Revit Architecture 2009 64-bit...poor performance

[FWSchreck]

Hello:

I'm running Windows 7 64-bit and working on a project using Revit Architecture 2009 64-bit. Most of the time Revit functions fine in this environment. Sometimes, however, Revit performance will degrade sharply, becoming almost unusable. For example, switching from one view to another can take up to 10 minutes.

The project in question is a large one, with numerous linked files. Sub-projects range in size from 50MB up to 250MB. A typical work-session will require loading a 100MB project file, with linked files totaling 200-300MB. We've deployed worksets aggressively to limit the amount of data that has to be loaded.

I'm running a Dell Precision T5500, 12GB RAM, Windows 7 w an ATI FirePro V5700 graphics card.

This problem is not restricted to Windows 7, Vista 64-bit users are reporting the same problems.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

[ron.sanpedro]

Hello:

I'm running Windows 7 64-bit and working on a project using Revit Architecture 2009 64-bit. Most of the time Revit functions fine in this environment. Sometimes Revit performance will degrade sharply, becoming almost unusable. For example, switching from one view to another can take up to 10 minutes.

The project in question is a large one, with numerous linked files. Sub-projects range in size from 50MB up to 250MB. A typical work-session will require loading a 100MB project file, with linked files totaling 200-300MB. We've deployed worksets aggressively to limit the amount of data that has to be loaded.

I'm running a Dell Precision T5500, 12GB RAM, Windows 7 w an ATI FirePro V5700 graphics card.

This problem is not restricted to Windows 7, Vista 64-bit users are reporting the same problems.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

Where the machines built new, or upgraded to 64 bit Windows? Long standing best practice has been to set Virtual Memory to use a fixed size page file to avoid fragmentation, between 1 and 2 times physical ram size depending on who you talk to. I have seen machines upgraded from XP x32 with 2GB of RAM and a 2GB swap file to Windows 7 x64, 12GB of RAM and... 2GB of swap file. That wimpy swap file then kills you. Worth a check to see if the swap file is something fixed, and small. And verify that there is indeed tons of room for the swap file. And maybe make sure the swap file isn't really fragmented.
If the machines where bought new with Windows 7 then this is almost certainly not the issue, but a quick test just to be sure may be warranted. Lord knows what goofy settings Dell shipped the thing with. ;)

Gordon

[Scott Womack]

The other issue is that Revit 2009 64 bit was a port of the 32 bit version. It therefore will not make use of all the ram correctly. I have enven been told, that it might still be limited to seeing 4 gig of ram, but have no way of confirming that.. Revit 2010 and future were written natively in 64 bit, and the 32bit is a "port" or recomplization, therefore using ram the way the 64 bit system intended.

[FWSchreck]

I've read other posts that state setting the paging file size to "system managed size" is the best approach. My system currently has approx 12GB allocated.

[bmadsen]

We have found "system managed" helps some users with stability.
Also, we routinely turn OFF graphics acceleration.