Maya 2020 fundamentals - modelling the real world
Get halfway through a model and find it's an unworkable mess? Can't add edge loops where you need them? Can't subdivide a mesh properly? If any of this sounds familiar check this course out.
# 1 02-07-2014 , 10:42 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 21

Can Maya be used on a laptop?

Currently, I'm running Maya on a laptop, but I'm having playblast issues. Is it possible to render or create playblasts on Maya using a laptop? If not, what type of computer must I have?

# 2 03-07-2014 , 01:51 AM
thewrongvine's Avatar
Trying
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 38
Yes, in a general sense, it can.

Whether it works for you though depends on your specific laptop. Could you give specs, for at least the graphics card and RAM?

# 3 03-07-2014 , 03:10 AM
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 21
My laptop is Windows 7 64-bit, 2 GB RAM.

However, it does not have a graphics card (which I'm finding out could be the problem). Instead, it uses a graphics engine. Below is a screenshot of its specs:


user added image





Instead of buying a whole new laptop, can I buy an external graphics card, like the ones on this link <https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...+Graphics+gard> ? Or will I have to buy a new laptop?


Last edited by newuser; 03-07-2014 at 03:51 AM.
# 4 03-07-2014 , 03:46 AM
thewrongvine's Avatar
Trying
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 38
Yeah, looking at some older posts, other people have had a similar series to that chipset and have experienced trouble running Maya optimally. 2 GBS of RAM is also on the low end to be running 64-bit software.

You could just buy individual parts but for a laptop, it's different than a desktop where it'd be much easier to just open up and replace yourself. It depends on your laptop, I'd say look up your model online and see if anyone else has replaced parts on it. But in general, you don't replace parts on laptops as much because you have to dissemble it carefully, as you run the risk of just messing it up and breaking it. I would also suggest getting more RAM, so often, when you have to replace so many things, it ends up being more cost-effective to just buy a new laptop/desktop.

Of course, that's expensive ha. But yes, a dedicated graphics card would help in general with running Maya more smoothly (though I don't know if that's 100% the answer to your original question for the playblast issue, just a possibility)

# 5 03-07-2014 , 03:49 AM
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 21
No, that was a fine answer. Thanks for the advice, thewrongvine.

# 6 03-07-2014 , 03:53 AM
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 21
I was hoping I wouldn't have to open up my laptop, that it was something I could just connect externally (if possible).

# 7 03-07-2014 , 04:22 AM
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 21
I'm currently browsing laptops on Amazon, and several of them have Graphic Cards named Intel HD Graphics. Would any know if those are of fine quality by any chance, or should I go after the nvidia brand?

# 8 03-07-2014 , 04:55 AM
thewrongvine's Avatar
Trying
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 38
It depends on your budget and what you're using it for. If you don't need the mobility from a laptop, a desktop would be better in general for intensive things like rendering. A lot of this comes down to what you want to spend and what you're willing to sacrifice.

The Intel HD Graphics line is okay, it would be an upgrade. The problem is it's an integrated graphics card so if you're doing high-processing work like rendering with Maya, it's not the best choice. It would run slower, so it would be better to get a dedicated graphics card, which would perform better as it's using its own memory rather than sharing with the rest of your computer. Meaning something from Nvidia or AMD.

As for which card exactly would be best, that opens a huge discussion ha... You'll have to do a lot of research yourself if you want to find what works for you. Look on nVidia and AMD websites and also google results and reviews of cards.

A starting point could be the Nvidia GTX series. I don't know/think it's necessarily the best, but it's very commonly used in the consumer range (moreso a gaming gpu) and works decently.

What's your budget?


Last edited by thewrongvine; 03-07-2014 at 04:58 AM.
# 9 03-07-2014 , 05:25 AM
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 21
While I'd like to keep the price low as possible, it's not the top priority. Speed and ease-of-use are the top priorities. Basically, I'm looking for those qualities in as low a price as possible.

Right now, I'm looking at this $499.99 laptop on Amazon. It uses nvidia. <https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-E5...roductDetails>. What do you think of that one?

Keep in mind the capabilities need only be sufficient enough to get me through an animation program like Ianimate or Animation Mentor. I don't have the same specs that a much more experienced, working animator might want.

Thanks for your input.

# 10 03-07-2014 , 05:33 AM
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 21
Btw, the reason for my questions is I've never had to buy a laptop this expensive before, nor have I ever had to pay this much attention to the specifications. It's only recently that I decided to change my career to animation. Prior to that, my only requirement was for the laptop to be able to run MS Office user added image

So any advice I can get on which laptops are best suited for the path I'm about to embark on is greatly appreciated.

# 11 03-07-2014 , 05:57 AM
thewrongvine's Avatar
Trying
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 38
Okay, I'm not an expert with this in terms of what exactly would be best for 3D work, so hopefully someone else can also chime in ha.

The Acer you listed, it uses the new GTX 800 series, so there's good and bad to that. New being it's updated and top of the line in terms of release date, but you also get less reviews and research done on it. That being said, it seems good and nice, but there's more than just the gpu. If you have the money, buying the upgraded version (in this case, the $799 one which gives you the i7 processor and 8 GB of RAM) would help. If you're rendering, it'd be nice to have more RAM and a good CPU.

Laptops also don't have the best cooling systems compared to desktops, so down the line you might need to get something like a cooling pad as well if you find your laptop's temperatures going up while rendering.

Also, whatever you buy, I'd suggest taking a look around for sales/deals/discounts, even on the brand website. Look and ask around, you could save a good hundred bucks or so.

# 12 03-07-2014 , 11:31 AM
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 21
Great advice. Thanks again, thewrongvine.

# 13 03-07-2014 , 12:20 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 21
One more question -

Suppose I buy one of the versions mentioned above ($499 or $799), will I be guaranteed good-to-go, as far as carrying out all animation-related tasks are concerned? I'd hate to buy one of these laptops only to find out there is something else I am still missing.

# 14 03-07-2014 , 04:12 PM
thewrongvine's Avatar
Trying
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 38
Well. It'll be a huge improvement over what you have now so I imagine that will be nice. But it still won't be perfect, it's all relative to what you're used to and what you're expecting. Just in general, laptops aren't really made for intensive rendering, regardless of just the cpu, gpu, ram, specs, etc. The physical build and cooling system can't handle high level performance without overheating if you're going to be doing like high quality HD renders. And as a laptop, a lot of parts you get won't be as great as their desktop counterparts. For example, the gpu you'd be getting is the 840M, the mobile version of the card which would perform way less than the desktop version.

Right now I'm using a laptop as well, an Inspiron 17R with 2.3GHz Intel Core i7-3610QM, 8 GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce GT 650M. And the main problem is the overheating, which slows down the computer a lot.

The one you listed has decent specs for a laptop, but there doesn't seem to be too any reviews around on it. I think it'd be good to keep researching other models and brands too, read reviews on them to make sure they're good (it's not just paper specs that matter, find actual performance tests). And you can save money by just picking features that you need specifically; for example, I don't think touch screen is necessary, moreso just a cool add-on to have that will cost more.

To answer your question though ha, I think a cooling pad would be helpful as well but you can buy that later, after you test out your laptop more.

# 15 12-07-2014 , 04:01 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 21
thewrongvine,

I recently purchased this laptop:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/281349668009

What do you think - any red flags/concerns? It meets the GraphicsCard/Windows/i7 processor requirements, but is there anything else I'm overlooking?

Posting Rules Forum Rules
You may not post new threads | You may not post replies | You may not post attachments | You may not edit your posts | BB code is On | Smilies are On | [IMG] code is On | HTML code is Off

Similar Threads