NotebookForums.com › Forums › General Notebook Discussions › Notebook Forums - General › mobile 3DstudioMax workstation?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

mobile 3DstudioMax workstation?

post #1 of 13
7/30/04 at 12:23pm
Thread Starter 
hi all .......
this question for people with experience using heavy-duty 3D programs on a laptop. I need a laptop that is portable (mobile chip) and its main purpose will be modelling in 3DstudioMax. I'm doing videogame development, so I am not doing any rendering, just pushing polygons.

I was very close to picking up the CL56, but, although it looks like the ATI card gets better scores than the equivalent Nvidia, the 3DstudioMax people swear by the Dell M60, which is Nvidia. I'm wondering if the ATI is tailored better for games (pixel-shaders, etc), and less so for heavy-duty OpenGL polygon pushing...

So my question to any heavy 3D users out there is: what lightweight (>7 lbs) laptop do you recommend for this purpose?
thanks!
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 13
7/30/04 at 12:31pm
Nvidia has always been better at OpenGL.

Something like an IBP T42p with the 128mb FireGL might not be a bad choice, but its $$$$.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 13
7/30/04 at 12:32pm
Just think if SGI released a notebook...that would be the shiznit!
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 13
7/30/04 at 2:43pm

mobile workstations

IBM T42p
HP nw8000
Fujitsu Celsius H210
Alienware MJ-12m
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 13
7/30/04 at 3:51pm
Some relevant benchmarks:

http://www.specbench.org/gpc/opc.dat...ight-perf.html
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 13
7/30/04 at 4:25pm
Thread Starter 
wow, that's great, guys.... thanks alot for the leads. i will look into these models some more now.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 13
7/30/04 at 4:42pm
Yes the IBM would be a great machine. It has the OpenGL certified drivers in its ATI card, plus the build qulaity is out of this world. If you get the IBM, then compare it to your pal's Dell's, they will be in awe of the build quality .
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 13
7/30/04 at 4:48pm
yeah, stay away from ATI cards in DCC apps... there are viewport issues with ATI/firegl drivers in 3dsmax and maya. and the nvidia drivers r a lot faster in DCC, too.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 13
7/30/04 at 4:56pm
oh... and also... u dont necessarily have to go with a quadro go card. i've used geforce-based cards for maya and 3dsmax, and they work fine. the nvidia OGL drivers r pretty good.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 13
7/30/04 at 5:06pm
B Nietsnie:

I don't think the build quality should be the main criterion in choosing a mobile workstation.

Could you let us know any benchmark results which show that T42 can perform better than M60?
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 13
7/30/04 at 5:12pm
nice laptop, KCK
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 13
7/30/04 at 5:33pm
Quote:
I don't think the build quality should be the main criterion in choosing a mobile workstation.
I never said that. I said "plus"... Anyways, if you are having a MOBILE computer it is going to be moved. And since it is moving, it will get bumbed around more than a DTR or such. Hence build quality is important. From personal experience and reviews, the build quality of Dell is in absolutely no way comparable to an IBM.

Quote:
Could you let us know any benchmark results which show that T42 can perform better than M60?
Wha... I never said it could perform better. I said it is a good maching with drivered graphic card. And the link you posted doesnt have a T42 on it (or I'm blind) and many of those comps of Win 2000.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 13
7/30/04 at 8:11pm
B Nietsnie:

You mentioned two criteria for T42:

1. OpenGL certified drivers in its ATI card;

2. build quality.

If you had read my benchmark link before posting, you would have seen how ATI Mobility FireGL performs in HP's nw8000. Of course it would be nicer to see T42 there as well. Since the results include eight IBM entries, one wonders why IBM didn't submit T42; maybe nothing to boast about? It should be obvious by now that I have not seen any benchmarks in favor of T42, but if you did, please share.

As for Dell's build quality, I'm sure that your wide experience includes M60 as well, and that you know that it is built better than I8600, for instance. Still, could you share your links with reviews of M60?

BTW, one may augment your two criteria with a third one:

3. screen quality

Here T42 exels in ghosting (response time 60ms); see aamsel's posts here and go to Thinkpad's forum.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Notebook Forums - General
NotebookForums.com › Forums › General Notebook Discussions › Notebook Forums - General › mobile 3DstudioMax workstation?