Computer Requirements

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Astolfo13

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Hello all, I was wondering if someone could shed some light on this topic for me. As far as printing parts goes, does your computer need to have any specific specs? From my Google searches it appears that most any computer can download the files and send them to the printer(makes perfect sense).

That said, if I needed to open and work on the 3d models is there a certain amount of RAM or processing power that is optional?

Google has been less than helpful, so I figured I would ask those with experience.

Thank you for your time.
 
For 3D printing, you're right, you're computer won't need a heap, but the better its processing the faster it can slice models - and sometimes during gcode previews, large/detailed models can slow down computers. Since I use a micro USB though, I'm not sure what processing power it needs if it's hooked directly to the printer.

In terms of working on 3D models, now you'll want a beefy computer. Again, depending on size/complexity of your models, working on them can be pretty demanding, especially if sculpting, carving (using "boolean" modifiers) or rendering as examples. For 3D modelling, when buying a computer I would look for a minimum of 16GB RAM.
 
Just picked up my Ender 5 Plus today from Micro Center. I also picked up a Micro Swiss direct drive extruder. They had a Meanwell PSU but it was only 350 watts. I'm ordering the 500 tonight from Amazon. Which control board should I get? Mini E3 V2, SKR Pro/Turbo, Duet 2, or Archim 2? If there are others you recommend then please do. I think the Duet 2 WiFi is the one to go with by reading the specs. I def want silent drivers and a board that Merlin would work well on.
 
For 3D printing, you're right, you're computer won't need a heap, but the better its processing the faster it can slice models - and sometimes during gcode previews, large/detailed models can slow down computers. Since I use a micro USB though, I'm not sure what processing power it needs if it's hooked directly to the printer.

In terms of working on 3D models, now you'll want a beefy computer. Again, depending on size/complexity of your models, working on them can be pretty demanding, especially if sculpting, carving (using "boolean" modifiers) or rendering as examples. For 3D modelling, when buying a computer I would look for a minimum of 16GB RAM.
Thank you for the info, I found a great deal on a really good looking laptop but I wanted to make sure it would be suitable for my needs.

Thanks again!
 
For the design suite I work in most frequently the bare minimum isn't too bad but you get about what you expect when you're working on that sort of machine.
My main PC that I work with is an i7-4790k (tank of a CPU) with 16GB of fast clocking RAM and then a rather dated but capable (GTX 760) graphics card. I can crunch through calculating complex geometry but when it comes to rendering things get a bit toasty. Fusion has a cloud rendering service (send objects off to the render farm cloud) so it's not the worst thing in the world overall to have a lower powered graphics card but you still want to have that 1-2GB VRAM dedicated so that you can work on models without locking the system up.

Blender is fairly similar in system requirements but TinkerCAD and SketchUp are usable options that fall on the lower specs side due to how they operate and handle geometry.
 
For the design suite I work in most frequently the bare minimum isn't too bad but you get about what you expect when you're working on that sort of machine.
My main PC that I work with is an i7-4790k (tank of a CPU) with 16GB of fast clocking RAM and then a rather dated but capable (GTX 760) graphics card. I can crunch through calculating complex geometry but when it comes to rendering things get a bit toasty. Fusion has a cloud rendering service (send objects off to the render farm cloud) so it's not the worst thing in the world overall to have a lower powered graphics card but you still want to have that 1-2GB VRAM dedicated so that you can work on models without locking the system up.

Blender is fairly similar in system requirements but TinkerCAD and SketchUp are usable options that fall on the lower specs side due to how they operate and handle geometry.

Solid info, I really appreciate it!
 
For printing, it's a matter of patience. A faster computer will slice the models faster. For 3d modelling, it's somewhat dependant on the programs you are planning to use. On Rhino 7, 16 gb of ram is seemingly more than windows will allow it to use. Other modeling softwares however are able to use more, some less.

Some insight spec wise, 16gb is the standard for laptops and desktops today. The 1660ti is decent enough for the occasional rendering (about 5 minutes for a medium complexity 4k image). Anything slower than an FX-8350 (an ancient cpu at this point) will be painful. Additionally, SSD's are pretty inexpensive, use one. M.2 isn't strictly necessary but its nice to have.

Userbenchmark is a very good site for comparing the usefulness of different components. If you're looking to get a desktop, I would recommend building one yourself. If you're interested in a laptop (or want to buy a prebuilt desktop) I would recommend XoticPc. Remarkably, they had some of the best prices when I was looking to get a laptop, and let you customize your computer (laptops included)
 
For printing, it's a matter of patience. A faster computer will slice the models faster. For 3d modelling, it's somewhat dependant on the programs you are planning to use. On Rhino 7, 16 gb of ram is seemingly more than windows will allow it to use. Other modeling softwares however are able to use more, some less.

Some insight spec wise, 16gb is the standard for laptops and desktops today. The 1660ti is decent enough for the occasional rendering (about 5 minutes for a medium complexity 4k image). Anything slower than an FX-8350 (an ancient cpu at this point) will be painful. Additionally, SSD's are pretty inexpensive, use one. M.2 isn't strictly necessary but its nice to have.

Userbenchmark is a very good site for comparing the usefulness of different components. If you're looking to get a desktop, I would recommend building one yourself. If you're interested in a laptop (or want to buy a prebuilt desktop) I would recommend XoticPc. Remarkably, they had some of the best prices when I was looking to get a laptop, and let you customize your computer (laptops included)
Thanks for the info! I'll check out XoticPc and see what I can find.
 
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