[PC knowledge] How to choose?PC for data science [Stata edition]

In research and development, you may use specific software.In fact, the technical requirements of each software are surprisingly rough.Also, the software used is not limited to one.In other words, it can be difficult to match or optimize the performance of multiple software and machines based on a single requirement or request.

So this time,Last articleLet's take Stata, which is useful for data science introduced in , as an example, and introduce "points for selecting a PC".

Custom-made PC production service "Tegusis” and overseas product procurement and consultation services for research and development “UniposIt is possible only because Tegara provides two types of services, ""Purchasing overseas products for R & D and manufacturing custom PCs optimized for their useis an example of a one-stop service.

Need to have the right machine?

When you ask us about a PC for data science, machine learning, or deep learning, do you ever worry about what kind of PC you should have?
For "what you want to achieve", the PC is just a "tool" that assists it.The selection of the most suitable tools is essential to achieve the goal and is the shortest route.

For example, such consultation

• I use Stata, but I feel that the processing speed is slow
• I bought a high spec machine, but it doesn't meet Stata's requirements
• Stata is working fine, but other processes take a long time
• I want to use software other than Stata

And in other words, what are the specs required for the PC?

Here are the "top 3 requirements" that you request not only for problem solving, but also for what you can do.

• processing power
• Cost performance (cost effectiveness)
• Achieve stability and scalability

At our company, we consider the configuration with an emphasis on the most prioritized requirements within the budget.
Then, in order to realize these requests as much as possible, I would like to derive the configuration from both software and hardware.

What are Stata's system requirements?

In recent years, CPUs have become many-core, and general CPUs support parallel processing (a method of shortening calculation time by processing multiple calculations at the same time).If you want to improve the processing speed by parallelization, configure the hardware with emphasis on the number of CPU cores.

Stata has three editions: Stata/MP, Stata/SE, and Stata/BE, depending on the data set (aggregation collected for a certain purpose or subject).Stata/SE and Stata/BE, which do not support parallel processing, adopt a CPU that emphasizes the clock.

Stat/MP, on the other hand, is programmed to take full advantage of multi-core and multi-processor computers, so it emphasizes the number of physical cores in the CPU.

First, check if the command you plan to use supports parallel processing.

Prioritize the command to process.We will also consider processing speed.

In addition, when selecting each edition, it is necessary to select Stata according to the number of variables to be handled.Please check the following table.

 * The maximum value of observed data is limited by the amount of RAM available on your system.It is recommended that the amount of RAM be 1.5 times the amount of data to be used.

PC selection points using Stata/MP as an example

From here, we will introduce how to choose a PC, assuming that Stata/MP is selected with emphasis on the speed of processing speed.

About Stata / MP

For Stata/MP, the license to be selected changes according to the number of cores used.For example, if your machine has 8 physical cores, choose an 8-core, 4-core, or 2-core Stata/MP license, depending on how many cores you actually use.Consider the number of cores for your machine and license depending on how important processing speed is.

Stata/MP distributes many of Stata's most computationally intensive tasks across all cores of your computer, making it faster than any edition.In general, if you want to increase the processing speed, you need to be careful when selecting parts such as the CPU, memory, storage, and video card (*), but in the case of Stata/MP, the core of the CPU is important.Other hardware requirements are not very high.

* CPUs with a large number of cores tend to have a low clock speed.As a result of prioritizing the number of cores too much, the processing speed may become slower.For this reason, it is necessary to consider the balance, such as adopting the CPU with the highest clock speed from among the CPUs with the number of cores close to your desired number.

See Stata's system requirements here

Compatible operating systems
https://www.stata.com/products/compatible-operating-systems/

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Stata/MP is the fastest and largest edition of Stata.
https://www.stata.com/statamp/

How can I review my PC?

First, open Task Manager and check the number of CPU cores.

Start and check task manager

For Windows 11, press "Ctrl + Alt + Delete" at the same time and select "Task Manager" from the window menu.If you select the Performance tab in Task Manager, you can see the number of cores in the lower right part.
For example, if your machine has "4 cores", it is desirable to select a 4 core license.

Why match the license with the number of cores?

Stata/MP requires about 2-33% for analysis on a relatively inexpensive 50-core PC and about 4-50% for a standard 75-core computer.You can save time. For a 6-core license, if the number of physical cores of the CPU is less than the number of cores originally available for computation, the computing power will be reduced accordingly.Therefore, if you have a 6-core license, you will need a machine with a CPU with 6 or more cores to fully utilize the license.

"Performance per command for Stata/MP" is published in the following manufacturer report (page 17 onwards).Please refer to

Stata/MPPerformanceReport
https://www.stata.com/statamp/report.pdf

The more licenses/cores, the faster the process

• I want to handle even larger datasets
• I want to speed up processing

If there is a request like the above, the more cores the CPU has, the faster the processing can be achieved.

We can propose a set of licenses and machines according to your budget.We will select a license after considering your budget and propose a machine configuration.Please feel free to contact us.

Is it OK if the number of CPU cores exceeds the license? !

For example, if you compare machines with 32 or 32 core CPUs for a 64 core license, the machines with 32 core CPUs may be faster.

In Stata/MP, there is a characteristic that the processing speed decreases as the number of licensed cores and the number of physical cores increases.For this reason, it cannot simply be said that the more physical cores a CPU has, the better.

If you purchase a 64-core license in the near future, a machine with a 64-core CPU is also an option, but the machine with a 32-core CPU is the best choice for a 32-core license. Recommended.

If you do not want to execute parallel processing, select a CPU based on the clock rather than the number of cores.

Summary: PC design points for Stata/MP

Next notice

Next time, we plan to release [Proposal example] PC for data science [Stata edition].