Maya for 3D Printing - Rapid Prototyping
In this course we're going to look at something a little different, creating technically accurate 3D printed parts.
# 1 23-10-2007 , 06:05 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 41

Optimal System for 3D

Hi All

Its gp again now getting warmer on 3D. I currently have a P(4) Desktop with 512 mb Ram. I remeber having installed a NVIDIA GEforce MX440 card some time back. The system has about 40GB storage.

My question:

1.Is this adequate for running 3D programs without any issue in the performance? I notice that the system slows down when I go to Shaded mode in Maya (as compared to Wiremesh mode).

2. Is the video card good enough or do you suggest anyother.

I am sorry if these questions have been asked earlier, but could not find the same in the repository.

Thanks.

gpuser added image

# 2 23-10-2007 , 07:53 AM
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Maniacal boy king of Babylon
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: the netherlands
Posts: 1,605
Hi gputhige,

If you're just starting with 3d i don't think there's a problem just yet.
But if you want to have an adequate 3d computer i would suggest buying;

Around 2.5/3.0 GHz processor, 2Gb RAM, a high end videocard(you probably haven't got enough money to buy a fireGL or a Quadro, so i suggest buying a High end gamecard which will cost around the 400 a 600 dollars instead of the 2000 dollar for 3d specific cards).
You have lesser variants of the quadro and fireGL, but they still are relatively costly and to my personal experience they aren't (much) better than a gamingcard.
Hope this helped.....
user added image

# 3 26-10-2007 , 09:42 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: vienna
Posts: 1,095
most important is cpu and ram. and as long as you dont use 10 hiRes models with each 1-2k diffuse+normalMaps on them and need to see it realtime in your modeling panel using highQuality settings - graphic card really doesnt matter from my point of view. it is good to have quite a bit of RAM on your graCa but in the end it depends on your needs. some time ago I got a new QuadroFX 4500 at my office, and guess what.. the only difference I noticed was that I could then plug in 2 monitors instead of 1 with the old card. there were no other performance improvements.

if you start - buy a midClass gaming card anbd spent your money on a quadCore or high dualCore CPU + lots of RAM. the more the better.

gl!


everything starts and ends in the right place at the right time.
# 4 27-10-2007 , 12:38 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: IL
Posts: 738
Hi, I have relatively similar hardware:
2.6 GHz, 512 RAM and a ATI Radeon 9550.
From my experience, if you go into the lousiest of Maya's features with that hardware your PC'll get VERY VERY SLOW!. I also know from experience that Nvidia Geforce MX440 Is a very bed graphics card for any commercial game newer then 2000 user added image Thanks god I don't have to use it for Maya!
***If you choose to upgrade the graphics card, and you intend to use your computer for other stuff besides Maya, get at least a Nvidia Geforce GT***
If your budget isn't too low I'd suggest you'll get a new computer, compatible with DDR2(RAM), and PCI-E(graphics card).

EDIT: "the only difference I noticed was that I could then plug in 2 monitors instead of 1 with the old card"
*** Plug in in 2 monitors is also very useful... user added image


Last edited by BennyK; 27-10-2007 at 12:43 PM.
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