Gaming CPU + Workstation card at one time?

[meat_helmet]

Well im aiming to build a new comp when Nehalem comes out (or maybe a few months after). My problem is im getting fed up with some 3D graphics programs slowing down. I game a fair bit, but I also use my comp for graphics, CAD and 3D rendering, intensive stuff.

Basically i was wondering if anyone knew if there would be a problem running a gaming card in one slot, and a workstation card in another (i dont mean SLI or xfire).

Also, has anyone had any experience using workstation cards vs gaming cards? I use 3d studio max and i am wondering if i will get better performance with a pro card compared to a gaming card of the same price...anyone know for sure?

I would probably want to hook one monitor to each, and swap them via the drivers or a 3rd part program.

 

[saltynay]

driver conflicts the quadro cards use old geforce drivers that have been optimised for pixel perfection whilst the latest geforce drivers are shader and texture optimised. If I was you I would spend all my money on one card from either series depending whether you see gaming or rendering as the priority. Your current gfx card does really have enough ondie ram for good rendering performance.

 

[meat_helmet]

driver conflicts the quadro cards use old geforce drivers that have been optimised for pixel perfection whilst the latest geforce drivers are shader and texture optimised. If I was you I would spend all my money on one card from either series depending whether you see gaming or rendering as the priority. Your current gfx card does really have enough ondie ram for good rendering performance.

Yeh i though that would probably be an issue. Oh well.

 

[zmatt]

Workstation cards have bad gaming performance from my experience. They game, but not well. Gaming cards can also do CAD work, but not as well as workstation cards. If I were you I would get a good gaming card. And running two cards like that will give you problems.

 

[veg1992]

I've heard that some Radeon 2 series cards can be flashed to a FireGL...

but HD 2 series aren't that great in gaming anyways

 

[Hussein19891]

From the sound of things it doesn't seem money is much of an issue. So why not make two rigs instead? One for CAD with the Quadro and the other one with a decent 200$~ card to handle your games.

 

[Jumping_Bean514]

My buddy uses a 8800gtx for his 3dsmax work with 8gig or ram and it seams to work well. Workstation cards just don't seam like there worth the money to me.

Some of his stuff to show that gaming cards can handle high poly models:

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/8182/devilqk5.jpg

http://fc82.deviantart.com/fs22/f/2007/319/c/4/Front_Wire___Fem_Spartan_by_MikeJensen.jpg

http://fc72.deviantart.com/fs16/f/2007/159/3/0/Golden_Elite_by_MikeJensen.jpg

 

[meat_helmet]

My buddy uses a 8800gtx for his 3dsmax work with 8gig or ram and it seams to work well. Workstation cards just don't seam like there worth the money to me.

Some of his stuff to show that gaming cards can handle high poly models:

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/8182/devilqk5.jpg

http://fc82.deviantart.com/fs22/f/2007/319/c/4/Front_Wire___Fem_Spartan_by_MikeJensen.jpg

http://fc72.deviantart.com/fs16/f/2007/159/3/0/Golden_Elite_by_MikeJensen.jpg

Im doing stuff that can get into the hundreds of thousands of polys. My card handles it, but it can get a bit too slow to be comfortable.

I can flash my card to a Quadro, but apparently its not nearly as good as the real thing. Ill probably just do with a good gaming card for my next build, although i might keep this one for rendering - render farm, ooo yeh.

 

[BongWizard]

get a good powerful gaming card from this (4870/X2 or GTX280) or the next gen (depends when you wanna build) and it should handle CAD and DCC pretty well... and the new nehalem cores should help to speed up those types of apps as well... i wouldnt be too keen on the i7s yet tho... wait for revisions and cash in on C2Xs when they come down...

 

[zmatt]

Wait what? In the same breath you recommended Nehalem and then said to wait for core revisions.

Core i7 = Nehalem