Ok, so i just started working in a new engineering firm and they are running on the most outdated machines for civil 3d and other 3d rendering programs. I was given permission to design some new machines for our cad department but I need some help with a strong configuration that will be fast enough not to lag or freeze when performing the complex task civil 3d is capable of. our office primarily deals with designing large water line projects and sewer projects that at times can span over miles of piping. We need machines that will be capable of setting up models this size as well as being able to build large surfaces and profiles and at times manage large renderings and graphic design. The last firm I worked in used a dell workstation with, I believe, 8 processors and 12 GB, which from what I have read was a bit over the top for a cad machine. I know the bare minimum that Autodesk recomends, but I would like something that will run faster and stronger and also be able to handle the renderings as well. This will be the first machine I have personally built so Im not completly sure as to what should be in it to keep compatability. Any help would be greatly appreciated. We are trying to stay within a budget around 1200-2000 which from the research I've done, we should be able to get some pretty powerfull machines for this price. Let me know what you think
thanks
Don't bother with the 8 processors unless you can benefit from them with a separate 3D rendering program. Civil 3D wont address them. A quad core is more than sufficient. If you're going to be doing a lot of rendering. Make sure you get a decent [ and certified ] video card.
This is what I'm currently specifying. A little out of your budget but it will give you some idea.
Allen
Allen Jessup
Engineering Specialist / CAD Manager
Really not bad, Allen, but.. where's the hard disk?
I advise a SSD 128 GB for system & progs, plus a classic Sata 10000 rpm for data...
I had to drop the SSD because of cost. I didn't post the whole list of specs because they were a couple of pages long. The HD specified is a 1TB SATA 3.0 Gb/s 7200 RPM with 32 MB DataBurst Cache.
Allen
Allen Jessup
Engineering Specialist / CAD Manager
Do you think we will really need that much memory for each machine,, forgot to mention we have a server here that all our drawings are backed up to daily. Again thanks for the help. Im a recent grad and im coming in to basically take over the cad department, so im still getting aclomated to the new office and everything going on in it. I really havnt been exposed to anything like this, every machine is running XP os from 2002, my machine's last upgrade was a graphix card from 2009!!!! We really need to become more efficient through our work station, some machines can take up to 20 minutes to plot a large detailed drawing that has aerial photography with it so it is my job now to move us into a new era
My two cents:
Do everything you can to get your bosses to spring for solid state drives. They are way faster than hard drives. This is one of the easiest ways to increase productivity when using Civil 3D (or any program for that matter.)
24gb memory is not a must, but the more the better, if you can afford it. I wouldn't go less than 16gb.
Be absolutely positive that you get Win 7 64-bit. Do not under any circumstances accept a 32 bit system.
Unless you're doing rendering, a mid-range video card is fine. You'll get more bang for your buck by putting that money into a solid state drive.
If your going to get an SSD goto a 256GB minimum (base this on what you can afford). I have been using a 128 for about 2yrs now and it is way insufficient, by the time you install 2-3 version of 3D, along with Office and other eccential programs. No room for a swap (virtualdrive) on the SSD then.
Rick Jackson
Survey CAD Technician VI
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AllenJessup wrote:I had to drop the SSD because of cost
Let me honestly tell ya: this would be a big mistake, either technically and economically.
1] An SSD 128 GB Sata III costs (here in Europe) the equivalent of 90 USD.
2] Since 16 GB Ram cost 60 USD, you could start with only 8 GB Ram (instead of 24), and in the future you could easily add memory.
In other words, with a little difference of 30 USD, you'd have 8 GB Ram + hard disk SSD 128 GB, with a terrific boost of performances: are you still hesitating?
I think I'd scale back on the RAM and hard drive capacity and go with an SSD (highest capacity you can afford). If you are going to be working over a network then this is likley to be the slowest "component" anyway
neilyj (No connection with Autodesk other than using the products in the real world)
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OK, my vote is for 256Gb SSD and 16Gb RAM (which means 64bit windows to access it all). If you want to save money and you aren't rendering, I've had no problems at all using a (dare I suggest it?) consumer graphics card, which is way cheaper than the quadro equivalents. In fact, my system (see my signature), which I put together myself has been excellent for the work I do (lots of large surfaces, gradings, lidar, gis info)
Cheers
- Mick
Thanks. I'll look in to this when I get a chance. The hurricane has set this to the side for now.
Allen
Allen Jessup
Engineering Specialist / CAD Manager
hey guys what do you think about this setup? anything you would change or add to maximie the build. It is priced out right abour 1200 and i still have a little more budget i could put into it. thinking about going with a larger ssd
Qty.Product DescriptionSavingsTotal Price1
ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM Item #: N82E16827135204 Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$19.991
XFX ProSeries P1-450S-X2B9 450W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified A...Item #: N82E16817207018 Return Policy: Standard Return Policy$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$62.991
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Mode...Item #: N82E16820231568 Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
$85.991
ASRock Z75 Pro3 LGA 1155 Intel Z75 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard Item #: N82E16813157304 Return Policy: Standard Return Policy-$5.00 Instant
$84.99 $79.991
Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel H...Item #: N82E16819116502 Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
$299.991
AMD 100-505648 FirePro V5900 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Wo...Item #: N82E16814195106 Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy
$429.991
Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) Item #: N82E16820148442 Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy-$47.00 Instant
$149.99 $102.991
Nippon Labs Premium 18" (1.5 ft.) SATA II Cable with locking latch for SATA I and SATA II Hard Drive...Item #: N82E16812816027 Return Policy: Computer Cables and Accessories Extended Return Policy
$3.99Subtotal:$1,085.92Shipping:$13.341
COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case Item #: N82E16811119233 Return Policy: Standard Return Policy-$10.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$69.99 $59.99Subtotal:$59.99Shipping:$0.00Promo Code:$0.00Grand Total:$1,159.25
Well, I don't think this is the right place to talk about prices and brands, sir...
As far as power goes, it looks good. Except for the processor, which looks very good, I'm not up on the individual components as far as manufacturer goes. We run Dell at work and I run Dell or Sager at home.
If you want advice on individual components. You might want to pose to the Hardware group.
Allen
Allen Jessup
Engineering Specialist / CAD Manager