While modern software requires high-end specs, 3ds Max 2012 is remarkably accessible for older machines:

A major leap in viewport performance, allowing for high-quality previews of lighting and shadows directly in the workspace.

Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 introduced several significant workflow improvements designed to streamline the creative process:

Intel Pentium 4 1.4 GHz or equivalent AMD processor (SSE2 support required).

2 GB minimum; 4 GB to 8 GB recommended for complex scenes.

V-Ray 2.0 was a landmark release from Chaos Group that brought interactive rendering to the forefront: