#Best Hardware
15 messages in this thread
I am pretty new to autocad. I got interested in it from my sister and
brother in law that use it at work. They are starting a new business and
will be using Autocad as there main software package.
I would like to help them figure out the best hardware setup to maximize
Autocad. What suggestions does anybody have or if some one else was paying
what would you order. Is a 486/33 the way to go. How much ram. What video
cards or monitors. What size drive do you recommend.
One suggestion we have got at a local store is
486/33 DX
8 MB ram
240 MB Quantum Drive
Diamond Speedstar Video With 1 Meg.
14" SVGA .28 DP non interlaced monitor.
3 1/2 and 5 1/4 Drives
M/S Mouse
Does the 486 require any other math-coprocessor to work with Autocad.
Will a 14" monitor work ok for most applications.
Any advice would help greatly. Once we spend the money we won
Jerry – one man's opinion… <g>
That's a pretty tolerable list. Not much I'd change, except get 16Mb if you
can swing it; probably another $350-400, but well worth it.
Diamond Speedstar is a popular card. Make sure you get some display list
software to go with it, like Vibrant's SoftEngine or Panacea's DLD.
SVGA is good, .28 dot pitch is good, non-interlaced is good, 14" is NOT so
good! I'd go for at least a 16 or 17" inch. Nanao's in that size are very
popular here; others like IDEK. NEC's are so-so, although they have a new
line that might be better than the 4D. 14" is just too small to sit and stare
at intensely for hours on end.
You might also want to consider a tape backup unit; 240Mb is on the large
size for floppy backup. And an input device? Mouse or digitizer? How about a
Kurta for the latter (mice only pay off if you've done a lot of customizing).
Dave
Thanks much Dave, sounds great to me. I think I will try to go with the
monitor and then upgrade to the other hardware later.
Jerry
Another opinion I concur with Dave on the monitor size. I've been using a
14" for a couple of years and a larger monitor is DEFINITELY on my "short
list".
My machine is similar to the one you are looking at, 486/33, 8Meg, 210M
drive, and I have the Diamond Speedstar card. The card works very nicely
and seems very fast when combined with the Panacea display list.(I have
only the real-mode DLD, havn't upgraded to the 386-mode) You should check
with the vendor, but Panacea DLD is normally bundled with the Diamond
board.
I also agree that a digitizer tablet would be a nice addition, though I am
beginning to lust after icon type menu tools.
You do not need any other co-processor with the 486, it's built in.
It would be nice to have a Weitec socket if you imagine using products such
as 3D-Studio, and in the event a later release of ACAD takes advantage, but
as of now ACAD 11 will not make use of a Weitec coprocessor. More memory
is always nice, and I can see myself adding another 8Meg within about a
year, though 8Meg is far from cramped for basic R-11 work. here more would
be nice is for multi-tasking type applications.
You don't say wheither this is an ISA or EISA machine, I think if
you can afford the difference I'd go for the EISA, even though with the
exception of SCSI interfaces there is not much now out there to take
advantage of the EISA – IMHO its just a matter o time.
[More]
[Continued]
Another thing I might look at is how much memory can be put on the mother
board. One of the reasons I chose my current machine (Gateway 2000) was
the ability to put up to 64Meg on the motherboard. Also ask how the memory
is configured, i.e. if the board will allow 32 Meg, and comes with 8Meg,
are all slots filled with 1 Meg SIMMs? If so, to upgrade the memory you
will actually have to remove the 1 Meg SIMMs and replace them with 4 Meg
SIMMs. Now, assuming they are standard 1 Meg x 9 SIMMs, you could probably
sell them to another user, or put them in another machine, but if you could
get the machine configured with 4 Meg SIMMs to start with, all you'd have
to do is add more. I learned this the hard way with an Everex 386 that
came with 2 Meg, set up using 256K SIMMs. Also be sure that the memory is
at least(or should that be at most?) 70 ns speed – 80 ns are too slow for a
33 MHz. machine.
Ask about external Cache memory for the 486 – all 486's have an internal
8K cache, but the faster machines will all have an external cache of from
64K to 256K. Best arrangement might be one with say 128K upgrade-able to
256K later.
I'm looking at buying another machine for work this spring, and am
leaning toward a Gateway 2000 486/33 EISA machine. Its standard
configuration is: 8 Meg RAM, 128K Cache, both floppys, 340 Meg SCSI drive
15 ms with 128K hardware disk cache, EISA SCSI controller, 14"
non-interlaced w/1meg SVGA card, lists at $3895(which is $100 LESS than I
paid for my ISA 486/33 from Gateway last summer ). 🙁 Have fun looking-
it's a pretty neat time to be shopping! Dave T-L
Thanks for the info Dave that clears up a lot of what I was wondering
about. The only thing I know at this point is that the max ram is only
32MB. I didn't check on the board architecture as of yet but I will. I
don't bekieve it is a EISA board. I think we will be where you are for
awhile and then try to go to the monitor and digitizer. I also have a
386/33 that I use and it has a Speedstar.
After I left the last message I was doing some file work and noticed the
file from Panacea . It was there as you predicted.
I will let you know how it goes.
Jerry
Dave,
Before you upgrade from your real-mode driver to a protected mode driver,
please try out our products.
Almost everyone who has a competitors product, then tries ours, comments
that they didn't know that there could be so much difference in performance
and easy of use made by just changing the driver.
Robert E. Bou, Vibrant Graphics, Ltd. (800) 937-1711
Robert, I am trying out different dld drivers… Could you get a demo of
your pmode driver sent my way?
Robert L. Biscardi
Archinetics, Inc.
1155 Louisiana Ave. Suite 106
Winter Park, FL 32789
Thanks…
Robert…
.> comments that they didn't know there could be so much difference
.> in performance and easy [sic] of use made by just changing the
.> driver.
Now, is that because your products provide such a drastic difference and
contrast that the people trying them are just plain thankful for what they
already have? <g,d,&r really fast!>
Jake <As a Booker disciple, always looking for openings into which to stick
other people's feet> Richter
Eeeeeek!
Jake, don't get *me* in the middle of this! And for God sakes Jim…. keep
Roberts feet away from my openings!
Scooter!
The math coprocessor is built into a 486, so No, it doesn't need one.
-TonyT.
Just watch out for the i486sx. It has no coprocessor. Some marketing guy
thought that one up.
"Does your dog bite?"
"No."
"Hello puppy . . . "
<Snarl, Rrrr, bark, bark, snap, *CHOMP*>
"Yoww! I thought you said your dog didn't bite."
"That is not my dog."
Thanks Tony
Jerry
Jerry,
Years ago I got into AutoCAD and decided to build my own system. I made a
*big* mistake in not trying to find a *good* *knowledgeable* AutoCAD dealer.
Most of the hardware I purchased was fine, except for the $2000 graphics
board from a 'name' brand computer company. The 'name' brand monitor had to
be replaced later. The real waste was years of 1/2 speed work because
—> I didn't know what AutoCAD could be programed to do.
—> I didn't know how to choose between good and bad CAD equipment.
—> I didn't know I could have bought a third-party-package to do
something automaticly that I spend hours or days doing.
You see, I just didn't know. Find a good dealer who does. Tell him
honestly how much money leases, training and support. If this is a hobby, do it cheap. If its your
business, then treat it like a business investment.
And do yourself a **BIG** favor and look for a 19" monitor. I can't stand
*any* of the 17" flat screen monitors I've seen so far. The Nanao 16" has
a better picture, but its just not good enough *IF* you can afford a 19"
monitor. Consider what is costs to replace that 17" with a 19" later.
Maybe your dealer will let you trade-in the 17" for a 19" later, or he might
have a used 16" or 19".
Ken Elliott /// CAD Masters
I think that it sounds pretty much like the bigger the better.
I think it will be awhile till we get the new monitor. I think we can use
to 14" for other things later anyway.
Thanks for the advice
Jerry