Minimal HW Requirements

[marco.randini]

Hello folks

I am about to buy a new PC to use it for VectorWorks and I would like to make sure it fulfills the minimal HW requirements.

In particular, I am interested in the capabilities of the Graphic Chip Set (Card).

My preferred PC has a Graphic Card ATI Mobility Radeon X600 with 64 MB video RAM.

Is that going to work? Are 64 MB video RAM sufficient? How much video RAM do you have guys on your PC?

I really would appreciate an advice or your experience on this topic.

Thanks

Marco

mailto:marco.randini@hp.com

[APE Design Ctr]

If you are doing alot with Open GL, then the video card is very very important. If this is the case, get the biggest fastest one you can get.

Video card has little to do with rendering, so if you are doing lots of rendering, get the biggest processor you can get.

[alanmac]

Windows or Mac?

[marco.randini]

Windows XP

Thanks

Marco

[grant_PD]

I've recently bought a computer from Xi Computer corp in California. Their computers are specifically geared towards CAD and whatnot. I've been nothing short of impressed with the computer, and they were very helpful in suggesting hardware parts.

[alanmac]

It depends on your budget, there being as with all things, the law of diminishing returns.

With Vectorworks you could be just doing basic 2D draughting which will not require a very powerful PC, but if you use Vectorworks to its full potential you'll be modelling in 3D, hidden line renders, moving complex stuff around which will require a more powerful computer.

There are also other things to consider. Are you adept with hardware and software, with the possible building of this yourself or do you want it supplied with warranty etc?

There are several new technologies, ways of connecting things etc. that you will want to ensure you have a machine capable of these new innovations. Most notable is dual core processing. Although you may not buy a machine with a dual core processor the motherboard in your machine should support one so you can upgrade later. AMD are the only ones bringing these processors to the general market in quantity at the moment AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual core processors.

Also bear in mind Microsoft has released Windows XP 64 for 64 processors so if you want to move up to this you'll need a processor like the above to benefit.

Whilst AGP slots for graphics cards and their cards will be around for some time yet, the latest connection for these is pci express and again if you don't get a graphics card of this type the slot should be on your motherboard for later upgrade.

Memory thankfully is cheap these days, compared to when I started using computers. 1 gig of ram would be good, 1.5 would be better, and 2 gig excellent. With a motherboard having four memory slots you'll be able to put a 512 stick in each at a reasonable cost.

I don't know where you live so I can't really recommend any manufacturer.

If you go with somebody like Dell, and I've got an old machine which still serves me well, be aware that certain items such as power supplies are usually only available from Dell if they go wrong, but from other smaller manufacturers they buy "off the shelf" like you and I.

One final point - noise. This is something that people are very aware of these days. The heat generated by machines these days require good cooling and some machines as such, poorly designed from this aspect, are very noisy.

You can get near silent machines these days, the Apple G5's are wonderfully quiet, and many a PC manufacturer is hoping to win people over with this feature.

I have a great Sony P4 3.2 machine, fast reliable, came with great software package, DVD and CD Burner, even a TV tuner card and video recording facilities, fast DDR2 Ram which I upgraded to 1.5 gb -- but the whine from the graphics card fan drives me nuts some days !!

My files are on average 40 to 60 mb sizes, sometimes even 100 mb, mostly 3D and it will open, copy, paste, moves these around without problems, apart from hidden line render type work, which is more to do with my over detailed models than what VW is doing.

It's quicker for me to export to a render package, I use Artlantis at work, chuck some lighting, textures on the model to show the client etc rather than wait for VW to do hidden line renders and then print them out. I imagine those with Renderworks would do the same.

Alan

[ 07-29-2005, 07:13 PM: Message edited by: alanmac ]

[jan15]

This is only heresay, but the people in the Sketchup forum seem to think that the drivers for a lot of video chips don't really fully support OpenGL, even if they claim to.

The consensus there seems to be that if you're going to use OpenGL to speed up 3D work, you need a video card with an nVidia GeForce chip.

[alanmac]

Yes, it would appear from comments over on the cgtalk forums that nVidia video cards and drivers work better than ATI but its a constantly changing situation. I can remember ATI being top dog a few years ago.

It doesn't help that every week it seems somebody brings out a new card, one of the latest being SLI, to be able to link two cards together for greater performance.

I've a ATI card, not by choice, it was in the particular machine I purchased and I've experienced no issues with the cards performance at all, Open GL or otherwise. Yes, the fan whine on it gets on my nerves not helped by the metal CPU case, but performance is fine.

Gamers cards with 256 mb of memory are not what is required for Vectorworks. A 128 mb card with faster onboard memory is better.

In my opinion its like buying hifi, no point in buying the best player going if you put it through crap speakers and vice versa. Its a balance of components working well together without a bottleneck created that loses any advantage gained further down the line.

Very much how Apple would explain how and why they design and build machines the way they do.

The one major thing that PC's have going for them is upgradability, you can if you wish, or feel it worthwhile, change and upgrade nearly every component in a PC.

For example if you missed out on getting a machine capable of dual core processors you could buy a new motherboard, and then replace this, keeping all your other components, memory, hard disc, graphics card etc. You'd buy the processor anyway so the only extra cost is the board and some time.

I can see it from the other point of view as well. Can't be bothered with all this stuff, just want to switch it on and use it, do the work and be gone. If it gets too slow, buy another, give this one to the office staff or family member and move on.

I'm getting more to this way of thinking myself.

[ 07-29-2005, 10:30 PM: Message edited by: alanmac ]