[SOLVED] Build Recommendation for my upcoming Workstation (2021-22)

[isaumya]

Hi, Hardware Gurus of Toms Hardware Forum,
I'm looking for a build configuration suggestion for my workstation on which I highly rely upon for my livelihood.

Here is the configuration of my current system:

• Intel i5 4690 CPU
• 12 GB of 1333 MHz RAM
• Zotac NVIDIA GeForce GT 640 2GB Graphics Card
• Asus H97-PRO Motherboard (Recommend by this forum and it has been working instantly well since I bought it. Never had a single issue. Will love to stick with Asus Motherboard for this build as well)
• Huntkey 500W Power Supply
• Samsung EVO 840 500GB SSD as primary disk

As you can see this is an old system which has been performing well for all these years and served me very well. But over the years my workload got increased and now I perform several multitask all the time.
So, let me give a brief idea of the possible usage of the new system:

• Intense software development & design
• I use VS Code (which eats quite a lot of CPU & RAM) with multiple instance of VS Code open along with each instance having thousands of lines of code
• Use multiple chromium-based browsers (mostly edge chromium & chorme) with more than 30-40 tabs open, sometimes in each instance
• Use Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop & Premiere Pro (Latest version). Sometimes I have to work while multiple VS Code instance, Multiple browsers & Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop open at the same time.
• I use 3 monitors of 27" each right now, so I must need a graphic card which can support that. Honestly even with 3 monitors I always feel that I have no space left to work, so in future might thing about either adding another screen or increasing the screen sizes.

I need a very reliable and powerful config that can take me through this daily workload without a flinch. I don't mind using AMD or Intel. Whatever has the best value to power proposition, I will use that.
But I have been super satisfied fur my Asus Motherboard which has been recommended to me through this forum, so I would like to stick with Asus Motherboard again as despite so much load it never flinched even once. Super happy.
I am not looking for a overclock or something. Just need a very powerful and reliable build recommendation that will last me for many years with these workloads.

My current system is from 2015 and still growing strong, but as the new applications are getting more resource demanding, I can feel the slowness in the work.

Important Note:
Build Budget: Moderate
Country: India

As you can see I am from India, please do recommend the hardware which I can actually buy here.

 

[Eximo]

Moderate isn't a budget I'm afraid.

Sounds like you need a higher end processor and lots of memory. Not that hard to come by.

A graphics card on the other hand, no, those are pretty much impossible right now. You could keep using the GT640 in the meantime.

Considering what you are upgrading from, and given the lack of available parts for custom builds, I think you should consider a pre-built PC.

Take what you are willing to spend over to an OEM like Dell, Lenovo, etc and spec out a system with a Ryzen 7, or Intel i7, and 32GB of memory. Storage to your needs, and a graphics card if available. Quadros are actually somewhat reasonably priced considering what the consumer graphics cards are going for.

 

[isaumya]

@Eximo how much budget do you think is needed for a custom build for what I am looking for? Can you give ma an idea? So, I can see if I afford that or not? I really don't want to use a pre-built PC and rather wanna have a custom build PC with the best of all parts and mostly to ensure it will work like my current PC very reliably for a ver long time.

 

[Eximo]

Overkill ASUS motherboard, rather high priced in India.
Alternative would be the MSI B450 Tomahawk, considered the gold standard for budget focused Ryzen builds.

The GPU has your three video outputs. 1 DP and 2 HDMI, and DVI as well. I assume now you are using the Intel graphics and the GT640 for the other two. Ryzen doesn't include graphics.

Faster SSD, you can re-purpose the one you have as a second drive.

You don't have to buy a new case, though I have listed a cheaper one. It is decent and includes two fans, which is more than most chassis in this price range. You can of course shop for one that suits your tastes.

Previous generation Ryzen to focus more on budget. You could alternatively get a R7-5800x.

32GB of fast memory (Ryzen likes fast memory)

And a new power supply, just to keep things nice and stable.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor (₹31149.00 @ Amazon India)
Motherboard: Asus PRIME X570-P/CSM ATX AM4 Motherboard (₹16499.00 @ Amazon India)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory (₹20435.98 @ Newegg India)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (₹7690.00 @ Amazon India)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050 2 GB GAMING Video Card (₹16199.00 @ Amazon India)
Case: Fractal Design Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case (₹12890.12 @ Newegg India)
Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 520 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (₹6500.00 @ Amazon India)
Total: ₹111363.10
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-03-17 19:53 IST+0530

 

[isaumya]

@Eximo thanks a lot for your reply man. Really really appreciated it. Have a few questions:

1. I have never used MSI motherboard and not sure how reliable it is (I mean work without any failure constantly for many years. Earlier I had Gigabyte with which I have an insanely bad experience and then as me this forum's recommendation got Asus, yes it is costly but insanely reliable. Never had a single issue with it.) So, do you think MSI is more reliable than ASUS?
2. Do you think 32GB RAM will be enough for my use case or should I consider 64 GB? Also is Crucial is a good RAM brand or should I go with Corsiar?
3. For the Graphics Card, is Gigabyte cards are Good? I had an insanely bad experience with the Gigabyte motherboard multiple times. I don't trust that company for a single cent.
   Moreover, as I'm using AMD CPU, will GTX 1050 be the best choice or should I consider AMD Radeon Graphics?
4. Is 2GB Graphics card enough? As when I run the Adobe software it tends to eat a lot of GPU. Should I consider getting a 4GB or 6GB GPU?
5. I already have Hundkey 500W power supply which is working flawlessly, so should I have to consider getting a 520W power supply or the 500W will work just fine? Then I can reuse the same power supply. It is 6+ years old but still working flawlessly.

 

[Eximo]

Intel alternative. Recommend getting an aftermarket CPU cooler though.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-9700 3 GHz 8-Core Processor (₹25699.00 @ Amazon India)
Motherboard: Asus Prime H370-Plus ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (₹10815.00 @ Theitdepot.com)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 CL15 Memory (₹17556.80 @ Newegg India)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (₹7690.00 @ Amazon India)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050 2 GB GAMING Video Card (₹16199.00 @ Amazon India)
Case: Fractal Design Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case (₹12890.12 @ Newegg India)
Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 520 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (₹6500.00 @ Amazon India)
Total: ₹97349.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-03-17 20:57 IST+0530

 

[Eximo]

@Eximo thanks a lot for your reply man. Really really appreciated it. Have a few questions:

1. I have never used MSI motherboard and not sure how reliable it is (I mean work without any failure constantly for many years. Earlier I had Gigabyte with which I have an insanely bad experience and then as me this forum's recommendation got Asus, yes it is costly but insanely reliable. Never had a single issue with it.) So, do you think MSI is more reliable than ASUS?
2. Do you think 32GB RAM will be enough for my use case or should I consider 64 GB? Also is Crucial is a good RAM brand or should I go with Corsiar?
3. For the Graphics Card, is Gigabyte cards are Good? I had an insanely bad experience with the Gigabyte motherboard multiple times. I don't trust that company for a single cent.
   Moreover, as I'm using AMD CPU, will GTX 1050 be the best choice or should I consider AMD Radeon Graphics?
4. Is 2GB Graphics card enough? As when I run the Adobe software it tends to eat a lot of GPU. Should I consider getting a 4GB or 6GB GPU?
5. I already have Hundkey 500W power supply which is working flawlessly, so should I have to consider getting a 520W power supply or the 500W will work just fine? Then I can reuse the same power supply. It is 6+ years old but still working flawlessly.

ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI are basically the top three. I've had ASUS and Gigabyte, but almost exclusively Gigabyte for a while now. I've not had any serious problems with an ASUS board, but I also have had Gigabyte boards going back to the early 2000s that are still working, so, not sure what to tell you there. Probably just a bad experience, it happens.

Last MSI board I had did die, but that was in like 2002 or 2003, during the capacitor plague days.

32GB of memory is a lot for most tasks, you can always add memory if needed.

I've not owned a Gigabyte GPU in some time. Pretty much stuck to ASUS and more recently EVGA. I might have owned a Gigabyte Nvidia FX card, but that was a really long time ago. PNY, MSI, and a few others as well. I have not had a GPU fail on me to date.

2GB is enough for most tasks. Nothing stopping you from going for a larger card. India still has RTX 20 series cards available at somewhat reasonable prices. Completely sold out in the US and Europe. Even low end cards are commanding $200 right now.

I believe I saw some RTX 2060 Super for okayish prices.

Well, 6+ years on a power supply is well outside most warranty periods. High end supplies will have 7 and 10 year warranties. Up to you if you want to risk it.

Particularly if you go for a higher end GPU. GT640 is not a huge power drain, neither is a locked i5. So a fresh and higher quality supply is good idea to protect your investment.

 

[isaumya]

Intel alternative. Recommend getting an aftermarket CPU cooler though.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-9700 3 GHz 8-Core Processor (₹25699.00 @ Amazon India)
Motherboard: Asus Prime H370-Plus ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (₹10815.00 @ Theitdepot.com)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 CL15 Memory (₹17556.80 @ Newegg India)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (₹7690.00 @ Amazon India)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050 2 GB GAMING Video Card (₹16199.00 @ Amazon India)
Case: Fractal Design Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case (₹12890.12 @ Newegg India)
Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 520 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (₹6500.00 @ Amazon India)
Total: ₹97349.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-03-17 20:57 IST+0530

I read that AMD CPUs are way better than Intel now. So, I don't mind switching.

So, you are recommending using an NVIDIA GPU over AMD Radon with AMD CPU right? Also if I am reading your messages correctly, it seems RTX 2060 is the best GPU for my work right? Don't worry about availability. You can just recommend what you think is best. I would rather wait for a little for them to get in-stock than do hurry. As my current system is still operational. So, just recommend the best and most reliable ones.

Also, you didn't say is Crucial is good RAM? Or should I try to get some other company like Corsier.

Also is Sea Sonic a good Power supply or should I rather go with something like Corsier or Coolermaster or something (in the same wattage range i.e. 520W +)?

 

[Eximo]

CPU-----

The chip I picked out rivals Intel's last generation hardware, but is cheaper.

(Zen1)Ryzen 1st gen ~= Intel 4th gen
(Zen1+)Ryzen 2nd gen ~= Intel 6th gen
(Zen2)Ryzen 3rd gen ~= Intel 8/9th gen
(Zen3)Ryzen (5th gen) > Intel 10th and 11th

A few caveats here and there, but that is generally true on a price to price comparison.
11th gen is kind of a step backwards, 8 core flagship, previous was a 10 core, and AMD is over there with 6, 8, 12, 16 core chips that are faster per core. Cheaper motherboards, overclocking on more platforms.

Intel's only big advantage is Thunderbolt support, if you have need of that. Pretty expensive motherboards that have that feature.

Parts-----

There isn't really a comprehensive list of best parts. That would mean looking at multiple round ups for each product, for each generation, etc, etc. I do this pretty regularly and try to keep relevant information in my head.

GPU----

Nvidia commands an advantage, to some degree, on efficiency. They are consistently using an older process node and still outperforming AMD. Nvidia drivers are considered to be more reliable and finished at product launch. AMD will often increase performance over time. (Some see this is as benefit, but then you have to think you missed out on that performance for months) Nvidia cards also have an abundance of useful features. RTX, stands for Ray Tracing, which is something AMD has yet to replicate. So your recent Nvidia card has three types of cores. CUDA, RT, and Tensor. CUDA is your general processing, that can be used for all kinds of things. RT cores specifically calculate how light bounces of surfaces. Tensor cores are an advanced math core that can be used for deep learning and AI.

All that said, AMD cards are still nice. AMD tends to put more memory in them then necessary as a marketing ploy, but that can be useful if you do memory intensive GPU things.

In truth, you have very few manufacturers of the core components. GPU itself will be made by Samsung or TSMC. GPU memory will be made by Micron, SK Hynix, Samsung. Nvidia offers a PCB design that partners are free to use, and your cheaper cards are generally that, with a relatively cheap cooler on them. High end cards are custom designed.

Memory----

For system memory, again, the memory chips themselves will come from Samsung, Nanya, Micron, SK Hynix, and a few others. All the companies do is solder them to PCBs, then test and grade them. So they will take a batch of chips (themselves having already been binned by the manufacturer) Put them on sticks. Then they test the sticks to see how fast they will go, mark them down and put them in sets, slap some stickers on and you have a product.

Even the cheapest memory is likely to do as advertised, it is when you want to go beyond that that it matters which chips you get. I tend to stick with Corsair, Crucial, G.Skill, the occasional Kingston. All reputable brands.

PSU----

Seasonic is the OEM for many other brands, including some Corsair units.

Coolermaster is more well known for making pretty much every CPU and GPU cooler on the market. They do make some good PSU units, but also some cheap ones, same with Corsair. Seasonic's recent M12III line is not considered that good, the older M12II is still considered a good regulated unit. Non-modular, which is why it is still relatively cheap. Higher end PSUs like the RMx line from Corsair are certainly a thing, but much more expensive. Superflower as well sells mostly under other brand names. Not as familiar with PSUs outside of North America, quite a few good brands over here don't exist in Asia. Though we see most of your brands hiding under OEM labels. Dell pretty much uses Great Wall PSUs.

 

[Eximo]

And the ludicrous build, something I might build for myself:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor (₹39990.00 @ Amazon India)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 SE-AM4 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler (₹8516.00 @ Amazon India)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS PRO ATX AM4 Motherboard (₹24929.00 @ Amazon India)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory (₹24562.08 @ Newegg India)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (₹7690.00 @ Amazon India)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB MINI Video Card (₹34505.00 @ Theitdepot.com)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P300A Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case (₹13251.42 @ Newegg India)
Power Supply: Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (₹11648.00 @ Amazon India)
Case Fan: Phanteks PH-F120SK 50 CFM 120 mm Fan (₹3192.64 @ Newegg India)
Case Fan: Phanteks PH-F120SK 50 CFM 120 mm Fan (₹3192.64 @ Newegg India)
Total: ₹171476.78
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-03-17 22:40 IST+0530

 

[isaumya]

Hi @Eximo ,
So, if I get you correctly if I can afford I should get AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (which is the 5th Gen I guess)?
Also if I go with a NvDia GPU should I go with RTX 2060? Is that will be the best choice for my use case?

 

[antonis mark]

Hi, Hardware Gurus of Toms Hardware Forum,
I'm looking for a build configuration suggestion for my workstation on which I highly rely upon for my livelihood.

Here is the configuration of my current system:

• Intel i5 4690 CPU
• 12 GB of 1333 MHz RAM
• Zotac NVIDIA GeForce GT 640 2GB Graphics Card
• Asus H97-PRO Motherboard (Recommend by this forum and it has been working instantly well since I bought it. Never had a single issue. Will love to stick with Asus Motherboard for this build as well)
• Huntkey 500W Power Supply
• Samsung EVO 840 500GB SSD as primary disk

As you can see this is an old system which has been performing well for all these years and served me very well. But over the years my workload got increased and now I perform several multitask all the time.
So, let me give a brief idea of the possible usage of the new system:

• Intense software development & design
• I use VS Code (which eats quite a lot of CPU & RAM) with multiple instance of VS Code open along with each instance having thousands of lines of code
• Use multiple chromium-based browsers (mostly edge chromium & chorme) with more than 30-40 tabs open, sometimes in each instance
• Use Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop & Premiere Pro (Latest version). Sometimes I have to work while multiple VS Code instance, Multiple browsers & Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop open at the same time.
• I use 3 monitors of 27" each right now, so I must need a graphic card which can support that. Honestly even with 3 monitors I always feel that I have no space left to work, so in future might thing about either adding another screen or increasing the screen sizes.

I need a very reliable and powerful config that can take me through this daily workload without a flinch. I don't mind using AMD or Intel. Whatever has the best value to power proposition, I will use that.
But I have been super satisfied fur my Asus Motherboard which has been recommended to me through this forum, so I would like to stick with Asus Motherboard again as despite so much load it never flinched even once. Super happy.
I am not looking for a overclock or something. Just need a very powerful and reliable build recommendation that will last me for many years with these workloads.

My current system is from 2015 and still growing strong, but as the new applications are getting more resource demanding, I can feel the slowness in the work.

Important Note:
Build Budget: Moderate
Country: India

As you can see I am from India, please do recommend the hardware which I can actually buy here.

as long as you are a professional you need a HIGH-END WORKSTATION just buy a gaming motherboard (and yes a normal would get fried from a heavy operation) and a bright new i9 these processors are dedicated to workstations and professionals, and won't disappoint you if you are doing video editing you can go Nvidia Quadro a p1000 for starters and RTX up to 8000 for top movie professionals, you don't really need this unless you make 4k movies for Hollywood last 32+gb of memory for modern workstation standard

 

[Eximo]

If you can afford more than that, we can go down the route of actual workstation parts. There is the original X platform from Intel and the TR4/TRX Threadripper series from AMD. (Though the current Threadrippers are a little dated, interesting to see what the Zen 3 based ones will cost)

Commercial workstations tend towards Xeons and Quadros. Apple Workstations still have Xeons and Radeon or Firepros for the moment. That is why I indicated buying on off the shelf workstation in the beginning. Those are high quality machines and will cost you thousands more, but if you want longevity, they have that.

You did mention a moderate budget, but that means different things to different people.

Oddly, not much call for a Quadro these days unless you are doing very specific things. Late model RTX cards all have GDDR5X, GDDR6, or GDDR6x, all of these have built in ECC which was the standout feature of Quadros and Firepro. You still have the driver advantage and better precision math capabilities, but for what you described as use cases, wouldn't make a difference. Extreme amounts of video memory is achievable with the RTX3090, and presumably they have Quadros with double that to 48GB, but again, very special cases.

I don't think you need that much GPU, or the RTX2060, but you did mention to select better parts, so that was the selection choice for the final build. You can mix and match some of that.

Your GT640 will probably be fine if you aren't experiencing problems with it now. GPU can always be picked up later (Though again you are lucky that GPUs are actually available)

Only reason to avoid ASUS for the motherboard on that build was because there is no guarantee the motherboard will come with a BIOS version that supports the latest chips. This motherboard has a CPUless BIOS update feature. ASUS also has boards with this, but in India they are very over-priced or unavailable.

The recommendation for a gaming motherboard isn't wrong, but there are similarly priced PRO boards (like the one you have now) that offer basically the same VRM layout, and other useful work related features. Gaming boards tend to have higher quality sound, network, and other 'gaming' and overclocking features. High end Intel boards will offer thunderbolt (I may have mentioned that before) Which can be useful for hooking up all kinds of portable high end storage devices. More USB type C ports as well for the same purpose even if not thunderbolt capable.