Would a gaming laptop work for using DAZ Studio?
Calliope23
Posts: 536
I would like to put DAZ 4.9 on a laptop computer. Currently I'm a hobbyist, and while I have some experience using DAZ I still consider myself a newb! I thought a gaming laptop might be good because of the graphics card. The system I'm considering buying at has 16 gigs of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M graphics card, Intel i7 processor, 128 gig solid state drive, 4 gigs of RAM dedicated to video memory, and 1 TB of storage on the spinning hard drive. My query is ... can DAZ studio be downloaded to the 1TB hard drive? Because I do not think it will fit on the 128 gig solid state drive.
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Comments
Sure will. Just be sure that when you install for the first time that you make sure to send it all to the correct drive. Your going to want to do that with pretty much eveything you install really because they are going to head like blood hounds to that c drive. Unless by some amazing chance the storage drive is named c.. Mine of course is not. Most vexing indeed.
Yes. It is best to set up the install locations before installing (if using DIM download it first and set it up). That way you won't have to change anything later,
Thank you for your response. :D
Update: I've been doing some research, and I think I might look for either a gaming laptop with no solid state drive or a regular laptop. I have enough trouble getting things to install where they're supposed to without everything accidentally going to the wrong drive also. I think the solid state drive may just complicate things further for me based on my limited experience with such things. If the solid state drive were big enough to put DAZ studio on that might be different, but that's not in my budget. Thank you again for your input.
Daz Studio should fit onto a 128Gb drive with Windows as long as you don't have a lot of other space hogging software (games, MS Office ...). What likely won't fit is the content you want to install, but you certainly can get content to install on a larger mechanical disk. That is the set up I have and it works fine, though my SSD is 240Gb. I use DIM with the installation paths set to the mechanical disk, and some manual installs for content from stores other than Daz.
I cannot comment on whether and how Daz Connect can be persuaded to install content to a drive other than C:\ as I have not used it and have no intention of using it as it adds nothing positive for me. Some people do seem to have struggled with Connect on this point from what I have gathered.
A GTX980M will do a reasonable job with Iray, but I think they are underclocked compared with desktop cards to try to keep temps down. I have invested in a cooling stand with fans as the poor thing can be full throttle for hours on end, which does make the set up a bit less portable than I would like.
Awesome. I didn't know a graphics card has an effect on how cool the laptop stays. Yes, I have tried to use DAZ connect on my desktop and have ended up with a couple products that have duplicate icons for the materials and poses, some that have the triangle with the exclamation points, and some that will not load content into the scene when I click on them.
Another option I was considering was to upgrade my desktop with a better graphics card and more RAM instead of purchasing a new laptop, although my desktop is about 5 years old. I have been getting the black screen of death using Iray with Windows 10 on the desktop if there is a lot of content in the scene. 3Delight seems to work fine on my desktop. The desktop doesn't have an NVIDIA graphics card though, so I don't know if that makes a difference. It's an Intel graphics card.
If DAZ plans to phase DIM out will one have no choice but to try to use DAZ Connect? Would installing things manually be better to insure the content goes where I want it to rather than using DAZ connect or DIM if I do go the route of a computer with a solid state drive and mechanical hard drive?
Don't get me wrong. I LOVE that solid state drive. Computer boots up so quickly it takes my breath away. As far as connect installing to the correct (for you) drive it will go where studio is installed. It is no more a struggle than telling DIM where to install things. It is a matter of setting up the program, any program, correctly on the intial install. I'm not sure why people insist on making something so simple sound like it must be over the average persons paygrade.
Graphics cards will generate heat like a CPU, especially if you have it running flat out as Iray will, but it is manageable even on a laptop.
You would have more flexibility and upgradeability with a desktop, and probably a bit more 'bang for your buck' in terms of computing power, but clearly less portability. I use a laptop because I have to travel for professional purposes. A 5 year old desktop will have some limitations as to what graphics cards will be compatible with it. You may find that a GTX980M is actually more capable wrt Iray than the best Nvidia card your desktop will accommodate.
I hope Daz will not drop DIM and make us all use Connect any time soon. For me, Connect is an ill-conceived solution to a problem that didn't exist i.e. a way of finding more stuff to buy. I am doing a pretty good job of spending too much on Daz content without it!
I would not recommend manual installs for anything you can install through DIM. But some things I have bought there was no DIM option, only unzipping the archive and manually copying the files.
And for me, that would be the issue. I have Studio installed on C:\, the SSD; I do not want any content on that drive. I want it on a disk where Studio is not installed. I can persuade DIM to do this, in folders that somewhat indicate the contents. I don't need Connect scattering incomprehensibly named folders hither and thither.
It can still be moved. I don't have studio on my c drive because I don't want anything there other than core stuff .. I'm guessing your not really clear on how it works because it does not scatter anything. You simply select the location via preferences just like you did for the other content.
I have been holding off on installing D/S 4.9 because Windows 10 is on my C drive (mechanical) and D/S and all my content is on my G drive (solid state). DIM installs on the SSD (G) where I tell it to so that's never been a problem. I would be using DIM to install D/S 4.9.
Khory - you said that Connect will install to where D/S is located - since you also don't have D/S on your C drive, is there any advice you can lend (besides doing a backup before I begin)?
Calliope23 - I personally chose a desktop because (a) lots of room for cooling and its water-cooled, and (b) is upgradable. I had read some comments that rendering "melted" some laptops! My advice is to upgrade for your budget and start a savings account to buy a powerhouse desktop later - especially as you start really getting into rendering, you will want the capability to do more.
Thank you for the responses. My desktop is still working reasonably well for such an old computer so I will see what it can do with DAZ Studio 4.9 on it using 3delight (since that doesn't seem to crash it). I'll see if I can't sort out why the icons are behaving so crazily on some products in my desktop installation of 4.9. I did get the system I mentioned above. I'm going to go through installation tutorials when I've had more sleep. I have portability reasons for using the gaming laptop, and I might even put a game or two on it if there is room. I think a cooling stand like andya mentioned would be a good thing to hopefully not melt it. Plus I will definitely save my pennies for a powerhouse desktop as dracorn mentioned.Thank you all for your suggestions. They've been very helpful.
I just made sure that I did that first clean install to the location of my choice. On my E drive I added a folder that has all my work stuff and then inside that is a folder that is DAZ and then the Daz and Hex are in there along with the content folders. I have an extra content folder that I do work in called "creation folder" because it makes packaging products easier for me. The only "difficult" part is remembering to tell the program where you want it installed and making sure that you go into preferences and tell it what folder you want all the sorts of content. Mostly just make sure that you tell the program you want the E drive (assuming its E) and go to preferences and give it the location you want for your content folders before you start installing everything.
Do be careful about the heat.. But a gaming type laptop should be kitted out to take that into consideration.
I bought an MSI Ghost Pro(GTX970M) last year and DAZ runs great on it.