Matrox Graphics Card

How important is a graphics card? As a CAD user, should you pop for a bigger CPU, more memory, or a better graphics card?

These are burning issues for most of us in the CAD Industry.

We all are painfully familiar with the “coffee break moments” where our computer just sits, loading a drawing file, while we strum our fingers, hoping the boss doesn’t walk by right at that moment and get the idea that we are goofing around.

If you are a 3D user, working in Autodesk Architectural desktop or Inventor, have you ever had the model disappear and re-appear on you? Maybe you have been a victim of the SLO-REFRESH…when if you click your mouse too fast during a 3D orbit, you miss the position you really wanted?

If any of these scenarios sound familiar, and you probably can think of a few I haven’t mentioned, you may want to consider upgrading to the Matrox Millennium P650. At $169, it is a bargain…much cheaper than additional memory or a CPU upgrade, and a lot less hassle to install.

I had installed a MATROX G550 in my system, thinking that would be sufficient. I knew Matrox was a good brand because they are a partner with Autodesk. What I didn’t know was that Matrox manufacturers a whole line of graphics cards and just because one graphics card may be Autodesk-approved, that does not mean all the cards built by that manufacturer are suitable for CAD work. I had a serious conflict with the DWF viewer and the Matrox G550. According to Autodesk, I was not alone. Autodesk’s tech support had been fielding several complaints from users in the same boat.

Once Autodesk had confirmed that the problem was my Matrox card, I contacts Matrox to see if they had a solution. They suggested I use the Matrox Millennium P650 instead. Ironically, the Millennium P650 was less than what I had paid at my local retailer for the G550.

When I opened the box, I was a little concerned about the absence of any instructions…nothing to guide me on installation whatsoever. If you don’t know how to install a graphics card, this could be a little off-putting. The first thing any user should determine before they go out and buy a card is whether or not they have a video slot on their motherboard. I once bought a COMPUSA computer with a motherboard with no AGP slot. The video card was actually a chip built into the motherboard. Hardly sufficient for my line of work, so that machine was returned.

Once I got over my fear of installing without a manual, I plunged in. The card inserted into the motherboard easily. My next problem was that the connector on my monitor did not match the connector on the video card. Panic was about to set in when I located the connector adapters that come with the card. The video card has two connectors so you can attach two different monitors and split your screen to double your screen space. I had a 50/50 chance of selecting the correct connector for a single monitor configuration. The connector on the left/bottom, looking from the rear) is the primary connection.

The first thing I noticed after installation was the improved boot-up time. How many of you turn on your computers and then take a walk around the block while it boots up and loads your desktop? Well. I was going out to the mailbox, getting my morning paper, and coming back and it was still booting before I installed this card. Since this card has been installed, I have had to adjust that habit. The boot-up time is less than a quarter of what it was.

The list of things that are fixed or improved since I upgraded to this card goes on and on…when linking a file from ADT to VIZ Render….before the Millennium, the computer would actually stall and crash. After the Millennium, there is a short loading period, but at least I get VIZ Render to load the file and move forward. My DWF Viewer is back to operational mode. My refresh rate in Inventor is so subtle I can’t even tell the screen is refreshing.

My only complaint about the card is that the adapter doesn’t seem as tight as it could be. If I jiggle my tower case, the connection can get lost and my monitor will go dark. So, be sure you securely install the adapter and connector into your tower.

You can learn more about the Millennium at www.matroxcad.com. If you can’t wait to feel the power, go to http://shopmatrox.com to order your own.

About the Author

Elise Moss owns Moss Designs <www.mossdesigns.com>, a consulting firm for Autodesk products. She is the author of several textbooks, including the “Conquering the Rubicon” Inventor series available from Schroff Development Corporation. She can be emailed at elise_moss@mossdesigns.com.

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