AutoCAD 2004 C2001 Performance

The C2001 test is Copyright 1996 - 2001 by Art Liddle and CADALYST magazine. The benchmark loads different models into AutoCAD, manipulates them in wireframe and shaded modes, and then scores the graphics card based on internal performance metrics. We'd like to thank CADALYST for allowing us to use their benchmark.

The Wildcat Realizm 200 comes in low on the charts here. The FireGL and Quadro 4000 prove themselves to be better cards under AutoCAD 2004 as tested with the C2001 benchmark. Interestingly, the desktop cards perform rather well using AutoCAD 2004's default heidi driver, with the desktop 6800 Ultra coming in second overall. The Wildcat Realizm 200 had trouble with the 3D wireframe mode. 2D performance characteristics seem almost reversed from 3D, but the differences are not as pronounced either.

AutoCAD 2004 Performance

AutoCAD 2004 Performance

AutoCAD 2004 Performance

AutoCAD 2004 Performance

SPECapc Maya 5.01 Performance Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 OCUS Performance
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  • DerekWilson - Thursday, December 23, 2004 - link

    johnsonx,

    thanks for the suggestion. we're definitly exploring options for other workstation articles.

    since this is the first of the graphics workstation articles we've tackled in quite a while, we wanted to start with current technology (R4xx, NV4x, and WC Realizm based parts). There aren't curently lower end parts (with the exception of the Wildcat Realizm 100) based on the technology we tested for this article.

    thanks again. let us know if there's anything else we can look into doing for future reviews.

    Derek Wilson
  • johnsonx - Thursday, December 23, 2004 - link

    How about benchmarking some of the lower Quadro and FireGL cards? ATI has the FireGL 9600 (aka FireGL T2-128), FireGL 9700 (aka FireGL X1), and FireGL 9800 (aka FireGL X2-256t) at $250, $500 and $600 price points repectively. Comparable Quadros are available as well.

    For many professional uses, a workstation class card (with attendant workstation class, certified drives) is desired, but ultra-high performance isn't important. It'd be nice to see the comparitive performance of the lower end cards.
  • DerekWilson - Thursday, December 23, 2004 - link

    ksherman,

    You may have some luck with the 6600gt under AutoCAD, espeically if you don't intend to push the graphics subsystem as much as we did (no AA lines, less tess, etc...), but depending on the Pro/E workload, you may have trouble.

    The SPECviewperf veiwset tests a much larger workload than the OCUS benchmark. If you're working with smaller data, you should be fine, but if we're talking millions of verts, you're going to have increasing ammounts of trouble with a 128MB card.

    Derek Wilson
  • ksherman - Thursday, December 23, 2004 - link

    You guys should throw in a few mainstream graphics cards for comparison. I am trying to build a systems whos primary use will be with Pro/Engineer and AutoCAD and i certainly do not have the money for a $1000+ video card. Im just wondering how the other cards match up (like the 6600gt AGP)
  • Speedo - Thursday, December 23, 2004 - link

    Nice review!

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