Desktop or laptop for AutoCAD and 3d max

Helloo,, Im starting CAD course next term in university then 3dmax the following one, so I need to upgrade, I currently own an ASUS Intel® core™ 2 Duo CPU 8400 @2.26 GHZ 4 GB with 32 bit operating system. Its either I buy a heavy duty desktop computer and still use my old laptop for any work in university, Or I just buy a laptop with better performace, Im going to be doing a lot of rendering and I only worked 2d on my current laptop works just great, didnt starts any 3d work so I dont know how it would actually do. problem is I will need a mobile device not sure if my current one is adequate

While I would normally recommend a desktop I think you would benefit more from a laptop. I have one in mind but first I need to know what you have budgeted for this purchase.

Around 1100-1200 USdollars

how will my current laptop do on 3dmax with Vray

$1200...that's it? Not much to work with. Is this the only CAD related course you'll be taking?

I was going to recommend Xi Computer's notebook workstation PowerGo XT at a base price of $1829. But given the budget you have to work with the best you could do is the PowerGo 154 for $1349 which would be another $150 plus tax and shipping. Can you afford it?

A link to their website...http://www.xicomputer.com/products/welcome.asp?Content=Intel2

....problem is I will need a mobile device not sure if my current one is adequate

I would wait to purchase until you KNOW (from experience) your current one is not adequate.

If you make your purchase before it is needed - it will become obsolete that much sooner.

I used a 32-bit 2G RAM machine until just recently for many many years.

I like my new 18" Alienware "laptop" (notice the quotes, it is a beast to carry around - a bit beyond your budget).

For CAD work do NOT go less than 17".

An 18" laptop? You must work out at the gym every day to carry that beast JDM.

Keep your old laptop for university work and buy a desktop for Studio Max and Vray. Rendering is very processor intensive and it tends to generate a lot of heat. So if you're going to be doing a lot of rendering, you need the extra cooling capacity that you will get with a desktop computer. I have a CoolerMaster in my machine that helps keep the processors cool. You're going to need more than $1200 though for a decent machine.

I'm with the others. For the modelling, your current laptop might just be enough - depends on how involved your model is going to be. It's not the recommended minimum, but you should be able to do "some" things on it. Though you might find later through the course, as the models become more involved that you keep waiting for the program to "wake the F up"!!!

For rendering ... forget it! Can't you do the rendering in the lab? Especially since you're using VRay - it's supposed to enable a single still render across several networked PC's at once, not just like MR sending each single view to a different PC. I'm sure the main reason behind going with VRay would be that, though I do tend to feel it's quality is better than MentalRay. If you have to render on your own - then a desktop is a necessity (and definitely one with good cooling - I've seen i7's or even Xeons melt for lack of high-end cooling systems while rendering, it's one of the few ways to use those multi-core CPU's to their limits).

But JD Mather's advice is top-notch. Don't jump the gun before you know exactly what type of workload you're going to put through the Laptop/Desktop. It's a waste of money if all your renderings are simple enough that they take less than a minute, it's when those things start eating at hours that you beg for the extreme desktops. You might find a laptop which is "decent", but none will come close to a desktop at 2/3 the price. In your budget, you won't find a laptop much better than what you've got - you might be able to get a 64bit instead and a slightly faster CPU, but once you start looking at +8GB RAM and a decent discreet GPU ... expect astronomical prices

Of the three laptops offered by Xi two can be configured with up to 16GB of RAM. The third one, and the highest priced, can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM. The downside? The price obviously goes up. Spend the same amount of money on a desktop and you'll get more bang-for-the-buck. The downside? Really too heavy/awkward to carry around to class! LoL

Yep, you can get a decent laptop - but price can become a huge factor. E.g.

• BOXX Mobile Workstation - from $3600
  
• Rock Xrtreme 795 - from £1600
  
• Sager NP9170 - from $1500
  

All of those can upgrade to 32GB RAM (except the Rock) and even take something like a Quaddro GPU. But for a similar Desktop you'd pay between 1/2 and 2/3 the price.

For some reason Xi's site simply shows a blank on my FF:shock:

I'm using FF on three different computers and have no problem at the Xi website.

I was able to go to their website, which I found to be poorly designed, but I was able to view it with Firefox.

Their top of the line unit looked pretty tasty.

It must be something to do with my country's connection. Thought it was my ISP (if it wasn't an incompatibility with FF), but now from my office's ISP the page times out each time.