Intel HD 3000 and CAD? Please Help

[idata]

Hello

A few of my colleagues and I have been provided with new laptops (Windows 7 / Intel core i5 / HD3000 graphics) and we are having problems with the display using CAD programs, especially Microstation but also programs like photoshop.

The display of lines is often broken, grainy, dashed and this is hampering us in our work as architects. Clearly indecipherable graphics are not acceptable in a professional environment where care is required.

I have tried updating drivers and researching the internet for solutions but while I can find upteen instances of people complaining about this, I can't find anything that will solve the problem. I have spoken to Dell, the manufacturer of the computers and they don't know what to do. Neither do Bentley the suppliers of Microstation.

Our computer support guys helpfully suggest that the HD card is "very weak" and not up to the job - so we should buy different laptops with a better card!

Is this true? Is there anything I can do to improve the situation, or should I be getting the old computers with ATI / Nvidia cards back from the store?

Any suggestions gratefully received, even if it is what we should buy in the future!

Nick

[idata]

My first suggestion would be to check the system requirements for the specific application. Most CAD software actually requires a discrete graphics controller. Also, check what openGL version is required.

[idata]

On the workstation side, Ironlake(previous generation) graphics chips are certified for Photoshop CS4, and Microstation is supposedly in Sandy Bridge. It's strange it has a problem. What may be possible is that the certification is only for the workstation class chips. The HD 3000 equivalent for Xeons is called the Xeon E3 with the HD P3000 graphics.

[idata]

Thanks for trying guys. Your help is really appreciated with this difficult issue. No one seems to know exactly how to fix the problem. Dell, Intel, Microstation.

I have given in and gone back to the old hardware (for CAD purposes) as we were losing more in lost time than the value of the machines in the first few days of trying to sort it out.

[idata]

Hi Nick,

Sorry for the problems you are experiencing. Photoshop CS5 and the latest Bentley Microstation are certified by the ISVs on Xeon E3 with P3000 Gfx. I have provided the links below. Both applications pass all the functional tests and should work with no errors on the system you have described (Win7 i5 with HD3000). If you use a Xeon E3 w/ P3000 GFX you will have advance mode available with Photoshop, and Microstation will run substantially faster than the i5 system. We recommend using at least an entry level WS platform (Xeon E3 w/ P3000 gfx, such as HP Z210) with WS applications for better reliability and performance ( due to WS chipset, ECC memory, hardened gfx drivers etc.). However, your HD3000 system does have enough gfx capability and performance to run Photoshop and Microstation. If you can provide me the details of your Dell system we can try to figure out what might be going on. Also if you have any other questions please let me know. My team drives workstation platform enabling and certifications so we should be able to provide you the latest info.

Here is a sample list of available certs on Xeon E3 w/ P3000 Gfx.

Microstation:

http://communities.bentley.com/products/microstation/w/microstation__wiki/microstation-v8i-system-requirements-and-hardware-recommendations-tn.aspx http://communities.bentley.com/products/microstation/w/microstation__wiki/microstation-v8i-system-requirements-and-hardware-recommendations-tn.aspx

AutoCAD 2012

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/cert/details?siteID=123112&catID=16303594&id=16391880&product=13&os=8192&card=134 http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/cert/details?siteID=123112&catID=16303594&id=16391880&product=13&os=8192&card=134

AutoCAD 2011

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/cert/details?siteID=123112&catID=16303594&id=16391880&product=12&os=8192&card=134 http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/cert/details?siteID=123112&catID=16303594&id=16391880&product=12&os=8192&card=134

Inventor 2012

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/cert/details?siteID=123112&catID=16303594&id=16391880&product=25&os=8192&card=134 http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/cert/details?siteID=123112&catID=16303594&id=16391880&product=25&os=8192&card=134

Inventor 2012

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/cert/details?siteID=123112&catID=16303594&id=16391880&product=35&os=8192&card=13 http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/cert/details?siteID=123112&catID=16303594&id=16391880&product=35&os=8192&card=13

RevIT 2012

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/cert/details?siteID=123112&catID=16303594&id=16391880&product=33&os=8192&card=134 http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/cert/details?siteID=123112&catID=16303594&id=16391880&product=33&os=8192&card=134

RevIT 2011

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/cert/details?siteID=123112&catID=16303594&id=16391880&product=3&os=8192&card=134 http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/cert/details?siteID=123112&catID=16303594&id=16391880&product=3&os=8192&card=134

Solidworks ST3

http://support.industrysoftware.automation.siemens.com/online_library/certification/index.php?page=3&p=pv&v1=7&v2=00024&status=ics http://support.industrysoftware.automation.siemens.com/online_library/certification/index.php?page=3&p=pv&v1=7&v2=00024&status=ics

Solidworks 2011

http://www.solidworks.com/sw/videocardtesting.html http://www.solidworks.com/sw/videocardtesting.html

Adobe Photoshop CS5

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/831/cpsid_83117.html http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/831/cpsid_83117.html

Adobe Premiere Elements 9

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/873/cpsid_87347.html http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/873/cpsid_87347.html

[idata]

Hi Mehmet

I am using a Laptop with following configuration:

Intel Core i5 Second Generation Processor

Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit

Intel HD Graphics 3000

RAM - 6 GB

HDD - 750 GB

Autodesk Rivet Architecture 2012

The main problem in running the Autodesk Rivet software is when i link a Autocad file into my Revit project. It works too slow and just to use basic commands it gets difficult. My file size isn't heavy but yes it does contain layers. Other than this when the Revit file (not linked with CAD) is worked upto certain level, say development of some 10 levels, massing included, the file hangs and closes saying physical memory dump. Is this the problem with the hardware or with the Autodesk Software? Any idea ??? Thanks,