graphics card for 3d modeling, cad and photoshop

Hello,

Who can give me some advice on which graphics card to choose for rendering etc? I do not play games on the computer, but I suppose you gamers know a lot about the capabilities and qualities of different graphic cards.

I am thinking about the ACER 7720G-603G50BN or the HP8710p. The Acer has a Nvidia Geforce 8600 GT card and the HP a Nvidia Quadro NVS 320M card.

Can anybody tell me which card is better when using maya, photoshop and cad? Or isn't there really a big difference?

Thanks in advance
Lee-Anne

 

rendering is done by the cpu !!!

programs like maya do use opengl, and thus the professional graphics cards ( using optimized drivers for opengl) like ati´s firegl and nvidia´s quadro are far superior when it comes to viewport performance.
but the quadro nvs 320 is NOT what i would call a good 3d modeling graphics card.

photoshop is "still" cpu based and will be GPU accelerated in the next release, but here is no need for opengl graphics cards, so the card with the fastest clocks will probably be the best.

you should consider a graphics card like the fx 570m, but it seems you are aiming for a 17" laptop. if you would change your mind and go for a 15" laptop you should consider the lenovo t61p or the hp 8510w.

 

Hey Anne,

The final rendering is done only by the CPU, so be sure to get something like the core2duo T9300 or something if you are buying now...

Viewport performance basically has to do with how smoothly you are able to move around your model as you keep adding more parts/detail/textures... This is what you need the good PROFESSIONAL graphics card (nVidia quadro/ ATi fireGL) for. The GeForce or Radeon are completely outclassed.

Also, if you are going to start working on 3d modeling soon, you should find out what applications you'll be using... cos some cards are strong at particular applications, while there are also some cards that have good overall performance. this difference though, is relatively small most of the time... don't panic! but knowing what apps you'll mainly use will help us suggest the best possible cards. Then we can shortlist based on price, size of laptop etc

There are so many and it can be overwhelming, but the 2 cards you mentioned just don't cut it! The nvidia quadro FX570 is the lowest you should be aiming for... but it's a very strong card! and I ordered a thinkpad T61p with it this saturday! I'm going to be using it for Alias mainly as well... so it should run photoshop and other CAD programs without any issues.

 

I have a 3 year old Dell Laptop with an Intel 950gma Graphics Card & 1.8ghz Core Duo & that still runs 3ds Max 9, Photoshop CS3, etc fine as long, believe pretty much anything on the market will do nowadays minus anything below £400. The 8600 GT will more tha suffice for your needs.

 

the new photoshop CS4 is now GPU accelerated .

 

an Fx570M like that in the T61p should be nice,especially since the T61p has an awesome build quality.

 

darkfly, 3ds max might still run cos it's probably the only mainstream 3d program based on directX! and ur intel gma 950 is an integrated chipset supporting directX. it's not a graphics card...

Geforce 8600m GT might work well too since it's a directX card, but for MOST 3d modeling programs such as maya, solidworks etc which are based on the openGL standard, openGL cards like the quadro FX570 will completely outclass the mainstream cards...

Good news is, the FX570 can be had in the form of the T61p starting from 1100$ and get an amazing system for 1800$ after 880$ in savings... PM me for more info...

 

Use either one of the Quatra or FireGL series cards for workstation graphics. or maybe something like a NIVIDIA GeForce 8 or 9 series with about a quarter-half gig of Video Ram.

 

CS3 Uses the gpu acceleration when imprting 3d objects only,nothing else

the nvs 320m is based on the 8700gt,so it would be better than the 8600gt also the 8710p superior in build quality and is a bretty good machine

Check the quadro fx series if you want opengl acceleration ,Nvs aren't opengl card.there are much like the gefore cards

For Photoshop just get as much ram as you could

 

Go with the Lenovo T61p that has a good card.

 

NO!!!!! The nvs 320m is based on some 8400 chip... not 8700! the quadro version of the 8700m GT is the quadro FX1600m on Precision M6300 and HP 8710W...

The thinkpad T61p's Quadro FX 570m is based on the 8600m GT chip... though 570 seems slower than a 1600 by name, they'r actually pretty much the SAME card. the 1600 has slightly higher clock speeds... that's about it.

and also, don't get the geforce cards! if you want a graphics card for CAD/3d modeling work you are much better off investing in a quadro/fireGL and yea for photoshop, get as much ram as possible, fast HD and IF money permits and ur getting a 17 inch, 2 hard disks are recommended for advanced photoshop users to have a seperate disk as 'scratch disk'. and finally, for rendering a 3d model, u need a great processor. So basically a solid overall laptop. It's a good idea to sort out ur graphics card and then move on to other aspects of the laptop... cos memory and processors and HD are more or less standard and have only a couple of variables.

Nvidia QUADRO or ATi FireGL = openGL standard = best for Maya, solid works, and 99% of other 3d modeling apps.

Nvidia GeForce or ATi Radeon = directX standard = games, video and maybe 3ds max (i've heard of geforces struggling with 3ds max)

If you are going to be modeling cars, bikes or human/animal charecters for animation or architecture stuff that have lots of polygons and textures, the geforce and radeons will really really struggle... they are pointless. You have to get the Quadro or fireGL for the raw power they have for such apps... lots of people extrude things such as wheels or chairs or stuff like that in 3ds max or something and think that's the only work other modellers will be using! so opinions can be confusing... but for someone getting a notebook mainly for 3d modelin and CAD, you NEED an openGL card.

 

Rule of thumb, if you don't know what is GPGPU accelerated, you probably don't need it right now, you will likely benefit most from it after everyone else.

There are GPU accelerated modeling programs and add-ons, but if you don't know what they are, then they're not for you right now because most are either beta or else something more for people with support (or tweakers who already know).

And for what the OP is likely going to be doing, focus on CPU power first, then Viewport acceleration, then GPGPU assisted features. Even the acceleration that Photoshop CS4 will experience will be very limited (filter or effect application speed boost, and boost large image manipulation performance). Something else to think about is that it may or may not be restricted to certain models (is there a precision or bit depth requirement ?) like it is in other professional apps.

For the OP I would say if you are ok with moding drivers to do a SoftQuadro mod then go with the GF8600GT, otherwise stay with the Genuine Quadro, even if it is a GF8400 based model, because if they have a cut-off it will likely be to Quadro cards. It's annoying the limitations for a 17", would be nice for a slight FX570M upgrade, but it's not offered, although if you go with one of the 8710W you can get a T8300, WSXGA screen and FX1600M for $2200. Whiich is ok if you're going for the WSXGA 8710P, but $800 more if you were looking at the base model.

For the time being buy for now, and they hope for the future promised benefits. I say take the HP. But be sure to shop around, unless there's a reason you're limited to these choices.

 

Now calm down and don't post misinformation, both the Quadro NVS 320M and the FX 1600M are based on the 8700M GT. The NVS doesn't have the additional OGL features, of course.

Btw, you can read the reviews:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-HP-Compaq-8710p-Notebook.4456.0.html (wasn't that you favorite site?)
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4053 (and that's Greg's review)

First, you can fill out the FAQ in "what to buy" section if you want us to help you better. Otherwise, if it's only between these two, then the HP is the best built 17" notebook you can get, and the Acer is... well ... a complete garbage (I'm sorry but that's what it is), I would not get it even if it was for free.

 

Oh crap! I'm SO SORRY! jeez... I can't believed I screwed up so bad. my bad! lol... i sincerely apologize.

I really shouldn't post late in the night anymore, but to be honest I really thought the nvs line was based on 8400 cards... so correct me if I'm wrong now - the quadro nvs cards are proffessional cards optimized for supporting multiple displays, BUT not the best for 3d due to lack of openGL support. Professional cards for 3d modeling are quadro FX...

And yea i like notebookcheck.net guess i didn't read enough... but their reviews that include all the benchmarks and screen brightness measurement along with temperatures are fantastic to get a decent idea of a notebook.

 

I have also dabbled in Maya, Lightwave, Sony Vegas, & Adobe After Affects with my Dell btw.


But I've got a AW m15x with an 8800GTX now so I can run anything I want with iTunes & Firefox open at the same time

 

yea but that's the catch... an integrated chipset might suffice to open the program and fool around.

but it will struggle and possible crash if you keep adding a lot of detail and textures. also, it can't support features like real time application of textures... so you'll most likely be looking at just a shape without the card.

haha... enjoy your alienware! well deserved after a dell like that! I on the other hand will be getting my FIRST ever laptop soon hopefully. I've been researching these forums for over a year now... just for this.

 

I mean dabbled as in I've used it to create stuff, texture, etc but only for a few months then I went back to 3ds Max. I'm always surprised by everything I can throw at my Dell apart from games cause...well...it just fails.

 

In that case, then definitely get the HP.
I didn't bother to double check as I never look at the NVS line for my needs, but for the OP sounds like the the perfect choice (although I would recommend strong CPU if they're not stuck to the base model pricing).

And I agree with the perception of HP vs Acer, I prefer HP quality and customer support from my experiences for myself and friends. I like my Fujitsu, but I was close to getting the HP if they only had supported the features I needed at the time.