The hardware requirements for AutoCAD 2007 are listed as 2D users and recommended hardware for 3D.  2D customers can use the same hardware they are using for their current version of AutoCAD.  For customers that want to start using the new 3D design tools, we are providing a second level of system recommendations.

As many may know, AutoCAD has had the ability to use OpenGL based graphics hardware since AutoCAD 2000. With AutoCAD 2004 we added the ability to display textures, materials and lights on 3D models in real-time.  All of these features depended on the speed and ability of both your graphics card and driver for better performance. Most customers don’t know this because we have always left OpenGL hardware acceleration off by default and left it up to customers to discover it. With AutoCAD 2007’s focus on Conceptual Design and visualization we felt it was imperative that we test AutoCAD on a variety of graphics hardware and drivers so we could recommend to customers what graphics configurations best support the features of AutoCAD and provided the best good stability.

We have tested ~80 graphics cards from ATI, nVidia, Matrox, 3D Labs, NEC and Intel to see which ones best support AutoCAD 2007. With this analysis, AutoCAD 2007’s Performance Tuner can determine if OpenGL hardware acceleration can be reliably enabled by default the first time customers start up.  We can also let customers know if their card or driver does not support some of the new features; they can still turn on hardware acceleration if they wish.

The key features that need more graphics power for AutoCAD 2007 are the real-time shadows and Gooch shading.  Cards that support these features and are supported by the hardware vendor for CAD use are certified for use with AutoCAD 2007. There are cards in our certification list; both old and new, for as little as $250. Cards that support the features but are not supported by the vendor for CAD use will still be supported by Autodesk but hardware acceleration will be turned off by default. You can enable hardware acceleration using the “3Dconfig” command.

Customers can continue to use any graphics hardware they wish for 2D as those requirements have not changed but now AutoCAD can take better advantage of 3D hardware if they have it.

Check and see what the status of your hardware is. Keep in mind that new cards are being tested all the time. www.autodesk.com\autocad-graphicscard Check out the FAQ as well.

Read a article I wrote back in 2004  on the importance of selecting a good card for CAD Link