Requirements for AutoCAD(2D & 3D)

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szn1990 Author

Level 1

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Requirements for AutoCAD(2D & 3D)

I was wondering how significant the processor speed is for sing autoCAD. I know the higher the better but when I go onto their website and look at the requirements for mac they dont state specifically for mac what the processor speed should be. Because I dont want to have to spend an extra $600 for the 27 inch 3.1 GHZ if i can get the 21 inch with 2.8 GHZ. So my question is can I just get the 21 inch with the 2.8 GHZ processor, or should i just fork up the extra money so I know that I won't have any problems in the future? Is there that big of a difference?

iMac

Posted on Aug 10, 2012 1:37 AM

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Answer 1

rkaufmann87

Level 10

148,488 points

Aug 10, 2012 5:20 AM in response to szn1990

CAD/CAM and other graphics intensive apps use a lot of CPU power and video RAM. While you may be very happy with a 2.8GHz machine the performance would be better with a faster CPU, even the optional i7 machine found in the online Apple Store, most brick and mortar Apple Stores do not carry it.

My recommendation would be to upgrade the RAM to the maximum however buy the RAM from reputable resellers such as OWC (www.macsales.com) or Crucial, DO NOT buy RAM from Apple. The reason being is it's horribly overpriced.

If you cannot afford the $600 for upgrades then you are probably not financially ready to buy and should save some more. Remember you will need additional accessories such as external HD's for backing up (CRITICAL!!!!), RAM upgrades, and possibly other apps besides AutoCAD.

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Answer 2

varjak paw

Level 10

182,662 points

Aug 10, 2012 7:17 AM in response to szn1990

Please note that AutoCAD is not yet supported on Mountain Lion:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=20109560&linkID =15839490

so if you are planning on purchasing a new Mac right away, you'll want to try to get one that comes with Lion - you'd probably have to opt for a refurbished unit - or you'll have to wait for Autodesk to release an upgrade to AutoCAD before it will run without problems.

Regards.

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