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Hardware upgrade questions

Hardware upgrade questions

Hardware upgrade questions

(OP)
Our company is currently looking into upgrading hardware, and software (to LT2006), and I brought up a couple questions I have been unable to find much on:

I've heard stories about dual channel memory not always functioning like it was intended.  Has anyone run into these issues with Autocad, or is that likely a strict hardware issue?

Same thing with the various north and south bridge chipsets for the various motherboards, any issues cropping up with Autocad?  (I've still got bad memories of headaches with a 486 Cyrix chip and Acad 10 disagreements.....)

Last, some of the quotes we've received thus far have integrated video, which I don't like.  But, most of our files are strictly 2D shops, with a file size of 1 meg or less, so this may not be a major issue.  As such, I'm having a problem justifying an upgrade to a Quadro, etc.  I haven't been able to locate a certified video card/chipset list, or anything like that for Autocad.  (Found a few for Solidworks, but not acad).  

Any comments appreciated.

RE: Hardware upgrade questions

I don't know much about the hardware end of computers, but it has been suggested to me that a system running on the following requirements will suffice for Acad 2006:

Dual SATA hard drives (one dedicated for the swap/page file)
NVIDIA Quadro video card
4 GB RAM

That's about all the help I can give in this department. Right now I'm running dual hard drives (not sure if they are SATA or not) and 3 GB RAM. I don't believe I got a video card upgrade. The system is fair as far as speed is concerned, but ever since the upgrades (which happened while I was gone on vacation) I have had trouble with .dll files getting corrupted and what-not. I am unsure if it may be due to the hardware upgrades or if one of my moronic coworkers used my computer and managed to infect it with spyware/adware or a virus.

RE: Hardware upgrade questions

Straight from Autodesk:

Recommended System Requirements

    * Intel® Pentium® III or compatible processor, 800 MHz or higher
    * Microsoft® Windows® XP (Professional, Home Edition, or Tablet PC Edition with SP1 or SP2), Windows 2000 Professional with SP4
    * 512 MB RAM
    * 300 MB free disk space for installation
    * 1024x768 VGA with true color
    * Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 (SP1)
    * CD-ROM drive
    * Mouse, trackball, or compatible pointing device

The preceding requirements are recommended for effective use of AutoCAD LT 2006 software.

RE: Hardware upgrade questions

Everything on that list should say "or higher" or "or more".  In most cases, 2x or 4x will show substantial performance increases.  Yes, it will "work" with the minimum requirements but you will bot be productive.

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