DXFIN speed-up

In the case of an earlier version of Autocad, which is better? Having a fast CPU or a slower one with lotsa RAM?

I perhaps need a more modern computer, but coming up, I got a few a files coming in that are in DXF format. They are coming from an aerial photography place, on a CD-ROM, and in the past have been of file size up to 460 MB

It takes like twenty minutes to download such file that they can then be brought into ACAD via DXFIN. Once DXFIN is activated within Acad, (depending upon file size) it takes anywhere from twenty minutes to two hours just to process, rename, and get ready for common editing. I see the lights on front of computers flashing to tell me the old WD hard drive is a working along with the Intel CPU, and thus know things are still going and not hung up.

I HAVE to work in Windows 98, as that is what two (cheaper) customers are using. But the fast computer is of about 500 MZ (or faster), has 256 RAM, and the slower one has 390 or more M. of RAM.

I have a feeling the CPU speed is not everything, but the RAM is, for actually takes a few minutes less disolving things on the older, slower computer than the newer one with a fast CPU.

I have the ability to alter either one, w/o purchasing a whole new computer. We got enough "computers" around here, and do not want to buy another one. Can easily swap the memory from one computer to another, or the whole CPU. If faster yet will move the hard drive.

Which in your opinion is better then?

Faster CPU

or

More a bit RAM?

Wm.

Can you provide us with the full specs of your computer?

It sounds like you are working with some extremely underpowered machines.

256MB RAM?

I think that most everything is stated above in original messge, except that of hard drive access time. (Which I do not know).

What else is missing? The one of 500 MHZ has a modem, and the other is w/o. I swapped a SIIG LPT board from the slower one to the faster one in order to run the plotter on LPT3, it works fine, as anticipated, but other than that......

Wm.

Well, like I said, you are working with very old technology. Processor's are rated in Ghz now, not Mhz.

500Mhz = 0.5Ghz.

And 256mb RAM is nothing. You seriously need to upgrade your system. The one you have was probably top of the line 15 years ago, but now it's the bottom of the barrel.

Computers are relatively cheap these days. You can get a pretty decent machine for under $1,200 at any computer store. And when you think about all the time you're wasting while you sit around waiting for your machine to process information, the new computer will pay for itself in no time.