New Computer Spec Requirements

[[email protected]]

Hello,

I am currently running my NT on a desktop computer, but I would like to get a laptop computer that is capable of running NT without issues. I was originally under the assumption that Ram was what I needed for the charts, but I believe a good GPU is also highly recommended.

To break it down, I usually do have a good number of charts open, roughly 7 different windows with 2 to 3 different instruments on each window. So about 21 to even 25 charts open at a given time. I also run the majority of my charts as Range, so I know it takes up a lot of data to run that in the background, especially if I have data lookback from 50 - 200 days, or in some cases even more. Along with that, I have a decent number of indicators running on top of that.

My desktop computer runs all of this efficiently, but I wanted to get something portable and wanted to check it I should focus on getting 16 gigs of ram or higher, and/or get something with a better quality dedicated GPU for the laptop? Should the focus be on RAM or GPU? Of course, CPU would be another piece as well.


Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. I also know that I keep a lot of charts open at once, possibly much more than other users.

[NinjaTrader_Clayton]

Hello [email protected],

Thank you for the message.

Please know that this is a very simplified explanation of how NinjaTrader utilizes Multi-threading capabilities. I say this to provide a little more clarity in the search for a processor with fewer but stronger cores vs. a processor with multiple weaker cores. It is completely up to you and how you use the platform.

• NinjaTrader's multi-threaded design is that each instrument is assigned to a thread and all windows with that instrument will run on that same thread. This is done so that an instrument cannot become out of sync with itself. Here is a simplified example:
  • 10 charts with 10 separate instruments = 10 threads
    10 charts with 1 instrument in all charts = 1 thread
• If you have a computer with 4 cores and you have a workspace open that has 6 different instruments, the four cores will all be assigned an instrument and then it will restart at the beginning and assign the last 2 instruments to the first 2 cores
  • So, the first two cores would be processing for 2 instruments while the last two cores are only processing for one
    • Core 1 = ES 03-22 and NQ 03-22
    • Core 2 = MES 03-22 and CL 04-22
    • Core 3 = MNQ 03-22
    • Core 4 = MCL 04-22
      • Since there were six instruments but only four cores, the instruments start doubling up and so on. If you had 12 instruments open here, each core would have 3 instruments assigned to it.

While I am not able to specify exactly what you will want or need as every user has different needs, I am able to provide a little direction to help you find the information you are looking for.

• Here are the Recommended Specifications listed within the NinjaTrader Help Guide:

• https://ninjatrader.com/support/help...quirements.htm

• Although, I recommend surpassing the Recommended Specifications as much as possible to help future proof yourself and ensure you have a computer that is able to handle what you want to do for the next few years.

• If you use any 3rd party add-ons or NinjaScripts, reach out to the developer of those add-ons and see if they have any suggestions on what computer or what kind of computer specifications would help run their software with NinjaTrader.
• If talking to a computer sales technician, I would possibly suggest the direction of Gaming Computers or Professional Workstations in regard to the level of performance you are looking for.
• I would recommend using your favorite internet search engine and doing some searches to see what other users are suggesting.

• With how many people are using NinjaTrader, there has to be a forum post somewhere of people discussing their computer setups with NinjaTrader, and they will have the ability to more specifically recommend various things.
• Please remember that everyone uses the platform differently and may have different needs and make their recommendations based on that. I would look for someone who is using the platform in a similar manner as you intend and see what kind of suggestions are out there.

• For any further recommendations or suggestions, you will want to reach out to the internet, a PC specialist, or a computer technician.

[[email protected]]

Thank you for the help, this was useful.

[SimonClark]

The most important thing at the same time is to always have a service nearby that will be able to adjust the operation of your laptop as soon as possible so that you are not in isolation from work. You should think about this moment so that you don't end up in the same unpleasant situation as me. I needed an macbook ssd upgrade, but I couldn't do it, and while I was looking for this service, I had two whole days, which shifted the deadline for the project I was working on quite a lot. Therefore, find a good service option right now.

[Lancer]

Clayton, Is there a way to tell which instruments are assigned to each CPU core, and is there a way to specify core assignments? A workspace will typically have some instruments charted with indicators and custom scripts (high processing requirement), and some instruments monitored only in the Market Analyzer with no charts or other windows (low processing requirement). It seems that better overall performance would be accomplished by making sure that instruments with high processing requirements did not share the same core and only shared with instruments having low processing requirements. Is NinjaTrader doing this performance-sensitive core sharing assignment already, or is NinjaTrader simply assigning instruments to shared cores in whatever order instruments are first registered regardless of instrument resource demand?

[NinjaTrader_Clayton]

Hello Lancer,

Thank you for the message.

There is no way to control the way that Instruments are assigned to the different cores of the computer.

As well, there is no way within the NinjaTrader platform to know which instruments are assigned to each core.

NinjaTrader is going to automatically assign the Instruments to the cores as they are brought into the Workspace.

Also, there are no settings or information provided with an instrument's market data that defines it as "High processing requirements" as this is going to change for every instrument and time of day for that instrument.

• Most instruments have a higher volume of trades in the morning when the markets open which results in more values coming in for the indicators to place calculations on and then draw them
  • Imagine in the morning when the markets open you have 1,000 Ticks per second coming into the platform for the instrument and the indicators are set to Calculate "On each Tick". That indicator has to rerun all of its calculations with each incoming tick and potentially re-draw the indicator
  • Now, imagine an hour before the markets close, there are only 5 Ticks per second coming into the platform. What was once very calculation intensive is no longer falling behind because it is able to keep up with the slower market data
• The way you have an instrument and its indicators configured can make a Lower Volume instrument demand just as much if not more processing power than a "High Processing" instrument

If you have a Market Analyzer with no custom indicators or NinjaScripts applied to it with an instrument that is only selected within the Market Analyzer, this wouldn't use that much processing power anyways.

• It would be more intensive if you had 3rd party add-ons making calculations within the Market Analyzer
• Or, also had this Instrument selected within a chart anywhere within the Workspace and had additional indicators on the chart