Need a quadro / firepro ... any recommendations?

[Knavish]

I need to get a Quadro or FirePro card for Solidworks. I'd love to just use a gaming card, but the pro card is a requirement for Solidworks tech support.

I'm looking at the Quadro FX1800, which based on Wikipedia info is:
G94 GPU, 550Mhz core / 800Mhz Memory, 768MB @ 192 bits
$449 at Newegg.

To my horror, this seems *very* similar to a 9600GT:
G94 GPU, 700 Mhz core / ~900Mhz memory?, 1GB @ 256 bits
about $100 at Newegg.

Are there any Quadro or FirePro cards out there that aren't a complete scam? (Edit: I don't think soft-modding is an acceptable solution for a work environment)

Can anyone recommend a video card forum that's more dedicated to CAD software (or at least "pro" cards)?

Thanks!

 

[blanketyblank]

Are you just looking for something cheap or something that will actually provide performance?
Walmart, and officedepot actually sell quadro and firegl cards and they have some that are like $100. I can't really say anything about performance though since I haven't used a professional card for a very long time. However why not just check to see if one of the cards is supported?

http://www.walmart.com/search/search...h_query=quadro

 

[Sahakiel]

Are there any Quadro or FirePro cards out there that aren't a complete scam? (Edit: I don't think soft-modding is an acceptable solution for a work environment)

Doubtful. All the "professional" cards are basically gaming GPU's with different drivers and slightly different hardware (to prevent softmodding).
I would suck it up and buy a pro card. If anything, it entitles you to better tech support.
In theory.

 

[olmer]

ebay.

I’ve got FireMV 2200 for a fiver a few days ago (cheapest new is £75) – just needed PCI card.

Some liquidators/office clearance companies do not know what they sell – i’m pretty sure there are plenty of lower level Solidworks-certified workstation cards out there. Pick and choose an adequate for you OpenGL performance. BINs mostly, although there may be a few at auctions which had not attracted too much attention.

Then buy/return unopened from a shop you do not like and have your email/receipt for manufacturer’s official support if you need it.

 

[Sumotku]

You might just want to give soft modding a shot. I'm getting amazing OGL performance from a 3850 card modded to a V7700. Runs so well I don't even think about wanting more. Not only have I not found bugs/glitches in use, it actually fixed a few I had seen before it was reincarnated. I forget the figure exactly but I get over 7200 for a Cinebench OGL score, as a reference. I run numerous CAD programs with it, not Solidworks however. Great in Photoshop use as well. Once modded, all system reports specify it as a V7700 in case submitting log files is a concern. Again, well worth investigating and you should be able to find a used one very cheap.
edit: I just installed the trial version of Solidworks 2010 and it's creamy smooth. I don't have millions of parts to spin around, just furniture, but selections, transparency, hovering, render views all work well. I have 512 MB memory, that is one potential snag for large assemblies/rendering withing SW.

 

[Sumotku]

Apparently the V7700 has come down quite a bit recently. Not too shabby.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814195061

 

[ther00kie16]

Get a g80. Those were the last nvidia cards that could be modded to quadro. Refurbs going for $70 (possibly cheaper on ebay/craigslist/forums). Or get a new one here for $100 http://www.compuvest.com/Desc.jsp?iid=1155613