Hardware for Inventor – Building a PC for Autodesk Inventor

Autodesk Inventor is a powerful 3D CAD software optimised for the design and manufacturing industry. With plenty of add-ons for Machining, 3D printing, and stress simulation available. The Product Design and Manufacturing Collection (PDMC) includes Inventor Professional, AutoCAD and many of the afore mentioned add-ons and some additional design and simulation programs. Building a capable PC can seem like a monumental task, but we’ve got you covered. This article will take you through choosing a PC specification which will meet your needs as well as cover the minimum Inventor requirements with hopefully a little future-proofing, depending on your budget to create and set-up your Hardware for Inventor.

First off, you will find the Autodesk’s own system requirements HERE

Operating System

The latest Windows operating system, Windows 10 is your first choice here.

Though Inventor is also supported on Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 installed.

At this moment in time, if you want to run Inventor on an Apple MAC, you will need to utilise a Boot Camp or Parallels Windows Environments.

CPU (processing speed)

Processing speed will determine how fast you can perform a task with your PC. Having more cores will allow your CPU to process more tasks. Autodesk recommend 3.0 GHz or greater, with at least 4 cores.

Graphics

It is recommended to use industry level graphics card rather than your standard high-speed gaming graphics card. These graphics cards are designed for 3D & CAD workflows. These graphics cards come at a higher price but have better capabilities for designers. Autodesk have a list of certified and recommended graphics cards which can be found HERE

RAM

While processing speed will determine how fast you can perform a task with your PC, RAM will determine how many processes can be running on your PC at one time. Autodesk recommends 20mb of RAM to cover large inventor files. If you can get 32mb installed, this is the way to go. You might find two 16Mb RAM cards will cost less than a 32Mb card. Similarly, two 8Mb RAM cards will give you 16Mb of RAM at a slightly lower price. If you plan on upgrading in the future, try and keep a spare slot for additional RAM.

Memory

Memory will depend on your company’s network. Is there a shared network drive? Are you using a file storage system like Autodesk Vault? Where will you store your drawings?

if you don’t have access to network storage it is advised to get a second internal drive for your PC, because let’s face it, drawing files take up memory.

You will also need at least 40Gb free on your C drive to install

Disk drives vs solid state:

It’s simple, solid state drives are newer, quieter, faster, but more expensive.

If you’re looking for large capacity at a reasonable price, you’ll want to purchase disk drives.

Display

4K monitors 3840 x 2160, or High Definition 1280 x 1024, depending on your budget.

Peripherals

A mouse and keyboard will get you a long way. But we strongly recommend your mouse has a scroll wheel. Luckily, it’s hard to find a mouse without a scroll wheel these days. You’ll also encounter CAD operators from time to time using a 3D mouse. While it may take time to get used to a 3D mouse, you will make this time back in the long run. It is recommended to get familiar with the software first though.

Need further assistance with your Autodesk Inventor or Hardware and want to speak with one of our CAD Specialists, contact us by clicking HERE