Best version for this low-end hardware?

I still have my old Athlon 64 3400+ Venice cpu based system (circa 2004) running at 2.5 ghz with 2gb of DDR400 ram, an ATI X1600 video card and a Maxtor EIDE hard drive that runs 2004 and 2008 LDD. Load times are a bit slow but once the drawing is open there is no lag or anything. I use it for other stuff mostly but keep it around as an emergency backup system just in case...

My current work rig has an MSI mobo in it running a Phenom II X6 1090T oc'd to 3.6 ghz, an OCZ SATA III 256 gb Solid State HDD and a 2TB SATA III HDD with 4gb of ram, an ATI 6450 vid card driving a 32" Sceptre flat panel HDTV (works great as a monitor and was only $209 at Tigerdirect!) and a 25" I-INC monitor. This system should last me a few more years and I can update to Win7 or 8 in the near future.

Well after looking over the OP's specs one more time that AM2/AM2+ mobo based system would probably benefit a bit from some more ram but I must concur with f700es' assessment of the situation - it's time for an upgrade soon if you want to run the later versions of Acad. If not, use Acad 2008 (2009 was problematic - at least for me) or try a later version of LT if you can get away with it.

I liked 2008 myself. I loved the dashboard.

I never much cared for the Dashboard. I was a toolbars type of guy in a big way.

I must clarify that I work at a state university, so I have access to almost all versions of autocad. Unfortunately, the computer assigned to me (and all in general) is not the best, that's why I'm asking. Imagine that many computers are still using CRT monitors here. It is not possible to modify the hardware of my workstation. I stay with 14, but I guess I can not use 3D, which is not a big problem because we are using mostly sketchup. Anyway, I would find the optimal version for this hardware.

Ok - thanks for the clarification. That boils it all down nicely! For that system I'd use anything from 2004 to 2008. I did not have any luck with 2009 as it crashed on me quite often - but maybe that was a Civil 3D, LDD issue.

What university do you attend that still uses CRTs?

Oops, I didn't mention that I'm from Argentina.

Welcome to the CADTutor forum.

... It is not possible to modify the hardware of my workstation. I stay with 14, but I guess I can not use 3D, which is not a big problem because we are using mostly sketchup. Anyway, I would find the optimal version for this hardware.

Oh my, SketchUp with that low end ATI card? I really feel sorry for you now SU and ATI cards do not work well together at all. I know this in that my laptop has that card and it is a dog with SU (even an older version like 7). I would buy me a card and sneak it in if I was in that situation

Good luck Terra90

Oh my, SketchUp with that low end ATI card? I really feel sorry for you now SU and ATI cards do not work well together at all. I know this in that my laptop has that card and it is a dog with SU (even an older version like 7). I would buy me a card and sneak it in if I was in that situation

Good luck Terra90

Surprisingly, it works better than you could imagine (SU 2013). And yeah, I've got an old GeForce 8500GT in my house, maybe I could install it .

Thanks for the welcome ReMark!

Really, it will be better than the ATI. You can verify this over at the Skertchucation forums.

Yes, welcome aboard indeed

I must clarify that I work at a state university, so I have access to almost all versions of autocad. .....

Access to old install media and Activation of old license are two very different things.