I just bought this computer for mastercam

[Gordon Dawson]

I hope it will work for the next few years; any comments?

 

Microsoft Windows XP Media Center

Intel Core Duo 2.16 GHz processor

2GB DDR2 RAM (supports up to 4 GB)

240GB hard drive space

DVDRW/HD DVD Combo Drive

NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 graphics with 256 MB GDDR2 dedicated memory

Built-in TV tuner

Integrated audio with built-in speakers

56K ITU V.92 modem

Integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet Network Adapter

Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG network connection (802.11a/b/g)

Full Keyboard with TouchPad with 4-way scroll button

1680×1050 resolution

20.1-inch widescreen WSXGA+CrystalBrite color TFT LCD

Built-in 1.3 MP web camera

Built-in microphone

Built-in 5-in-1 card reader

[Guest]

It should work for you.

 

The only problem might the the graphics card, if this is a Mastercam laptop, the Go series of cards can be weak on the CAM applications, it'll run sure but you might notice some "difficulties"

 

I bought an HP with similar power but the Go6050, it works but not at the level a higher end graphics card would

[cadcam]

This is a 20 wide laptop?

What you going to hall it with?

 

Sounds good but as John said if you can boost the Video that would be could but I thing this will work good thow.

 

It's hard to find laptops with Quadro video cards.

the one I am posting on right now has a Quadro FX go 1400 256 ddr ram.

[FLIPPER™]

It sounds like a prostar/Sager or simular

[cadcam]

I have the Extrem Notbook also owned by Prostar.

I saw the 20" that is big.

[bogusmill]

The video card is a bit light. You could jack up its power a bit with "Cool Bits". This is a registry entry that opens up the "throttle" so to speak, in the video cards own settings. It will find its own highest stable speed. Search for it at Guru3D.com BTW I don't know if it works for Quadro cards. Quadro cards aren't hard to find in a laptop, Dell M90.

 

Since 200 gig is the largest laptop HD made you must have a pair of 120's. If they are not 7200 RPM drives it will be slow booting and saving large files. But if you configure them in RAID 0, it would be blazing fast for a laptop.

[cadcam]

you can get dual drives as mine has dual 80gig sata drives and you can get them up to 250gig I am preaty sure. 200gig for sure.

[bogusmill]

200 Gig is the biggest I've seen but it's way slow at 4200RPM, even the 160Gig drives only run 5400. 120Gig is really the biggest 7200RPM laptop drive and speed makes alot of difference.

[Gordon Dawson]

It has two 5400 rpm 120g hard drives; I wanted the 7200 rpm drives, but this laptop deal came up and it saved me a lot of money.

 

I have never set up a computer with Raid. Is it hard to configure?

[bogusmill]

RAID 0 is for speed and your hard drive controler must be capable of it. If so there are several ways to go. Hardware RAID is where you split the files in two using the HD controler. Windows Explorer will see only 1 drive of 240 gigs. You'll have to reload the PC from a clean install. Then theres software RAID where your OS is on one partition (C:) of say 20 gigs in size. The 2nd HD will also have a 20 gig partition (E: for instance)you may put anything here you want. The remaining 100 gigs on each drive split the files and will appear in Explorer as a single 200gig drive. Large files or anything that needs to load or save faster goes here. In Windows search help for dynamic disc.

 

There is also Matrix RAID but I'm not familiar with that yet. It takes a motherboard with an Intel chipset. Hardware RAID 0 is about 30% faster than single drive operation.