System for Autocad 2000?

[TempusIrae]

Hey all,

I am setting up a system for my pops who will only be using it for Autocad 2000. I have only used Autocad in highschool so I am lost when it comes to specs needed. Can anyone lend some advice on a basic config to properly run autocad? I was hoping to get him a notebook but unsure if the hard drive is fast enough. I can get new HP Omnibooks for dirt cheap but they only have PII 400's and 4MB video ram. Is that enough?

Thanks in advance

 

[xtreme2k]

AutoCAD 2000 arent all THAT system intensive since most of the time it is only waiting for user input. However, I wouldnt recommend anything less than a 400MHz computer with 128MB RAM+. It also depends on your project size. If you work is very detailed, then you will generally need more ram and slightly more powerful CPU. HDD shouldnt be too much of an issue as it will only take the program slightly longer to load.

I am currently running Acad2k on my P3/700E oc 818 with 384MB RAM and everything is instant.

 

[RPB]

a friend is running acad2000 on his PII350 with only 64meg of ram and win2k pro.

 

[TempusIrae]

Well I have seen Windows 2000 running on 64MB and it's slow but if you guys can agree that a PII 400 is enough, then I think this Omnibook should be fine. How important is video memory? One notebook has 2.5MB and is powered by a NeoMagic controller while the other one is an ATI rage Mobility 4MB. Big difference?

Thanks

 

[jhouston]

I have been running Autocad for 10 years so my experience with the program is more than adequate.

For a notebook configuration:

[*]at least 500mhz Intel processor

[*]256mb of ram(I would take the 64mb and upgrade to 256mb from Crucial.)

[*]32mb videocard

[*]5400rpm HD

[*]TFT display

[*]CD-RW for backups


I would not recommend a 4mb video card for Autocad 2000!


Here is Autodesk's system requirements:


<< System Requirements
[*]Intel Pentium 233?based PC
[*]Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0 (SP3 or later), Windows 98, Windows 95 (B or later)
[*]64MB RAM
[*]100MB disk space for typical installation
[*]64MB available for swap space
[*]1024x768x64K graphics card and color monitor
[*]CD-ROM drive
[*]Pointing device (mouse or digitizer)


To further boost AutoCAD performance

Increase system memory. This is your most cost-effective way to improve performance.
Increase free or &quot;unconstrained&quot; memory. Paging to disk is the worst bottleneck for any Windows application.
Upgrade your PC?s processor. This can greatly improve >>



Even though Autocad was designed to run on slower systems I would at least bump up the memory on the video card to 16mb and the system ram to 256mb.


For a desktop configuration:


Will your dad be working in 3D or strictly 2D?


If 2D is his only concern then I suggest:


[*]19&quot; moinitor (I suggest an AG type flat screen)

[*]at least 128mb of PC133 CL=2(from Crucial of course!)

[*]at least a 500mhz Intel processor(A celeron would probably be sufficient.)

[*]Matrox G450 32mb DDR(just in case you want to add another monitor)

[*]Iomega 100mb Zip drive(cheapest solution for drawing backups)(or CD-RW?)

[*]Windows 2000 or Windows 98 SE

If 3D is going to be part of the equation then I suggest:

[*](2x) 17&quot; AG flat screen(Samsung 700NF or liyama i70a)or (2x) 19&quot; monitors if that is in your budget. Dual screens will allow to view rendering results on one monitor and work on the other or you can have 2 different 3D views displayed. When you are designing in 3D two monitors would come in very handy when working with multiple drawings and xref dwgs.You can get two excellent 17&quot; monitors for the price of one 19&quot; monitor.

[*]Dual Processor Motherboard (maybe Abit VP6,Microstar,Asus,or Tyan)

[*]at least 700mhz/100mhz processors

[*]At least 256mb of PC133 CL=2(Crucial of course!)

[*]Matrox G450 32mb DDR

[*]Windows 2000 Professional

[*]CD-RW(Plextor,TDK, I guess something in the 12x/10x/32x range?But any will do because speed is not the issue. Rendering files can get pretty large so a Zip drive is really not practical because of price issues with the larger zip drives)

If it were me I would prefer the desktop over the notebook for running Autocad 2000. I think you would get better performance for the money on a desktop.
It really depends on the type of Autocad work you are doing. Heavy 3D(renderings and multiple 3d layouts) or intricate 2D dwgs(ie:contour maps,civil plans,or detailed architectural dwgs)=heavy ram ,heavy processor, and video card . Minimum system requirements are sufficient for most 2d.

 

[TempusIrae]

Really appreciate the info. I was hoping that video memory was not as important. I can get notebooks dirt cheap but they usually have at most, 8MB video memory. I will go with the desktop, the only problem I have now is meeting his budget.

Thanks Again everyone

 

[xtreme2k]

I dont see how video memory helps performance in Acad seriously.

 

[TempusIrae]

If you are only planning on running 2D on Autocad, then video power/memory is not as important, correct? If you are planning on rendering and making complex 3D environments, then it comes to play. I am just asking to see if this notebook can suffice. If you can please give me your opinion on this notebook running autocad 2000.

HP Omnibook

PII 400
192MB PC-66 SDRAM
10GB IBM Travelstar HD
2.5MB NeoMagic Video
14.1&quot; TFT

Thanks in advance

 

[xtreme2k]

I dont think vram matters regardless of 2D/3D in Acad.

The rendering is always 'software'

VRAM is only used as a frame buffer.

More ram will help you use higher resolution,
but NOTHING more.

 

[TempusIrae]

So do you think the notebook above will run autocad 2000 adequately? My dad is retired so time is not an issue = ) But at the same time I don't want it to crawl like windows 2000 with 32MB system ram.

 

[xtreme2k]

How much ram is on the notebook?

 

[TempusIrae]

It has 2.5MB VRAM on a NeoMagic AGP 2X video controller.

 

[xtreme2k]

STOP talking about the VRAM, it is irrelevent.

I am asking you how much SYSTEM RAM your notebook got?

 

[TempusIrae]

Sorry, the notebook comes with 64MB SDRAM and I am adding another 128MB to that bringing the total to 192MB PC-66 SDRAM.