what's a really good combination/computer [or both] for a CAD program?

Question

Amount of RAM, processor[s], hard drive[s], graphic cards, and even progams. right now i use AutoDesk Inventer Professional 11--what are some other good ones?

Answer 1

If you are on a budget, I suggest you assemble the computer yourself.
RAM: You'll need at least 2 GB of RAM. You can buy 800 MHz DDR2 RAMs and run them in dual channel configuration to double the speed.
CPU: I prefer Intel CPUs to AMD. You can get a dual core cpu or Intel Extreme Editions that have a higher front side bus speed.
HDD: A SCSI hard drive with 10k or 15k rpm.
GC: A GeForce 7 series. There are a lots of models out there. It really depends on your budget. Look at the GPU speed and amount of RAM and its bandwidth on graphic cards.

Program: I guess you mean the operating system. Most of us use windows XP. I have heard that XP 64-bit edition is faster but don't know if CAD programs takes advantage of the 64-bit architecture. And the choice of CAD program depends on what you want to do. I have used both AutoCad and ProEngineer. It depends on what you wanna do with them, but if you can use one you can learn all other CAD programs quickly.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Answer 2

For CAD, you should really look into a workstation, they are best for that type of stuff, of course they are a bit more pricey. I could really help you a lot better if I knew what kind of budget you are working with, email me and I will be more than happy to assist you in finding the best machine for your budget.