I am in the market for a new computer that will work well with Chief Architect.

I would like something that takes full advantage of the 3D modeling and ray traces. Various people in my area have told me they don't bother with ray traces because it takes hours or all night to generate the images. I would like to take full advantage of the software as I've heard it really helps close sales. When people can see what the new construction will look like, they are better able to make a decision. In my case, I will be designing kitchens and bathrooms.

What systems are people using? I am a long-time PC user, and would prefer not to switch to Mac at this time as I use other Windows programs. I also need something wireless.

Am I better off getting a laptop with a docking station and monitor and wireless mouse so I can take the full-blown CA and not the iPad app with me on the go?

Thanks for your help! Do you have a favorite brand or manufacturer for the computer?

Anne-Marie Harvey

Hi Anne-Marie,

You do not need to switch to a Mac, some people will swear by a Mac and some by a PC. Personally I prefer a PC but the latest version of Chief runs on either. The first step is to take a look at the system requirements for Chief Architect Premier http://www.chiefarchitect.com/products/sysreq.html (recommended requirements).
Make sure that the system you want to buy meets or exceeds ALL of the recommended requirements.

If you want something portable then a laptop is the best choice. The full version of Chief Architect will not run on an iPad.

Personally I prefer desktop computers over laptops because they are significantly easier to upgrade and are generally less expensive to buy than a laptop with the equivalent hardware. Additionally, if you want multiple monitors; a desktop is a much better way to go. I once saw the latest version of Chief run on four monitors! Most laptops can only support two. I have heard that some Chief Architect users will have both a laptop and a desktop; the laptop for portability and showing customers' plans and the desktop for doing the heavier work.

Ray-trace views can create extremely realistic images. In fact, I have seen images that are so good that I thought they were pictures. There is a time cost depending on the system, but it is worth it if you are looking to impress your customers.

Hope that helps,

Jonathan L Clark

Thank you, Jonathan! I have a similar PDF file listing requirements with some additional info (1 GB high-performance video card or 256MB dedicated video card, multi-core CPU, etc). I want to buy a system that exceeds the minimum requirements so that it will be current longer. I'm trying to decide between a laptop and a desktop. To start with, I will only have 1 monitor, but might want another one at some point. It's nice to have one for email, Office docs, and browsing and one for space hogs like Chief Arch.

Do you have a particular brand of computer you like? I have not had good luck with Dell.

Take a look at my "signature line" in my posts. My PC is "no big deal", I built it myself but it is above average and suits me well. My Ray Traces usually run about seven minutes each.

With computers more IS more in terms of money and performance. I personally would never use "minimum requirements" for anything other than what to stay as far away from as I can afford (minimum requirements = minimum performance).

My successful actions are two fold, self education and making sure I understand the nomenclature that communicates about PC hardware and secondly, I make sure I have one or two (minimum) geeky friends who know all about PC's and PC hardware for help and opinions where self study fails me.

DJP

Anne-Marie:

I and others can give you stories about each and every major vendor that
would cause great concern about buying their products

I have been buying computers since 1978

given that - pick a system that meets your needs and hope for the best

check the ratings on sites like Amazon and chose one with at least 100 reviews and a 4-5 star rating and ignore the "horror stories"
otherwise, you won't be able to buy anything

My last two desktops have been HP's and I have been happy with their tech support etc

see this thread for my newest PC

http://www.chieftalk.com/showthread....580-My-Win7-PC

the Nvidia 630 card is "outdated" and you would probably want a better card

but I am retired have limited need for renders at this time

my old Nvidia 8600GT with 512 MB was working fine for my needs
so the 630 should be even better, especially with the 2 GB of ram

my I7 cpu is fine for me but there are probably faster ones out there
again my needs are more limited

cores, cores and more cores according to CA


some will recommend Win8 but it just wasn't my "cup of tea"

I would recommend a new HP over a refurb
but again my needs are not as heavy at this time

you will find that a laptop with "chief" specs will be more expensive
than a desktop, probably at least $500 more

Lew

I never buy a named brand computer, so I can customize it when needed or make sure you can change out things inside

You can usually use two monitors with a laptop. One of your monitors is the laptop screen the other gets connected to the HDMI out (or DVI, DP, VGA).
I usually do not buy a specific brand, I really enjoy assembling my own computer, however I have purchased laptops before. My laptop is an Acer and it has lasted for 5 years.
From my experience the brand of the computer often is not a good benchmark to go on; everyone has a different experience. I suggest that you look at the reviews. If you see a very negative review it could just be one person's experience but if you see a lot of negative reviews especially if they are about similar issues then you may want to think about looking elsewhere.
That said, I have had a lot of good luck with Asus, Acer and Lenovo. Those are the brands that I tend to favor although I have had good experiences with many other brands too.
As far as space goes, a 1TB hard drive is plenty big for Chief and almost anything else you could ever want. Chief will use maybe 50GB which is about 5% of a 1TB hard drive.
If you do buy a laptop I would suggest getting an external mouse, trying to draw in Chief with a trackpad is pretty annoying.

Anne:

If you ultimately decide on a desktop PC, please check out: www.pugetsystems.com

They do a really nice job of putting together a top performing machine built to your spec's using some of the best rated components.

Anne-Marie,
If you send me large quantities of unmarked bills I will build whatever your heart desires. Just Kidding, but in my opinion there are two good reasons to have someone build you a machine over purchasing a ready made model. First, you will get the most bang for your buck by buying the individual components and you can choose exactly what you want. Second, you will not get a rig stuffed to the gills with all the manufacturer's bloatware which eats up valuable resources and disk space, and you can install only the applications that you wish.

I also do kitchens. I only use laptops since I do a number or appointments at clients home, but they do cost more. Like others prefer the ability to customize but also have used some with limited modifications available as do several others on the board.
I run 3 monitors all the time, one is a displaylink through the USB port ( take that one to clients), latest laptop can handle 3 standard monitors plus USB monitors.
Make sure the video card is a gaming card, not a CAD card. Since laptops don't upgrade easily I get as much CPU power as I can afford.

A note on closing jobs- I use former clients Raytraces to entice, but don't do one for the client until I have a retainer. Prefer to invest my time in layouts first. Relatively quick running RTs still more than satisfy clients. The time is in getting colors right, putting their counter and floor in, background photos of a doing rooms, countertop items, and lighting. Check threads on "crappy Raytraces ".

Choosing a computer to run Chief is really a pretty simple thing. Get as fast a CPU and as fast a Graphics card as you can afford. The CPU will handle RayTraces and the Graphics Card will handle rendering - adjust budget accordingly.

Laptop, desk top, Mac, PC, same rule applies.

Larry is correct

I would add - strong power supply to handle current needs (plus some extra)

Lew

Wow, thanks so much! This is great information. I will check everything out.

I like to suggest that when buying computers plan for it to be replaced. If you run with a $1000/year budget and buy the best computer you can find for $2000 every 2 years you should always have a decent computer.

While you can spend a lot more, a $4000 computer bought today is probably going to be slower than a $2000 computer in 2 years and almost certainly it will be slower than a $2000 computer in 4 years.

Of course what you can afford is up to you. One could likely get by with a smaller budget and if you have a larger budget you can have on average faster hardware.

$2000 every 2 years

I would consider this a near top-end system

one can always spend $$$$ and be top-end
probably overkill and probably a waste of money

a nice middle of the road system for a 4 year time frame
should be approx. $1500

I used to spend $2000+ for a 4 year system and around 2008
dropped my "needs" to the $1500 range

so all depends on your needs for renders and raytraces
and how detailed your models are

Lew