CAD Modeling Graphics Card

[VHockey86]

Well my dad is finally looking at replacing his POS computer hes been hoarding for the past 5 1/2 years, Pentium pro 200 mhz.. bla bla bla

Neways, i was putting together a prospective build for him:

Pentium 4 2.8CGhz
Asus P4P800
1 Gig pc3200 RAM

And i was wondering about what graphics card to use.. he doesnt really play any games at all, however one the main reasons he wants a new computer is to be able to do some 3d modeling at home (hes a mechanical engineer).

The software hes going to be using is SolidWorks (incase anyone knows anything about it). I've heard that the Nvidia Quadro series cards are designed for doing CAD/modeling work and I was wondering what people who know about them could tell me.

Some basic information would help, such as what cards are the "budget models", mid range, "high-end" cards.

Also, what card would be a goood choice for the system but still not rediculously expensive (prolly would want to spend 350-400 MAX, preferably less).

Thx,
VHockey

--Edit-- oh ya, he also wants to have coax, svideo, rca jack inputs and stuff for converting our old tapes to dvd, however I could always just get a PCI TV card, just thought id mention it tho

[VHockey86]

bump

A standard consumer grade nVidia card should surfice for most CAD applications, assuming he does not need top-tier performance. Plus you should not have any problems finding a GeForce card with all the desired input/output options.

Check this resource for information on modifying consumer-grade Radeon and GeForce video cards into professional-grade solutions....

http://www.nvworld.ru/index_e.shtml

Robert Richmond

[Prexaspes]

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...tby=14&order=1

3D Labs make good CAD cards. Some of the newer ones are cheap, too.

If you are looking towards 3DLabs, then the VP series is where to look in the mid-range market. Go for one of the 128+ MB P10-chipset versions, leave the entry-level P9 version alone. Otherwise, you might find the performance quite disappointing, especially in anything outside of CAD applications.

[VHockey86]

How would a card such as this:

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...131-199&depa=1

compare to a more CAD oriented card such as this:

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...133-063&depa=1

in terms of general video performance, video encoding, playing games (incase I decide to use it on occasion)

The Radeon 9700 Pro is a great performer, especially in professional apps if you apply the software FireGL hack from the link I provided earlier. The 9700 Pro can be hacked to an ATI FireGL X1. Gaming performance is also top notch, plus the 9700p offers full DX9 pixel and vertex shader support.

The Quadro 4 is an older GeForce 4 chipset design, meaning DX8 level support. This will mean little for most OpenGL professional applications, but it could limit the card's capabilities in the future. Gaming performance definitely favors the Radeon 9700p.

Robert Richmond

[tangluva]

Although I would have picked this since you want to play games, it is originally intended for your dad, so the 3D Labs Wildcat looks best for the most speed/accuracy ratio that you can buy.

BTW, I know this isn't the FS/T forum, but if you want a decent CAD card for $50 shipped (Was $1,000 almost three years ago), I have a Diamond MM (now supported by ATI) Fire GL 2 card. The problem is that it has the gaming speed of a little more than a GeForce 2 (old obviously), but if you want a good CAD card for really cheap, it's a good one. Yahoo has good info on it.

*ahem* Yeah, but either way, try to look at real practical useage (ex. Dad uses it 8 hrs/day, I use it 3 hrs./week) as a the most determining factor in the buy.

Edit: Also, I tried to deter you away from NVidia b/c they do not have the best reputation in terms of visual quality.

I don't know why, but I feel a deja vu moment right now as I am editing. Eh, anyways.

[tangluva]

Whoops, hit the quote page. Sorry.

[VHockey86]

Outside of CAD, would the workstation cards do video encoding better/faster than a "gaming " card? Another reason he wants a new computer is to put all our old video tapes onto DVDs.