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    Cad on a Macbook Prp

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by bogusnj, Dec 2, 2008.

  1. bogusnj

    bogusnj Notebook Consultant

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    I have a friend looking into buying a macbook pro for himself to run a CAD program, not sure which one he will be using. After looking for a PC for myself to run Solidworks, i found that a Quadro or a FireGL graphics card runs much better than most other cards for CAD. My understanding is that macbook pros come with a geforce 9800gs? Should I advise him against getting a macbook pro for this reason? If so, are there other Macs that are good for 3-d modeling?
     
    bogusnj, Dec 2, 2008
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  2. Colton

    Colton Also Proudly American

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    The MacBook Pro's come with a 9600GT. But anyways, my brother runs a CAD program very well on his Penryn MBP with the 8600G-. So, I don't see any problem with the new MBP for running a CAD program efficiently.
     
    Colton, Dec 2, 2008
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  3. I♥RAM

    I♥RAM Notebook Deity

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    Well, the Mac Pro...Quadro FX 5600 >=)! But it's not a laptop :(. I have a kick-*** Quadro in my laptop, what kind of CAD is your friend looking to do and what kind of productivity is required? I dont feel he needs a Quadro if it's casual run-of-the-mill work.
     
    I♥RAM, Dec 2, 2008
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  4. Colton

    Colton Also Proudly American

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    The 9600GT should be sufficient for the normal run-of-the-mill work.
     
    Colton, Dec 2, 2008
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  5. bogusnj

    bogusnj Notebook Consultant

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    Im not sure which CAD program he will be using. It is for engineering school at Drexel University. Not sure if its autodesk, solidworks or what. I know i will be using solidworks for engineering schooling, so the demand on the laptop shouldnt be too great. Do you think i could squeek by with a geforce 9600gs or 9800gs? It seems like it will cost an extra 5 or 6 hundred to upgrade to a laptop with a quadro or firegl.
     
    bogusnj, Dec 2, 2008
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  6. I♥RAM

    I♥RAM Notebook Deity

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    Yes, of course. Don't pay the extra premium, Quadro's are usually over-priced and used by true professional CADers (but I only have a Quadro because my computer didn't offer a geForce, but it's just as good lol). He's a student, a Macbook Pro doesn't offer a 9800M, so a 9600M should suffice.
     
    I♥RAM, Dec 2, 2008
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  7. circa86

    circa86 Notebook Virtuoso NBR Reviewer

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    yeah a Quadro or FireGL is really going to come in handy if you are doing some very heavy work.

    and quite honestly, I can almost assure you that most of the people using them did not have to purchase it themselves.

    not many consumers/hobbyists can afford a $4000 GPU.
     
    circa86, Dec 3, 2008
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