# Intraday Trading Platform - Hardware with Multiple Monitors



## Smack (21 July 2013)

I am in the market for a new intraday trading setup.

i want to use 4 separate monitors connected to a single computer.

we only want to trade ASX equities in real time using intraday feed data.

i only want to use Flash SSD, but i am open to different OS - Apple or Windows.


some considerations:

laptops
external docking station which then feeds multiple monitors
external USB video cards for each monitor
externally powered USB hub (to prevent burning out laptop power supply)

some questions:

apple vs windows for this application?
which laptop is ideal for this application?
does usb 3.0 lag?
which computers or laptops are designed to run with external monitors?

any other thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated.


Smack


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## skyQuake (21 July 2013)

Why laptop?

In 99% of cases, a desktop pc will outperform and last longer than a laptop buck for buck.

More info on multiple monitor setup: http://www.pcworld.com/article/251521/when_two_monitors_arent_enough.html

Flash SSD is the hard disk type, not sure how thats relevant. Windows would be ideal for trading as it is compatible with more trading applications. Eg IRESS.


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## merlinnn (21 July 2013)

Smack said:


> I am in the market for a new intraday trading setup.
> 
> i want to use 4 separate monitors connected to a single computer.
> 
> ...




My only advice if buying a desktop would be to not skimp on the HDD. The average PC come with a hard drive rated for about 1500 hours of use, not much in the scheme of things? Would recommend a server rated drive which are usually rated in the hundreds of thousands up to a million hours plus of usage. 

Second thing I would be focusing on is your Internet connection if your intra day, scalping etc


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## Smack (21 July 2013)

thanks.

i agree flash is irreleavnt. 

we use iress atm with comses and we are not happy with comsec's reliability at crucial trading times and limited trading intraday functionality.

who else (provider) uses intraday dynamic feed data that we can try?

your thoughts on using 'parallels' on the apple to replicate windows apps on apple os?


Smack

- - - Updated - - -

merlinnn - woudl a flash drive in a server format be ideal?

what is a recommended brand of server rated hdd?

what optimal things should i be looking at for internet connectivity for scalping, etc?


Smack


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## skyQuake (21 July 2013)

What are you looking to trade?

Interactive Brokers is generally good for just about everything.
Its always good to have a backup broker for when the primary goes down though.

The apple parallels would just mean more work. What else would you use the mac part for?

Agree with running OS and main trading/charting apps from a SSD. Reliability is always good.


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## Smack (23 July 2013)

we only want to trade ASX equities in real time using intraday feed data.

what feed does IB use and is it close to real time and dynamic data feed?

smack


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## skyQuake (23 July 2013)

Smack said:


> we only want to trade ASX equities in real time using intraday feed data.
> 
> what feed does IB use and is it close to real time and dynamic data feed?
> 
> smack




you pay your standard asx exchange data fees - its live data straight from the exchange. Not some synthetic crap from a CFD provider.


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## Gringotts Bank (23 July 2013)

Smack said:


> we only want to trade ASX equities in real time using intraday feed data.
> 
> what feed does IB use and is it close to real time and dynamic data feed?
> 
> smack




For intraday ASX you can't go past SPARK

iguana2.com/‎


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## Smack (23 July 2013)

thanks guys

gringott - is the feed data dynamic (i.e. not have to keep pressing the 'refresh' key)?


smack


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## Gringotts Bank (23 July 2013)

Smack said:


> thanks guys
> 
> gringott - is the feed data dynamic (i.e. not have to keep pressing the 'refresh' key)?
> 
> ...




Yep.  It's got features you will not find anywhere else.  It's amazing... and expensive.


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## skc (23 July 2013)

Gringotts Bank said:


> Yep.  It's got features you will not find anywhere else.  It's amazing... and expensive.




It's not that expensive for an active trader... But it is not a broker platform, which is unfortunate. If you trade fast and find something interesting on Spark, you still need to muck around and place your order with your broker on a separate window/program.


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## Gringotts Bank (23 July 2013)

skc, off topic, are you happy with IG DMA platform?  Had any issues?


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## skyQuake (23 July 2013)

Gringotts Bank said:


> skc, off topic, are you happy with IG DMA platform?  Had any issues?




Could you do orders at the open/close with them too?


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## Gringotts Bank (23 July 2013)

skyQuake said:


> Could you do orders at the open/close with them too?




I'm pretty sure you can place orders in the auction with DMA.  Is that right sk?


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## skc (23 July 2013)

Gringotts Bank said:


> skc, off topic, are you happy with IG DMA platform?  Had any issues?




Generally pretty good but it's been a year since I last used them.

The problem isn't so much with order placement and execution, but just general slowness of the platform.

It took a few clicks to get the ticket up (which seems to take quite a few seconds) and you can only have a number of those up at the one time.

But once you click buy/sell the order to the market is as quick as you can expect.



skyQuake said:


> Could you do orders at the open/close with them too?




Yes.

But try to do more than a few trades and change the price/qty in the last mintue etc and this platform may not be quick enough.


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