Installation & update
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PC requirements

lmcardoso
Booster
Hi,

I amo not sure if this is the right place to post this question but we are doing a big project with 700 units and we see the computer struggling and we want to upgrade.

Following system requiremnts i should get a 6+gb video graphic card. The video card is being used for what exactly ? To visualize the 3d model or also to produce the elevations ?

Do you guys think it will be a big difference between a 5gb to a 6gb graphic card?

the 5gb is 500 euros while the 6gb is 1500euros.

Thanks in advance.
ArchiCAD 23/24/25 with Win 10
4 REPLIES 4
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator
I've moved this to the Hardware forum. For readers wondering where lmcardoso got the 6+ GB recommendation for the graphics card, it is from the "High-end" recommendations here:

https://graphisoft.com/resources-and-support/system-requirements

The 1500 euro seems high. I know you want a PC and not a Mac... but have to wonder if a pre-configured PC would give you some cost savings overall? For example, last year's 27" iMac with 3.8GHz 8 core 10th generation i7 with turbo boost to 5GHz with an 8 GB AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT is USD $2299 retail - although with minimal memory (8 GB) and SSD (512 GB), but with a beautiful 27" monitor.
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Laszlo Nagy
Community Admin
Community Admin
Graphics card prices are crazy high these days. Following the pandemic, a global chip shortage came about, plus graphics cards are used a lot for "mining" cryptocurrencies, so these times are not the best to get a GPU in an economical way. From various sources it seems that prices will stay elevated for some time to come, we will see.
If I had to buy a graphics card nowadays, I would not buy the latest generation, which for Nvidia is the 3000-series, for AMD is the 6000-series. I would have to pay 1500-2000-3000 euros for a GPU.
Right now I would probably buy an Nvidia 1660 Super 6 GB. It has 6 GB of RAM, it has a good price for good performance. However, it has no real-time ray tracing, something 2000- and 3000-series Nvidia cards do have.
There is a 1660 TI, which also has 6 GB of RAM and slightly better performance, but it is more expensive. The 1660 Super is a better value for your money.
(If you are using Twinmotion, the lack of real-time ray tracing will not make a difference because Twinmotion still does not have real-time ray tracing although Epic Games promised it 2 years ago. I don't know if there ever will be, or Epic just wants to move everyone to use the Unreal Engine instead of Twinmotion. Of course, that is just a personal thought of mine.)

The 1660 Super will serve you well for at least 2 years.
Then, in 1-2 years, when GPU prices are not so crazy anymore, I would look again at which GPU is the best deal.
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Barry Kelly
Moderator
If you are going to the trouble of getting a great video card, you may as well make sure you have plenty of general RAM in the machine too (32 or 64GB if that is affordable).
A fast SSD hard drive is nice but not essential (in my opinion) - but you do want to make sure there is plenty of free space on it for memory swap files (especially if you do not have a lot of RAM).

Barry.
One of the forum moderators.
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lmcardoso
Booster
thanks guys for all the answers.

I have already 32gb in ram but the pc struggles when it comes to updating hotlinks, generating facades and 3D so i am guessing the upgrade in the processor would be where i will feel the biggest difference.

Karl,

dont know how i missed the hardware forum. thanks. yeah indeed we are going for PC's

LaszloNagy

Cool. didint know the graphic board was used to mine cryptocurrencies. that explains a lot. the 1660 super seems like a good deal for money. thanks for the advice.

Barry,

Yeah the computer we are aiming for follows all the requirements for high end projects, so ssd hard drive, 32gb ram etc.
ArchiCAD 23/24/25 with Win 10