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Linus 2018 video, a bit dated & SW specific but shows some generic information on processors & GCs and laptops
My system is pretty dated & not high end by any stretch even at the time - Nvidea Quadro K2000, Intel I7, 16 GB RAM. I don't do rendering but I also have no issues with say 200-300 part assemblies like my radial engine.
 
That is a pretty good video for people hoping to buy used PC components. All of the parts he talks about are about 2 generations old. That isn't a bad thing. My old computer actually has the Rx580 GPU he recommended. Unfortunately covid has made even older graphics cards very expensive online. My rx580 for example was only $200 new in 2019 and I see them listed for roughly $500 right now. As many people move indoors it seems pc components are in high demand.
 
I heard about shortages & back orders dues to pandemic. Memory Express and others carry Nvidia Quadro line. The P2200 & even P1000 would probably be good picks for a graphics orientated build. After that they get spendy & unjustified for most mortals. Whether the current GPU shortages are more related to gaming I can't say, but would probably make sense.

1613411414649.webp
 
P1000 looks cool but quad mini display ports? I have been following the GPU shortage closely. The main problem is slow manufacturing due to problems in the supply chain. Scalpers have made a bad situation worse by driving up the prices of the few cards that do leave the factory. And then there is ethereum mining. It all adds up to a perfect storm which means any GPU you can buy at retail price is a good deal.
 
Ya I'm not up to speed on the tech details, it was more of a generic comment. My Nvidia card isn't made anymore so it would be a fresh re-visit anyways, guessing the P2200. On my long list of goals is to get a bit smarter on PC hardware & setup. I'm kind of a replace every 5 years kind of guy, either resulting from crash or things just get out of date it becomes a headache. Seems like its been the same story for 20 years, you always drop 1500-2000 on a new PC, but walk away with something 8X as powerful. But that's because the apps are 7.9X more demanding LOL. I don't even want to switch to Win-10 on this box because I'd have to fiddlefart with apps.
 
I run fusion on my Lenovo laptop.
It has GeForce GT 630m video, an i7-3520 and 8 gb ram. It’s 7 years old and was fairly high end when I got it. Fusion takes time to load but once loaded it works fine.
Everything else is fine and I don’t see any need to upgrade.
Best part, it is acceptable in the dining room, the desktop has to stay in the office.
 
I took a plunge on my first Windows laptop in I don't know how long.
Dell Precision M4800 Laptop Intel Core i7 4810MQ 2.4GHz
32GB RAM
1TB SSD
15.6" display
Windows 10 Pro
 
I'm not that familiar with Fusion so cant comment with authority. Load time could be related to what happens behind the scenes, particularly if web based. I would assume if its just matching user credentials it should be very quick. But if its snooping around, checking for updates or otherwise transferring more info, it would add to startup time over a classic preinstalled App. The big thing is program size. My new box, now 5 years old, has SSD where programs & OS reside. Data & backup reside on the spinney drive. But SSD made a huge difference to how fast the big programs loaded, like maybe 7 secs vs 45?.

As I mentioned before, how you use the 3D app has a big effect on refresh speed. Linus touches on that. Simple parts, low part count assembly, no rendering is faster processing. More of any of these makes more demands. What works fine for one person may not fit another persons needs, so you kind of have to take an educated guess how your needs fit in or where you aspire to be. Some hardware upgrades can be accommodated, others, not so much.
 
I don't mean to interrupt hardware discussions nor hijack this thread, but on the topic of CAD packages, does anyone here have experience with TurboCad 2D/3D Deluxe or ViaCad? I can't justify $650 a year for Fusion now that they changed licenses and now I can't even download or print pdf files I drew under the previous license scheme. Was told on the phone by one of their customer service reps that I should qualify under "startup" due to what I'm doing and planning to do, but when I applied they rejected me. So, looking for other options that will allow me to try 3D printing once I get my new shop set up in the house we're moving to this spring.

Any other non-ridiculously-priced CAD program suggestions that have (or have as add-ons) the ability to export to a 3D printer? I know very little about printers and would like to get one by late summer.

Thanks for any advice, experiences, or suggestions!
 
I've gotten a chuckle out of all the folks who claim NOT to be experts about this stuff, but from my vantage point, you ARE all dang near experts! Remember while there is almost always someone out there that likely does qualify "more" as an expert on any given subject, expertise is a bit relative.

To folks like me that know next to nothing on a dizzyning array of things, your input and knowledge can often be of great help. That is one of the things I like best about this forum.
 
Everett said:
I don't mean to interrupt hardware discussions nor hijack this thread, but on the topic of CAD packages, does anyone here have experience with TurboCad 2D/3D Deluxe or ViaCad? I can't justify $650 a year for Fusion now that they changed licenses and now I can't even download or print pdf files I drew under the previous license scheme. Was told on the phone by one of their customer service reps that I should qualify under "startup" due to what I'm doing and planning to do, but when I applied they rejected me. So, looking for other options that will allow me to try 3D printing once I get my new shop set up in the house we're moving to this spring.

Any other non-ridiculously-priced CAD program suggestions that have (or have as add-ons) the ability to export to a 3D printer? I know very little about printers and would like to get one by late summer.

Thanks for any advice, experiences, or suggestions!
Click to expand...

At the simple end of the scale TinkerCAD exports stl files as does Sketchup.
 
Well, oddly enough tonight I started up Fusion360 to take screen shots of my stored drawings, and lo and behold now I can export pdf files of the drawings again when I couldn't even do so last night. Weird.

Thankful I can at least get copies of my drawings but still going to look for a non-cloud basic alternative as the 3d construct part files are still locked in their server. A buddy of mine says he likes Alibre and I'm trying out the trial copy now, but still open to ideas.
 
I really like FreeCAD. Here are my reasons, which may or may not apply to anyone else --

1) all my files are on my PC only, and forever... (take that Fusion360!)
2) It is open source, which makes it a lot harder to put spyware/malware/time bombs in it.
3) it is parametric, like all the 'big boy' CAD programs
4) it reads and writes all the formats I need and far more
5) It has decent 3DP and CAM integration, but not as good as fusion360
6) It runs on fairly low grade hardware with decent memory, no special graphics card, not even a fast processor needed
(I am memory poor, which is why I'm upgrading my machine)

Now for the downside--

1) It takes a fair commitment to learn
2) it is on V0.18, and still has some quirks to be worked out
3) It is a little slow on my 2GHz i5 650 8Gb Windows 10 machine.

I've seen some very complex models built on Version 0.16, and the team are putting every feature possible as they work on it. It feels like it will go a lot farther than Qcad, KiCAD, and the other 2D/pseudo 3D programs I've used in the past.
 
Everett said:
Thankful I can at least get copies of my drawings but still going to look for a non-cloud basic alternative as the 3d construct part files are still locked in their server. A buddy of mine says he likes Alibre and I'm trying out the trial copy now, but still open to ideas.
Click to expand...
You can export the files to have locally if you want.
 
I licensed TurboCad over the years, starting on version 14 w/CAM, and then 19 and finally the Platinum 21 (no CAM).

To be honest I used it 5% as much as I use Fusion, and I always found it 'out of reach' in terms of learning -- the concepts didnt come naturally to me. And it isn't cheap once you get into the Pro/Platinum levels to unlock all the tools.

They sell it through a reseller type model. You can by direct from IMSI, but you can also buy it on other sites, Amazon etc. You have to shop around, and if you plan the e-coupon games you can get it for 1/2 price if you get enough codes that work. I was probably in for $1500 for all the versions I had. In hindsight, I'd of gone subscription if they offered it then (they might now). That said, I didn't go for the Fusion 360 subscription either (too much for what I'm using). I think if you use the on-line chat-bots you can ALWAYS get a better deal then list.

I didn't understand your issue -- I have the free Fusion license, and yes, I'm limited to 10 drawings at a time, but I still have access to everything. Has something changed?
 
Dabbler, you should try FreeCad V0.19. It is a development version that has been available since last fall. There are lots of improvements especially to the part design and tech draw workbenches.
 
II use AutoCad lite for work on 2D electrical drawings.
I have used it many times to design parts.
I used to have the 2000 version running on a (XP) virtual machine as I could not install it in Win7 or 10.
It is an indispensable tool to have!
I would like to find a CAD program that I can easily transition to and not pay a monthly subscription for hobbyist use.
 
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