Solved! Need Help with buying a new laptop - Architecture Programs and Rendering

[arhdeptaa]

Hello,

Hi everyone. My name is Kim. Im a complete newbie! sorry if my questions seem so basic but i need some help regarding a new laptop that will be using programs such as CAD, Revit, Rhino, 3D max as well as photoshop and illustrator. A bunch of my classmates are recomending me to go with a Macbook Pro but my budget is only 1500 so that is out of the picture.

I prefer a 15 - 17 inch screen,
and i dont play games. My programs will be doing 3D renderings, however i dont need the super optimal computer because i know it will cost me and arm and a leg..I just need it to work in a decent manner.

The websites i visited were dell and HP and there "perfomance" laptops such as the XPS and Dv7tqe and Envy all had customizable memory options, processors and hard drives.

1.)My first question is regarding Processors... will the
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2630QM (2.0 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.9 GHz be sufficient?

Or do i REALLY need to upgrade the processor on order to handle the programs?

2.) regarding memory. Would an 8GB 1333MHZ DDR3 System memory be sufficient?

3.) Regarding Graphics Card.HP offers a standard 1GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD 6490M Graphics [HDMI, VGA]..is that sufficent or even important for redering and 3D modeling work or is that more important for video games?

They also offer an 2GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD 6770M Graphics [HDMI, VGA] upgrade if its necessary.

Thats about all the questions i have right now. Any advise or suggestions are would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you!. =)

 

[farrengottu]

im no expert when it comes to professional programs but i do know that they only use the graphics card through opengl so if your any of your use opengl itsbest to get a decent video card but a gamers video card is designed differently than a workstation video card. you need a firegl, firepro, or quatro card.
here are some hp laptops with said cards. i bet you can find them from other manufacturers.
http/h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/ca/en/sm/WF04a/321957-321957-64295-4307559-4307559.html

here are some benchmarks to give you an idea of how these cards will perform. scroll down a lot if you just want the bargraphs. but the mobile cards with nearly the same model number will perform with in 20% of these desktop cards.
http/www.cgchannel.com/2010/12/review-amds-ati-firepro-professional-gpus-2/


for the processor thats a pretty nice one. infact unless i missed something thats the fastest mobile processor available.
8GB of ram is enough unless you want to run 3 or more of those programs at once. its been a while since ive use any of those programs so im not exactly sure what they need. generally what they recommend -2GB is what they use but thats a rough estimate.

 

[WR2]

1. Absolutely sufficient. Only a minimal improvement with the higher mark CPUs and a poor return on the extra cost.
2. 8GB is more than sufficient. You'd save quite a bit if you upgrade the RAM yourself, if they're not already offering a 'free upgrade' to 8GB.
3. The standard Radeon HD 6490M is plenty for your student needs.
The optional 1080 LCD is a great option for the extra on-screen work space it gives you.

When it comes time to order look for a good deal/coupons here @ LogicBuy