New graphics card advice!!
Discussion
Hi,
have just ordered a new graphics card from Amazon to replace my older card which is now 'struggling' with the CAD rendering I now do on my PC. it is a Hercules 3D Prophet 9700 pro. What I would like to know is, will I need to change my processor to notice any difference?, I have an AMD Athlon XP 1800+ at the moment, and 512 mb of ddr ram, but my AGP isn't all that good, hence very slow rendering times!
I know it's way off topic, but there are such a broad range of clever folk on PH.
Cheers
chris
have just ordered a new graphics card from Amazon to replace my older card which is now 'struggling' with the CAD rendering I now do on my PC. it is a Hercules 3D Prophet 9700 pro. What I would like to know is, will I need to change my processor to notice any difference?, I have an AMD Athlon XP 1800+ at the moment, and 512 mb of ddr ram, but my AGP isn't all that good, hence very slow rendering times!
I know it's way off topic, but there are such a broad range of clever folk on PH.
Cheers
chris
In short no.
After a certain processing level the guts of the work is taken over by the VGA card anyway. Basically this level is about 800mhz, processor becomes redundant after this as the only real leg work that needs to be done by the CPU is done way before it gets to the GPU at any level over the 800mhz.
Matt.
After a certain processing level the guts of the work is taken over by the VGA card anyway. Basically this level is about 800mhz, processor becomes redundant after this as the only real leg work that needs to be done by the CPU is done way before it gets to the GPU at any level over the 800mhz.
Matt.
For CAD apps you would benefit greatly from upgrading your motherboard to an AGP 8x graphics port and using PC3200 400mHz DDR RAM (as much as poss).
It means rebuilding your PC, but it'll fly.
www.ebuyer.com is the cheapest place anywhere.
You can always sell your redundant bits on Ebay as well.
>> Edited by dave_s13 on Friday 14th February 15:25
It means rebuilding your PC, but it'll fly.
www.ebuyer.com is the cheapest place anywhere.
You can always sell your redundant bits on Ebay as well.
>> Edited by dave_s13 on Friday 14th February 15:25
plotloss said: AMD better suited to Media apps, Intel better suited to business apps.
Its all in the pipeline structure - man!
BTW Neil I am still looking for a fix for your problem, or have you sorted it?
Matt.
Not yet! It's a stumper, eh?
>> Edited by neil_cardiff on Friday 14th February 15:28
dave_s13 said: For CAD apps you would benefit greatly from upgrading your motherboard to an AGP 8x graphics port and using PC3200 400mHz DDR RAM (as much as poss).
It means rebuilding your PC, but it'll fly.
www.ebuyer.com is the cheapest place anywhere.
You can always sell your redundant bits on Ebay as well.
>> Edited by dave_s13 on Friday 14th February 15:25
ebuyer is the cheap for a lot of kit, but check out www.eclipse-computers.com - they beat most people most of the time.
I have absolutely no affiliation with them whatsoever, but have used them an awful lot in the past.
Matt.
neil_cardiff said: I just built a 1200+ AMD with 512Mb Pc133and a 9700 Radeon Pro and it got through the new 3dMark 03 test with a score of 4505, which is not bad, considering a benchmark on a 2.4 P4 with 512 of PC2700 got 4600 ish.
I was chuffed to say the least...
Oh, and before all you 3dMark'ers start laughing at me, the 3dMark 03 score is completely different to 3dMark 02.
So ner! :P
Thanks for the brill advise guys!!, am stunned!!
I have the full version of AutoCAD 2002, but I mainly use TurboCAD V8.2 for most of my work, including rendering.
I guess the next step is changing the motherboard to a higher spec, including the RAM. However, I'll wait and see how the new AGP card performs. Most of the time I am just drawing in 2-d, but 3-d can get quite power hungry when things get complicated!!
I may at one point design some models of TVRs, and see if my clients will manufacture them, if enough people are interested!!!!
Chris
I have the full version of AutoCAD 2002, but I mainly use TurboCAD V8.2 for most of my work, including rendering.
I guess the next step is changing the motherboard to a higher spec, including the RAM. However, I'll wait and see how the new AGP card performs. Most of the time I am just drawing in 2-d, but 3-d can get quite power hungry when things get complicated!!
I may at one point design some models of TVRs, and see if my clients will manufacture them, if enough people are interested!!!!
Chris
chris watton said: Thanks for the brill advise guys!!, am stunned!!
I have the full version of AutoCAD 2002, but I mainly use TurboCAD V8.2 for most of my work, including rendering.
I guess the next step is changing the motherboard to a higher spec, including the RAM. However, I'll wait and see how the new AGP card performs. Most of the time I am just drawing in 2-d, but 3-d can get quite power hungry when things get complicated!!
I may at one point design some models of TVRs, and see if my clients will manufacture them, if enough people are interested!!!!
Chris
Get Microstation! It's brill. Much better than AutoCrap 2002. You can translate any format drawing and everything - and as for as plug ins go for 3d...
you are spoilt for choice.
Edited to add: - I work for an architects and we do quite a bit of 3d work and it works really well...
It helped design this www.wmc.org.uk/english/e_frame.htm
>> Edited by neil_cardiff on Friday 14th February 16:10
pdv6 said:
neil_cardiff said:Oh, and before all you 3dMark'ers start laughing at me, the 3dMark 03 score is completely different to 3dMark 02.
So ner! :P
So what's your '02 score then?
Not good, about 7900-8000 I seem to remember. I'm not one for overclocking or anything. So a new motherboard with 8x AGP and a XP2100+ is one the cards (Best balance between performance and cost)
Anyone got any they want to sell?
>> Edited by neil_cardiff on Friday 14th February 16:30
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