Whats the best computer specs for use w/ Agtek Earthworks 3D?

[bigdirt]

If anyone out there can give me some info on what to stay away from or what i should look into. Im about to get a new full blown machine, but would like to hear your experiances with this product and your pc parts. Thanks

 

[francesca]

Not program specific, but general computer buying advice:

If you're looking to do something that involves a lot of calculations, (e.g. generating contours off a DTM or vice versa) then look for processor speed and consider a 64-bit processor. Even if current software is not compiled for 64-bit processors, in two years all of it will be. Running WinXP with a 64-bit Athlon will not run you into trouble with 32-bit software, but you'll get a huge speed benefit.

If you're doing drafting, then you want Video RAM/Video memory and a fast video card. This will enhance your screen updating rate profusely and save you a lot of time. Good video cards cost in the range of $300 -- onboard video (i.e. on the motherboard) shares your RAM with your video RAM and you don't want that. You won't need a $300 video card for CAD; these things are for gaming. An ATI Radeon 9800 will run you about $150 or a Nvidia GeForce 5800 or better. Anything older (cheaper) than that isn't worth it because it's out of date. You may as well go with the on-board video, assuming it can do 3D, and beef up your RAM.

You can get away with 256Mb of RAM with WinXP, but if your file sizes tend to be upwards of 25Mb, or you tend to run Word and Excel and CAD and Outlook all at the same time, you will be advised to boost this to half a gig. For GIS applications you might even want more.

Dell sells computers with flat panel monitors for $350 and up, but don't be tempted into a bad deal. They skimp on RAM, use shared RAM/Video memory and have small hard drives by modern standards. There's nothing wrong with buying a Dell (as long as you buy it under the business package as you get better support for no extra outlay); but upgrade the support to a 3-year warranty. Spend a little extra time with the sales person and customize the computer to how you want it. Also insist within the first month that they send you the restore disks.

Check out these offers from Dell. Beware, however: if you get a 64-bit processor, I do not recommend 64-bit WindowsXP unless you have a resident computer geek who will spend hours hunting down your drivers on the internet.

The best value for money is to build your own computer. Spending a little more on a good motherboard, video card, 64-bit processor and a lot of RAM will set you up for a computer that will serve you well for 3-5 years. You can skimp on hard drive capacity if you work on a network (or put your old hard drive into your new computer as a back-up disk or for extended storage space!).

Monarch Computers will let you custom build your computer and they'll put it together for you. They're based in Atlanta, GA, and their shipping is $59 by UPS Ground. You get HalfLife2 free with a computer you build, which you can offload on eBay for about $30. Their 3-year parts & labor warranty is $70, and their 3-year on-site warranty is $200.

New Egg is a good site to buy hardware. Price things on Froogle to make sure you're getting your money's worth, and watch shipping costs. You probably don't need 2nd day air.

This is a pretty sweet system in a tiny case from Shuttle PC, but it comes without a hard drive. Of course, you could stick your current hard drive in it.

 

[bigdirt]

Thank you Francesca, your advice has been taken into consideration. Thanks alot.