Laptop graphics solution for AutoCAD 2011 & CS5

[sistrus]

I'm trying to finalize a laptop purchase for grad school architecture within a decent budget and am opting for a Sager 8760 w/ i7 740 + 80gb ssd + 320 gb hd. Do I go with an ati 5870 or nvidia gtx285m (which is $75 more). Please remember I am using this for AutoCAD 2011 and photoshop CS5, not as much for gaming. My concern is my desktop has a nvidia 8800 gs, which is already slow for me- and I want to improve upon that. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. I will probably be using this for 2 years max before my next upgrade.

 

[buwish]

You might as well go with the 5870, as it is slightly better than the 285m. Plus, as you mentioned, it is cheaper. Check this out:

http/www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html

 

[sistrus]

Thanks buwish.. I was told that the 285m is utilized better for CAD and photoshop, but from all the benchmarks I have seen, the 5870 does seem better. Has anyone here used a 5870m w/ cad & photoshop with success?

I was also told the drivers from ATI for their mobility products are sketchy and not on par with the drivers from nVidia.

Is ATI lacking in their drivers for notebooks, or will I be fine sticking with ATI?

 

[sistrus]

Best answer selected by sistrus.