If you were going to use a 3d Autocad would you?

SpongeBoB87 · Aug 31, 2003

go with a ATI 9800 pro 256 or is there a better choice like the Matrix Pherilia (or something close to that name). I know the big names are Nvidia, ATI Matrox. I have done a lot of reading on the ATI and Nvidia, some on the Matrix cards. This seems to be a pretty demanding program. I am considering the ATI Radeon 9800 pro 256 but I would like to hear from others on this.

cruc1fy · Sep 1, 2003

AutoCAD isn't a 3D program. It has simple 3D functionality (especially at a developer's level), but it is a drafting package first and foremost. The 3D capabilities of the Radeon 9800 (or the equivalent FireGL) and the GeForce FX (or the equivalent Quadro FX) would be lost on ACAD.

The Matrox cards tend to do very well in 2D applications.

If, on the other hand, you just don't have your terminology right and by "a 3d Autocad" you mean a Solid (3D) Modeling application, go with a 3D card you can afford.

SpongeBoB87 · Sep 1, 2003

This is a program that is a either a application to autocad, or takes its basis from autocad. It is an autocad for firesprinklers. The person that runs it says it runs in 3d. My terminology probably wasn't correct.

Goodie · Sep 1, 2003

Well I would use something like This for a high end Graphics program. I don't know what ATI offers for this sort of thing, but I know the Nvidia cards are good because I have seen them being used. Cad runs very well on these cards, you'll love it. Our school bought one of these cards so we could have one really new computer in the room. That computer always has someone on it because of the vid card. Well that and the fact that the other Computers in the room are like 3 years old, LOL

Oni · Sep 1, 2003

I'd pro'lly go w/ a Matrox Parahellia or an ATI FireGL card.

SpongeBoB87 · Sep 1, 2003

Goodie said:
Well I would use something like This for a high end Graphics program. I don't know what ATI offers for this sort of thing, but I know the Nvidia cards are good because I have seen them being used. Cad runs very well on these cards, you'll love it. Our school bought one of these cards so we could have one really new computer in the room. That computer always has someone on it because of the vid card. Well that and the fact that the other Computers in the room are like 3 years old, LOL

Which card have you seen running? Also this computer will be used for games also but primarily for the 3d autocad based application. The basic budget I have is 5-600 dollars for the video card.

cruc1fy · Sep 1, 2003

SpongeBoB87 said:
Which card have you seen running? Also this computer will be used for games also but primarily for the 3d autocad based application. The basic budget I have is 5-600 dollars for the video card.

We use 3DLabs cards at the office on most of our design workstations ($2,000 range). If the computer will also be used for gaming, don't get a dedicated CAD/CAM card. What's your budget look like?

HotKoala · Sep 1, 2003

Not the Matrox Parhelia for sure for AutoCad. Certified and stable..but much too slow.

ATi GL solutions are still crash happy.

nVidia Quadro are more stable but you get bits of artifacts

3DLabs anything would be ideal except their VP line. Although VP drivers may have improved by now. cruc1fy might know for sure.

His budget is $500-600.

cruc1fy · Sep 2, 2003

HotKoala said:
Although VP drivers may have improved by now. cruc1fy might know for sure.

No... we have some pretty video-memory hungry apps, so we use Wildcats.

SpongeBoB87 · Sep 2, 2003

So this is what I decided (this rig will be used for both the cad application and some games), so here goes:

Case is Antec SLK3700

Asus P4P800 DLX

HT enabled 2.4C P4

1gig of matched corsair CL2.5

Video Card Hercules/Guillemot ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 256 (this seemed like the most bang for the buck)

HD WD800JB (was contemplating a Raptor but deccided it wasn't worth it).

Windows XP Pro

The budget for this was $1300 for the entire rig. I think it should be a very fast rig. What do you guys think

shiltz · Sep 2, 2003

i'm assuming by 3d autocad you mean mechanical desktop which is the 3d package for autocad, either way if you are doing 3d cad work and have a low budget like that go with a Nvidia card over ATI, while ATI may edge out Nvidia slightly on gaming they don't come close on cad and other profesional 3d apps, their open GL support is very lacking and lots of cad programs won't even run trying to use hardware open GL on an ATI card, you need to switch to software open GL.

Rokk1972 · Sep 3, 2003

I have to agree with shiltz, I have used many types of vid cards for various cad systems, and I have alway gone back to NVIDIA cards over ati. Every time I used a rig that had an ati vid card in it i had problems. I just replaced my vid card (Quadro4 980xgl) with a 5900 Ultra, and I am loving it. Now I can play games on my CAD rig, and the 5900 can handle anything i throw at in when it comes to 3D modeling or drafting.

Buy a 5900 Ultra (eVGA)

cruc1fy · Sep 4, 2003

Rokk - Was that an actual Quadro or a modded GF4 Ti 4800? If it was real, what did you do with it (ie are you looking to sell)?

In the 3D modeling world, do you use or have you used CATIA? That's what I use for work, and while it runs decently on my SoftQuadro4, I'd like to step up to something better.

Rokk1972 · Sep 4, 2003

it was a real quadro4, right now I have it in my wife's rig. The prices have come down alot on the quadro4 980, I paid $750 for it last year, and now I have seen them for 500-550. I have used catia in the past, but now I mainly run Solidworks. I haven't ran catia on the 5900 ultra, but I would bet it runs great.

cruc1fy · Sep 4, 2003

Rokk1972 said:
it was a real quadro4, right now I have it in my wife's rig. The prices have come down alot on the quadro4 980, I paid $750 for it last year, and now I have seen them for 500-550. I have used catia in the past, but now I mainly run Solidworks. I haven't ran catia on the 5900 ultra, but I would bet it runs great.

Okay cool.

Dassault Systems bought SolidWorks, and supposedly they are going to make the modeling interface of CATIA v6 be like SolidWorks. That would be cool, as SolidWords is easier to use but not nearly as powerful as the CATIA engine.

Enemy Down! · Sep 25, 2003

i use 3d modeling software as well and all this time i have been running with a ti4600 card.

is the quadro fx500 ($300 cheapest i can find) alot faster than the ti4600 when it comes to rendering and 3d real time walk throughs, or do i have to purchase the fx1000, etc., to see a huge difference.

an image below for example, can take my ti4600 up to 10 minutes to render and i can't stand waiting that long anymore! and the ti4600 has a dificult time engaging real time walk throughs in 1600x1200 resolution when a design is that detailed.

the program is open gl only and is not dx9.

i have to stick with nvidia because the software company does not recomend ati cards.

If you were going to use a 3d Autocad would you?

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