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    Solidworks on an NVidia Geforce 8600?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by fifthfiend, Mar 24, 2008.

  1. fifthfiend

    fifthfiend Notebook Enthusiast

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    So I just bought a laptop with a GeForce 8600. One of the things I need this laptop for is to run Solidworks 2007. However, apparently Solidworks doesn't want anything to do with my video card. Major, major slowdown and jerkiness and general not-workin'-like-it-should. The only way Solidworks is working at all on this thing is by switching it to software-based OpenGL.

    I mean I knew when I bought the thing that there'd be less support for CAD applications, but I didn't think that'd translate to no support. I'm hardly doing high-end stuff here, we're talking beginner-level, introduction-to class exercises; nothing I looked at beforehand indicated I'd have this much of a problem.

    So my question is does anybody know how I can get this program and this card talking to each other? Is there a driver I need to update or a setting I need to adjust or a software something-or-other I need to reinstall? Or am I just straight-up SOL?

    EDIT: Sorry if this is in the wrong place, it occurred to me like a second after posting this probably should have gone in the software forum.
     
    fifthfiend, Mar 24, 2008
    #1
  2. SkeeteRX8

    SkeeteRX8 Notebook Deity

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    The Geforce isn't optimized for CAD/DCC....you could look at modded Quadro FX 570m drivers, the CAD/DCC version of the 8600M-GT.
     
    SkeeteRX8, Mar 24, 2008
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  3. jcovelli

    jcovelli Notebook Deity

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    stop the default nvidia control panel

    download nhancer

    create a solidworks profile.. and tweak the openGL settings

    i run a bunch of cad and 3d programs on a 8600m gt and i've found that all most all of them turn of hardware acceleration on the 8600m....? when i turn it back on (via each program) it runs really smooth. make sure Solidworks didn't turn off hardware acceleration.
     
    jcovelli, Mar 24, 2008
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  4. K-TRON

    K-TRON Hi, I'm Jimmy Diesel ^_^

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    Try downloading newer drivers for your graphics card from laptopvideo2go.

    http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/drivers

    The 8600 has more than enough power for solidworks. My brother runs solidworks on his computer which has an intel graphics media accelerator 950, and it run fine

    K-TRON
     
    K-TRON, Mar 24, 2008
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  5. fifthfiend

    fifthfiend Notebook Enthusiast

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    Naw I mean like I said, it runs okay with the hardware acceleration switched off, it's when I try to turn it on that it goes all glitchy on me.
     
    fifthfiend, Mar 25, 2008
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  6. havoc531

    havoc531 Notebook Evangelist

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    Sounds like a driver issue. I have never had any problems running Autocad, Solidworks, or Mastercam. Even my M1330 (with an 8400gs) runs Solidworks.
     
    havoc531, Mar 25, 2008
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  7. jake.herbert

    jake.herbert Newbie

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    jcovelli,

    I have downloaded nhancer and have been messing with the controls for hours, but I still can't get RealView graphics in SolidWorks. What settings are you using?
     
    jake.herbert, Jun 6, 2008
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  8. BionicSniper

    BionicSniper Notebook Enthusiast

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    slightly different but on my desktop (still waiting for my lenovo r61 to ship) I have an AMD Opteron 148 running at 2.6 ghz with a gig of ram at 2-2-2-8 (1T and 550 mhz at 2.76 volts) and a evga 7900gt oc superclocked and solidworks and autocad 2007 run like a dream.
     
    BionicSniper, Jun 7, 2008
    #8