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February 6th, 2022 00:00
Vostro 3681 upgraded to 24 RAM - urgently requires an external graphics card.
I upgraded my Vostro 3681 to 24 RAM only to see little to no improvement in performance. As I use AutoCAD in 3D mode, I am getting the impression that and external graphics card and holder may be the answer. So far, I am looking at the Razor core Thunderbolt 3 external card holder and the graphics card for it. The card which is sold separately to the card holder will cost me AU$579.00 and the card holder shall be a similar price. That bugs me because I would have been happy to pay a higher price if everything had been included in the initial purchase price for the Vostro 3681. Why is it that the PC makers cannot seem to get their products right without subjecting owners of their machines to frustrations mainly due to the manufacturers not saying from the start that their machines are not suitable for heavy work-loads and sustained effort? It can not be that hard for them to simply say, "This machine is really a toy and it will disappoint you unless you spend at least another AU$1200.00 in upgrading and having an external graphics card and holder." So far, I am far from happy with my Dell experience!
Kind regards - Michael G Kramer OMIEAust.
NJDave
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February 12th, 2022 18:00
I'm by no means a CAD expert, and neither, I think, are most of us here... but you haven't given us much to go on. You've provided precious little info about your system or your problem. I also rather doubt that Dell represented the Vostro 3681, presumably with integrated graphics, as a world-beater in 3D. If they did, shame on them.
How is your system configured? What's your display resolution? What are you doing with AutoCAD, i.e., what kind of models, and how are you manipulating them when you experience bad performance? What does bad performance look like? I presume it's slow rendering graphics? Can you tweak the application/display parameters to make it run faster? Can you relate your perception in some way to us non-CAD users?
Did you buy this system specifically for AutoCAD? How well does it meet AutoCAD's recommendations or those of its users for doing the kind of tasks you're doing?
Integrated graphics 3D performance has (I think) improved in recent years, but it still can't hold a candle to discrete hardware. (It might be "good enough" for your particular application, but most of us on the board really wouldn't know.) Unfortunately, since you've purchased a system with only half-height PCIe slots, you've limited yourself as to the cards that will fit, as you are obviously aware. (The 200W power supply is another potential limitation.) There are certainly some half-height cards available, and who knows, maybe one would be OK for your use. Of course we don't know where on the performance continuum your satisfaction lies, and you may want to provide a cushion and buy a bit more than you need.
Maybe try this: Log onto an AutoCAD forum, share more details, spare any indignation, and find out what system specs you really need to accomplish what you want. Maybe there's a half-height graphics card out there that will satisfy you. If not, you might consider biting the bullet and buying a full-sized system for the card you need, rather than an expensive and unwieldy card holder that (from your description) costs as much as you probably paid for the 3681. Maybe, if it's compatible, some of the memory you bought can expand the new system, and you can repurpose or sell the old one. Chalk up any loss to the high cost of education.