIDWORKS. Certain older versions of these software packages are not supported by these companies in later revisions of SOLIDWORKS. Check with your reseller or the manufacturer of the software for compatibility and support.

• SOLIDWORKS 2024 supports the use of Microsoft Office 2016 or newer. Word and Excel are needed in order to generate Design Tables, analytical reports, and Excel based BOMs.
• SOLIDWORKS recommends a trusted antivirus product updated to the latest version. Consider adding exemptions for SOLIDWORKS file types in the antivirus software to improve performance with Open/Save/Save As operations.

SOLIDWORKS PDM 2024 System Requirements

SOLIDWORKS PDM uses SOLIDWORKS SolidNetwork Licensing (SNL). Review the SOLIDWORKS Network License Server requirements in addition to these requirements.

• For best performance, TriMech highly recommends a dedicated server environment. Other configurations, such as servers with the addition of domain controllers, have been found to introduce variables that should be avoided whenever possible.
• SOLIDWORKS PDM 2024 Database and Archive servers are only supported in the Windows Server 2019 and 2022 operating system environments.
• SOLIDWORKS recommends at least 8GB of RAM or more for Archive and Database servers. Consult your TriMech SOLIDWORKS PDM Implementation Professional for recommended memory amounts based on your usage and server configuration.
• The processor should be a relatively current Intel or AMD processor. Consult your TriMech SOLIDWORKS PDM Implementation Professional for recommended specifications based on your usage and server configuration.
• SOLIDWORKS PDM Web 2 service requires the Microsoft Internal Information Service (IIS).
• SOLIDWORKS has recently offered support under certain Virtual Environments. Please review the list of approved virtualized environments on the SOLIDWORKS system requirements page.

eDrawings Requirements

eDrawings 2024 is only supported on Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS 12.0 or newer.

• The eDrawings 10.X.X mobile app is supported on both iOS and Android mobile devices.
• eDrawings 2024 supports HTC VIVE and HTC VIVE Pro virtual reality devices for VR viewing of your eDrawing models.
  • HTC VIVE COSMOS and HTC VIVE Focus headsets are not supported.
  • For graphics card and headset requirements for VR viewing in eDrawings, visit the SOLIDWORKS website

SOLIDWORKS Visualize Requirements

SOLIDWORKS Visualize is a photo rendering and animation application that can utilize both the CPU and GPU for rendering tasks (hybrid mode). Along with the general SOLIDWORKS 2024 hardware recommendations, here are some additional considerations if you plan on using SOLIDWORKS Visualize.

• For hybrid and GPU based renderings, SOLIDWORKS Visualize leverages NVIDIA iRay support with CUDA 11 or newer based graphics cards
• SOLIDWORKS Visualize 2022 and newer supports ProRender GPUs found on Radeon and FirePro series graphics cards for hybrid mode.
• SOLIDWORKS Visualize needs at least 2GBs of GPU memory to enable hybrid rendering modes and at least 4GBs to enable the Denoiser feature. 4GBs or more is recommended.
• If budget and motherboard allows, consider dual or quad NVIDIA graphics cards to operate rendering and graphics processes in parallel.
• Check this SOLIDWORKS Visualize Benchmark page for system performance results and additional system configurations recommendations for your SOLIDWORKS Visualize rendering clients.

SOLIDWORKS Network Recommendations

SOLIDWORKS is tested only with Microsoft’s Windows Networking and Active Directory network environments. Novell networks and non-Windows based network storage devices are not tested, supported or recommended.

• TCP/IP network service is required when using SOLIDWORKS PDM.
• Client Workstations require a minimum connection speed of 100Mbps for reliable SOLIDWORKS PDM Server Access. WAN environments have special considerations for bandwidth and latency. Consult your TriMech SOLIDWORKS PDM Implementer for additional information.

The post SOLIDWORKS 2024 Hardware Recommendations appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

NOTE: Detailed Installation guides can be found on our technical support website

NOTE: Need to upgrade SOLIDWORKS PDM? Check out our SOLIDWORKS PDM Upgrade Checklist

HARDWARE

You should always verify that your computer meets the required system specifications.  If possible, standardize the hardware for all users to keep consist performance.  Consider upgrading your hardware if you haven’t done so in a number of years.  Each major version of SOLIDWORKS may require an update to the graphics card driver for certification.

https://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.html
https://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/videocardtesting.html
https://www.javelin-tech.com/blog/?s=hardware+recommendations

SOLIDWORKS PDM

If you have implemented SOLIDWORKS PDM, you must ensure that this has been upgraded prior to SOLIDWORKS upgrades.  Follow our SOLIDWORKS PDM Upgrade Checklist.

STANDARDIZATION AND DOCUMENTATION

To avoid compatibility issues, SOLIDWORKS recommends that you standardize on the same version (major release and service pack) of the software across your organization.  This should include SOLIDWORKS, PDM and Add-ins.

Keeping proper documentation of your upgrade procedure can save you time in future.  This is especially useful if a new CAD Administrator takes over the upgrade process.

BACKUP

Verify that all files have been backed up prior to upgrades.  SOLIDWORKS files saved in a newer major version will not be editable in older versions.  Files can only be opened in the final service pack (SP5) of the previous major release but will have significantly reduced functionality using the interoperability features.

Any customized settings can be backed up using the Copy Settings Wizard

DOWNLOAD

1. Ensure user accounts have been set up in DSx Client & Care portal with appropriate roles: Transitioning to DSx Client Care & Order System
2. Log into the SOLIDWORKS Downloads page
3. Select the version to download
4. Run the downloaded SolidWorksSetup.exe
5. When the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager launches, choose the last option ‘Download and share all files’
6. On the last Summary page you can specify where to download.  By default it will go to Documents\SOLIDWORKS Downloads
7. In a multi-user environment, the full downloaded file set can be shared to reduce download time

NETWORK LICENSE MANAGER UPGRADE (FOR NETWORK LICENSES ONLY)

Network licenses (beginning with 9010…) must have the SolidNetwork License Manager on the same major version or newer than SOLIDWORKS clients.  Before upgrading clients to a newer major version, the License Manager on the server will need to be upgraded and reactivated first.  Existing License Manager Server installations can be directly upgraded.

1. Run Setup.exe from the downloaded files obtained above (same installation fileset)
2. Choose Server Products > SolidNetwork License Manager
3. Once the install/upgrade completes, reactivate the License Manager

SOLIDWORKS UPGRADE

1. Log into Windows using the Local Administrator user account.  Full local permissions are required for a proper installation
2. Run Setup.exe from the download folder
3. Follow prompts to add/change any serial numbers, products or installation locations

ACTIVATION OF SOLIDWORKS (FOR STANDALONE LICENSES ONLY)

For standalone licenses (beginning with 9000…), activation may be required on first opening SOLIDWORKS.  Follow the prompts to activate.
NOTE: Moving a license to another computer can be done using the deactivation process

UPGRADE GRAPHICS CARD DRIVER

The new version of SOLIDWORKS may require a different certified graphics card driver.  Verify that your driver is up to date.  Review our article on how to install a certified driver.

The post SOLIDWORKS Upgrade Checklist appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

You have made a serious investment purchasing SOLIDWORKS 2023 that will ultimately help your engineers, designers, and drafters to be more productive. While navigating through the challenging process of choosing their new CAD system, clients often overlook SOLIDWORKS 2023 system requirements and the importance of having the appropriate hardware to support their new purchase.

To help minimize your frustrations and maximize your capabilities, TriMech has compiled this recommended SOLIDWORKS 2023 hardware guide to aid you in the process of upgrading or purchasing new hardware. SOLIDWORKS provides a general list of minimum requirements and recommendations on their website. We suggest using the following recommendations in tandem with those requirements.

Common SOLIDWORKS Hardware Misconceptions

“DIY your SOLIDWORKS 2023 system to save money!”

Though building and configuring your own SOLIDWORKS CAD system (workstation) can be fun, TriMech strongly recommends purchasing a pre-configured system from a reputable hardware manufacturer. These workstations have been tested, optimized, and certified to run professional applications like SOLIDWORKS. Your businesses time is better used designing and building great designs with SOLIDWORKS, not troubleshooting compatibility issues with your hardware components.

“Higher numbers are always better”

Do not simply look at raw numbers and specifications when comparing components. Many components will tout similar model numbers and specifications but perform very differently. Consult an IT professional or TriMech technical consultant for additional assistance when assessing hardware components.

“SOLIDWORKS performance is the same every release”

Besides the dozens of new features and enhancements, SOLIDWORKS also takes more and more advantage of hardware technology in each new release. Consider upgrading your SOLIDWORKS to the newest and best version to benefit from these hardware based performance enhancements.

TriMech Recommended SOLIDWORKS 2023 Hardware Configurations

Below, the TriMech technical team has compiled a general hardware recommendations. These recommendations are made based on the purchase of a NEW computer.

For special pricing and promotions for US clients from Dell, find our partner page at www.dell.com/trimech.

1. Multi-processing can greatly aid rendering and analysis computations.
2. Requires hard disk space to install application and ample free space for files and swap space (virtual memory).
3. Consult SOLIDWORKS Hardware Certification page for exact model numbers.

Core Systems Considerations

Processor (CPU)

• The processor can be the single most influential component to your systems overall performance. Generally speaking, the faster the processor, the faster SOLIDWORKS will perform, but here are some other options to consider.
• When purchasing a new computer, TriMech would not recommend anything below a current generation Intel Core i7 or a current generation AMD Ryzen processor.
• Newer series CPUs may show similar clock speeds and cores to previous series CPUs. However, improvements to the overall architecture can yield overall improved performance beyond what raw specifications may indicate.
• The multiple processors, cores, and hyper-threading that come in today’s processors are not widely utilized within the core SOLIDWORKS modeling application. For general modeling, aim for higher clock speeds over number of cores.
• Though multi-processing is not heavily utilized within the core SOLIDWORKS modeling program, they can be helpful to run multiple applications simultaneously on your computer.
• SOLIDWORKS add-ins like SOLIDWORKS Simulation, and SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation do utilize multi-processing capabilities extensively. Prioritize number of cores over clock speed for Simulation workstations.

System Memory (RAM)

System memory is another important component for overall system performance. The amount of RAM directly correlates to the number and size of programs that can run at any given moment on your system. The more RAM you have, the more and larger the programs you can run at peak performance. Not enough system memory results in poor system performance.

• SOLIDWORKS recommends at least 16 GBs of RAM.
• TriMech recommends at least 32 GBs of RAM, at least 64 GBs if you are conducting regular FEA and CFD simulations.
• Additional RAM will not improve performance if sufficient memory space is available. If physical memory resources are exhausted, virtual memory may be used causing poor performance.

Graphics Card

The graphics card is one of the most commonly overlooked component when configuring a SOLIDWORKS workstation. Your graphics  card affects how smoothly the images on screen rotate, zoom, pan, and refresh. Graphics cards can also enable visualization features to display images more realistically.

• It is highly recommended to purchase a workstation class graphics card to run SOLIDWORKS optimally. Consumer class graphics cards are optimized to play the newest video games, but not to run professional applications like 3D CAD and are the most common source of SOLIDWORKS instability.
• The SOLIDWORKS Hardware Certification page provides a comprehensive list of supported graphics cards and certified drivers. Some features, like RealView graphical rendering requires a supported card.
• SOLIDWORKS only supports OpenGL hardware acceleration. Additionally, SOLIDWORKS 2019 and newer leverages OpenGL 4.5 for improved performance with the Enhanced Graphics Performance option enabled.
• SOLIDWORKS Visualize utilizes different GPU architectures for rendering in hybrid and GPU modes. Refer to SOLIDWORKS Visualize requirements for more information.

Hard Drives

Other than acting as storage space for applications and files, the hard drive can play a vital role in your system’s overall performance.

• For optimal performance, SOLIDWORKS recommends a high-speed Solid State Drive (SSD). Though older SATA based SSDs will yield a significant improvement over disk based storage, TriMech would recommends newer higher bandwidth NVMe/PCIe over SATA based SSDs.
• When selecting a drive capacity, allow for a sufficient amount of free space on the drive for virtual memory and scratch space. Drives, especially disk based non-SSDs, run optimally when sufficient “empty” hard drive space is provided.
• Only Windows-based storage is supported. NAS or SAN storage is not officially tested or supported by SOLIDWORKS.

Supporting Software Considerations

Operating System

SOLIDWORKS 2023 is only supported under the Windows operating systems.

• Windows 11 is supported with SW 2022 SP2 and newer.
• SOLIDWORKS 2020 was the last version that supported Windows 7 SP1, (64bit).
• eDrawings 2023 is supported under the macOS 11.0 (Big Sur) or higher operating systems.
• Refer to the SOLIDWORKS system requirements page for additional information.

SOLIDWORKS Network License (SNL) Server

Many clients prefer their licenses to be internally networked opposed to activated as standalone licenses. Operating system and hardware requirements for license servers are slightly different than their clients.

• The 2023 SOLIDWORKS Network License (SNL) Server is only supported under the Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016, 2019 and 2022.
• SOLIDWORKS offers support for certain Virtual Environments. Please review the list of approved virtualized environments on the SOLIDWORKS system requirements page.
• For Network Licensing, Ports 25734, and 25735 must be open through your firewall for license access.

Partner Software

There are related software packages that work with SOLIDWORKS. Certain older versions of these software packages are not supported by these companies in later revisions of SOLIDWORKS. Check with your reseller or the manufacturer of the software for compatibility and support.

• SOLIDWORKS 2023 supports the use of Microsoft Office 2016 or newer. Word and Excel are needed in order to generate Design Tables, analytical reports, and Excel based BOMs.
• SOLIDWORKS recommends a trusted antivirus product updated to the latest version. Consider adding exemptions for SOLIDWORKS file types in the antivirus software to improve performance with Open/Save/Save As operations.

SOLIDWORKS PDM 2023 System Requirements

SOLIDWORKS PDM uses SOLIDWORKS SolidNetwork Licensing (SNL). Review the SOLIDWORKS Network License Server requirements in addition to these requirements.

• For best performance, TriMech highly recommends a dedicated server environment. Other configurations, such as servers with the addition of domain controllers, have been found to introduce variables that should be avoided whenever possible.
• SOLIDWORKS PDM 2023 Database and Archive servers are only supported in the Windows Server 2016, 2019, and 2022 operating system environments.
• SOLIDWORKS recommends at least 8GB of RAM or more for Archive and Database servers. Consult your TriMech SOLIDWORKS PDM Implementer for recommended memory amounts based on your usage and server configuration.
• The processor should be a relatively current Intel or AMD processor. Consult your TriMech SOLIDWORKS PDM Implementer for recommended specifications based on your usage and server configuration.
• SOLIDWORKS PDM Web 2 service requires the Microsoft Internal Information Service (IIS).
• SOLIDWORKS has recently offered support under certain Virtual Environments. Please review the list of approved virtualized environments on the SOLIDWORKS system requirements page.

eDrawings Requirements

eDrawings 2023 is only supported on Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS 11.0 or newer.

• The eDrawings 10.X.X mobile app is supported on both iOS and Android mobile devices.
• eDrawings 2023 will support HTC VIVE and HTC VIVE Pro virtual reality devices for VR viewing of your eDrawing models.

SOLIDWORKS Visualize Requirements

SOLIDWORKS Visualize is a photo rendering and animation application that can utilize both the CPU and GPU for rendering tasks (hybrid mode). Along with the general SOLIDWORKS 2023 hardware recommendations, here are some additional considerations if you plan on using SOLIDWORKS Visualize.

• For hybrid and GPU based renderings, SOLIDWORKS Visualize requires NVIDIA iRay support with CUDA 11 or newer based graphics cards
• SOLIDWORKS Visualize 2022 supports ProRender GPUs found on Radeon and FirePro series graphics cards for hybrid mode.
• SOLIDWORKS Visualize needs at least 2GBs of GPU memory to enable hybrid rendering modes and at least 4GBs to enable the Denoiser feature. 4GBs or more is recommended.
• If budget and motherboard allows, consider dual or quad NVIDIA graphics cards to operate rendering and graphics processes in parallel.
• Check this SOLIDWORKS Visualize Benchmark page for system performance results and additional system configurations recommendations for your SOLIDWORKS Visualize rendering clients.

SOLIDWORKS Network Recommendations

SOLIDWORKS is tested only with Microsoft’s Windows Networking and Active Directory network environments. Novell networks and non-Windows based network storage devices are not tested, supported or recommended.

• TCP/IP network service is required when using SOLIDWORKS PDM.
• Client Workstations require a minimum connection speed of 100Mbps for reliable SOLIDWORKS PDM Server Access. WAN environments have special considerations for bandwidth and latency. Consult your TriMech SOLIDWORKS PDM Implementer for additional information.

The post SOLIDWORKS 2023 Hardware Recommendations appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

SOLIDWORKS® maintains rigorous standards and works in collaboration with Microsoft® and solution partners to ensure the highest quality experience.

SOLIDWORKS Windows 11 System Requirements

The SOLIDWORKS® System Requirements page provides additional compatibility information which should be referenced prior to any upgrade.

SOLIDWORKS® 2022 SP2 release notes can be found here.

The post SOLIDWORKS support for Microsoft Windows 11 appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

While the following recommendations are intended as a general overview for most SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional vaults, determining proper server and client hardware is one of the first steps that Javelin will provide during a SOLIDWORKS PDM Implementation service.

We strongly recommend that you contact our specialists if you are considering the purchase of any hardware or software for PDM. The optimal hardware and configuration for your vault may vary depending on many aspects, including the number of users, number of files in the vault and other factors.

NOTE:  These recommendations DO NOT APPLY to SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard

Database Server:

• Processor: 4 Cores with 3Ghz or higher clock speed
• Operating System: Windows Server 2019
• Database Software: Microsoft SQL Server Standard 2019 CU4 (see further information regarding licensing below)
• Memory: 32GB (see further information regarding memory below)
• Storage configuration: Windows OS and SQL Server software in RAID 1 SSD ; SQL Database file (.mdf) RAID 1 SSD; SQL Log file (.ldf) RAID 1 SSD

Archive Server:

• Processor: 3Ghz or higher clock speed
• Operating System: Windows Server 2019
• Memory: 16GB
• Storage configuration: Dedicated high speed storage drive(s) for archives

What is the recommended system architecture for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2022 servers?

For medium and large PDM Vaults, It is recommended that a separate, dedicated server be used for the PDM Database Server.  For performance reasons no other databases should be hosted on the same server that is hosting the PDM database.  It is recommended that the SOLIDWORKS PDM Database Server Service (also called the Database Helper service) be installed on the same system that is hosting the SQL Server software.

NOTE: It is strongly recommended that the Microsoft SQL Server software not be installed on a system that acts as an Active Directory Domain Controller, this can lead to several known issues, including security risks.

A separate server should be used for the SOLIDWORKS PDM Archive Server service.  That same server can also be used for the PDM Web2 Server software.

What are the minimum hardware requirements for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2022?

The minimum requirements can be found on the SOLIDWORKS System Requirements page.

What Processor (CPU) is recommended for SOLIDWORKS PDM  Professional 2022?

SOLIDWORKS PDM supports both Intel and AMD processors.

For the Database Server, Microsoft SQL can take advantage of multi core processing.  For optimal performance of PDM functions, it is recommended that the average CPU utilization be kept below 50%.  If average utilization is above 50%, then more cores may be needed.  Please note, If using Microsoft SQL Server Standard Core Licensing, adding additional cores may require also purchasing additional core licenses.  This can be discussed with your Microsoft retailer.

For the Archive Server and Web2 Server components the CPU requirements are much lower.

What Operating System is recommended for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2022 server components?

SOLIDWORKS PDM 2022 is officially supported on the following operating systems:

• Windows Server 2016 (SOLIDWORKS PDM 2023 SP5 will be the last release of SOLIDWORKS PDM that will install on Windows Server 2016)
• Windows Server 2019 (recommended)

NOTE:  Windows Server 2012 & Windows Server 2012R2 are NOT compatible with SOLIDWORKS PDM 2022.  As of the Service Pack 0 release, Windows Server 2022 compatibility has not yet been announced.

What Operating System is recommended for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2022 clients?

As of the Service Pack 0 release, SOLIDWORKS PDM 2022 can only be installed on Windows 10, compatibility with Windows 11 may be announced with future service packs.   SOLIDWORKS PDM 2020 SP5 was the last release compatible with Windows 7. SOLIDWORKS PDM 2022 will not install on Windows 7.

Does SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2022 work in virtual environments?

Yes, however SOLIDWORKS only tests and supports PDM in specific virtual environments. A list of the currently supported virtual environments can be found on the SOLIDWORKS website

Can SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2022 be hosted in the Cloud?

Although SOLIDWORKS does not test PDM in any cloud provider (please see the note regarding non-supported environments bellow), cloud based servers running Windows Server Operating Systems, such as AWS EC2 or Microsoft Azure, can be used for SOLIDWORKS PDM servers.

Javelin offers various PDM cloud based solutions for customers who are interested in moving their data management to this environment.

If you are investigating your own cloud environment, please take note of the following:

• Amazon Web Service’s Relational Database Services (RDS) is not an appropriate option for hosting PDM databases as it does not allow using a db_owner This leads to several issues when using PDM.
• The runtime restricted license of Microsoft SQL Standard 2014 that was bundled with SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional licenses purchased before Fall 2019, cannot be used for cloud based environments. For a cloud based SQL installation, you will need to ensure that you have an SQL Server license with Software Assurance, or use a EC2 or Azure instance that includes the appropriate licensing.
• The latency between the clients to the cloud server must be under 100 milliseconds to prevent issues, best performance will be achieved if latency is below 50 milliseconds. Keep this in mind when selecting your Availability Zone.

What version and release of Microsoft SQL Server is recommended for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2022?

The following releases of Microsoft SQL Server can be used to host PDM Professional 2022 file vault databases:

• Microsoft SQL Server 2016 (SOLIDWORKS PDM 2023 SP5 will be the last release to be compatible with Microsoft SQL Server 2016)
• Microsoft SQL Server 2017
• Microsoft SQL Server 2019 (Recommended)

NOTE:  SOLIDWORKS PDM 2022 is not compatible with Microsoft SQL Server 2014 (SOLIDWORKS PDM 2021 SP5 was the last release that was compatible with Microsoft SQL Server 2014)

The database can be hosted on SQL Server Standard or SQL Server Enterprise, however due to performance limitations SQL Express should not be used to host a SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional vault database in a production environment.

NOTE:  Ensure that you have the proper licensing for the version of SQL that you use for PDM Professional (your Microsoft Software Provider can help you determine if you have all the licenses needed for SQL).

SOLIDWORKS PDM 2022 requires Microsoft ODBC drive 17.3 or later for SQL Server to be installed on the Database Server and the Clients.

How much Memory (RAM) is recommended for SOLIDWORKS PDM 202?

16GB is recommended for Archive Servers.  For the Database server, a minimum of 32GB is recommended, however this should be increased if necessary.  For optimal performance, there should be at least enough RAM fully cache the database files into the memory, plus an additional 4GB for the Operating System and other services.

What storage options are recommended for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2022?

For PDM Archive storage, a hard drive with fast I/O speeds should be used, ideally a Solid State Drive.  Remote disks, such as a UNC share, NAS or SAN are NOT recommended for storing PDM Archives as there are known performance issues with such environments.  Additionally, SAN and NAS devices are not officially supported by SOLIDWORKS.

For the Microsoft SQL Server, it is recommended that the Windows Server OS (with the SQL software installation), database files (.mdf) and log files (.ldf) should each be separated to individual RAID 1 arrays using high speed Solid State Drives.

What are the network considerations for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2022?

SOLIDWORKS PDM Client and Server components must be able to communicate on the following ports:

Client and Database Server:

• TCP 1433
• UDP 1434

Client and Archive Server:

• TCP 3030
• UDP 3030

Client and SolidNetWork License Server:

• TCP 25734
• UDP 25735

If a firewall is in place between the Client systems and the Servers, exceptions must be added for these ports.

NOTE:  These are the default ports used when the server components are installed however these can be changed through adjustments to the settings so always verify which ports your server components are using when creating any firewall exceptions.

As of the 2020 release, SOLIDWORKS PDM no longer utilizes Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.0, allowing it to be disabled if necessary.  However, all previous releases of SOLIDWORKS PDM (2019 and older) require TLS 1.0 to be enabled.

For remote, replicated sites, or cloud based server deployments, network latency between the clients and the Database Server must be less than 100 milliseconds (ms).  Latency above 100ms will lead to severe performance degradation, and above 200ms will result in timeout errors for most PDM functions.  Optimal client performance in a WAN environment will be achieved if the latency between the clients and the SQL Database Server is less than 50 milliseconds.

Which releases of SOLIDWORKS are compatible with SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2022?

The PDM Professional 2022 Add In for SOLIDWORKS is tested and fully supported for use with SOLIDWORKS 2022, 2021 and 2020.  While combinations of PDM Professional 2022 and older versions of SOLIDWORKS such as 2019 or 2018 may work, please note that they are not officially tested by SOLIDWORKS Development and so they are not fully supported combinations.

A newer release of SOLIDWORKS is never supported with a previous release of PDM (for instance, SOLIDWORKS 2022 is not compatible with SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2021).

Starting with their 2019 releases, SOLIDWORKS Composer and SOLIDWORKS Inspection Standalone both include PDM Integration built into their menus.  Starting in 2020, SOLIDWORKS Visualize also includes this integration.

Integrations are available for SOLIDWORKS Electrical and SOLIDWORKS PCB through the installation of additional Integration packages.

Which releases of Microsoft Office are compatible with SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2022?

Microsoft Office 2016 and 2019 are both compatible with SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2022.  It is recommended to use a 64-bit version of Microsoft Office.  As of the Service Pack 0 release, compatibility with Microsoft Office 2021 has not yet been announced.

NOTE:  SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2020 SP5 was the last release compatible with Microsoft Office 2013.  SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2023 SP5 will be the last release compatible with Microsoft Office 2016 and 2019.

What if I am using an environment that is not supported by SOLIDWORKS?

If you choose to set up SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional in an unsupported or untested environment, keep in mind that while it may initially work, issues can potentially develop at any point in the future and it may be necessary to migrate to a supported environment.

If you are implementing SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional with the assistance of the Javelin PDM Services team,  we will assess your situation and advise you on the possible issues that may arise.

SOLIDWORKS PDM Services

Javelin’s team of Certified Experts provide a variety of SOLIDWORKS PDM Services including System Implementation, Health Check Optimization and Upgrades. Choose a PDM Service »

The post SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2022 System Recommendations appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

The following gives details on specific hardware components.  However the entire system should be designed and assembled for optimal performance.  Custom machines can be a cheaper option, however selecting components individually and connecting them together may not be compatible or efficient.  Cooling and thermal management is also an important aspect.  Purchasing a fully built system from a computer manufacturer ensures all components will work together correctly.

• Processor: 3.3 GHz or higher clock speed (preferably more than 4 GHz)
• Operating System:
  • Windows 10 64-bit
  • Windows 11 64-bit (SW2022 SP2 and newer)
• Memory: 32GB to 64GB
• Hard Drive: Solid State Drive (SSD), maintaining at least 20GB free space
• Graphics Card:
  • General assemblies:
    • NVIDIA Quadro P1000/2200
    • AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100/4100
  • Large assemblies with basic parts:
    • NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000/5000 or NVIDIA RTX A2000
    • AMD Radeon Pro W5500/WX5100/WX6100
  • Large assemblies with complex parts:
    • NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000/8000 or NVIDIA RTX A4000/A5000
    • AMD Radeon Pro W6800/WX8200/WX9100
  • SOLIDWORKS Visualize 2022:
    • NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000/8000 or NVIDIA RTX A4000/A5000
    • AMD Radeon Pro W6800/WX8200/WX9100
• Internet Connection: High speed broadband connection for downloading service packs
• File Storage: SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard or SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional

NEW Dell Hardware offer for US Customers: Get a discount on a Dell Certified SOLIDWORKS Workstation through our partner TriMech. View the SOLIDWORKS Workstations »

What are the minimum hardware requirements for SOLIDWORKS 2022?

The minimum requirements can be found on the SOLIDWORKS System Requirements page.

What Processor (CPU) is recommended for SOLIDWORKS 2022?

SOLIDWORKS supports both Intel and AMD processors.

The rebuild process in SOLIDWORKS is inherently linear (parent/child relationship of features) and therefore can only use a single core.  Rebuild performance can be increased by having a faster clock speed of the CPU.

Be aware that the Intel and AMD Boost speeds represent the max speed that can be hit for a period of time.  However it may not reach these speeds in all scenarios or for an extended period of time.  It must remain in specification limits for workload, temperature and power.

Some functionality can leverage multi-thread technology and share the workload over multiple processor cores.  Products such as SOLIDWORKS Simulation and PhotoView 360 can take advantage of multi-threading, as can other areas like the user interface activities.  Having more processor cores can improve performance in these scenarios.

Keep in mind that the fastest machine is no substitute for good design practices.  Minimizing in-context references, utilizing large assembly modes and other performance tools will reduce the load on the processor.  Javelin’s Large Assembly Service can dramatically improve your productivity by improving performance of assemblies through different techniques.

You can test and compare performance of your hardware using the SOLIDWORKS Performance Test and PassMark benchmark tool.

What Operating System is recommended for SOLIDWORKS 2022?

SOLIDWORKS 2022 is supported on Windows 10 64-bit.  SOLIDWORKS 2022 SP2 introduced support for Windows 11 64-bit.

*IMPORTANT: Windows 7 ended support with SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP5
Note: Windows Home editions are not supported

eDrawings and eDrawings Professional 2021 are supported on all operating systems listed above as well as macOS 10.15 and higher, 12.0 to be announced.

Does SOLIDWORKS 2022 work in virtual environments?

Only specific virtual environments are supported.  Visit the SOLIDWORKS Virtual Environment Support page for more details.

Does SOLIDWORKS support Windows Home Editions?

No, SOLIDWORKS does NOT support Windows Home Editions.  You may not encounter any issues using a Windows Home Edition version, however SOLIDWORKS does not guarantee proper functionality using this unsupported operating system.

How much Memory (RAM) is recommended for SOLIDWORKS 2022?

The minimum requirement of RAM indicated on the SOLIDWORKS System Requirements page is at least 16GB.  However larger models and simulation studies may require more memory.  We recommend installing a minimum of 32GB of RAM.    It’s best to use fewer memory chips with larger capacity to leave room for possible expansion in the future.

Increasing the amount of installed RAM will not necessarily improve performance if enough dedicated memory is allocated. However if the required memory exceeds the availability, the use of virtual memory may reduce performance.

What type of Hard Drive is recommended for SOLIDWORKS 2022?

For best performance, a Solid-State Drive (SSD) can provide up to 10x faster performance for open/save tasks compared to a standard Hard Disk Drive (HDD).  SSDs have come down in price over the years and are worth the investment.

Also note that opening files from a local SSD drive compared to opening from a standard disk drive on a network server can be up to 100x faster.  Why do assemblies take longer to open over a network?

Be sure to maintain enough hard drive space after installing for Windows to run effectively.  Keep at least 20GB or 10% of your hard drive capacity as free space.

For even greater performance, you can consider using a NVMe/PCIe SSDs rather than standard SATA SSDs.  These are connected with a much faster interface, but are more expensive.

Also, you may wish to research into using RAID storage (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) to improve performance and security.

What type of Graphics Card is recommended for SOLIDWORKS 2022?

NVIDIA Quadro and AMD Radeon Pro series are certified graphics cards for SOLIDWORKS.  A graphics card with hardware OpenGL acceleration will provide superior performance and stability, especially in 3D model viewing (refresh, rotate, zoom, pan).

The NVIDIA Quadro RTX and RTX Ampere are the latest GPU series and recommended for future growth.  The previous generation NVIDIA Quadro P series will still have powerful performance for those on a budget.  The Quadro T series are specific to mobile workstations.

The AMD Radeon Pro WX and W series are certified, with the W series being the latest.

An Enhanced Graphics Performance option was introduced with SOLIDWORKS 2019.  This takes greater advantage of newer graphics card technology for significant performance improvements.  SOLIDWORKS performance is now scalable as you invest in higher end GPUs.

For SOLIDWORKS Visualize users, renderings leverage the GPU cores directly so investing in a powerful graphics card is beneficial.  Visualize 2019 and prior was only supported with NVIDIA graphics cards.  Compatibility for AMD Radeon Pro graphics cards started with the Visualize 2020.

A full list of certified graphics cards and its associated certified driver for each SOLIDWORKS version can be found on the SOLIDWORKS Graphics Card Drivers page.

Graphics cards designed for “gaming” or multi-media applications, such as NVIDIA GeForce or AMD Radeon cards (not Radeon Pro), do NOT offer maximum performance or stability for SOLIDWORKS. These cards are optimized for a low number of polygons displayed on the screen, but at a high frame rate. CAD applications have the opposite requirement, where polygon count is high (the detail in your design model) but the image does not change rapidly so high frame rates are not as critical.  Using a certified graphics card and driver combo will yield the most stable platform for running SOLIDWORKS.

SOLIDWORKS does not take advantage of multiple graphics cards as only one GPU will be used.  SOLIDWORKS Visualize can use multiple graphics cards to boost rendering performance.  Only the total memory of the weakest card can be leveraged, therefore it would be recommended to use the same models.

The new NVIDIA RTX Ampere series have not been reviewed yet.

What versions of Microsoft Office are compatible with SOLIDWORKS 2022?

SOLIDWORKS has the capability of using Microsoft Excel to create BOMs, Design Tables, and more.  After a new Microsoft Office major version is released, SOLIDWORKS must perform tests and therefore will not be certified on the given service pack at the time.

SOLIDWORKS 2022 is compatible with Microsoft Office 2016 and 2019.  The 64-bit editions are recommended.  Check the Microsoft Products table on the SOLIDWORKS System Requirements page.

Note: Microsoft Office 2013 ended support with SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP5. Microsoft Office 2021 is currently not supported.

Should I store my files locally on my computer or on a network drive?

For maximum performance and stability, files should be worked on locally. Files opened and saved directly over a network connection will always be slower than a local drive and increases the chance of file corruption.  Data management products such as SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard or SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional automatically manage the movement of files from network servers to local disk drives to ensure maximum performance and stability. This is one of the many key benefits of a data management system. Learn more about SOLIDWORKS PDM.

What is the difference between SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard and Professional?

SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard is included with licenses of SOLIDWORKS Professional and SOLIDWORKS Premium.  This provides easy access to standard data management and revision control functionality.

SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional adds more functionality such as multi-site replication and automation.

Read our SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard and Professional Comparison article for further detail.

What are the hardware recommendations for SOLIDWORKS PDM 2022?

Javelin recommends using a dedicated server for running the SOLIDWORKS PDM vault. Besides allowing for maximum performance for the CAD users, using a dedicated server provides version/revision control, workflow process management and custom property management.  Check the server requirements on the SOLIDWORKS System Requirements page.

Javelin provides PDM Implementation and Upgrade Services to have you setup quickly and efficiently.

The post SOLIDWORKS 2022 Hardware Recommendations appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

You can learn more about general SOLIDWORKS hardware requirements for SOLIDWORKS 2021 on our blog.

Be aware that more powerful and expensive computers may not solve simulation studies in a practical timeframe if best practices are not observed.  To learn more about tools and techniques to improve your Simulation studies, we recommend attending a SOLIDWORKS Simulation training course on the topic.  This will provide much greater performance improvements compared to an overly expensive workstation.

The following gives details on specific hardware components.  However the entire system should be designed and assembled for optimal performance.  Custom machines can be a cheaper option, however selecting components individually may not be compatible or have bottlenecks.  Cooling and thermal management is also an important aspect.  Purchasing a machine from a computer manufacturer ensures all components will work together correctly.

NEW Dell Hardware offer for US Customers: Get a discount on a Dell Certified SOLIDWORKS Workstation through our partner TriMech. View the SOLIDWORKS Workstations »

SOLIDWORKS Simulation Hardware considerations

There is a general order of importance of hardware when running Simulation studies:

1. CPU Clock Speed (GHz)
2. Number of CPU cores
3. SSD Hard Drive
4. RAM

SOLIDWORKS Simulation Hardware

Computer Processor (CPU)

All hardware of a computer is important to consider, but the CPU is still the most important component in terms of the speed for running Simulation studies.  The CPU Clock Speed should be the first item to consider.  A number of Simulation processes can only utilize a single CPU core while solving.  Therefore the CPU Clock Speed would be the bottleneck as the other cores will not be used during this time.  Look for a CPU speed closing in on 4GHz.

Be aware that “Boost” or “Turbo” speeds represent the max speed that can be hit, but not sustained.  It may not reach these speeds in all scenarios or for an extended period of time.  It must remain within specification limits for workload, temperature and power.  Given Simulation studies can be long to solve, the CPU will not be able to sustain peak speed.

SOLIDWORKS Simulation and Flow Simulation do take advantage of multiple CPUs and cores.  However don’t expect doubling the number of cores will cut your solution time in half.  Certain operations are inherently linear and therefore cannot take advantage of multiple cores.  Power users typically favour between 4 and 12 cores, though recent tests have found that optimal performance scalability is 8 cores.  It has been suggested that a single CPU with the same amount of cores has slightly better performance compared to the same amount of cores split over multiple CPUs.

Hyperthreading can be misleading.  A system may show 4 cores with 8 logical processors, which indicates this is a quad core machine with hyperthreading enabled.  Each core is divided into two “virtual” cores though each virtual core only has half the bandwidth and power.  While performance is not degraded with hyperthreading enabled, we can’t expect the additional virtual cores to improve performance.

• SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2021 has made improvements in multi-core processing.
• SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation multithreading scalability is optimal on up to 20 cores.

We cannot expect the CPU to have 100% usage all the time.  Larger studies may see better utilization of cores, however Microsoft Windows ultimately manages the CPU usage for each program based on requirements.

Storage

SOLIDWORKS Simulation and Flow Simulation creates a large amount of data.  All of this data is been written to storage drives while the study is running.  Having a high-performance CPU does not define how fast the calculated information is being saved.  Therefore storage drives are a key performance aspect of a system.

SSDs (solid state drives) are significantly faster at read/write commands compared to standard HDDs (hard disk drives).  It’s common to see two drives in a computer, an SSD for the operating system and programs, and a larger capacity HDD for files.  This was typically done for cost savings as high-capacity SSDs can be expensive.  However they have become more affordable over the years and are worth the investment.  The SOLIDWORKS files and Simulation results should also be located on the SSD drive while solving.

NOTE: Never solve a study with the results folder referencing a network location as this will cause significant performance issues.

Use an SSD drive with a read/write of at least 500MB/s if possible.  The temporary result files can be much larger in size while solving compared to the final result file.  Have at least 100GB+ of free space as the temporary results can balloon to many GBs in size for large/complex studies.

Consider investing in an NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) SSD drive for additional performance.  The NVMe interface was designed for SSD storage.  This type of drive looks more like a memory chip.  Standard SSDs have a matching form factor to HDDs so it could connect with the CPU using the legacy SATA (Serial AT Attachment) interface.  NVMe drives are connected to the CPU with a high-speed PCIe socket.

Consider the various possible speeds:

• 125 MBps – Network connection with Gigabit switch, assuming all other cables/switches/ethernet cards match and absolutely no other network traffic
• 220 MBps – Local SATA HDD
• 550 MBps – Local SATA SSD
• 3000 MBps – Local NVMe SSD

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Adding additional memory won’t necessarily speed up your studies.  However without enough RAM you may start running out of physical memory during the solution process, at which point virtual memory is required.  Virtual memory temporarily stores information on local hard drives rather than the RAM chip.  Even solid state drives (SSDs) are significantly slower at saving data compared to RAM chips.

Typically 32GB of RAM is sufficient for most basic studies.  If you are a heavy Simulation user, 64GB of RAM or more is recommended.

Depending on the size/complexity of the study and which solver is being used, more memory may be required.  For example the Direct Sparse solver in SOLIDWORKS Simulation uses roughly 5GB of RAM per 1 million DOFs (degrees of freedom).  Best practices should be taken to reduce the DOFs as much as possible for faster solve times and to minimize the amount of memory required (i.e. mesh controls, symmetry, etc.).

Adding RAM to all memory slots in a computer can actually improve performance, though this does reduce the upgradability.  Plan for current and future models.  If you expect to get into larger projects at some point, consider installing additional memory.

Error correcting-code memory (ECC) can also be beneficial for stability and may be required for motherboards that support Intel Xeon processors.

Graphics Cards (GPU)

While the graphics card does not improve the overall calculation time to solve the study, it does affect the time it takes to view the results.  Having an old graphics card installed with an out-of-date date driver will cause slow performance and issues when trying to view the plots, especially animations.  Be sure to have a SOLIDWORKS certified OpenGL workstation graphics card and install the certified driver.  Read through our graphics card drivers article for more details.

Purchasing the highest end graphics card may sound like it will give you amazing performance, but the cost will be high for marginal improvement.  Consider a mid-range graphics card to have the best balance.  Read through our SOLIDWORKS System Requirement posts for more detail.

The post Hardware Recommendations for SOLIDWORKS Simulation and Flow Simulation appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

While the following recommendations are intended as a general overview for most SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional vaults, determining proper server and client hardware is one of the first steps that Javelin will provide during a SOLIDWORKS PDM Implementation service.

We strongly recommend that you contact our specialists if you are considering the purchase of any hardware or software for PDM. The optimal hardware and configuration for your vault may vary depending on many aspects, including the number of users, number of files in the vault and other factors.

NOTE:  These recommendations DO NOT APPLY to SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard

Database Server:

• Processor: 4 Cores with 3Ghz or higher clock speed
• Operating System: Windows Server 2019
• Database Software: Microsoft SQL Server Standard 2019 (see further information regarding licensing below)
• Memory: 32GB (see further information regarding memory below)
• Storage configuration: Windows OS and SQL Server software in RAID 1 SSD ; SQL Database file (.mdf) RAID 1 SSD; SQL Log file (.ldf) RAID 1 SSD

Archive Server:

• Processor: 3Ghz or higher clock speed
• Operating System: Windows Server 2019
• Memory: 16GB
• Storage configuration: Dedicated high speed storage drive(s) for archives

What is the recommended system architecture for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2021 servers?

For medium and large PDM Vaults, It is recommended that a separate, dedicated server be used for the PDM Database Server.  For performance reasons no other databases should be hosted on the same server that is hosting the PDM database.  It is recommended that the SOLIDWORKS PDM Database Server Service (also called the Database Helper service) be installed on the same system that is hosting the SQL Server software.

NOTE: It is strongly recommended that the Microsoft SQL Server software not be installed on a system that acts as an Active Directory Domain Controller, this can lead to several known issues, including security risks.

A separate server should be used for the SOLIDWORKS PDM Archive Server service.  That same server can also be used for the PDM Web2 Server software.

What are the minimum hardware requirements for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2021?

The minimum requirements can be found on the SOLIDWORKS System Requirements page.

What Processor (CPU) is recommended for SOLIDWORKS PDM  Professional 2021?

SOLIDWORKS PDM supports both Intel and AMD processors.

For the Database Server, Microsoft SQL can take advantage of multi core processing.  For optimal performance of PDM functions, it is recommended that the average CPU utilization be kept below 50%.  If average utilization is above 50%, then more cores may be needed.  Please note, If using Microsoft SQL Server Standard Core Licensing, adding additional cores may require also purchasing additional core licenses.  This can be discussed with your Microsoft retailer.

For the Archive Server and Web2 Server components the CPU requirements are much lower.

What Operating System is recommended for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2021 server components?

SOLIDWORKS PDM 2021 is officially supported on the following operating systems:

• Windows Server 2016
• Windows Server 2019 (recommended)

NOTE:  Windows Server 2012 & Windows Server 2012R2 are NOT compatible with SOLIDWORKS PDM 2021.

What Operating System is recommended for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2021 clients?

For client systems, SOLIDWORKS PDM 2021 can only be installed on Windows 10.  SOLIDWORKS PDM 2020 SP5 was the last release compatible with Windows 7.

Does SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2021 work in virtual environments?

Yes, however SOLIDWORKS only tests and supports PDM in specific virtual environments. A list of the currently supported virtual environments can be found on the SOLIDWORKS website

Can SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2021 be hosted in the Cloud?

Although SOLIDWORKS does not test PDM in any cloud provider (please see the note regarding non-supported environments bellow), cloud based servers running Windows Server Operating Systems, such as AWS EC2 or Microsoft Azure, can be used for SOLIDWORKS PDM servers.

Javelin offers various PDM cloud based solutions for customers who are interested in moving their data management to this environment.

If you are investigating your own cloud environment, please take note of the following:

• Amazon Web Service’s Relational Database Services (RDS) is not an appropriate option for hosting PDM databases as it does not allow using a db_owner This leads to several issues when using PDM.
• The runtime restricted license of Microsoft SQL Standard 2014 that was bundled with SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional licenses purchased before Fall 2019, cannot be used for cloud based environments. For a cloud based SQL installation, you will need to ensure that you have an SQL Server license with Software Assurance, or use a EC2 or Azure instance that includes the appropriate licensing.
• The latency between the clients to the cloud server must be under 100 milliseconds to prevent issues, best performance will be achieved if latency is below 50 milliseconds. Keep this in mind when selecting your Availability Zone.

What version and release of Microsoft SQL Server is recommended for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2021?

The following releases of Microsoft SQL Server can be used to host PDM Professional 2021 file vault databases:

• Microsoft SQL Server 2014 SP3 (SOLIDWORKS PDM 2021 SP5 will be the last release compatible with SQL 2014)
• Microsoft SQL Server 2016
• Microsoft SQL Server 2017
• Microsoft SQL Server 2019

For optimal performance, Microsoft SQL Server 2019 is recommended for hosting SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2021 databases.

The database can be hosted on SQL Server Standard or SQL Server Enterprise, however due to performance limitations SQL Express should not be used to host a SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional vault database in a production environment.

NOTE:  Ensure that you have the proper licensing for the version of SQL that you use for PDM Professional (your Microsoft Software Provider can help you determine if you have all the licenses needed for SQL).  Any licenses of SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional sold before the fall of 2019 automatically included runtime restricted licenses of Microsoft SQL Standard 2014.  These licenses can not be upgraded to newer versions and are not eligible for Software Assurance from Microsoft.

SOLIDWORKS PDM 2021 requires Microsoft ODBC drive 17.3 or later for SQL Server to be installed on the Database Server and the Clients.

How much Memory (RAM) is recommended for SOLIDWORKS PDM 2021?

16GB is recommended for Archive Servers.  For the Database server, a minimum of 32GB is recommended, however this should be increased if necessary.  For optimal performance, there should be at least enough RAM fully cache the database files into the memory, plus an additional 4GB for the Operating System and other services.

What storage options are recommended for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2021?

For PDM Archive storage, a hard drive with fast I/O speeds should be used, ideally a Solid State Drive.  Remote disks, such as a UNC share, NAS or SAN are NOT recommended for storing PDM Archives as there are known performance issues with such environments.  Additionally, SAN and NAS devices are not officially supported by SOLIDWORKS.

For the Microsoft SQL Server, it is recommended that the Windows Server OS (with the SQL software installation), database files (.mdf) and log files (.ldf) should each be separated to individual RAID 1 arrays using high speed Solid State Drives.

What are the network considerations for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2021?

SOLIDWORKS PDM Client and Server components must be able to communicate on the following ports:

Client and Database Server:

• TCP 1433
• UDP 1434

Client and Archive Server:

• TCP 3030
• UDP 3030

Client and SolidNetWork License Server:

• TCP 25734
• UDP 25735

If a firewall is in place between the Client systems and the Servers, exceptions must be added for these ports.

NOTE:  These are the default ports used when the server components are installed however these can be changed through adjustments to the settings so always verify which ports your server components are using when creating any firewall exceptions.

SOLIDWORKS PDM 2021 no longer utilizes Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.0, allowing it to be disabled if necessary.  However, all previous releases of SOLIDWORKS PDM (2019 and older) require TLS 1.0 to be enabled.

For remote, replicated sites, or cloud based server deployments, network latency between the clients and the Database Server must be less than 100 milliseconds (ms).  Latency above 100ms will lead to severe performance degradation, and above 200ms will result in timeout errors for most PDM functions.  Optimal client performance in a WAN environment will be achieved if the latency between the clients and the SQL Database Server is less than 50 milliseconds.

Which releases of SOLIDWORKS are compatible with SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2021?

The PDM Professional 2021 Add In for SOLIDWORKS is tested and fully supported for use with SOLIDWORKS 2021, 2020 and 2019.  While combinations of PDM Professional 2021 and older versions of SOLIDWORKS such as 2018 or 2017 may work, please note that they are not officially tested by SOLIDWORKS Development and so they are not fully supported combinations.

A newer release of SOLIDWORKS is never supported with a previous release of PDM (for instance, SOLIDWORKS 2021 is not compatible with SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2020).

Starting with their 2019 releases, SOLIDWORKS Composer and SOLIDWORKS Inspection Standalone both include PDM Integration built into their menus.  Starting in 2020, SOLIDWORKS Visualize also includes this integration.

Integrations are available for SOLIDWORKS Electrical and SOLIDWORKS PCB through the installation of additional Integration packages.

Which releases of Microsoft Office are compatible with SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2021?

Microsoft Office 2016 and 2019 are both compatible with SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2021.  It is recommended to use a 64-bit version of Microsoft Office.

NOTE:  SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2020 SP5 was the last release to support Microsoft Office 2013.

What if I am using an environment that is not supported by SOLIDWORKS?

If you choose to set up SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional in an unsupported or untested environment, keep in mind that while it may initially work, issues can potentially develop at any point in the future and it may be necessary to migrate to a supported environment.

If you are implementing SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional with the assistance of the Javelin PDM Services team,  we will assess your situation and advise you on the possible issues that may arise.

The post SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2021 System Recommendations appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

• SOLIDWORKS 2021 General Information
• SOLIDWORKS 2021 Installation
• SOLIDWORKS 2021 Standalone licensing
• SOLIDWORKS 2021 SolidNetWork Licensing (network/floating) licensing
• SOLIDWORKS 2021 Activation
• SOLIDWORKS 2021 Online Licensing

SOLIDWORKS 2021 Update General Information

How can I learn about the new features in SOLIDWORKS 2021?

• Visit our SOLIDWORKS 2021 What’s New site
• Visit our SOLIDWORKS 2021 Blog Articles
• Visit the SOLIDWORKS Official What’s New site
• Open SOLIDWORKS 2021 and go to the Help icon (top-right) > What’s New

What Windows Operating Systems will be supported by SOLIDWORKS 2021?

SOLIDWORKS 2021 is only supported on Windows 10, 64-bit

*IMPORTANT: Windows 7 support ended with SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP5
*Windows Home Editions are not supported
*Only Microsoft Windows networking is supported
*Novell networks and non-Windows network storage devices are not supported

Please see the SOLIDWORKS System Requirements for additional information.

Are Virtual Environments Supported?

Only select Virtual Environments are supported.  Please see the SOLIDWORKS Virtual Environments support page.

NOTE – Virtual environments require a certified GPU for proper performance of SOLIDWORKS, eDrawings and Draftsight.

Certified GPU drivers for virtual environments can be found on the SOLIDWORKS Hardware Certification page.

(Choose “Virtual Desktop” from the Computer Vendor dropdown)

Will SOLIDWORKS 2021 files open in previous major releases (i.e. in SOLIDWORKS 2020)?

The Previous Release Interoperability functionality allows 2021 parts and assemblies to be opened in SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP5, with limited functionality.

Can I run any third party add-in or custom macro/API within SOLIDWORKS 2021?

• SOLIDWORKS offers a Partner Product Program where companies worldwide can work directly with SOLIDWORKS to create products to improve productivity.  These tools and products help to enhance your SOLIDWORKS experience.  Gold Certified Products are reviewed by a SOLIDWORKS committee to ensure proper functionality within the SOLIDWORKS environment.
• For partner products that have not been Gold certified, contact the supplier to verify compatibility with the latest releases.
• Any custom macro/API should be tested to ensure compatibility with the latest release.

What is the SOLIDWORKS 2021 Installation Manager?

Each release of SOLIDWORKS has its own Installation Manager.  This is a standalone application that can download/update/upgrade/install/modify/repair all SOLIDWORKS products.  It can be used to create and manage administrative images and standalone installs all within the same user interface.  The Installation Manager can be downloaded from the SOLIDWORKS Customer Portal for each version/service pack.

How does the SOLIDWORKS 2021 Installation Manager work?

The SOLIDWORKS 2021 Installation Manager uses Windows Installer and installs all products silently passing the required parameters to the installations.  You can specify a folder location for the installation.  This location will be used as the root folder for the installation of all products.

The list of installed programs within the Windows Control Program will show a single line for SOLIDWORKS 2021.  This can be used to modify or uninstall any of the SOLIDWORKS Products within a single interface.

What should I do before I upgrade to SOLIDWORKS 2021?

Review our SOLIDWORKS Upgrade Checklist and PDM Upgrade Checklist articles prior to an upgrade.

• SOLIDWORKS Upgrade Checklist
• SOLIDWORKS PDM Upgrade Checklist

What’s the recommended installation procedure, to upgrade or to perform a new installation?

Both installation methods are supported. Updating your existing SOLIDWORKS installation can be done if users no longer require the prior version still on their system.  A new installation will leave existing installations and install separately.

Can I have more than one version of SOLIDWORKS installed on my system at the same time?

Yes, it is possible to have multiple versions of SOLIDWORKS on the same system.  During install, choose the option for a new installation and specify separate paths for the install directory and the Toolbox directory.

Review the section “Installing SOLIDWORKS with Unique Install Directories” in our SOLIDWORKS Installation & Setup FAQs found on our Technical Support page.

Can I directly upgrade to SOLIDWORKS 2021 from SOLIDWORKS 2020 or prior?

You do have an option to perform a direct upgrade to SOLIDWORKS 2021 from any prior major version.

If you are skipping several major versions (i.e. SOLIDWORKS 2018 to 2021), it’s typically best to uninstall your current version and install the latest version as a new installation.

To ensure a clean installation of SOLIDWORKS 2021, review our SOLIDWORKS Complete Uninstall Guide to remove all previous installations.

How do I upgrade a SOLIDWORKS Toolbox database in a shared environment?

When a SOLIDWORKS Toolbox directory is located on a shared server location, upgrading the local client SOLIDWORKS installation may not update the database.  Review our Toolbox Upgrade article for steps to upgrade the Toolbox.

Where can I find more information on SOLIDWORKS Installations?

Review our Installation Guides on our Support page:

• SOLIDWORKS Installation Guide Standalone License
• SOLIDWORKS Installation Guide Network License

For more detailed information on installations, review the SOLIDWORKS Administration Guides.

SOLIDWORKS 2021 Standalone Licensing – Node Locked

Do I need a new serial number to install SOLIDWORKS 2021?

If your license includes Subscription Service, your existing serial number will automatically be upgraded for SOLIDWORKS 2021.  During the installation and activation, the serial number will be authenticated for its validity with the SOLIDWORKS 2021 release.

What is Product Activation?

Product activation is a secure, hassle-free process that authenticates licensed users during the installation process. For more information regarding product activation please refer to the SOLIDWORKS Activation FAQ.

If I do not have internet access on my SOLIDWORKS workstation, how will I activate my product?

Activation requires an internet connection or email access. After successful activation, you do not need to be online to use the products.

If you do not have internet access on the computer where SOLIDWORKS is installed, you can choose the Manual activation method to Save an activation request file.  This file can be transferred to another computer with internet access (i.e. via a USB key).  Email the file to activation@solidworks.com.  You will receive an email response within a few minutes with an activation response file.  Copy this file back to the SOLIDWORKS workstation and continue through the Manual activation method but select to Open the authorized activation file.

SOLIDWORKS 2021 SolidNetWork Licensing (SNL) – Floating

How is network (floating) licensing handled in SOLIDWORKS 2021?

SOLIDWORKS 2021 continues to use the same SolidNetWork License Manager to provide network licenses for all SOLIDWORKS products.  SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard and PDM Professional licenses use the same SolidNetWork License Manager in 2021.

1. A server on your network hosts the SolidNetWork License Manager Server application for activation of all network licenses
2. Clients connected to the same network obtain licenses from the server on opening SOLIDWORKS.  When SOLIDWORKS is closed, the license is returned to the server.
3. License borrowing is available to lock licenses to a machine when disconnected from the network

What Operating Systems are supported for the SolidNetWork License Manager?

Review the section “SOLIDWORKS Network License Server” on the SOLIDWORKS System Requirements page.

Can SOLIDWORKS, Simulation, Composer, Electrical, PCB, Plastics, CAM, Visualize and PDM products run from one license manager tool?

Yes, users can manage all SOLIDWORKS product licenses using one utility.  During installation, you can enter multiple serial numbers separated by commas.  You will need to install the License Manager on a server, accessible by all clients.  Please review the “SOLIDWORKS Installation Guide Network License” on our Support page.

Why are the clients not able to obtain a SOLIDWORKS license from the server?

Firewalls may be preventing the communication between the client and server machines.  Review our SOLIDWORKS SolidNetwork License Manager Troubleshooting article for possible solutions.

Do clients have access to view licenses currently in use?

Yes, SOLIDWORKS client installations will include a SolidNetWork License Manager Client application.  This can be accessed through Windows Start > SOLIDWORKS Tools 2021 > SolidNetWork License Manager Client 2021.  Check the License Usage tab and select the required product from the dropdown.

Can the 2021 SolidNetWork License Manager support prior versions of SOLIDWORKS?

Yes, the License Manager is backwards compatible so the SOLIDWORKS 2021 License Manager will support all earlier versions of the software (since activation was introduced in 2008).

However the License Manager will always need to be on the same major version or newer.  For example, SOLIDWORKS 2021 will not work with the 2020 SolidNetWork License Manager.

Why do I see extra SOLIDWORKS Standard licenses on the “License Usage” tab in the SolidNetWork License Manager?

A SOLIDWORKS Standard license is always required to be checked out when opening SOLIDWORKS.  When an add-in that requires a higher license is enabled, the Professional or Premium license is checked out, but it keeps a Standard license checked out at the same time.

For example if you have purchased one (1) SOLIDWORKS Standard license and two (2) SOLIDWORKS Premium licenses, the License Manager will show a total of three (3) Standard licenses since two are required for the Premium version.

What is the “License Order” tab in the SolidNetwork License Manager?

The License Order tab allows you to change the order of product taken from the server if multiple levels of products are available on the network.  For example, Simulation products have various levels (SOLIDWORKS Premium, Simulation Standard, Simulation Professional, Simulation Premium).  This can also apply to other licenses such as SOLIDWORKS Visualize Standard and Visualize Professional.

In SOLIDWORKS 2020, the Simulation add-in was enhanced for the ability to choose which license to use when enabling the add-in, rather than needing to use the License Order tab.

What is the “License Borrowing” tab in the Network License Manager?

If a computer will be disconnected from the network due to travel or working from home, you can borrow a license for a specified period.  This locks a SOLIDWORKS license on the computer and allow you to launch the program without being connected to your work network.

Borrowing a Professional or Premium license automatically borrows the pre-requisite SOLIDWORKS Standard license.

How do I upgrade to the 2021 SolidNetWork License Manager?

You can upgrade an existing SOLIDWORKS SolidNetWork License Manager to a new version using the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager, rather than uninstalling the previous version.

IMPORTANT: Once the upgrade is complete, reactivate the License Manager to obtain the 2021 licenses.

Can I use a remote desktop application to install and activate the License Manager on a server?

Avoid using a remote desktop application as this can cause a change to the Computer Identifier of the server during activation. This may cause a mismatch of the hardware ID and an Activation Count Exceeded error may occur and the activation will fail.

Where can I find more information about SolidNetWork License installations?

Review our SOLIDWORKS Installation Network License document on our Support page

Standalone License:

To activate a standalone license:

1. Start SOLIDWORKS and add-on required (i.e. Simulation).
2. If you have not yet activated your license, the Product Activation dialog box appears.
3. Choose the Automatic (recommended) or Manual option.
   Automatic – Submit the request automatically over the internet (requires internet connection)
   Manual – Click Save to create a file, and then send the file to activation@solidworks.com from another computer that has internet access. When you receive the response file, typically within minutes of the initial submission, copy to the client machine and run the activation procedure again and click Open to load the response file.
4. The Activation/Reactivate Succeeded dialog box displays the products that have been activated.

To transfer a standalone license:

1. Open SOLIDWORKS on the activated computer
2. Go to Help > Licenses > Deactivate…
3. Choose the license to transfer (or select all)
4. Choose the Automatic or Manual option
5. Once the transfer is successful, install and activate on the new computer

Network Licensing:

To activate a network license:

1. Install the SOLIDWORKS SolidNetWork License Manager from the Installation Manager, Server Products
2. Open the SolidNetWork License Manager Server 2021 from Windows Start > SOLIDWORKS Tools 2021.
3. Choose Yes when prompted “Would you like to activate now?”
4. Choose the Automatic (recommended) or Manual option.
   Automatic – Submit the request automatically over the internet (requires internet connection)
   Manual – Click Save to create a file, and then send the file to activation@solidworks.com from another computer that has internet access. When you receive the response file, typically within minutes of the initial submission, copy to the client machine and run the activation procedure again and click Open to load the response file.
5. The Activation/Reactivate Succeeded dialog box displays the products that have been activated.

To transfer a network license from a server:

1. Open the SolidNetWork License Manager on the server
2. On the ‘Server Administration’ tab, click Modify
3. Select ‘Move your product license(s) to a new/upgraded computer
4. Choose the Automatic or Manual method and follow the steps
5. Install and activate the License Manager on a new server
6. Point all client machines to the new server by opening the SolidNetWork License Manager Client on each machine and add the new server name in the Server List tab

For more information, please review our SOLIDWORKS Installation Guide Network License on our Support page

What is Online Licensing?

Online licensing was introduced with SOLIDWORKS 2018 where you can simply log in on opening SOLIDWORKS to use your license.  Activation is not required so you can log in to SOLIDWORKS from different machines to have access.  Only one machine can have an active session at one time.  Closing SOLIDWORKS will end the session and allow another machine to be logged in.

Specific licenses are assigned to different users, so the proper license is obtained when logging in.  This is specified when setting up online licensing.  This will only apply to standalone licenses (not network/floating licenses).

Review our SOLIDWORKS Online Licensing articles for more information.

Can I use Online Licensing with SOLIDWORKS 2017 or earlier?

No, online licensing is only available for SOLIDWORKS 2018 and onward.  You will still need to use activation-based licensing for prior versions.

How do I enable Online Licensing?

By default, standalone licenses will be set to the original activation-based structure.  The license can be changed to Online by accessing the Admin Portal from a registered My.SolidWorks.com account.

Do I need an internet connection to use Online Licensing?

Yes, you require access to the internet while using the online license.  There are “heartbeats” to the SOLIDWORKS server to verify that you are still have an internet connection.  A warning will be given after 15 minutes of lost connection.  After 30 minutes you will be prompted to save all work and asks to shutdown SOLIDWORKS.

What if I need to go offline and still use SOLIDWORKS?

The license can be obtained when connected online and then set to offline mode.  This will lock the license to the machine for up to 30 days, so you can use SOLIDWORKS without an internet connection.

Review our article on how to take an online license offline.

The post SOLIDWORKS 2021 Update frequently asked questions appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

The following gives details on specific hardware components.  However the entire system should be designed and assembled for optimal performance.  Custom machines can be a cheaper option, however selecting components individually and connecting them together may not be compatible or efficient.  Cooling and thermal management is also an important aspect.  Purchasing a fully built system from a computer manufacturer ensures all components will work together correctly.

• Processor: 3 GHz or higher clock speed (preferably closer to 4 GHz)
• Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit
• Memory: 32GB to 64GB
• Hard Drive: Solid State Drive (SSD), maintaining at least 20GB free space
• Graphics Card:
  • General assemblies:
    • NVIDIA Quadro P1000/2200
    • AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100/4100
  • Large assemblies with basic parts:
    • NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000/5000
    • AMD Radeon Pro W5500/WX5100/WX6100
  • Large assemblies with complex parts:
    • NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000/8000
    • AMD Radeon Pro W5700/WX8200/WX9100
  • SOLIDWORKS Visualize 2021:
    • NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000/8000
    • AMD Radeon Pro W5700/WX8200/WX9100
• Internet Connection: High speed broadband connection for downloading service packs
• File Storage: SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard or SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional

NEW Dell Hardware offer for US Customers: Get a discount on a Dell Certified SOLIDWORKS Workstation through our partner TriMech. View the SOLIDWORKS Workstations »

What are the minimum hardware requirements for SOLIDWORKS 2021?

The minimum requirements can be found on the SOLIDWORKS System Requirements page.

What Processor (CPU) is recommended for SOLIDWORKS 2021?

SOLIDWORKS supports both Intel and AMD processors.

The rebuild process in SOLIDWORKS is inherently linear (parent/child relationship of features) and therefore can only use a single core.  Rebuild performance can be increased by having a faster clock speed of the CPU.

Be aware that the Intel and AMD Boost speeds represent the max speed that can be hit for a period of time.  However it may not reach these speeds in all scenarios or for an extended period of time.  It must remain in specification limits for workload, temperature and power.

Some functionality can leverage multi-thread technology and share the workload over multiple processor cores.  Products such as SOLIDWORKS Simulation and PhotoView 360 can take advantage of multi-threading, as can other areas like the user interface activities.  Having more processor cores can improve performance in these scenarios.

Keep in mind that the fastest machine is no substitute for good design practices.  Minimizing in-context references, utilizing large assembly modes and other performance tools will reduce the load on the processor.  Javelin’s Large Assembly Service can dramatically improve your productivity by improving performance of assemblies through different techniques.

You can test and compare performance of your hardware using the SOLIDWORKS Performance Test and PassMark benchmark tool.

What Operating System is recommended for SOLIDWORKS 2021?

SOLIDWORKS 2021 is only supported on Windows 10 64-bit

*IMPORTANT: Windows 7 ended support with SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP5
Note: Windows Home editions are not supported

eDrawings and eDrawings Professional 2021 are supported on all operating systems listed above as well as macOS 10.14 or higher.

Does SOLIDWORKS 2021 work in virtual environments?

Only specific virtual environments are supported.  Visit the SOLIDWORKS Virtual Environment Support page for more details.

Does SOLIDWORKS support Windows Home Editions?

No, SOLIDWORKS does NOT support Windows Home Editions.  You may not encounter any issues using a Windows Home Edition version, however SOLIDWORKS does not guarantee proper functionality using this unsupported operating system.

How much Memory (RAM) is recommended for SOLIDWORKS 2021?

The minimum requirement of RAM indicated on the SOLIDWORKS System Requirements page is at least 16GB.  However larger models and simulation studies may require more memory.  We recommend installing a minimum of 32GB of RAM.    It’s best to use fewer memory chips with larger capacity to leave room for possible expansion in the future.

Increasing the amount of installed RAM will not necessarily improve performance if enough dedicated memory is allocated. However if the required memory exceeds the availability, the use of virtual memory may reduce performance.

What type of Hard Drive is recommended for SOLIDWORKS 2021?

For best performance, a Solid-State Drive (SSD) can provide up to 10x faster performance for open/save tasks compared to a standard Hard Disk Drive (HDD).  SSDs have come down in price over the years and are worth the investment.

Also note that opening files from a local SSD drive compared to opening from a standard disk drive on a network server can be up to 100x faster.  Why do assemblies take longer to open over a network?

Be sure to maintain enough hard drive space after installing for Windows to run effectively.  Keep at least 20GB or 10% of your hard drive capacity as free space.

For even greater performance, you can consider using a NVMe/PCIe SSDs rather than standard SATA SSDs.  These are connected with a much faster interface, but are more expensive.

Also, you may wish to research into using RAID storage (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) to improve performance and security.

What type of Graphics Card is recommended for SOLIDWORKS 2021?

NVIDIA Quadro and AMD Radeon Pro series are certified graphics cards for SOLIDWORKS.  A graphics card with hardware OpenGL acceleration will provide superior performance and stability, especially in 3D model viewing (refresh, rotate, zoom, pan).

The NVIDIA Quadro RTX is the latest GPU series and recommended for future growth.  The previous generation NVIDIA Quadro P series will still have powerful performance for those on a budget.  The Quadro T series are specific to mobile workstations.

The AMD Radeon Pro WX and W series are certified, with the W series being the latest.

An Enhanced Graphics Performance option was introduced with SOLIDWORKS 2019.  This takes greater advantage of newer graphics card technology for significant performance improvements.  SOLIDWORKS performance is now scalable as you invest in higher end GPUs.

For SOLIDWORKS Visualize users, renderings leverage the GPU cores directly so investing in a powerful graphics card is beneficial.  Visualize 2019 and prior was only supported with NVIDIA graphics cards.  Compatibility for AMD Radeon Pro graphics cards started with the Visualize 2020.

A full list of certified graphics cards and its associated certified driver for each SOLIDWORKS version can be found on the SOLIDWORKS Graphics Card Drivers page.

Graphics cards designed for “gaming” or multi-media applications, such as NVIDIA GeForce or AMD Radeon cards (not Radeon Pro), do NOT offer maximum performance or stability for SOLIDWORKS. These cards are optimized for a low number of polygons displayed on the screen, but at a high frame rate. CAD applications have the opposite requirement, where polygon count is high (the detail in your design model) but the image does not change rapidly so high frame rates are not as critical.  Using a certified graphics card and driver combo will yield the most stable platform for running SOLIDWORKS.

SOLIDWORKS does not take advantage of multiple graphics cards as only one GPU will be used.  SOLIDWORKS Visualize can use multiple graphics cards to boost rendering performance.  Only the total memory of the weakest card can be leveraged, therefore it would be recommended to use the same models.

What versions of Microsoft Office are compatible with SOLIDWORKS 2021?

SOLIDWORKS has the capability of using Microsoft Excel to create BOMs, Design Tables, and more.  After a new Microsoft Office major version is released, SOLIDWORKS must perform tests and therefore will not be certified on the given service pack at the time.

SOLIDWORKS 2021 is compatible with Microsoft Office 2016 and 2019.  The 64-bit editions are recommended.  Check the Microsoft Products table on the SOLIDWORKS System Requirements page.

Note: Microsoft Office 2013 ended support with SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP5

Should I store my files locally on my computer or on a network drive?

For maximum performance and stability, files should be worked on locally. Files opened and saved directly over a network connection will always be slower than a local drive and increases the chance of file corruption.  Data management products such as SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard or SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional automatically manage the movement of files from network servers to local disk drives to ensure maximum performance and stability. This is one of the many key benefits of a data management system. Learn more about SOLIDWORKS PDM.

What is the difference between SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard and Professional?

SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard is included with licenses of SOLIDWORKS Professional and SOLIDWORKS Premium.  This provides easy access to standard data management and revision control functionality.

SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional adds more functionality such as multi-site replication and automation.

Read our SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard and Professional Comparison article for further detail.

What are the hardware recommendations for SOLIDWORKS PDM 2021?

Javelin recommends using a dedicated server for running the SOLIDWORKS PDM vault. Besides allowing for maximum performance for the CAD users, using a dedicated server provides version/revision control, workflow process management and custom property management.  Check the server requirements on the SOLIDWORKS System Requirements page.

Javelin provides PDM Implementation and Upgrade Services to have you setup quickly and efficiently.

The post SOLIDWORKS 2021 Hardware Recommendations appeared first on The Javelin Blog.