graphics card question

Hi All,

In my new systems I'm looking at getting the following card:

HP NVidia Quadro FX 1400 PCI-E 128MB Video Card w/ DVI

It's reasonably priced at 830$ cdn. Question is, can I get by with less? I rarely use realview, and when I need a nice picture I render to a file. I do demand smooth 3d rotation etc but that's about it. Any opinions?

Thanks,

Zander

I never use RealView and still have a decent card. View RealView as a way to get a capable video card to be a mediocre video card and you will understand.

My card is (or was) top of the line. NVidia Quadro FX3000. Using RealView graphics on a large assembly brought the whole system to a grinding halt because the textures and whatnot where applied to lots of small parts.

Zander wrote:

Same here...Real View has a long way to go if they are going to keep it. Anything over 500 parts just dies no matter what system you have.

FX500 is all you need, spend the money on more memory or the latest AMD processor IMHO

I've got an ATI FireGL 3100 PCIE that I've been pretty happy with--it's more like $200 US

This depends so much on the type of work you do. Our assemblies are measured in the hundreds of parts, not thousands. We get by just fine with Quadro 750 XGL cards. I would never consider spending the bucks that Paul did for the FX 3000. Paul probably considers it money well spent.

Jerry Steiger Tripod Data Systems "take the garbage out, dear"

How long are you planning on keeping these machines? I would get the one of the newer cards available. That doesn't mean most powerful just near latest released so that you can be certain that it will be supported in the next two years. I would be fearful of cards like the FX500 and anything XGL just because they are older cards. I think the

1400 you have is a fine card and since PCIE is relatively new the card should be supported for sometime to come.

KM

The Quadro FX 1400 was announced back on June 28, 2004, and my impression is that it is the best midrange card available. However, with the release of the Quadro FX 4500 and 3450 on July 28, 2005, is a sucessor to the 1400 far behind? A 1450 or 1500 maybe?