SP3 i5/8gb good for CAD?

[GmC]

Hello Im engineering student and i'm wondering if SP3 i5/8bg ram could run solidworks, autocad, simens NX, CATIA, CREO? It depends on how big are my assemblies. In most cases its under a hundred parts.

Had anyone had any experience with this?

I saw a microsoft video in which they say they are building next surface on SP3 but I would like another confirmation and they are using i7 model, you can see video here:

 

[DavidHaynes]

It runs ACAD 2015.

 

[Striknine]

I am running AutoCAD 2015 with 4gb ram on my sp3 without issues. Pretty sure you will be fine with 8gb if you decide to go that route.

 

[pandathumb]

I'm planning on buying an i5 w/ 256GB for CATIA and Abaqus (not solving any models just setting them up). Based on the specs I think it will be passable, at least for small models and assemblies, and once I get mine in a week or so I'll post my results.

If anyone who has a surface wants to see how it does with CAD and wouldn't mind installing an open source app they could try http://www.freecadweb.org/. It's a great free CAD program, and if you download it and get some sample parts you will have a pretty good sense of how the system will handle one of the commercial programs.

gary

 

[malberttoo]

I'm planning on buying an i5 w/ 256GB for CATIA and Abaqus (not solving any models just setting them up). Based on the specs I think it will be passable, at least for small models and assemblies, and once I get mine in a week or so I'll post my results.

If anyone who has a surface wants to see how it does with CAD and wouldn't mind installing an open source app they could try http://www.freecadweb.org/. It's a great free CAD program, and if you download it and get some sample parts you will have a pretty good sense of how the system will handle one of the commercial programs.

gary

Hi Gary, welcome to the forum! And thanks for the info.

 

[GmC]

@pandathumb based on specs it should run middium size assemblies I only worry about thermal throttling...
Now I have 5 years old laptop with Pentium Dual Core T4400 @ 2.2/ 4gb RAM but it has ATI RADEON HD 4500 with 512 Mb (I know its old ). With it I made all my assignments. It bogged down with big assemblies but I manage

Have anybody else had other experiences? Solidworks maybe?

 

[pandathumb]

I got my i5/256gb this week, I still haven't installed CATIA on it yet but I have played around with FreeCAD. My sense is that it handles the graphics fairly well, up to a certain limit, and could be used for CAD when necessary (but probably not as your primary machine). Even with a moderately complex assembly like the one below it's relatively smooth when rotating parts or changing views, so I'm pretty happy.

 

[GmC]

That's cool. So how many parts have this assembly?
On the laptop I use today with more then 30 parts it gets slow.
So if SP3 can handle it better it could be my primary machine because I working on assemblies max 10 days per year.
Can we accept another update when you install catia and use it on SP3 a little bit?

 

[pandathumb]

I have CATIA installed now, I haven't loaded a product but with a part it's bearable so long as you have it plugged in and don't have all of the graphics settings maxed. Definitely not in the same ballpark as my Lenovo W530, but still passable. That freecad file is just something I had found on the web, probably around 10 parts. I'll see if I can try a catia assembly tomorrow but I'm guessing it's not much different.

 

[Aegeas]

Make sure you update to the latest Intel driver for the video. I can't speak to the I5, but on my i7 it made a huge difference in frame rates in games. I hover pretty easily at 50+fps in many games.

 

[Liam2349]

Make sure you update to the latest Intel driver for the video. I can't speak to the I5, but on my i7 it made a huge difference in frame rates in games. I hover pretty easily at 50+fps in many games.

You make it sound like you're chilling on Battlefield 4...

 

[Aegeas]

Uh, no. I wish! I play things like Path of Exile, Starcraft, Diablo, Rise of Nations, Portal, Team Fortress 2, etc. I'm not into the current Battlefield games. For what I play, my SP3 is perfect. Much better than my SP2 was. Not because of the processor or video chipset, but because of the screen and speakers. It is a better interface in every way.