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Resolved Question

Please help. Need Better Graphics card for HP Z800

Aug 3, 2017 8:35AM PDT

Hello

I have a used Z800. I love it. It has 96 Gig RAM.
The video card is limiting my ability to run Solidworks 3D modelling software.
I get a "GPU memory usage exceded" or something and Solidworks closes. It's a major pain.
The original card is a 1023MB NVIDIA Quadro 2000.


I want to put a good video card in the machine.
I just dont know how good I can go because it's kind of an old PC.
When I run Speccy the specs are as follows.

Can someone recommend a good PCI express x16 Card that should work?

Thanks so much for any help.
Marc

Operating System
Windows 7 Professional 64-bit SP1
CPU
Intel Xeon X5670 @ 2.93GHz 40 °C
Westmere-EP 32nm Technology
Intel Xeon X5670 @ 2.93GHz 40 °C
Westmere-EP 32nm Technology
RAM
96.0GB Triple-Channel DDR3 @ 665MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard
Hewlett-Packard 0AECh (CPU0 PROCESSOR) 38 °C
Graphics
DELL3007WFPHC (2560x1600@60Hz)
1023MB NVIDIA Quadro 2000 (HP) 40 °C
Storage
931GB ATA ST31000525SV SCSI Disk Device (SATA) 30 °C
119GB PNY USB 2.0 FD USB Device (USB)
Optical Drives
ELBY CLONEDRIVE SCSI CdRom Device
hp DVD A DH16ABLH
Audio
High Definition Audio Device

Discussion is locked

VTmarc has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

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Interesting card.
Aug 3, 2017 8:41AM PDT

Remember YOU must ask Solidworks if they support your new card.

For this one I'd look at the current #1 seller at Amazon. Your card is at
https://www.amazon.com/PNY-DisplayPort-Profesional-Graphics-VCQ2000-PB/dp/B0046HSHD0

And down the page is the Nvidia 1050 with 4GB RAM at $154.99 as a best seller.

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-Quadro-2000-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1050-Ti/m7708vs3649 compares these two and it's a nice step up.

HP has more capable Quadros but for many thousand dollars. What would I select? The 1050.

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Thanks
Aug 3, 2017 9:02AM PDT

Wow. That was so helpful.
I am not PC savvy. I'm a mechanical engineer.
I joined HP's forum yesterday and asked the same question.
No answer so far.

That Amazon comparison is a great indicator.
I think I'll go for it.

The Benchmark comparison tool is nice.

Thanks again.
Marc

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It appears Solidworks does run. Example.
Aug 3, 2017 9:14AM PDT
https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/200429 among others.

There might be an issue about "Realview" but there appears to be a registry tweak. In your case I do not expect a performance issue since you can see what a step up the 1050 is to your current card.

-> Now there are back and forth discussions about using a "non-supported" card and this is mostly about Solidworks not testing on all cards and (excuse me here) a bit of snobbery about "professional" gear.

I know Solidworks not as a designer because I'm more into the electronics and software but our products did have a CAD team on Solidworks and we ran into the same issues where the cry was about not supported but we would install and it would run fine.

Solidworks and the folk selling (pretty expensive) Quadros would start FUD'ing (fear, uncertainty and doubt, usually evoked intentionally in order to put a competitor at a disadvantage.)

As I've been on this ride far too long, I don't respond well to FUD.

PS. At the end of the performance back and forth the solution was given.
"Hey, sorry for the repost, but I SOLVED the issue for now.
I downgraded my driver to 361.75 from the Nvidia website, and Solidworks is smooth as it ever will be. Hope this helps."

Post was last edited on August 3, 2017 9:21 AM PDT

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Thank you R. Proffitt. It Worked!!!!!
Aug 9, 2017 8:36AM PDT

Thanks so much R. Proffitt

I am very happy.

I did exactly as you suggested modestly to do.

The 1050 Nvidia installed no problem.
Little help from youtube on removing the housings inside the HP Z800.
HP workstations are big on cooling which I like.

Took out the old Quadro 2000 and put in the new card.

It works great. No errors and GPU shutdowns when running SW.
The display of 3d models is way cleaner and quicker to rotate/edit/regenerate too.

155$ plus free shipping from Amazon and I'm back in business.

Thanks again. You saved me a bunch of time and money.

Marc

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Thank you for the update.
Aug 9, 2017 2:42PM PDT

The only advantage I had on this was we ran SolidWorks at places I worked at. And much longer ago I upset the SGI salesperson when I bought Crucial memory for our SGI workstations. The SGI salesperson was all FUD about it but for about 1/10 the price we maxed out the RAM in the SGI and the folk at work knew there was something stinky about the sales folk.

Anyhow, later more work with the CAD team on SW and similar stories, FUD and me saying give it a try. Sure, unsupported, etc. but a fatter wallet.

Again, thanks for the update.