Will a Toshiba M50 be able to run high end design programs?

I recieved a Toshiba M50 Satellite as a gift for Uni work.
So far its been treating me well but Im worried that the lack of a powerfull graphics card will prevent me from doing all the 3D modeling work I need to do.

Will I still be able to use programs such as ZBrush, AutoCAD, photoshop and Ilustrater to there full effect with only a Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 900?

Thanks in advance

 

No way! You'll have to customize it with the X600 GPU on Toshiba's website, and even then it might not be able to handle all that.

 

Hmm I was afraid of that. Is it possable to add an X600 to an M50 that doesent have one? Im guessing not as it may require soldering?

I also found this on the zbrush central

"ZBrush utilizes its own software-based rendering-engine rather than hardware-rendering. As such, your video card does not matter much so long as it can display at least 1024x768 resolution in 32 bit color (True Color). It is therefore best to select your card based upon the needs of your other software rather than ZBrush's needs." http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=71

Do all CAD programs work like this or is Zbrush special?

 

Unfortunately, you won't be able to add on your own GPU. You'll have to buy one that comes with it already. Where do you live? In addition, I'm not too familiar with the way programs like AutoCAD work, so I can't give you a concrete answer. I'll tell you this however, not all engineering programs can sustain themselves without a video card.

 

Uni work might be a stretch. But Photoshop and Illustrator don't use OpenGL or Direct X so no big deal there.

AutoCAD depends if you want to to do 2D drawings or 3D work. Although I would never get a computer with integrated graphics, I have to admit that you can go a surprisingly long way with them. The company that we buy 3ds MAX and Maya from has a classroom full of computers for training - all with integrated graphics.

GMA 900 will be fine for 3D work as long as you're doing small projects. If you're working with models that have millions of polys, it'll be painfully slow. But then any computer will be slow with a project that big. Just get familiar with the shortcut keys for hiding and unhiding.

Good luck.

 

Not only will it be painfully slow, it'll also be very choppy. I reccommend looking for a notebook with a dedicated GPU for optimum performance.