Help with new computer

[Joel Schreiner]

We are ordering a new computer. So far we have 1.8P4 1gig of ram. Not sure what video card we are going to get, but we were told to get dual syncronized 60 gig hard drives. To help speed things up. Is this true? Will this actualy help or is it a waste of money?

thank you for any help.

I'm also new to the form

[bryan.davis]

Without knowing the specific details of your wizzy HD, a 'better' HD can oly help speed up operations in two areas.

Frstly there is load time, this is the actual time it takes to start up MCAM, and load files, however, I would not spend big bucks on saving this time as its only a tiny fraction of my actual working time.

Secondly there is virtual memory caching, this is when your computer has insufficient physical memory to perform the operation and the operating system uses HD space to make up the shortfall, here a faster HD can make a signifigant difference, but if you are finding that you are doing a lot of memory caching then my reccomendation is to increase your phisical memory first, and only get a faster wizzy HD once your PC can take no more physical memory.

HOWEVER, your computer spec states 1Gb of memory.... In my experience I dont think Ive seen any MCAM operation require more than 500Mb, so unless you are working on some extreamly large (and I mean EXTREAMLY LARGE)and complex files Id reckon that 1Gb should be ample.

[Bullines]

Aside from opening files, saving files, etc, Mastercam is mostly CPU/RAM/video intensive. Fast drives (7200 RPM or better) are nice if you have the extra cash, though

[Joel Schreiner]

The hard drives we would be getting are.

Diamond max plu60

ATA 100

7200rpm 2mb cache

We will be making seismic models 2'x 2'of underground land fromations. Large 3d surfaces with alot of small details and tol between .0005-.001 .

So I'm not to sure how big the files well be.

I hope the information about the drives is what you were asking for ! That is all I know.

thanks for your reply

joel

[Joel Schreiner]

The hard drives we would be getting are.

Diamond max plu60

ATA 100

7200rpm 2mb cache

We will be making seismic models 2'x 2'of underground land fromations. Large 3d surfaces with alot of small details and tol between .0005-.001 .

So I'm not to sure how big the files well be.

I hope the information about the drives is what you were asking for ! That is all I know.

thanks for your reply

joel

[cadcam]

Are you going to run them in a Raid0 formation?

this will speed things up.

[gcode]

Joel,

The component that can cause you the most

trouble with Mastercam is the video card.

The subject has been done to death on this forum so a search using the words "Video Cards" should turn up plenty of reading material.

[Joel Schreiner]

The hard drives we would be getting are.

Diamond max plu60

ATA 100

7200rpm 2mb cache

We will be making seismic models 2'x 2'of underground land fromations. Large 3d surfaces with alot of small details and tol between .0005-.001 .

So I'm not to sure how big the files well be.

I hope the information about the drives is what you were asking for ! That is all I know.

thanks for your reply

joel

[bryan.davis]

2'x2' is not a lot in my experience, though if its a really camplex surface it may prove memory intensive...

so heres my reccomendation

FIRST as stated the graphics card is very important, I dont know whats currently the best reccomendation, but personally Id start by looking at something with an nVidia chipset and at least 64Mb onboard RAM.

SECOND, check out the maximum RAM capacity of the motherboard, 2Gb is fairly standard nowadays, though I have seen a 4Gb board somewhere.

THIRD stick with 1Gb of memory for now, but make sure that you achieve this with the fewest modules as possible, doing this will maximise the number of memory module slots that remain vacant in the motherboard, and should you find that at a later date that you do have insufficient physical memory (ie the HD is caching memory) then its simply a case of buying another memory module and plugging it in... make sure you know the exact spec of the memory modules.

AT ALL COSTS AVOID VIRTUAL MEMORY CACHING, because it dont matter how fast your HD is, it still is a hell of a lot slower than

physical memory.

Finally if you find you have spare cash opt for the wizzy HD, RAID cards are nice, but you only really benefit in a network situation

[cadcam]

Ok,

I'll bite what is a whizzy drive.

Is this a nic name for a SCSI?

[bryan.davis]

WIZZY--- windows integrated zeolitic zephyr

.

.

.

.

nah, its meaningless, just a slang reference to something fastish, whilst Im not as familiar with state of the are PC technology as I used to be, a 'faster' HD sounds like a poor solution when there are better ways of tuning your PC

[cadcam]

Bryan,

Thankd for the answer.

quote:

---

a 'faster' HD sounds like a poor solution when there are better ways of tuning your PC

---

Sorry to tell you but that really does make a diffrence now days.

the faster RPM HD will access data faster.

Along with the new ATA100 you are getting alot closer to SCSI with out have to pay the price.

[bryan.davis]

yes, but where does that improve the runtime performance when using mastercam, its certainly not worth spending sums of money on speeding up the 10 seconds it takes to initialise MasterCAM.

Unless you are using extreamly large files the time it takes to load an MC8 file rarely exceeds 30 seconds, and if you are doing time saved backups you can shave the 30 seconds every half hour.

The only factor a fast HD will radically effect is virtual memory caching, and they havnt made a HD yet that can even approach the performance of physical memory, once they can achieve this then physical memory will not only become a thing of the past, but will become something we tell our gradchildren about when trying to tell em how hard we had it back in the days of the old P4 2Ghz processor!

....

when I were a lad 'puters dint ave none of eure fancy 2,000,000Gb virtual memory caches, we had to make do wit jus 2Gb an it twer on a board the size of eure fancy super 'puter oer yonder!, and back then 'puters were so slow that it would take MasterCAM 8.1.1 all day to calculate that toolpath you just rattled off in 't blink of an eye!

[cadcam]

Well,

quote:

---

but where does that improve the runtime performance when using mastercam, its certainly not worth spending sums of money on speeding up the 10 seconds it takes to initialize Mastercam.

---

Now the thought of sums of money the way I was talking is we get the faster drive and save money.

Most of the decent computers, even off the shelf now a day, comes with like 30gigs or more and the ATA100 drives that are 7200rpm.

And you save money right there.

The difference between a 5400 20gig & a 7200rpm 20gig is about 5 to 10 dollars.

Now if you go with the SCSI now the board is more money & the HD is more money like double.

And in most case's today you do not get that much more performance.

Now,

As for the thought of my children getting it when they are older.

I am with you they will look at our computers, and say what dino's.

Just one last thought.

I am not trying to sell you on that the hard drive will make all the difference.

But with the drive lots of RAM Fast CPU and a decent motherboard it adds up.

You will get more speed.

And yes on the mastercam side.

The last big noticeable jump I saw for me was changing my CPU fro a PIII800 to a PIII 1gig.

I saw a big change there.

Well Bryan cheers to our kids.

[ 10-06-2001: Message edited by: cadcam ]