Hi, I am looking to build a workstation to do 3d modeling work on, using Autodesk Maya, Zbrush 3.1, Photoshop, as well as any of the other programs that go hand in hand with the ones above mention. I plan to create a pipeline between all of these, and I need a super fast computer to do it. I have a business building computers for people, however the computers I build are not super extreme or anything I generally build them for gamers at moderate speed. The fastest computer I build is AMD phenom quad core 2.2 ghz Nvidia geforce 9500 gt 8 gigs of ddr2 ram On an XFX nforce mobo. Here in lies my problem while this computer is a beast for the general gamer. It doesn’t touch the power needed for 3d modeling. Using this build, and maya 2009 in a scene with GI and final gathering on trying to render out a 5000 poly scene im looking at about a 10 minute render time. 10 minutes is ridiculous I need that render time down to say no more then 2 to 3 minutes maximum, less if at all possible. Now I am at least familiar with todays computer hardware technology. However, I have been trying to piece together my workstation and there is so much of new technology I know nothing about. Also I am an AMD guy all the way. However while I believe AMD is top notch, every study and review I have read about 3d modeling and what type of build is best. They all say Intel takes the cake in a 3d modeling work environment. So now I am forced to consider Intel as a choice. Because, this is one of those few times were I will have the cash to spend on my ultimate computer, and I need the best I can possibly get. My target price is around 2k, however, depending on what I find I might be able to spend 2500. However I’d rather not. At any rate I am at a loss of what to buy for my workstation, I’ve been looking at intel and AMD mobo’s as well as processors. And what I have found is the intel based mobo’s seem to be better then the amd boards. I haven’t found many amd boards that seem to compare with the intel boards. And for the processors I was thinking of going with either the core i7, or the intel core 2 quad, they both seem like they are good chips. However I know for an absolute fact that the amd phenom II black edition 3.0 ghz quad core processor is absolutely awesome. To break it down I am not sure if I need to worry about getting a board that supports ddr3 triple channel memory, or if good old ddr2 will suffice. I do know I am shooting for 12gb of ram regaurdless if it is ddr3 or ddr2. I am going to go with the nvidia quadro 3800 1gb workstation card as I know the graphics card is the most important component for 3d modeling and I have a feeling that’s why even though the computer I am running now is awesome for games, the graphics card is just not good enough and I end up with 10 minute render times. However, I know I do not have the money to get 2 of these quadro cards at the moment, so I do not need SLI right away. But should I still get a board that supports sli so I have the upgradability later on. Also I am wondering how much of a difference will sli make on a 3d modeling environment. It boils down to I have so many choices and do not know what to do, and money is also a concern I am so indecisive because I want to make sure I get an awesome workstation for my money. However I do not want to cut back on the wrong component because I went extreme on another and make the whole computer have a bottlekneck. I have found 5 intel based mobo’s that all seem awesome. The one I like the most is Asus Rampage II Extreme Motherboard & Ultra X3 1600W PSU - LGA 1366 SLI/CrossFireX, Triple Channel DDR3, RAID, ATX Modular Power Supply 739.99 It comes with a lot of bells and whistles and show great potential, however it is a gaming board , but its based on a workstation chipset. It is very pricy, however I do not want to get something cheaper and then be disappointed. Some other boards I have found are Asus Rampage II Extreme Motherboard - Intel X58, LGA 1366, ATX, Audio, PCI Express 2.0, CrossFire Ready, SLI Ready, Dual Gigabit LAN, S/PDIF, Firewire, USB 2.0, Serial ATA, RAID 419.96 Asus Rampage Extreme Motherboard - Intel X48, Socket 775, ATX, Audio, PCI Express 2.0, CrossFire Ready, Dual Gigabit LAN, S/PDIF, Firewire, USB 2.0, Serial ATA, RAID 429.99 Asus Striker II Extreme Motherboard - nForce 790i SLI, Socket 775, PCI-Express 2.0, 3-way SLI, 45nm Support, USB, eSATA, RAID, Firewire, DDR3 Memory Support 329.99 Asus P6T Motherboard - LGA 1366, Intel X58, SATA, SLI Ready, CrossFireX Ready, Triple Channel DDR3 support, RAID, Hyperthreading support 259.99 However most all say crossfire ready and not sli, would that mean it would be a bad idea to run an nvidia graphics card in it, most likely the card would work fine, however since it isn’t SLI ready probably wouldn’t be able to expand my graphics solution later on. I have found a couple of processors Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 Processor BX80569Q9650 - 3.0GHz, 12MB Cache, 1333MHz FSB, Yorkfield, Quad-Core, Retail, Socket 775, Processor with Fan 349.99 Intel Core i7 920 Processor BX80601920 - 2.66GHz, LGA 1366, 4.8GT/s QPI, 8MB L3 Cache, Quad-Core, HyperThreading, Bloomfield, Retail, Proces 279.99 Which for me isn’t as big of a consideration as the mobo. I am torn between the core 2 quad and the i7 if I go intel. However as long as they are around 3 ghz and overclockable I am good to go. However, I know if I go with the amd phenom 3 ghz processor it will scream, but as I said earlier the amd based boards do not seem as good. Then I keep asking the question which way is the best, what should I do. I need guidance, this is a very important purchase for me. I bought a computer a while back 5 or so years ago spent 2g on it and thought it would solve all of my problems and was very disappointed when I got it home. This time I decided to build it myself so I could make sure I got what I needed and what do ya know I don’t know what I need ) What about ram, I know ram is very picky and extremely important I was to go with 12gb if at all possible. However im just not sure how to balance quality against cost. Which seems to be my biggest problem of all. If money was no object Id just build 2 or 3 rigs and pick which one was best an i7 rig a intel core 2 quad rig and a amd phenom rig. Since i cant do that I need to be extremely carefull in what I choose. I have a case at my house so I do not need to buy on of those, I have a dvd drive so I don’t need one of those. I have a hd, however hd could be important I need a hd that’s fast so it can access data quickly. Also I have keyboard mouse and dual monitors already. So I just mainly need mobo processor graphics card ram and maybe hd. And my prices ranges is 2k or less hopefully. IF ANYONE can help me out I’d so much greatly appretiate it Something I forgot, should I entertain the idea of the ATI workstations solution, the equivelant to the nvidia quadro card. I have always been satisfied with nvidias products and have hear only good things about there workstation cards even though there gaming cards are on the decline the quadro series workstation cards still seem to be top notch. I haven’t even looked at ati equivalent and do not know if it’s worth my time.
NVIDIA Quadro CX -Professional workstation card. I think this is what your missing out, its for 3d modelling CAD, video editing etc, has a big price tag but im sure it will cut down the rendering time. possibly looking at 2 - 3 mins as you wanted with a decent quad core cpu setup best going for Intel Core i7 series. BWT: your gonna be looking well over your budget for this setup Nvidia Online Store - Quadro CX definatly watch the youtube clip, will tell you all about it.
ernieball, Thanks to today's rapid pace of computer technology, for $2,000 you can get a very competent workstation to run your target apps on. For $2k, as a professional workstation builder, this is what I'd recommend (in order of importance): - Quadro graphics, without question, as you need the Quadro mark for support and compatibility. The Quadro CX is out of your price bracket, and in any case is really marketed toward the Premier Pro application, where it can accelerate HD video stream rendering. The CX does not provide any additional benefits to 3D work beyond what the other Quadro's offer. For $2k, I think the FX1800 would be the best compromise. - Processor should be a Core i7, no questions asked. In this price bracket, it's by far the fastest thing out there, especially for single processor workstation usage. To keep within the price range, go with the base model 920 - 2.66GHz. - 12GB 1333MHz RAM (basically, the max you can get on any board with the Core i7's X58 chipset). RAM is CHEAP, and it's vital for your needs, so splurge on it. - Mainboard: I've built systems with the Intel DX58SO, the Supermicro X8SAX, and the Asus P6T WS Pro. The Intel board, unfortunately, lacks 6xDIMM slots, otherwise I'd plump for that, as they have the best reliability and support. The Asus board I liked a lot, and had an excellent BIOS where you could easily overclock the CPU and RAM. The Supermicro, whilst a professional workstation brand, lacked some of the "desktop"-like features that the Intel and Asus had. My bet would be to go with the Asus. Hope this helps in your selection!
