Expert: J. B. Borge - 6/12/2007

Question
Hello Mr. Borge,

I'm looking at getting a new computer system for use in AutoCAD, and have stumbled across one that my company currently owns, and was wondering if you would recommend it:

Intel Pentium D, 2.8GHz – 1 GB RAM – 200 GB Hard Drive – Intergrated Graphics - Windows XP Pro

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OR - should I look at something more along the lines of:

Intel Core 2 Duo (or Quadcore) - 2 GB RAM - 150GB Raptor Drive - nVidia GeForce 8800GTS 320MB Graphics - Windows XP Pro

From my research on this website, and other web articles/forms- the new system, with the C2D, is what many AutoCAD users would recommend.
I am not just looking for a computer that 'runs' AutoCAD, but one that runs it properly and well.

Thank-you for your time.

Jared.

Answer
Jared,

This all depends on how u are planning on using Autocad? If for home use or just for basic drafting (building shed, metal fabrication, landscaping, irrigation, electrical, etc.), then the one offered by your company should work fine - however, invest on upgrading the graphics card (this is a must). The integrated graphics card would put too much load on your processor. By just adding graphics card w/ at least 128mb memory (256mb better) will alleviate a lot of the processing overhead. Ensure to check w/ the Autodesk website for compatible/recommended graphics cards. If you have any other questions, just let me know!

Regards,
J. B. Borge