Do I need to upgrade my machine?

Hi all

Im currently running 2010 LT on a Pentium 4 CPU 3.20GHz 2GB RAM but I find it hangs regularly especially when Im working on bigger drawings (which is often). Plotting is a lengthly affair too as while configuring the plot setup it often hangs for up to 30 or 40 seconds per selection made.

Forgive my ignorance, but is this PC simply old now and in need of renewal?

Autodesk places so much emphasis on graphics that its difficult to find any info on PC specs there. Im only doing 2D work so I presume a graphics card is of little consequence?

Regards

System specifications for all AutoDesk products can be easily found at their website. Here is a link for AutoCAD LT 2010:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?siteID=123112&id=13706367

Maybe all you require is some additional RAM. What is the maximum your motherboard can handle?

Have you down-loaded and installed Update 1 for LT 2010? If not here is a link to get you started:

http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/autocad_2010_and_autocad_lt_2010_update_1.html

What are you running for a graphics card? Please give full specs including manufacturer, model, amount of vidRAM on card.

Are you up-to-date with your video drivers?

What OS are you using? Are you current with all updates?

Thanks ReMark

This machine takes DDR400 RAM and only has 2 slots so the maximum it can take is the 2GB I currently have. You dont get bigger than 1GB or DDR400 at a time. I put the second GB in about 6 months ago. Its apparently quite slow RAM anyway? And bloody pricy.

Graphics card is ATI RADEON XPRESS 200 Series.

I use XP Pro SP 2, no Im very bad with updates.

I will get on that now.

If it matters, I recently upgraded from 2007 to 2010 and the problem has not gotten better or worse after the upgrade.

Thanks

Look at the specs for your motherboard to see what is the fastest RAM that can be installed. Then go to the manufacturer's website to see if there is a BIOS update. It's possible a new BIOS release might recognize faster RAM.

DDR400 pricey? I can buy a 1GB DIMM 184-pin Corsair DDR400 PC 3200 for $39 (U.S.) off Amazon. Heck, I probably have one or two of them sitting in my filing cabinet from a system I dismantled a year ago just collecting dust.

Re: ATI RADEON XPRESS 200

Sounds like a chipset to me and not a dedicated graphics card. Am I right? I notice you did not tell us how much vidRAM was present. Could be a major part of your problem. May not be able to handle the graphic load.

Thats all that shows under Display adapters. Id be surprised if this machine has a graphics card.

In light of the problems Im having do you think a graphics card may be the solution?

Again ... When setting up a drawing in PSM Cad hangs for up to 30secs before allowing me to continue with setup. IE I select my plotter and then sit and wait for it to register the selection before I can continue and select paper size for example.

Layout tabs take a similar time to open when moving between them.

Block editor takes a while to open and close.

As I said it happens on the big drawings. Im busy with the main culprit now and its 14mb.

Looking at my current specs, would these usually be good enough to run without freezing like this?

The bottlenecks, as I see it are, slow speed RAM and the possible lack of a dedicated graphics card. If you are using a GPU (graphics processing unit or chip) and it becomes overburdened it will start to rely upon your RAM thus slowing your system down even more.

Bottom line: Trying to push around a 14MB drawing under these conditions will become an exercise in exasperation.

Look at the specs for your motherboard to see what is the fastest RAM that can be installed. Then go to the manufacturer's website to see if there is a BIOS update. It's possible a new BIOS release might recognize faster RAM.

 

DDR400 pricey? I can buy a 1GB DIMM 184-pin Corsair DDR400 PC 3200 for $39 (U.S.) off Amazon. Heck, I probably have one or two of them sitting in my filing cabinet from a system I dismantled a year ago just collecting dust.

I apologise, I never saw your first post.

I investigated the RAM when I put in the second GB. The DDR400 cost me R500 which is approx $70. Apparently its outdated and difficult to get hold of. I did ask around.

I wouldnt know how to check for BIOS updates etc. Forgive me, PC technicalities are not my strongest.

To obtain a detailed computer profile summary of your system download, install and run BeLarc Advisor (it's free). This summary will tell you what operating system is being used (and what service pack is installed), information about your processor (type and speed), drives, main circuit board (motherboard), system memory, display adaptor (GPU or graphics card), virus protection, and software licenses.

To obtain information about BIOS updates it is necessary to have good data about your motherboard and the BIOS that is being used. For example, on my work computer, I have a AsusTek P5B-Deluxe rev 1.xx motherboard using an American Megatrends Inc. BIOS rev 1101 dated 03/09/2007.

Can you tell us the make/model computer you are using?

Huh a 3.2 GHz P4 might have a PCIe video slot. I also suspect the video card being the bottle neck. I run 2010 on a 2.66 GHz. at home but I have a 256 mb dedicated video card. If he has DDR400 he can't go any higher. I doubt 3 gb will help much. IF he has a PCIe slot then try a new card. PCIe cards are cheap. Much cheaper than AGP.

But as you say a 14mb drawing would be hard on any older system.

Yes, he might have a PCIe video slot. This can be confirmed when we have the make/model of the computer or further detailed information about the motherboard. If he does then a dedicated graphics card would be the best option available at the moment and perhaps the cheapest.

Agreed, a 3.2 P4 will be HT and 2 gb of DDR400 is not bad. I think some clean up on the file might bring some speed back as well.

xpress 200 refers to the chipset and possibly the integrated graphics that are onboard (a radeon x300 variant).

Upgrading your cpu (which is getting long in tooth...) means replacing your motherboard, and replacing your motherboard means buying new ram. So try to figure out some alternatives before going out to buy.

Overclocking your ram and cpu may work. You can also upgrade your video card like other folks have said, though I haven't really seen any research that proves it very beneficial.

If all else fails, 200 dollars in upgrades may give you a very up to date system.

Do not overclock your RAM or your CPU unless you know exactly what you're doing. And I do mean exactly (unless you have instructions specific to your system's CPU and RAM) as you run the risk of frying something.

The "benefit" to going from an integrated graphics chip to a dedicated graphics card is well documented for anyone interested in learning.

These two statements pretty much sum up the gist of almost all artciles written about graphic chips vs. dedicated graphics cards. The wording will vary slightly. I grant you that a very few new GPUs are making a serious attempt to prove these statements are no longer valid but you can count those on less than five fingers. In this case however the arguement is moot. The OP's system GPU is just not up to the task. Period.

"Integrated graphics solutions are graphics processors that utilize a portion of a computer's system RAM rather than dedicated graphics memory."

"A GPU is extremely memory intensive, an integrated solution may find itself competing for the already slow system RAM with the CPU as it has minimal or no dedicated video memory."

Ok ReMark, took your advice, downloaded Belarc, herewith the results. Forgive the overkill on info.

OPERATING SYSTEM

Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 (build 2600)

PROCESSOR

3.20 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4

16 kilobyte primary memory cache

2048 kilobyte secondary memory cache

64-bit ready

Hyper-threaded (2 total)

MAIN CIRCUIT BOARD

Board: Intel Corporation D101GGC AAD35788-305

Serial Number: BTGC61103KKN

Bus Clock: 200 megahertz

BIOS: Award BIOS for Intel GC11010N.86A.0303.2005.1108.2057 11/08/2005

MEMORY MODULES

1984 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory

Slot 'A0' has 1024 MB

Slot 'A1' has 1024 MB

DISPLAY

ATI RADEON XPRESS 200 Series [Display adapter]

Tatung VM9G [Monitor] (17.7"vis, January 2005)

I found your motherboard specs at:

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/d101ggc/

Have to look under Technical Documnets > Technical Product Specifications.

The bad news. You're maxed out on the amount and the speed of the RAM you can use (2GB of DDR 400) and you have the latest BIOS. As we suspected your system is using an integrated graphics chip.

The good news. Your motherboard has one PCI Express x16 slot that you could install a dedicated graphics card in. Now you just have to find one that fits your budget.

Thanks a stack ReMark.

Ok well that shouldnt be a problem.

Ive identified the 9800GT. Will that be advisable?

Thanks to everyone for all the assistance.

The 9800GT? You're doing mainly 2D work right? I see you have LT but I ask because you might get the occassional 3D file which I know LT can at least view.