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Recommendations for video card

Recommendations for video card

Recommendations for video card

(OP)
I'm using an Nvidia Quadro FX 1300 with SW2006, Win XP, 128 MB vram, 2 GB system ram.

About half the time when I enter a sketch, the dimensions are not visible.  Usually, if I exit the sketch and do a rotate and pan, then re-enter the sketch, the dimensions are there.  I've updated the Nvidia driver many times, and used Driver Cleaner Pro, all to no avail.

Unless somebody has a sure-fire fix, I've had it with Nvidia, and I'm looking for recommendations on a new video card by another manufacturer.  $250-$300 price range.

I'd like to hear comments on cards to avoid, as well as good cards.

RE: Recommendations for video card

I had exactly these sorts of things happen in my old system with an FX-500.  So in my new system I bought an FX-1400, thinking that would go away.  Maybe some of it did go away, but lots of that sort of thing seems to be part of glitchy display problems within SolidWorks itself.  In other words, you can get the best card possible and will still see some of this frustrating junk.

Is this stuff happening to you when in large assemblies or with complex parts?  If not, it's probably the SolidWorks glitch.  If so, upgrading cards may eliminate some of that stuff.

My current peeve is in selecting the sketch of a feature in the tree and not seeing it high-light in the viewport.  AAARRRRGH!  (Show me the damn sketch!)  This makes editing complex parts a real hassle, since it's difficult to find the sketch I'm looking for if I don't get a confirmation high-light when searching for the right sketch.  This now happens ~50% of the time when looking through the tree.

Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reason trumps all.  And awe transcends reason.

RE: Recommendations for video card

You may find cheaper, but the chances are you won't find better than the nVidia Quadro FX series.

Have you considered that you may have a faulty card?

Before spending more money are you able to swap cards with a colleague or friend?

Have you tried enabling the software OpenGL? Did that improve the situation?

What SP are you using? Can you upgrade to SW07 and latest SP?

And just for the hell of it, what driver are you using, and did you reboot after removing the old one and before installing the new one?

cheers

RE: Recommendations for video card

Enable or disable openGl first. If it still has problems, then it is probably not the video card. Run the solidworks rx also, and see if finds anything.

RE: Recommendations for video card

(OP)
Guys - thanks for all your input.  In response to your questions/comments:

The problem happens in both large and small documents.

In SW Tools/Options/Performance, the Use Software OpenGL option is unchecked and grayed out - i.e. not available.  How do I make it available?

Judging from the comments of others, and the fact that I've had this problem before on other versions of SW and with other Nvidia cards and other computers, I doubt the card is faulty (other than a possible inherent design defect).

I don't know anyone who has a card I can borrow to check against.

Using SP0.0.

Upgrading to SW2007 not an option.

Using driver 91.85, which was the latest and greatest as of May 16.

No, I did not reboot after removing the old driver and before installing the new one.

What is SolidWorks rx?

RE: Recommendations for video card

You can only change the status of software OpenGL when there are no models open.

Use the version of the video driver approved for your card and version of SolidWorks, rather than the latest and greatest.  The SolidWorks website has a nice area on compatible video cards and drivers complete with downloads.

Avoid SP0.0’s like the plague.  See if you can get SP 5.1 if you are using 2006.  Using a more recent SP will likely help more than anything else you could try.

Eric

RE: Recommendations for video card

Quote:

In SW Tools/Options/Performance, the Use Software OpenGL option is unchecked and grayed out - i.e. not available.  How do I make it available?
FAQ559-1058: How do I set the Software OpenGL option in SW and turn the Hardware Acceleration to "None"?

Quote:

ing SP0.0.
Update to SP5.1 The SP you are using is always the buggiest.

Quote:

Using driver 91.85, which was the latest and greatest as of May 16
It may be the latest and greatest from nVidia but it may not be the best fit for SW06 and the FX1300. According to http://solidworks.com/pages/services/videocardtesting.html you should be using the 7756 driver.

Quote:

No, I did not reboot after removing the old driver and before installing the new one.
FAQ559-1194: How Do I install New drivers for my Video Card?

Quote:

What is SolidWorks rx?
Start > All Programs > SolidWorks > SolidWorks Tools > SolidWorks Rx

cheers

RE: Recommendations for video card

We had a fellow here that had display issues. I ran SolidWorks without the swOptions settings set. I used SolidWorks RX to turn off swOptions, which fixed his display issues. I found a good copy of the swOptions and never had a problem since.

Bradley
SolidWorks Premim 2007 x64 SP3.1
PDM Works, Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU
3.00 GHz, 4 GB RAM, Virtual memory 12577 MB, nVidia 3400

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