NVidia FX5200 vs ATI X600?

[MikeHenry]

NVidia FX5200 vs ATI X600?

At work I'm presently using a Dell Optiplex GX280 desktop with 1 GB memory, a 3.2 GHz CPU, and an NVidia FX 5200 video card w/ 128 MB memory. Alibre seems to work on this system.

Management would like me to move to a newer system: an Optiplex GX620 MT with 3.0 GHz CPU, 2 GB system ram, and an ATI Radeo X600 video card with 256 MB memory. Alibre has not been installed on this system yet.

From the standpoint of Alibre use, should I stay with the old system or move to the newer one? The CPU is about the same, the newer one has 1 GB more ram (always good) but I know nothing of how the ATI card compares to the NVidia card so advice limited to those two cards is fine.

Upgrading the newer system to a better card will be prohibited by IT because the system still has at least a year left on the warranty.

Thanks in advance,

Mike

 

[indesign]

That is a very low end card for Alibre on the original. Not sure how the ati card is but i do know the Nvidia 5200 series is good but a little slow for 3D.

 

[MikeHenry]

Tim,

That is a very low end card for Alibre on the original.

I'm a bit confused - are you saying that the NVidia FX 5200 card is OK (but not great) for 3D Cad or that it is a dog?

Mike

 

[swertel]

Woof.

 

[MikeHenry]

Woof.

OK, guess that makes the NVidia 5200 a dog. Is the ATI X600 any better, or at least no worse?

I had major problems with Alibre and an ATI card on my home PC (also a Dell) a few years ago and have been leary of them ever since.

Mike

 

[JordanCClark]

With the X600, you would be moving to PCI-express from AGP. That should give you better performance right there, not to mention twice the memory.

BTW, I run Alibre on my notebook, which has an X300 built into it. Same family core, the difference being that the X300 was built using .11-micron transistors instead of .13-micron-- How's that for otherwise useless information?

I don't forsee any issues using the X600, IMHO. Or maybe not so humble... :lol:

Regards,

Jordan

 

[MikeHenry]

don't forsee any issues using the X600, IMHO

OK, guess I'll be going with the ATI X600 PC.

Migrating all those apps with patches and customization will be a real joy I suspect. Hopefully there won't be any problem with the Alibre license.

Mike

 

[JordanCClark]

Alibre lets you install onto a max of 5 machines. If you're below five, no problem. Otherwise you'll have to give Alibre a call and remove whatever machines you're not using. 8)

Regards,

Jordan

 

[indesign]

The 5200 works but I would not suggest it to anyone using Alibre. Just under powered and painfully slow.

The specs on the express card are much better but I have never used it to compare performance in Alibre.

 

[MikeHenry]

Re:

Alibre lets you install onto a max of 5 machines. If you're below five, no problem.

I'm probably good there as my copy is only installed on 2 PCs at present. It's the thought of migrating my other apps that gives me pause. The silver lining in that cloud is that the "new" PC will be reformatted so it should run faster, at least once I get past the effort expended to re-patch and re-customize those other apps.

Mike