I want to install AutoDesk's Inventor 9 on my machine. It's a high end CAD/3D software package. The system requirements are 3-4GB of RAM. I have a HP desktop with a sis 650 MB, 256mb RAM (upgradeable to 2 GB), and on-board 32mb graphics card, in other words it's bone stock. It's sad, I know... but I'm not a gamer.

I would like your opinion as to what route I should take, or if I shouldn't even bother. Here is the caveatte; I'm a student again, with other projects (read = broke), and I have to make the most out of the $200 bones I've allotted for this upgrade.

If you select Graphics card; would you help me determine the best one I can buy? I have absolutely no clue about them. Thanks

 

Rock and a hard place come to mind. I say up the budget and look around for something from the Dell Optiplex line (better components, warranty and newly announced tech support in the good ol' USA) with your student discount.

 

Definitely load up on your RAM and upgrade that awful integrated "video card". As for what I recommend, you can't go wrong with the Nvidia Quadro cards. http://www.nvidia.com/page/workstation.html Pricey yes, but they are made exactly for what you want to do.

EDIT: sorry, didn't read about your budget. I'd say with that kind of budget, all you can really do is load up on RAM. I think you may want to wait and save up the money to do what I suggested above. But if you're going to do that you might as well just get a whole new system specifically optimized for CAD.

 

Well I hate to say it but when it come to computer equipment you have to buy what you need, and to do what your talking about you need a system. CAD doesn't really need a hardcore graphics card since most of the point to point crunching is done by the procesor, the graphics card helps on brute force though in cad programs. You would do fine with a card in the 180 dollar range. Kinda like a Radeon 9600 128 standard or the like. You do need an @$$ load of RAM. 2 GB if your really going to use it as a CAD station. If your just playing with it 1 GB would be minimum. It also sound like your not into building your own system so your stuck with the added cost there. I'd go for a DELL demesion 4600 in your case. Your also going to need the 300 dollar keyboard and 100 dollar spesalized mouse and or pen pad.

With the system you have you might be able to use the older school autoCAD.

 

I dont think it would be worth it to upgrade. CAD uses just about every component in your machine. By the time you finished upgrading to where it would at least run well, you might as well have already bought a new machine. If at all possible, I would keep saving and do it right the first time. Don't you have a lab at school that has the kind of computers that run those apps? If you do, I would just use those until the savings add up to enough.

 

What kind of mobo/ram do you run now? There is a pretty significant difference between dual channel ddr400 ram and the old sdram. If you are going to upgrade an SDRAM computer...forget it! I say start from the ground up...pick up a good mobo (Asus P4C800-E Delux is a good start) and spend the rest on as much ddr400 ram that you can afford. I just picked up that mobo for $130 and 512mb for $70. It's just a start though...but at least you arent wasting any money on the HP.

 

Thanks guys, I guess I'll just stick with the lab at school for now. Maybe I'll just get turbo CAD so I can play at home until I can afford the program and a new computer. If the damn program wasn't so expensive I could really make my system Kick A$$. Oh well. Thanks again.

 

you the lab and save up for a new pc....i didnt think cad used the graphic card but more the processor for serious number crunching.....find the PC you'd really like start saving and by the time you have that much money you'll be able to get something 10x better then what you were saving for.

Building a PC is alot of fun and you get more bang for your buck....you might want to consider that option...then you could part your HP out, using its CD-Rom and floppy drives along with a couple other odds an ends....probably less then a 1000 bucks and you'll have something that will run that program no prob....

 

That sounds like an option. I have looked at new egg, and ebay for stuff. Can you recommend any other places to find good, yet less expensive PC componets?

 

Sorry PoBoy I forgot to answer you. From http://www.sis.com/products/chipsets...tium4/650.htm: "It also integrates a high performance 2.1GB/s DDR266 Memory controller to sustain the bandwidth demand from the integrated GUI or external AGP master, host processor, as well as the multi I/O masters."

Is that OK? I have no idea of what the diffrence is.

 

Inventor has rendering capabilities that use the graphics card.

I'd bet that the RAM figures you quoted were for "optimal performance". That being said, I'd max out the system RAM first and see how it goes.

If there are issues with the video after that, then scour ebay for a better vid card.

 

basically that means your system is robbing itself to keep up with itself. your integrated video is scavaging badwidth from your system memory your front side bus and the prosesor. these boards are as cheap as you can get usually find these kinds of boards on www.pricewatch.com for 20 bucks. 2.1 BG/s is bottum of the barrel. your medium grade video card assuming it on a least a 4xAGP port will run around 8GB/s.

 

Ha-Ha, its really funny, I know... But what the Hell do I do?

 

Here is an option that is not listed. Are you stuck with that particular cad program? If you just need a cad/3D program, try SolidWorks. We use it here at work and you can get a student addition for $99.00 the only down side is, it is only good for 2 years. Check it out maybe you could use it until you get the cash for what you really want.

Solidworks student edition link

 

You know, that is a great option... thank you! I just looked over the site and I think they have a very nice product. Sure as heck beats the $500 bones I was going to pay for the student version of Inventor 9. It even looks "cleaner". We'll find out soon enough!

$99 Bones!!!! HELL FREAKIN YEAH! I'll upgrade ram with two sticks of 512mb and then I'll Slap a decent Graphics card and call it good. Thanks for the leg work man, its appreciated!

I guess they figure students get mighty tempted by Kazaa when cash is tight, huh? AutoDesk should reduce the cost of thier software drastically. I have heard more conversations about "scoring" AutoCAD 2004/Inventor 9 than they could ever realize.

 

Glad I could help a poor college student out. Just do me a favor and when you start doing design work, run the interfearence checker. My designers tend not to and that leads to alot of extra rework, holes drilled, metal cut, etc... I don't know how much you looked at the software but for an extra $100 you get all of the Cosmos calculation software built in. Also make sure you get the Solidworks 2005 edition, they have now built in a true DXF / DWG translator engine (read Autocad drawings) that doesn't drop any of the info when you look at non-solidworks 2D drawings. Again glad I could help.