Robert A. Rawlinson wrote:
I have a wonderful grandson who is going to start in engineering in college. He wants to build a good system for using CAD. Would one of you CAD types mind letting me know what is a good video card for this? TIA. Bob Rawlinson
Anything mid-range that's compatible with Linux is fine. Unless it's graduate level 3D modeling or some other kind of heavy duty computational graphics, it's unlikely to even approach the demands of 3D gaming. I use Nvidia cards in the $100-$150 range. I used to use Matrox cards such as G400, G450, G550. I never buy the high-end, since I'm not a gamer. My CAD is 2D, but also computational. For that a powerful CPU and fast HD coupled with a medium GPU is sufficient. I wouldn't go overboard. A CPU that is medium-high end and that hasn't gone to far over the "knee" in the price/performance ratio curve shouldn't cost more than $1000-$1500, not including monitor. I average about $1300 on each new CPU. But I put $1000 monitors on them too. These days a 19" LCD with 1280x1024 resolution should be appropriate for a rather fortunate student. Get a fairly fast refresh rate one so he can play games if desired (or don't, if you don't want hom fooling around too much). Should be under $600 for a good one these days. Get Viewsonic, their flat panels really look sharp. Don't go for the cheapest. Look before you buy if possible, as some LCDs are just not as sharp and clean to the eyes as others. Good day! -- ____________________________________ Christopher R. Carlen Principal Laser/Optical Technologist Sandia National Laboratories CA USA crcarle@sandia.gov