Which Graphics Card?

[rockintyler]

I'm currently looking at two laptops, both with two different graphics card. Both have the i7 intel processor and 8 GB of RAM, so I'm set there.

I just know nothing about graphics card and need to know which will work better with Solidworks. If both work please tell me so I can do the cheaper option in the end.

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 1GB or NVIDIA Quadro FX 880M Graphics with 1GB DDR3 memory

Those are the graphics card on the two separate laptops. So which will work smoothly for Solidworks? Will both work smoothly? Please tell me!

All answers are greatly appreciated, thank you!

[TheBigJW]

Go to the solidworks website and go to support and there is a list of drivers for supported video cards.

John

[ROB C]

Ati graphic cards are optimized to work with 3d cad programs as Nvidia are made more for gaming. I find that ATI graphic cards display a sharper image than Nvidia.

[evena4]

I would tend to agree with Rob C on this. A lot of ATI cards were used in our CAD workstations and the NVIDIA literature seems to promote "gaming" as its intended purpose as they state how many thousands of polygons or so it can render per second. Think fast motion rendering vs quality graphics output.
That said, If you know what software you are targeting as your main concern on the laptop, spend some time on the software manufacturer's site looking at Faq's or email them directly and ask if they have a prefernce or had trouble with either.

[xclr82xtc]

ge ta nvidia gaming bard for a couple hundred bucks, and flash the chip on it to make it a opengl capable card...you will save about 1000 dollars. lol. google it, you can find lots of info on it.

[CarbonKevin]

I have no clue where people are getting "Gaming Oriented" from...this is like comparing Mustangs and Camaros...and someone piping up that they were on the Ford website, looked at their minivans, and based on that, Mustangs are more family oriented. This is the exact same flawed comparison!

Reality is, ATI and Nvidia both sell professional-oriented graphics cards that are certified and tested to work with various CAD products. In addition to fewer crashes, more accurate model display, and better performance, you'll be able to use RealView on your models, which is nice!

ATI's CAD series is called FireGL, Nvidia's are called Quadro FX. Based on that alone, you should be looking at the Quadro-equipped laptop above the Radeon.

I'd suggest ignoring what the 3 posters above me wrote...while they meant well, they're completely off the mark. I've had the joys of buying a laptop that could allegedly be soft-modded into a Quadro...it doesn't work, and hasn't for years. Nvidia patched that loophole a long time ago. Anyone with firsthand experience can tell you that.

Go ahead and try contacting SW corp. They'll refer you to their compatible hardware page, and you'll see that the Quadro FX is certified, the Radeon isn't even mentioned.

I've priced out every Quadro card, and for my desktop, I wound up buying a Quadro FX1800 for under $375 Canadian, shipping and taxes included. Thousand bucks? Nope.

Further, I've used competing Nvidia and ATI professional-series cards in the exact same system. The FireGL, although spec'd better and a bit faster, crashed far more often than the Quadro FX ever did. And that counts for a lot.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet. Except this. And this. And this.

[mcphill]

Well stated, and exactly what I was going to post. Thanks for reducing the amount I need to type!

I have no clue where people are getting "Gaming Oriented" from...this is like comparing Mustangs and Camaros...and someone piping up that they were on the Ford website, looked at their minivans, and based on that, Mustangs are more family oriented. This is the exact same flawed comparison!

Go find some real benchmarks

Reality is, ATI and Nvidia both sell professional-oriented graphics cards that are certified and tested to work with various CAD products. In addition to fewer crashes, more accurate model display, and better performance, you'll be able to use RealView on your models, which is nice!

ATI's CAD series is called FireGL, Nvidia's are called Quadro FX. Based on that alone, you should be looking at the Quadro-equipped laptop above the Radeon.

I'd suggest ignoring what the 3 posters above me wrote...while they meant well, they're completely off the mark. I've had the joys of buying a laptop that could allegedly be soft-modded into a Quadro...it doesn't work, and hasn't for years. Nvidia patched that loophole a long time ago. Anyone with firsthand experience can tell you that.

Go ahead and try contacting SW corp. They'll refer you to their compatible hardware page, and you'll see that the Quadro FX is certified, the Radeon isn't even mentioned.

I've priced out every Quadro card, and for my desktop, I wound up buying a Quadro FX1800 for under $375 Canadian, shipping and taxes included. Thousand bucks? Nope.

Further, I've used competing Nvidia and ATI professional-series cards in the exact same system. The FireGL, although spec'd better and a bit faster, crashed far more often than the Quadro FX ever did. And that counts for a lot.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet. Except this. And this. And this.

[mactec54]

Hi CarbonKevin

I was wondering what the other guys were talking/thinking about, Quadro FX every time for me too

[xclr82xtc]

I'd suggest ignoring what the 3 posters above me wrote...while they meant well, they're completely off the mark. I've had the joys of buying a laptop that could allegedly be soft-modded into a Quadro...it doesn't work, and hasn't for years. Nvidia patched that loophole a long time ago. Anyone with firsthand experience can tell you that.



.

see i know your not talking about me.. cuz i know a HELL of alot more about computers and cad than i do CNC. why dont you google and see what the Quadro FX version of the 8800GT nividia card is, then see how much they cost compared to each other..its the same card, same hardware, same chip. DIFFERENT FLASH! (up till they started laser cutting them to prevent this)....not to mention you can over clock the hell out of them. Like i said for 50 bucks and a little time, you can have the equivalent of a open gl card that cost SEVERAL hundred dollars more.

[ger21]

why dont you google and see what the Quadro FX version of the 8800GT nividia card is, then see how much they cost compared to each other..its the same card, same hardware, same chip. DIFFERENT FLASH!

30 minutes of googling turns up about 20% who say it works, vs 80% who says it doesn't.

But it doesn't really matter, because the OP is looking at new laptops, and won't be putting an 8800GT in either one.

[CarbonKevin]

Sweet. An internet fight.

The first post said "I'm looking at two laptops, XYZ or ABC". You came in talking about desktop cards and changing firmware, and how for "a couple hundred bucks", you could create an Quadro equivalent, and save "about 1000 bucks". Later, you repeat your original statement about flashing desktop cards that the OP will somehow manage to jam into his laptop, now this time you say it costs 50 bucks and will be the equivalent of a Quadro that costs several hundred dollars more. (8800 GT cards go for $100 - $250 on eBay, btw. The usual online retailers don't seem to list that card anymore.)

Given that we're talking about laptops, any talk of flashing desktop cards is of no use to the conversation. No amount of experience or knowledge you have with computers, cad, or anything else can change that. Making it sound cheaper may make it sound more appealing, but even a free desktop card won't fit in a laptop.

I don't have a need to be right all the time, or to win every argument. In fact, I'm here to learn, and to share knowledge, just like everyone else. I'll be happy to know when I'm wrong, learn from that, and move on with good grace, whenever anyone takes the time to point out the flaws in what I have to say.

Maybe try doing the same?

[ger21]

On a side note, about 2 months ago I picked up a 9800GT for $89, and it works pretty darn good for what it cost. It replaced a dead 6800GT, and the performance increase in AutoCAD (for 3D stuff) is quite amazing.