Hardware

[#1]

I am purchasing a new laptop for my daughter that is still using Acad 2007 LT.

I need to get her as close to a high performance laptop without the high performance price tag - something that will be more than adequate for maybe 1-2 years at most)

This forum has been a wealth of information but I have some lingering questions - could anyone help me out with the questions below please??

I appreciate all feedback more than you'll ever know!

____________________________________

.....most important question....

? -->  is the Nvidia graphics card is a MUST for Acad 2007 LT??

does the acad 2007 lt have more than minimal 3d capabilities? ...and is that what drives the need for the Nvidia specific card??

____________________________________

? ---> will these specs work??

1.6-2ghz

dual core

i3-i5 (or similar) processor

64-bit

1-2gb ram (expandable to 4gb)

150-250gb hard drive

windows 7

HDMI connection preferable

3-4 usb connections

with a different graphics card than Nvidia

? -->  if these specs are more than adequate... can you think of anything missing from my list so far??

? -->  can Acad 2007 LT operate in a 64-bit operating system environment?

? -->  can Acad 2007 LT operate in windows 7 ?

and last question...(promise!!)

? -->  will the "compatibility mode" function that allows most software to be compatible work for acad 2007 lt?

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Any insight & feedback is GREATLY appreciated!

thanks - LD in Texas

Edited by
Discussion_Admin

[#2 · Accepted solution]

LT is not an overly taxing program for a newer I3-2400 chip.  It's always better to have more ram, especially with Win 7, so I'd recommend 2gig min & 4 gig if you can swing it.  Usually the reason to have a higher performing (more costly) video card is rendering, and LT users don't strike me as the rendering/3d type.

ACAD products use a single core, so the faster the processor is usually better, not more cores.

Win 7 64 pro would work well.  I'd not go with any of the home versions.  07 LT should work in 64 bit, but it may need some tweaking to get the installation right.  With Pro, you do have the XP emulation mode, so there shouuldn't be any problems there.

Now, the thing that might drive cost up - Screen size / resolution.  I feel that a 17" screen is the absolute minimum for usable drafting with one monitor.  Even with the higher resolutions (everything is smaller, making it harder to see), you spend too much time panning & zooming if you can't see what your drawing looks like, so the larger the drawing area (model space) the better off you are (the easier it is to get work done)..

Reid

[#3]

Hi Reid -- I can't thank you enough for the GREAT information!!

Here's the closest so far to your specs that I can find within my price range:

Screen -17.3" (she'll love that!)

Widescreen LED-backlit high-definition with CineCrystal technology (1600 x 900)

Processor - Intel Pentium

Speed - 2.13GHz 

Dual Core

Ram - 4GB (Expandable to 8GB)

Hard Drive - 320GB

Cache Memory - 3MB on die Level 3

Integrated Graphics - Intel HD....( Think this will be ok??)

Video Memory - 128MB (dedicated)

Webcam

USB 2.0 Ports - 3

HDMI Output

Multigesture touchpad with 2-finger scroll, pinch, rotate and flip support

Windows 7

64-bit

Do you think this laptop will still work well should she upgade to a newer version of acad?

Thanks soooo very much!

LD_TEX

[#4]

Looks good for LT & plain Acad.

One other thing you might look at is a Logitech Anywhere MX mouse.  It's a bit spendy ($80), but it's smallish for laptop portability, and works on just about any surface.  It's about the best mouse I've seen.

Reid

[#5]

Didn't think about a mouse - will check that out.

Can't thank you enough for all your help!!

LD