Updraded Videocard and Performance in CAD is worse

[dkbert]

I am running the latest version of AutoCAD 2005. I had a 8mb videocard. This new machine had very smooth panning in the model space and a noticable improvement over the old machine I was using. To meet future requirements for AutoCAD 2006 our videocards were upgraded to 120MB cards. Now when panning in cad the images are not smooth but choppy and distort even worse than my old machine. Anyone know why this might be? Thanks.

[CADTutor]

First, it's always worth checking that you are using the latest drivers for your card. Second, make sure that you have any hardware acceleration turned on and check also that OpenGL is enabled.

[ReMark]

Do the system motherboards use an APG slot or PCI-E slot for the graphics card?

[dkbert]

I am running the latest drivers. I am actually running with a regular PCI video card with 128 meg of memory. I do not have AGP or PCI-E slots in so we are stuck is plain ol’ PCI. The card I am using right now is

http://www.evga.com/products/moreinfo.asp?pn=128-P1-NV94-LX&family=15

[ReMark]

How much physical RAM is installed on the motherboard? What type of RAM (ex. DDR333 PC2700)? Is the problem noticeable in both 2D and 3D drawings or just 3D?

[dkbert]

I have 1 GB of DDR type RAM on the machine. I do not use 3D in Autocad, in 2D applications the lines will distort when panning in the model space. They slant and will seperate or distort almost like a old Commodore 64 game in a way. Is there any video settings that can be set in AutoCAD itself? Viewres is not the problem here since my circles are not jagged polygons. Put in a new ATI card and get maybe even worse results. It is like when panning the images are ghosted like the screen does not update the movement fast enough. The faster the panning the worse it is. Any more ideas? Thanks.[/img]

[ReMark]

What type of monitor are you using? What is the max resolution and are you running it at that resolution? What is the dpi rating of the monitor? Do you experience display problems in any non-CAD programs? Perhaps your monitor suffers from an over abundance of dust on its internal components.

One thing you might try is uninstalling the card and reinstalling in a different slot. Have you also checked to see that the PCI graphics card is fully seated in the slot? Maybe the slot or the contacts on the graphics card are corroded?

[dkbert]

I am using an old Gateway 2000 19" CRT Vivitron monitor at 1152 x 864 pixels at 96 dpi which is the same I have always been at. I have not had any issues with the display in any other applications that I use. I will see if moving the card to another slot is possible. The computer I have is not really upgrade friendly. I think the problem is AutoCAD and not the video card but thats just me.

[ReMark]

I can't imagine that your computer doesn't have at least one more empty PCI slot available. I know of no AutoCAD related setting that could be responsible for the problem you are describing. After exhausting other possibilities it seems to me that it is either a graphics card software or hardware related problem. What puzzles me is that the problem makes itself known only in AutoCAD and in no other program. What are we missing here? Where's Sherlock Holmes when you need him?