Mastercam , solidworks , vericut - what graphics card ?

[MrFish]

Time for a new box of tricks.

 

One issue I have always had with my current one is that the Quadro FX1700 graphics card driver crashes locking up the system quite regularly when running mastercam and soildworks together.

 

Our I.T. guy is suggesting a Quadro VQC-2000 card this time with a i7 based machine. Does anyone have experience using mastercam and solidworks at the same time with this particular graphics card ?

 

We also run mastercam and vericut together on this system as well.

 

Thanks

[Chris In-House Solutions]

We have a dell computer at work with a Quadro 2000 card in it. We run Solidworks and Mastercam at the same time and the card handles it. When I say we run these two programs at the same time I mean both programs are open but they usually aren't processing graphics or toolpath's at the same time. Someone is going to suggest you get a Quadro 4000 card which is about double the cost. What it comes down to depends on how much you want to spend and how long you intend on keeping the computer/system for.

[Rotary Ninja]

Chris is abolutely right. I am going to say get the 4000.

 

We use the 2000 and I can bog it down in verify if I turn the quality up. It is pretty good though for the most part. We make racing radiators and the engineers have me opening these ridiculously huge STP files of the rads with the cores in them. And it does OK.

 

But I would go at whoever is in charge of purchasing this system for you and recommend the 6000. Then let them back you down to the 4000. You'll be a very happy cammer.

[djstedman]

Make sure to mention that it is absolutely ridiculous to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on machines and software then try and save $1000 on a graphics card..

 

Only to watch your programmers / engineers struggle with thier systems and waste valuable time they are being paid for..

 

If its really about saving money, investing in the proper card means saving money every time your high value employees are more productive..

 

I find this argument tends to open the eyes and the wallets of the people holding the purse strings.