Randy Young is an  Lead Engineer for Autodesk Hardware Certification and today he sent me some great information on the new Autodesk Recommended Hardware website. In the past we have provided test results and guidance on graphics cards or recommended system level requirements such as memory and CPU but never really to the model and manufacture of a computer system but that is changing.

Have you ever wondered what systems work with your Autodesk Product or Suite? Or better yet what has been tested and designed for use with your Autodesk product? Look no further than www.autodesk.com/hardware. Most Autodesk products test hardware but have not posted results for recommended hardware until now. Autodesk now has a unified hardware site which displays both recommended computer systems and the certified graphics support.

One of the most common customer frustrations is how to pick a system that will work best with your software. Choose incorrectly and product stability problems will arise. Since Autodesk products are highly hardware dependent and are commonly used in tandem to solve design problems it is important to choose the correct system before installing any software. This can be done by; visiting www.autodesk.com/hardware, selecting System hardware, selecting your product(s) or suite, year, operating system, and clicking the Find button.

Now you can see all the systems that have been tested with your selected products. This site also allows you to see all tested vendors and form factors (Laptop & Desktop) together in one list. Now if you click on a system name, for example Dell Precision M4500, it will show you the test results and give you a link to jump directly to dell.com to order the system. If your system is adequate but you need to update your driver you can click on the graphics card name to go directly to the latest tested driver for this card where it can then be downloaded and installed.

This updated site should help you choose a system for your current Autodesk product, pick a system when upgrading your product, and configure your existing system to work with your current product. By choosing the correct system and keeping your existing system up to date with the latest driver you will avoid productivity losses due to slow performance and instability.

If you have any questions, see the FAQ site and if you have any issues not on the FAQ, please feel free to send us a message through the feedback link.

Good luck on your next project,
Randy Young
Autodesk Lead Engineer
Autodesk Hardware Certification

<Thank you Randy>

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