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Looking for Low budget but compatible Graphics Card. Gateway GT5436E

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  • Graphics
  • Graphics Cards
  • Gateway
  • Compatibility
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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September 1, 2014 1:22:57 PM

Gateway GT5436E.
I am planning to run Solidworks at home for practice. Don't have a lot of money to spend for a new desktop so I want to upgrade. I will increase ram to it's max of 8GB. Now need to add a graphics card. What can I add that will be acceptable?

More about : low budget compatible graphics card gateway gt5436e

a b U Graphics card
September 1, 2014 1:35:04 PM

What is the budget ?
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a b U Graphics card
September 1, 2014 1:36:40 PM

FX1800, you can pick them up on Ebay for cheap, that should work fine with your system provided you are running SolidWorks 2012. I have both 2012 and 2014 on my PC and the newer version is a bigger resource hog when you get into more than a 4 layer layout.

SolidWorks isn't so much dependent on your GPU, it is CPU bound so a higher clock rate and more cores work wonders on big layouts. Dropping your money on a GPU over $100 wont net you a huge increase in performance over dropping $40-$80 on a Quad CPU with a high clock.

FX1800 ~$10-$40 "Will need to pass the compatibility test"
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p20506...

Q6600 ~$40
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=fx1800&_osacat=0&_...

By the way you can pick up a older workstation of ebay for around the $400 mark that will handle even the newer Solid works nice and fluid should you want to spend the money later.

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September 1, 2014 3:04:23 PM

What workstation are you suggesting? $400. I'd do that. Have monitors and KB and mouse so not worried about that.



delaro said:
FX1800, you can pick them up on Ebay for cheap, that should work fine with your system provided you are running SolidWorks 2012. I have both 2012 and 2014 on my PC and the newer version is a bigger resource hog when you get into more than a 4 layer layout.

SolidWorks isn't so much dependent on your GPU, it is CPU bound so a higher clock rate and more cores work wonders on big layouts. Dropping your money on a GPU over $100 wont net you a huge increase in performance over dropping $40-$80 on a Quad CPU with a high clock.

FX1800 ~$10-$40 "Will need to pass the compatibility test"
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p20506...

Q6600 ~$40
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=fx1800&_osacat=0&_...

By the way you can pick up a older workstation of ebay for around the $400 mark that will handle even the newer Solid works nice and fluid should you want to spend the money later.



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September 1, 2014 3:11:27 PM

Thanks Delaro
All good info. Sending me on the right track to upgrade.
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Best solution

a b U Graphics card
September 1, 2014 4:43:38 PM

This is a great starter Workstation and handles SolidWorks, MasterCam, DelCam, AutoCad just fine.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Z400-Workstation-Xeon-Quad-C...


$369.95
HP Z400
Xeon Quad-Core W3565 3.2GHz
8GB ram
1TB HD
FX1800 768MB
DVDRW
Windows 7 Pro

Granted its on LGA 1366 but it still has upgrade potential and for a workstation the price is good.
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a b U Graphics card
September 1, 2014 10:34:00 PM

Smaller hard drive, 2 Core CPU and socket 1156. Socket 1366 has a better line of CPU upgrades. Both systems will work but the one I listed using the LGA 1366 socket will last a little longer.
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September 3, 2014 9:55:04 PM

I've been looking at tat one.
What do you think about this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171412082519?_trksid=p2055119.m...


delaro said:
This is a great starter Workstation and handles SolidWorks, MasterCam, DelCam, AutoCad just fine.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Z400-Workstation-Xeon-Quad-C...


$369.95
HP Z400
Xeon Quad-Core W3565 3.2GHz
8GB ram
1TB HD
FX1800 768MB
DVDRW
Windows 7 Pro

Granted its on LGA 1366 but it still has upgrade potential and for a workstation the price is good.


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September 13, 2014 4:50:57 PM

Thanks. I did buy that workstation. Should arrive Monday, Sept15. I'll post how it works out.
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a b U Graphics card
September 13, 2014 5:06:22 PM

I have one very similar at work running Solidworks 2012, Delcam and Autocad 2012. For the price it does a great job, the only upgrades I did was add more ram and a SSD. It was $480 then on EBAY.
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October 12, 2014 3:43:08 PM

I'm putting it together now but ran into a Monitor plug issue. Sorry, don't know the connectors well. I have a flat screen monitor with the shorter plug connector. The computer has the longer one. I thought I had the adapter. There is an adapter isn't there?

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