Nothing is more aggravating than a slow trading computer. You want to be able to sign into your trading computer and have an instantaneous start up. Managing your emotions is a large part of successful trading. Starting your day with a big frustration is sure to put you in the wrong emotional place to concentrate on your trades. This is the last thing you want to have to overcome at the start of your day. It’s worth the time investment to do regular maintenance to ensure that your stock trading computer runs lightning fast. Just like the first time you plugged it in.
The most common issues that traders face are underpowered processors and low amounts of RAM. These two components are sure to cause you issues if they are not at the right specifications for trading. It is important to remember that your trading computer uses RAM in several ways. Your trading computer operates according to the amount of short-term memory that is installed. Let’s say for instance that you want to run your trading platform with multiple charts and your email application. Depending on specific programs that are available for both of these uses, anywhere from 2 to 6 GB could be consumed just by these two tasks. This example allows you to see that if you only have 4GB of RAM your computer will not be able to complete these tasks. Inevitably, the computer will stall or freeze and spontaneously shut down. Your computer does this to reset your memory and try to run smoothly again. But, if you keep filling up this cache your computer will keep shutting down. The issue for traders and RAM is that trading software continues to grow in complexity. This draws more and more RAM. Because of this the minimum about of RAM for stock trading computers is now 8GB. However, RAM is not a high cost component - unless you are installing DDR4 RAM. Traditional DDR3 RAM cost is relatively low. So it makes sense to install more than you need because of the risks that you take if you don’t have enough RAM. Upgrade to 16GB if the option is available to you. The other challenge that traders face is the processor. Your processor is the component that takes raw data streaming in from the markets and converts it to chart data. As a day trader, you need the most up-to-date or real time data in order to make clear decisions when you are executing your trades. If your processor is slow in converting this data, you will be watching charts that have stale information. This could cause you to place a stop at a point that is not high enough causing you to loose profits. You will want to make sure that your trading computer is equipped with an upgraded processor. The newest technology offers you the most advantages when it comes to choosing a trading computer processor.
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Successful day traders know that a super fast and reliable trading computer is crucial to their trading. However, it can be a difficult task to understand what computer to invest in that will give you these features. There are multiple brands on the market and this can make the decision difficult. One of the most important features to look for in your trading computer purchase is a quality SSD type hard drive.
Get Specific To make sure that you are investing in a fast trading computer, you will want to make sure that you have the correct hard drive installed. The importance of having an SSD hard drive installed can’t be stressed enough. Your hard drive effects the speed in which your applications function and how quickly your trading computer is able to boot up each day. Currently, there are two types of hard drives available for personal computers. The traditional type is the magnetic hard drive, or the HHD. This type has moving parts and is sensitive to heat and cold. It is quickly being replaced by the solid-state drive, or the SSD due to its ability to process information more quickly, with larger amounts of storage. In fact, an SSD drive functions seven times faster than traditional drives. Due to all the moving parts in an HHD or traditional drive it is easy to cause damage when moving your computer. SSDs have no moving parts; this removes the danger of information loss due to damage or malfunction. SSDs have a reputation of being more reliable and having a longer lifespan than traditional drives. This means less down time, less expenses on costly replacements, and a lower risk of loss of vital information that is stored on your stock trading computer. Solid state drives are much faster at processing information, taking less than one eighth of the time in comparison to traditional hard drives. This means less time spent waiting and less attention put on the technical aspects of your day trading activities when you need to be concentrating on making successful executions. SSDs are the optimal hard drive for any multi-monitor trading computer. SSDs process more information at a higher rate of speed than traditional HHDs, with better task management. SSDs are perfect for any trading computer because of performance, reliability and warranty options. Solid state hard drives can have warranties that extend to five years past the purchase date. This can provide us with free parts and labor, should we ever need it, depending on the terms of the warranty. Some SSDs also come with the promise of technical support, should anything go wrong. Get the Facts Education is key to success in any area, but especially so in day trading. Make sure you get the facts for an optimal day trading computer experience. In 2014 Microsoft discontinued supporting updates or security for their Windows XP operating system. Unfortunately, there is nothing to be done to save the use of the platform for traders. There are now just too many risks involved in being on this software. Security is a large concern when talking about reasons you need to step away from XP. This OS is now a moving target for hackers looking to inject your trading computers will harmful viruses. In the same token, Windows 8 is also a risk for traders. As of early 2015, there still isn’t full compatibility in trading software with Windows 8. It’s not the large trading platforms that you need to be worried about. The compatibility issue is mostly with third part indicators and other small plug-ins that you might utilize with your trading platform. Another concern for traders is the usability. The last thing you want is to be distracted by having to learn the layout of a new operating system. Users are very familiar with XP so moving to Windows 7 seems the most natural out of all the OS choices available. Many users have been on XP since it was released in 2001. That is now 13 years ago. This length of time has allowed users to become intimately familiar with the workflow of Windows XP. However, Windows XP is now extremely outdated and incapable of taping into the abilities of newer & faster hardware technology. The average lifespan of a computer is not nearly as long as the time Windows XP has spent on the market. There is a bit of good news for you. Windows 7 can be considered the close cousin to Windows XP. You are going to be just as familiar with the user features of this platform. The only hurdle you have to get over is how to seamlessly upgrade and not encounter any issues in the process. The best way that you can prepare your self for this transition is to back up all of your information. Then make a backup of that backup. This ensures that in the process of transferring information from computer to computer you are not opening up yourself to an information loss because of an error. This may seem like a daunting task, but there just a few simple steps that you need to take to ensure this is a smooth process for you. Your trading computer information and data is a precious commodity. This means that there is no room at all for taking risks with any losses. This is simple to avoid if you take the time to make several back ups. This allows you to install Windows 7 and make sure that your information is protected. As a seasoned trader, you would never enter into a trade with out a sound and well thought out exit strategy. This is all to ensure that you don't risk the loss of any of your trading capital should a trade move downward unexpectedly. This same principle applies to your trading computers data. You should have a clear backup plan in case you ever need to wipe the computer clean because of a virus or other damaging situation.
These types of events are sure to educe a huge amount of panic and stress if you don't have a plan in place ahead of time. Your ability to recover from a breakdown on your tradingcomputers will directly affect your ability to return to your planned trades. Encountering a virus could cause your computer to be down for several days or even longer. A substantial backup plan is a very valuable safety net to be able to rely on. There are multiple areas in your backup plan you should make sure are correctly structured so that your day trading computer can firstly attempt to avoid a data loss and secondly recover from a data loss. Mirror your data One of the most important steps you can take to protect your trading computer data is to make sure you have an exact up-to-date copy of the data that is on your computer for trading. This will enable you to reload any data in the case of a data loss event. You will want to invest in a backup drive that you can easily connect to your computer via USB to be able to back up your data. You can use your system to set a calendar reminder or auto backup to make sure that regular backups are being completed. Battery Backup If you live in an area that is prone to any type of power outages, you should have a battery backup installed on your trading computer system. This device will help those in areas that are prone to brown-outs - a short power-outage lasting only a few seconds that can cause a significant amount of damage. This acts as a sort of short-term generator for your computer. This means that you will be able to quickly save your current work and shut down your machine. In most cases, this will allow you to continue working with out any interruptions. System Monitoring Even the best computer for trading needs a robust system of protection from viruses & malware. Your trading computer setup should have the very best anti-virus software installed to protect your data against the constant threat of identity theft. The best stock trading computer can bring your trading career and profits to a whole new level. Once you view your trading computer as a valuable asset to your trades, you will be able to harness the power that your computer can offer your trades. There are several distinct advantages that your trading computer will provide you. A powerful stock trading computer will make it simple to process large amounts of real time data. This allows you to take advantage of advanced software and automated trading systems to boost your profits from trading.
There are a number of very powerful trading software options on the market that are used to help you find the best stocks to trade. These software systems will allow you to design a set of parameters to generate a concentrated list of stocks. As a successful trader, you will now be able to focus on spotting the best opportunities from this smaller list. In order to utilize the features of this complex software, you will need to have a trading computer that is powerful enough to keep up with these programs. Trading computers are designed to function above industry standards to ensure that you are able to trade with the advantages a well-built custom trading computer can offer. Trading computers will also allow you to participate in automated trading. If you are interested in this area of trading, your computer is going to be a crucial part of your success. This is true of all types of trading, but particularly true in the case of automated trading. Algorithmic trading allows you to establish parameters for entry and exit trades based upon the type of system that you have developed for your trades. This means that the computer can virtually do all of the work for you during the trading day. This type of trading is solely reliant on a computer to be able to complete successful trades. As you can see in both of these types of trading, you depend on a reliable trading computer to make profitable trades. The best stock trading computer is going to offer you reliability and dependability day in and day out. This means that you will have minimal issues with hardware. Standard computers will not be able to keep up with the demands traders place on them, eventually leading to problems or a complete crash. Your trading computer is the center of your business. Investing in a great trading computer is investing in the success and profits of your trades. |