Computer Upgrade

[Burgo]

It has been some time since I posted on the forum as I have basically been using TC for drafting following the problem I had with TFP not opening files. However I am considering the purchase of ProArchitect and a new computer. The spec's of the computer I propose to purchase is attached and comment would be appreciated as to the suitability of the new computer to run TFP 16 pro or ProArchitect, which by the way, can be now purchased for $499 from Mindscape. Any comment would be appreciated.
Bob

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Bob,

I am not a computer technical person by any means but this looks fine to me. It is similar to my PC but with double the RAM and double the MB on the video card, so it should go even better than mine. I have no trouble at all running the Envisioneer Construction Suite so yours should run TFP or ProArchitect with no problem. It should save you a lot of work once you get used to how it works..

Yes the Mindscape offer on ProArchitect is very good - nearly half price. If I didn't have Envisioneer (won it in a rendering competition), I would buy it myself. It will be interesting to see how much the Catalogue varies - not much I suspect.

I wonder what the  "Wireless Keyboard Mosue" they list is? 

Allan

[Jack Zimmer]

While NVidia is the way I go with graphic cards, a quick look at the GT 610 lists it at $50 on Amazon. I would go with a more expensive GCard. Some where in the $150 - 250 price range.

8 gb memory is good.
Solid state hard drives are a must these days.
I also like Samsung monitors....

My local built computer is a 3.2 ghz and is almost 4 years old now (duo core).

I know prices change but my 3.2ghz computer , locally built, at a very 'reasonable' price was nearly $2000 without monitor / keyboard. I recently priced a new one and that unit would also be around $2000 (just for the computer) .... I provide Windows 8 operating system.

I guess it depends on how much work you do on it. I use mine for my main business. My local builders didn't tell me which computer to buy, they first ASKED me what programs I run. When I told them both 3D Architecture and 3D Modeling (TCAD) , plus animation, they then gave me recommendations for what I consider a 'B' quality computer as an 'A' quality would run at least another $800 plus.

This is about the best I can add to the discussion as I don't have a background in computer building.

Jack

[Burgo]

Jack, what do you think of a 1G Radeon HD6870 compared to the 2G nVidia ST610
Regards Bob

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Bob,

I will be interested in Jack's comments but, in all the years (15?) I have been following this forum, even in its previous role as FloorPlan 3D, where users had video driver issues, they were invariablly ATI / AMD ones. There may have been some Nvidia ones but I do not actually recall any. For this reason, as with Jack I think, I have always stayed with Nvidia.

Allan

[Draft Patrick]

Just my $0.02...

I work with 3D since 2001, always using ATI Radeon. The only time I got Nvidia (1G) , it was burned after one year. In addition, the ATI cards have a driver (Catalyst) that allows to run the cards (all of them) with full accelerations

Pat

[Kajvin - Robert W]

Hi Bob!
If I was you I shang OP to Windows 8 Pro, my one TFP 16 works even faster now then I upgrade from Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit to Windows 8 Pro 64 bit and as you can see in my online profile I have a old GeForce GTX 560 Ti and it works great for me.
/Robert