Is Autocad core optimized?

[ebolamonkey3]

My friend is going off to college in the fall and needs a new laptop. She will be using Autocad quite a bit, and since I'm an IE and never used it myself, I don't know if it takes full advantage of quad cores.

So in her case, is it better to get an i7 620M or an i7 720QM? If Autocad can't fully utilize 4 cores, then I think the 620M would probably be better for her since it's higher clocked and runs cooler.

 

[Kreij]

From the FAQ pdf on their website ...

Yes, AutoCAD 2011 software supports multiple CPUs. The performance of AutoCAD graphics and rendering systems benefits from multiple CPU systems.

It does not specifically say multiple core CPUs, but most of the CAD software that we use here has been updated to utilize multiple cores and CPUs.

Either way I would go with the quad for a school laptop. There is a high likelyhood she would be doing multiple things at once, and thus benefit from the additional cores.

 

[DanTheMan]

I would recommend the quad core units. I tried a large 3D AutoCadd 2005 file at work using a quad core and the cores were running at approx 27%. We are using Xeon 2.5 Ghz w/8 Gig of RAM. We use NVIDIA Quadro FX 1700 cards - mostly for Pro-Engineer though.

Also if your friend is going into the mechanical field Pro-E is the most desired software - not AutoCAD (better know as AutoSketch) in the Engineering design field. If architecture field then Autocadd is just fine.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

It does not specifically say multiple core CPUs, but most of the CAD software that we use here has been updated to utilize multiple cores and CPUs.

Multiple CPUs = 2+ cores. I'll ask a friend later but I'm not sure if he is using AutoCAD (or what version) or not (might be some other 3D app).


I can say the hardware requirements completely depend on the complexity of the drawings. Simple drawings work fine on a single core CPU but if you get entire structures with wire, plumbing, sewage, etc. a quad-core probably helps.


Another consideration is that quad-core processors draw more electricity (lessening the battery life) and produce more heat than dual core processors. If the computer is going to be unplugged from an outlet a lot, that alone might be reason enough to avoid a quad core.


Without more information, I would say 620M at this time.

 

[ebolamonkey3]

Sorry, probably made a redundant thread here. I made one for a laptop recommendation in the general hardware thread but this issue seemed like a software issue for me

More info about the laptop located here:

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=128524

 

[Sasqui]

For AutoCAD 2011, plus many of the vertical products (arch, civil), They really did a lot of work in the multi-treaded department as well as a HUGE effort in 64 bit support.

Another even more important thing to consider is the 64 bit versions offer some of the biggest performance gains since release 10.386 & 11! Not to mention breaking the 4GB memory barrier, so make sure they have a 64 bit OS if it's really important.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Me: is AutoCAD really CPU demanding?
Him: DEPENDS ON WHAT UR DOING
Me: could it strain a quad core?
Me: in worst case scenario?
Him: MEMORY IS USUALLY THE ISSUE FOR ME
Me: dual core or single core?
Him: DUAL

I would recommend 64-bit AutoCAD, 64-bit Windows, 8 GiB of RAM, and a dual-core processor.

The Core i7 620M is dual-core but quad-thread. I think it would be sufficient and also save battery power and reduce heat.