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@Alan New computer

I am looking to get a new laptop one that could handle Maya and Adobe programs.

The one I am looking at now as these specs:

Intel® Core™ i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit
6GB DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)
1.5GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M
640GB Raid 0 (2x 320GB 7,200RPM)
17.3-inch WideHD+ 1600 x 900 60Hz WLED

The price is 1600$

Is that good enough? Or too much? Could I find this for cheaper?

Comments

  1. It's good obviously but because it's a laptop it's way way way more expensive than buying the parts yourself and building a desktop PC. I'm not an expert but I'd wager you could buy the same setup for around half the price if you shopped around and built your own system but I doubt you'd get a laptop with these specs any cheaper.

    The graphics card is a gaming one obviously. If you were looking to use it beyond your university days then Autodesk would be unlikely to offer support for it. Ideally you want a Quadro but Maya will run fine. :)

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  2. That notebook will destroy any software you throw at it.

    Both the processor and the GPU are more powerful than mine, and my laptop handles Maya very well. For a benchmark, I have an ATi 5850 (DDR3, not 5) and an i7-740QM (NOT a Sandy Bridge) and my rendering times are as fast as the computers in the new suite.

    And I think it's a general consensus that Nvidia > ATi when it comes to Maya.

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  3. So is there a big difference between gaming cards and the others? Adding quadro seemed more expansive.

    So Autodesk won't provide support if I use a gaming card?

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  4. Maya will run better on a Quadro no doubt. They are expensive but they're designed for professionals not consumers and such, support and compatibility for them is much more comprehensive.

    Autodesk only test and certify Maya on workstation cards. Further down the line if your paying for a professional license and need Autodesk's help, they will say 'we can't help you because that card hasn't been officially tested blah blah'.

    I've read cases where Autodesk will send you custom drivers to fix whatever problem your having, if your card type has been certified.

    See here:

    http://download.autodesk.com/us/qualcharts/2011/maya2011_qualifiedgraphics_win.pdf

    and here:

    http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/cert?siteID=123112&id=16391880

    When I search for a graphics card, similar to the one in that laptop you get:

    "The combination of your selections is either not supported or has not been tested by Autodesk."

    Of course it's all down to preference. If you want to play latest games as well then get a Geforce. Maya will run fine :)

    I had the same conundrum a while back. In the end I went for some mid-range Geforce but thinking about it, my graphics card is now horribly out of date and I would rather of purchased a longer lasting Quadro as I don't even game anymore.

    It's all preference. :)

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  5. Ok thanks a lot tom and simon ill have to think and weigh the different options, thanks again.

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