[bret4]

Here is what is happening. I just got a new laptop. A Lenovo Y480. It has a NVIDIA Geforce GT640M LE graphics card with 2GB memory. It has 8GB memory and a 3rd Gen Intel® Core™ i7-3610QM processor.

When I run this laptop with the NVIDIA card bobcad's Menu Bar (the one that has File Edit View and so on makes the whole screen flicker when I move from one menu to the next. This is only when I click on one of the item so it is open. Like when I click on File it opens up so show all the features the screen flashes. Then when I move to the next one Edit you see the Edit menu open and the whole screen flashes. I'm saying flashes, flickers or it could be seen as kind of every thing jumps a little.

Anyhow, wonder if anyone has seen anything like this and if there is a way to fix it. Kind of sucks that I bought this computer to get bobcad to run better than my old one and now I have this problem.

This computer also has intel graphics that use shared memory. When I set bobcad to run with the intel graphics everything works fine. I forgot to mention that I am running windows 7 64bit.

[BurrMan]

you could look at 2 things. Set the compatability tab on the BobCad icon to disable visual themes (also run as admin) and see if that helps...

You could also be sure your running the latest driver from lenovo.. I found one that was released on March 21'st? from here:

Lenovo Support - Drivers & Downloads

But I would start from scratch on their support site to be sure it is "Your laptop" that you are looking at.. This link weas just derived from the info you posted. You could start the nvidia control panel and look at help-system information to check what version your running.

[bret4]

I tried those things and it made no change at all. I'm starting to think that Nvidia is going to come out with a newer driver some day to fix this problem. They say to only run the drivers that Lenovo puts out. I wonder if that is really true? I wonder if Nvidia comes out with a new driver if I could try it without causing too much of a problem with the computer?

[BurrMan]

I tried those things and it made no change at all. I'm starting to think that Nvidia is going to come out with a newer driver some day to fix this problem. They say to only run the drivers that Lenovo puts out. I wonder if that is really true? I wonder if Nvidia comes out with a new driver if I could try it without causing too much of a problem with the computer?

I would stick on the lenovo drivers. At this point, you have a proprietary embeded system. nvidia doesnt even have drivers for that setup (well they have linux drivers).

Do you have Home windows or pro. That makes a difference.

You might try to do some settings for it in the nvidia control panel. Like in the 3d settings area, try setting for performance.

It could be a few laptop related settings to. Maybe give the bc techsupport a call, because they can log on to the computer and get things working better than a forum.

[bret4]

Thanks for the help. I'll give bobcad support a try.

[bret4]

Talked to bobcad support. They remotely got into my computer and tried to get this problem fixed. They couldn't do it. The guy was great. He tried everything he could.

Then I called Lenovo support. They couldn't do anything. They seem to think there is some mismatch with what bobcad is looking for in the graphics card and what the computer can do. I am thinking of returning the computer to Lenovo.

Now what computer should I get in a Laptop that will run Bobcad?

I have about $900 max to spend. I am almost thinking of just going to costco and picking up whatever I like the looks of and give it a try. At least it is easy to return if it doesn't work.

Its a shame that Lenovo makes a so called hi power gaming computer than can't run bobcad right. This is the kind of thing that makes you never want to buy their products again.

[ger21]

Its a shame that Lenovo makes a so called hi power gaming computer than can't run bobcad right. This is the kind of thing that makes you never want to buy their products again.

1) What I'd consider a high powered gaming laptop would cost a lot more than $900.
2) BobCAD isn't a game. Better CAD and CAM programs typically don't even support gaming cards, and require high end workstation video cards. (Although most do work fine with gaming cards.

[dwood]

see if you can change the refresh rate of the display setting, some cards you can change this , some not,
if set on 60 go to 70 if possible,

[BurrMan]

Hit your start button and type:

msinfo32

expand the "components" tree menu and clcik on "display". Clcik edit-select all, then edit-copy, then reply here with Ctrl+V.

[bret4]

Hit your start button and type:

msinfo32

expand the "components" tree menu and clcik on "display". Clcik edit-select all, then edit-copy, then reply here with Ctrl+V.

I get nothing when I type msinfo32. I am running windows 7 64bit. Maybe that is the reason.

[bret4]

see if you can change the refresh rate of the display setting, some cards you can change this , some not,
if set on 60 go to 70 if possible,

I do see that it is set at 60hz. I see no way to change that.