RTX 2060/S or Quadro P4000 8GB for +4000 Parts Modelling

[barista06]

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to work with large assemblies in SolidWorks — mostly 4000 to 5000 parts — and I'm trying to decide between two GPU options:

• NVIDIA RTX 2060 / 2060 Super (8GB)
• NVIDIA Quadro P4000 (8GB)

My workflow mainly involves 3D modeling, assemblies, and some occasional drawings — no simulation or rendering for now.
Here are my system specs:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7500F
• RAM: 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 6000MHz CL30 (Patriot Viper EXPO)
• Motherboard: ASUS B650M-R
• SSD: Kioxia Exceria G2 500GB NVMe
• Monitor: 1080p, maybe upgrading to 1440p later.

I know the Quadro P4000 is workstation-class and ISV certified for SolidWorks, but it's older. The RTX 2060/S is more modern and faster in general tasks, but not officially supported by Dassault. I'm aware it might have driver issues or viewport glitches with large assemblies.

My main concern is smooth performance and stability with large assemblies.
I also work from home, so energy efficiency and potential resale value are small considerations.

Has anyone used either of these cards (or both) with large part counts in SolidWorks?
Would the newer RTX card handle it well enough, or would the Quadro still be the safer choice?

Any real-world experience or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Braegnok]

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to work with large assemblies in SolidWorks — mostly 4000 to 5000 parts — and I'm trying to decide between two GPU options:

• NVIDIA RTX 2060 / 2060 Super (8GB)
• NVIDIA Quadro P4000 (8GB)

My workflow mainly involves 3D modeling, assemblies, and some occasional drawings — no simulation or rendering for now.
Here are my system specs:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7500F
• RAM: 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 6000MHz CL30 (Patriot Viper EXPO)
• Motherboard: ASUS B650M-R
• SSD: Kioxia Exceria G2 500GB NVMe
• Monitor: 1080p, maybe upgrading to 1440p later.

I know the Quadro P4000 is workstation-class and ISV certified for SolidWorks, but it's older. The RTX 2060/S is more modern and faster in general tasks, but not officially supported by Dassault. I'm aware it might have driver issues or viewport glitches with large assemblies.

My main concern is smooth performance and stability with large assemblies.
I also work from home, so energy efficiency and potential resale value are small considerations.

Has anyone used either of these cards (or both) with large part counts in SolidWorks?
Would the newer RTX card handle it well enough, or would the Quadro still be the safer choice?

Any real-world experience or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Personally I would look for a used RTX A4000 16GB card on ebay. https://www.nvidia.com/en-eu/design-visualization/rtx-a4000/

 

[barista06]

It's too expensive for me.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Any real-world experience or insight would be greatly appreciated.

If you can afford it....

Personally I would look for a used RTX A4000 16GB card on ebay. https://www.nvidia.com/en-eu/design-visualization/rtx-a4000/

View attachment 402999

...do this. You'll thank yourself.

If you can't(or don't want to) afford it, the following might be a happy middle ground;

NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 Specs

NVIDIA TU104, 1545 MHz, 2304 Cores, 144 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 8192 MB GDDR6, 1625 MHz, 256 bit

www.techpowerup.com

https://www.ebay.com/itm/297302726072
https://www.ebay.com/itm/226798760013
Same level of performance as a 2060, but with the certified drivers. Reasonable prices too.

 

[barista06]

If you can afford it....

...do this. You'll thank yourself.

If you can't(or don't want to) afford it, the following might be a happy middle ground;

NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 Specs

NVIDIA TU104, 1545 MHz, 2304 Cores, 144 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 8192 MB GDDR6, 1625 MHz, 256 bit

www.techpowerup.com

https://www.ebay.com/itm/297302726072
https://www.ebay.com/itm/226798760013
Same level of performance as a 2060, but with the certified drivers. Reasonable prices too.

Alright, what do you think about the P4000 8GB? I can't get an RTX 4000 for $200 in my country. Instead, there's a used P4000 available for $120. Would it handle 4000–5000-piece projects smoothly, without lag, when paired with an AMD 7500F?

 

[lexluthermiester]

Alright, what do you think about the P4000 8GB?

That's a good card. If that's what you can get where you live go for it...

Instead, there's a used P4000 available for $120.

..especially for that price, very reasonable.

 

[freeagent]

With prices being quoted like that on projects, why run low end hardware like a 7500f

 

[lexluthermiester]

Would it handle 4000–5000-piece projects smoothly, without lag, when paired with an AMD 7500F?

That seems like a good match up.

Additional thought, have you looked at the P5000?

NVIDIA Quadro P5000 Specs

NVIDIA GP104, 1733 MHz, 2560 Cores, 160 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 16384 MB GDDR5X, 1127 MHz, 256 bit

www.techpowerup.com

If you can get one for a reasonable price that would grant you more compute.
Here stateside, they can be had for about $240;
https://www.ebay.com/itm/388531438752
Only a suggestion for thought.

With prices being quoted like that on projects, why run low end hardware like a 7500f

Let's be fair, that's not a bad CPU. For the money it's a good value and gives a solid performance.

 

[barista06]

That's a good card. If that's what you can get where you live go for it...

..especially for that price, very reasonable.

Thanks, i hope it will for fluently.
I'm building this PC for my brother, specifically to handle large-scale, thousands-of-parts projects at his workplace. Even the slightest lag would be like throwing $500 in the trash, so I'm doing a lot of research. I came across the P4000 by chance, and after extensive research, I concluded that the 7500F is the best-performing CPU in the mid-range — there's nothing, not even from Intel, that outperforms it in that price bracket.

Technically, I could have built a system around the i5-12400F with DDR4 and saved over $100 by going second-hand. But if it stutters even once, it would all be for nothing.

The office computers currently have 6700K and 6700HQ CPUs — absolute dinosaurs. They struggle with these projects, rendering them at painfully low FPS because the bosses are incredibly stingy. That’s why I don’t want to waste money on cards like the A2000 either.

With prices being quoted like that on projects, why run low end hardware like a 7500f

It's a home PC, we are not owner that company. So every dollar is mine money.

That seems like a good match up.

Additional thought, have you looked at the P5000?

NVIDIA Quadro P5000 Specs

NVIDIA GP104, 1733 MHz, 2560 Cores, 160 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 16384 MB GDDR5X, 1127 MHz, 256 bit

www.techpowerup.com

If you can get one for a reasonable price that would grant you more compute.
Here stateside, they can be had for about $240;
https://www.ebay.com/itm/388531438752
Only a suggestion for thought.

Unfortunately, that card isn’t available either. The only GPU I can currently find is the P4000. If we stretch the budget by another $60–70, the A2000 becomes an option. If the budget allows, I’d go straight for the A2000 — but for now, the P4000 is the only realistic choice.

In Turkey, we don’t have access shipping to eBay, so my options are very limited. Actually… I just realized I might be able to order from Germany!

 

[freeagent]

It's a home PC, we are not owner that company. So every dollar is mine money.

Gotcha, that makes absolute sense

 

[lexluthermiester]

Unfortunately, that card isn’t available either.

Fair enough. Honestly, a P4000 and a Ryzen 7500F is a solid setup for what you want to do. I say go for it and enjoy!

Actually… I just realized I might be able to order from Germany!

Give that a try. Germany is one of the major hubs of professional tech in Europe, so if you can, try for a P5000. It'll be worth it for not a lot of extra money.

 

[barista06]

Fair enough. Honestly, a P4000 and a Ryzen 7500F is a solid setup for what you want to do. I say go for it and enjoy!

Thanks

 

[lambda]

Thanks, i hope it will for fluently.
I'm building this PC for my brother, specifically to handle large-scale, thousands-of-parts projects at his workplace. Even the slightest lag would be like throwing $500 in the trash, so I'm doing a lot of research. I came across the P4000 by chance, and after extensive research, I concluded that the 7500F is the best-performing CPU in the mid-range — there's nothing, not even from Intel, that outperforms it in that price bracket.

Technically, I could have built a system around the i5-12400F with DDR4 and saved over $100 by going second-hand. But if it stutters even once, it would all be for nothing.

The office computers currently have 6700K and 6700HQ CPUs — absolute dinosaurs. They struggle with these projects, rendering them at painfully low FPS because the bosses are incredibly stingy. That’s why I don’t want to waste money on cards like the A2000 either.


It's a home PC, we are not owner that company. So every dollar is mine money.



Unfortunately, that card isn’t available either. The only GPU I can currently find is the P4000. If we stretch the budget by another $60–70, the A2000 becomes an option. If the budget allows, I’d go straight for the A2000 — but for now, the P4000 is the only realistic choice.

In Turkey, we don’t have access shipping to eBay, so my options are very limited. Actually… I just realized I might be able to order from Germany!

1. Which exact version of Solidworks are you using or plan to use?
2. Depending upon the requirements, the Quadro A2000 12GB would be a major improvement.
3. Are you sure about the CPU? I think there are better options but all of them are on legacy platforms (AM4, LGA 1700).

https://www.solidworks.com/support/hardware-certification/

> For a list of older graphics cards supported by SOLIDWORKS but no longer certified with newer releases of SOLIDWORKS, click here.

https://files.solidworks.com/videocarddriver/supported-graphics-cards.pdf

 

[barista06]

1. Which exact version of Solidworks are you using or plan to use?
2. Depending upon the requirements, the Quadro A2000 12GB would be a major improvement.
3. Are you sure about the CPU? I think there are better options but all of them are on legacy platforms (AM4, LGA 1700).

https://www.solidworks.com/support/hardware-certification/

> For a list of older graphics cards supported by SOLIDWORKS but no longer certified with newer releases of SOLIDWORKS, click here.

https://files.solidworks.com/videocarddriver/supported-graphics-cards.pdf

1. Probably 2024 SP3
2 I'm not sure about afford A2000.
3. Yes i'm sure but u can suggest another cpu models.

 

[lambda]

1. Probably 2024 SP3
2 I'm not sure about afford A2000.
3. Yes i'm sure but u can suggest another cpu models.

What's your overall budget in your local currency or USD?

 

[lexluthermiester]

What's your overall budget in your local currency or USD?

They stated earlier that they are in Turkey.

3. Are you sure about the CPU? I think there are better options but all of them are on legacy platforms (AM4, LGA 1700).

A 7500F is an AM5 CPU. It's supported.

 

[barista06]

I talked with my brother and maybe i can buy 7500F and A2000 combo.

 

[lambda]

I talked with my brother and maybe i can buy 7500F and A2000 combo.

In any case, you can make these changes.

Swap out the motherboard to -
1. If you do not need more PCIe expansion in the future - https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B650M-GAMING-PLUS-WIFI has more memory slots for future expansion
2. More PCIe slots - https://www.asus.com/motherboards-components/motherboards/prime/prime-b650m-a-ax-ii/
3. Cheaper version of suggestion 2 - ASUS Prime B650M-A II DDR5

Suggestion 2 and 3 will be useful if you wish to add more video cards in the future but they are still limited by PCIe lanes.

Move the SSD to Western Digital SN 570 or SN 580 (1TB).

I don't know the local pricing, searching on Amazon.com.tr wasn't helpful.

Some recommendations here - https://www.digitalengineering247.com/article/configuring-the-right-workstation-for-solidworks-2023

-----

A possibly even cheaper option A1000 https://aecmag.com/workstations/nvidia-rtx-a1000-review/

@barista06, what's the cost of the A2000 for you locally? And is it the 6GB or the 12GB model?

They stated earlier that they are in Turkey.


A 7500F is an AM5 CPU. It's supported.

I meant the 12700F on lga 1700. Slightly better but can be quite cheap if purchased used.

 

[barista06]

In any case, you can make these changes.

Swap out the motherboard to -
1. If you do not need more PCIe expansion in the future - https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B650M-GAMING-PLUS-WIFI has more memory slots for future expansion
2. More PCIe slots - https://www.asus.com/motherboards-components/motherboards/prime/prime-b650m-a-ax-ii/
3. Cheaper version of suggestion 2 - ASUS Prime B650M-A II DDR5

Suggestion 2 and 3 will be useful if you wish to add more video cards in the future but they are still limited by PCIe lanes.

Move the SSD to Western Digital SN 570 or SN 580 (1TB).

I don't know the local pricing, searching on Amazon.com.tr wasn't helpful.

Some recommendations here - https://www.digitalengineering247.com/article/configuring-the-right-workstation-for-solidworks-2023

-----

A possibly even cheaper option A1000 https://aecmag.com/workstations/nvidia-rtx-a1000-review/

@barista06, what's the cost of the A2000 for you locally? And is it the 6GB or the 12GB model?

The second-hand A2000 6GB is priced between 160–200 euros. I couldn't find the 12GB version. There's one RTX 4000 available, and I can get it for around 250–300 euros. As for the processor, I think we're locked in, because if multi-core performance were important, I would have gone with the 7800X3D. I might reconsider the motherboard. Also, I will get a faster PCIe 4.0 compatible SSD.

 

[lambda]

The second-hand A2000 6GB is priced between 160–200 euros. I couldn't find the 12GB version. There's one RTX 4000 available, and I can get it for around 250–300 euros. As for the processor, I think we're locked in, because if multi-core performance were important, I would have gone with the 7800X3D. I might reconsider the motherboard. Also, I will get a faster PCIe 4.0 compatible SSD.

I assume it is the 'A2000 (Ampere)' rather than the 'A2000 Ada'.

I have a 1080ti that I can test out later this week should you wish, a fair bit faster than the P4000. I'm not sure how much VRAM you need for your scenes (is 6GB VRAM an issue?)

 

[barista06]

I assume it is the 'A2000 (Ampere)' rather than the 'A2000 Ada'.

I have a 1080ti that I can test out later this week should you wish, a fair bit faster than the P4000. I'm not sure how much VRAM you need for your scenes (is 6GB VRAM an issue?)

Should I choose the A2000 6GB or the RTX 4000 8GB? I was originally going to get a card like the RTX 3060 or 3070, but the only game likely to be played on this computer is ETS 2. If I buy a gaming card because of that, it might cause issues later with 5000-piece assemblies, which would make it pointless. So, at worst, I’d get the A2000 6GB and use it.


Do you think it’s worth paying 100 euros more for the RTX 4000? Or would the A2000 last a long time as well?

 

[lexluthermiester]

the RTX 4000 8GB?

This.

 

[Nathaaab]

I'm not sure if SOLIDWORKS is very different in that regard (haven't used it for years), but I work with Inventor at work, with machines that can have >30k parts on a T1000 8GB and the GPU is not really what's limiting the performance without fancy effects like shadows or textures. You do need the VRAM though.

 

[eidairaman1]

It's too expensive for me.

Save up

 

[lambda]

Should I choose the A2000 6GB or the RTX 4000 8GB? I was originally going to get a card like the RTX 3060 or 3070, but the only game likely to be played on this computer is ETS 2. If I buy a gaming card because of that, it might cause issues later with 5000-piece assemblies, which would make it pointless. So, at worst, I’d get the A2000 6GB and use it.


Do you think it’s worth paying 100 euros more for the RTX 4000? Or would the A2000 last a long time as well?

Listing the price of each of the GPU option
1. Quadro P4000 8gb (pascal) - 120 Euro
2. A2000 (Ampere) 6gb - 160 to 200 Euro
3. RTX 4000 (turing) 8gb - 250 - 300 Euro

Lastly, one has to draw the line somewhere. You can keep increasing your budget and get better cards.