CAD Design + 3D Animation Rig- $1200

[JooJoo]

Hey Guys 😀
I'm looking to assemble a PC for mainly mechanical engineering and design work

Approximate Purchase Date: Dec2013-Jan2014

Budget Range: 1200 USD (Actually my budget is INR 90,000($1500) but components cost higher here in India so i have roughly adjusted for the price difference from USA)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: CAD Design(Solidworks, ANSYS) > 3D Animation and rendering(3DSMax, Maya) > Video editing(Vegas) > Photoshop and some games COD, Assassins Creed, NFS etc. oh and a P2P client would be running all the time and 20 tabs in Mozilla

Parts Required: Everything from scratch, Monitor+CPU+Motherboard+Memory+Storage+SSD(if necessary)+GraphicsCard+Case+PSU+Optical Drive+Keyboard&Mouse, OS not required

Country: Bangalore, India.

Parts Preferences: Intel CPU, Nvidia (Quadro Card?)

Overclocking: No, I dont intend to overclock, maybe after one year of usage i will.

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080, I can go for a less expensive monitor and Case

Additional Comments: I intend to use the system for 2 years, then buy another, i don't intend to upgrade.

Cant figure out a config myself, awaiting eagerly for some suggestions

 

[P1nnacle]

I'm just going to comment so you understand why no one else is, most people on the forums don't really have an interest in doing all the research for you. If you come to us with most of the parts picked out, we'll be happy to help you fine tune your picks, but we don't have time to do all the research ourselves.

 

[bambiboom]

JooJoo,

Actually, it's possible to assemble a quite capable CAD / rendering system within your budget- I hope. The prices and links are to newegg / amazon in the US and the adjustment to Rs. is uncertain>

BambiBoom PixelSnaffler Cadarendergrapharific iWork Rupee WalletJoyScream V £®©™?$$_Rev> 6 Nov. 13

The system is based on a quad core Xeon E3, ECC, error correcting RAM , multiple RAID configuration capable server /workstation Intel C216 motherboard supporting 32GB, dual LAN, USB 3.0, 6GB/s drives, and mounted in a case that can accommodate three 5.25" drives and six 3.5" drives. The E3-1230 was chosen as it is has a healthy clock speed (3.3 / 3.7GHz), is hyperthreading (the 1220 is not), as a V2 (Ivy Bridge) as it is 69W instead of the Haswell (V3) 80W. This could be revised to V3 / Haswell if you prefer.

1. CPU > Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 Ivy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1155, 69W Quad-Core Server Processor BX80637E31230V2 > $235 ( On Passmark CPU benchmarks, this CPU is rated as No. 50, scoring 8880 )

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117286

2. Motherboard > ASRock C216 WS ATX Server Motherboard LGA 1155 Intel C216 > $183
____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157411&Tpk=ASRock%20C216%20WS

3. Memory > 16GB Kingston (2X 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 ECC Unbuffered Server Memory w/TS Model KVR16E11/8 > $154 ($77 each) (Using 2 X 8GB allows later expansion to the full 32GB)

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820239370

4. GPU> NVIDIA Quadro K2000 VCQK2000-PB 2GB GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Workstation Video Card > $429 (Solidworks requires a Quadro or Firepro)

____ hhttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133483

5. Storage > Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive - OEM > $70

____ http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-SATA-Cache-Drive-ST2000VN000/dp/B00D1GYNT4/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1377096563&sr=1-1&keywords=Seagate+NAS+HDD+ST2000VN000

6.Case > Corsair Carbide Series 200R Black Steel / Plastic compact ATX Mid Tower Case $60 ( 3 external 5.25", 6 internal 3.5", USB 3.0)

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129180

7. Power Supply > SeaSonic SSR-450RM 450W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply > $75 (The power needs are calculated as > CPU 80W + RAM 20W (4 slots X 5W) + drives 20W + graphics card 120W+ CPU and 4X case fans at a total of 40W = 280W

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151117

8. DVD Burner > ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM > $20

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204
________________________________________
Total= $1,156

Cheers,

BambiBoom

1. Dell Precision T5400 (2009)> 2X Xeon X5460 quad core @3.16GHz > 16GB ECC 667> Quadro FX 4800 (1.5GB) > WD RE4 500GB / Seagate Barracuda 500GB > M-Audio 2496 Sound Card > Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit > HP 2711x 27" 1920 x 1080 > AutoCad, Revit, Solidworks, Sketchup Pro, Corel Technical Designer, Adobe CS MC, WordP Office, MS Office > architecture, industrial design, graphic design, rendering, writing

2. HP z420 (2013)> Xeon E5-1620 quad core @ 3.6 / 3.8GHz > 24GB ECC 1600 RAM > Quadro 4000 > Samsung 840 SSD 250GB / Seagate Barracuda 500GB > M-Audio 192 sound card > AE3000 USB WiFi // Windows 7 Professional 64 > AutoCad, Revit, Inventor, Maya (2011), Solidworks 2010, Adobe CS4, Corel Technical Design X-5, Sketchup Pro, WordP Office X-5, MS Office

 

[JooJoo]

P1nnacle

got it,
i was very new to the forum

 

[JooJoo]

hi bambiboom!

thanks!
i looked up all parts against one level up and one level down options price-wise and technology-wise over a week,
got up to speed on a lot of stuff since i built my last PC(2009),
your parts list is The configuration of Q3 2013 for that requirement in that budget!

i got a few doubts though now,

# certain applications which are CPU graphics only like Keyshot for rendering will not work? so should i go for E3 1235 or E3 1245 maybe?

# also, if ASRock C216 WS is not available can i go with Asus P8C WS, how different are they?

# are Core i7 based systems much better at rendering? i will not be having the system work 24/7

# what would be the Corsair equivalent of the PSU suggested (as this is easily available) Corsair VX450/ VS450? or should i stick with Seasonic.

i have decided to stretch my budget as the config you suggested will unfortunately cost INR 111500 or $ 1793 in India, and i cant compromise on the system's capability.
i may buy some components from primeabgb or theitdepot if unavailable locally in Bangalore, only components for gaming builds are popular..

any other suggestions from anybody are welcome

Cheers!

 

[bambiboom]

JooJoo,

Good to hear from you and see that you are progressing.

You ask >

# certain applications which are CPU graphics only like Keyshot for rendering will not work? so should i go for E3 1235 or E3 1245 maybe?

Increased CPU speed is always welcome, but the difference in the Xeon E3 series mentioned- from 1230 to 1245 will be only 100 or 200 MHz and I feel that unless the selection is changed to the E3-1270 level, that there is not significant, noticeable improvement. If however, the cost is not prohibitive, boosting CPU by any amount is a good place to invest!

# also, if ASRock C216 WS is not available can i go with Asus P8C WS, how different are they?

The ASUS P8C WS has very similar features (same C216 chipset and dual LAN, similar PCIe slots) to the suggested ASROCK, but is somewhat more expensive- about $40 more in the US- but I would also rate ASUS in general as somewhat higher quality than ASRock.

# are Core i7 based systems much better at rendering? i will not be having the system work 24/7

The 25.6 GB/s memory bandwidth of the Xeon E3 (3.3 / 3.7GHz) is the same as the i7-4770 as are the 32GB RAM support and 16 of PCIe lanes. The I7-4770 is 3.4 / 3.90 faster- but somewhat more expensive- about $90 more in the US. In my view, for rendering, the ECC error correcting RAM of the Xeon is important as is the ability of Xeons to run the very long rendering processes. To make a significant improvement over the Xeon E3, there is the Xeon E5 series which are socket LGA2011 and has better specifications. The E5 has a 51.6 GB/s bandwidth, supports 64GB RAM and 40 PCIe lanes- all much better, plus with LGA2011 you can have a 4, 6, 8, 10 , and in future 12 core CPU. If you can find the Xeon E5-1620 V2, it is 3.7/ 3.9GHz and costs $294 (Superbiiz) which is about $60 more than the E3-1230 V2. The specification and ability to have more than 4 cores later may be worth the cost as it would extend the useful life of the system without having to replace it in total. Rendering programmes are one of the few that can use all the available cores as well as have a boost from GPU coprocessing like the CUDA cores in Quadros. Solidworks and Adobe CS both benefit in these ways.

# what would be the Corsair equivalent of the PSU suggested (as this is easily available) Corsair VX450/ VS450? or should i stick with Seasonic.

I do not know the models specifically, but by reputation, Corsair and Seasonic are the best choices. Choose from the models in the same power range and energy efficiency and I believe the result with either make should be good.

Well, as my friend from Hyderabad says - bahoot acha -very good- that you organizing your new system- a good start for the new year ! Or sorry, perhaps I should learn that phrase in Kannada? Either way, good luck!

Cheers,

BambiBoom

HP z420 (2013) > Xeon E5-1620 quad core @ 3.6 / 3.8GHz > 24GB ECC 1600 RAM > Quadro 4000 (2Gb)> Samsung 840 SSD 250GB /Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > Linksys AE3000 USB WiFi // Windows 7 Ultimate 64 > Autodesk Building Design Suite 2013, Inventor Pro2011, Solidworks 2010, Adobe CS6 MC, Corel Technical Design X-5, Sketchup Pro 2013, WordP Office X-6, MS Office Pro+2013 [Passmark system rating = 3815, 2D= 680 / 3D=2044]

Gosh > :0345 here!

 

[JooJoo]

Happy New Year bambiboom!
are u based in Brazil?(timezone)

 

[JooJoo]

Hi!

Streamlining with budget, i boiled down the component list to this:

CPU: Xeon E3 1245 V3

MoBo: ASUS P9D WS

RAM: Kingston HyperX BLU 1600 8X2

GPU: NVIDIA QUADRO K2000

PSU: Seasonic M12ii 750 (SS750AM)

HDD: WD Black 1TB 7200

Fan: CM Hyper 101

SSD: Samsung 840Pro 128 GB

Case: Corsair Carbide 300R Windowed

DVDdriv: ASUS DRW D3

UPS: APC UPS 600 VA

So will these components work together?

for motherboard, what about ASUS H87 PRO instead? as i wont be Overclocking and not using ECC RAM, as it is slightly more than double the price for non-ECC1600 8GB

a CPU+Mobo 1155 combo of XEON E3 1245 V2+ ASUS P8C WS is available at slightly lesser price, how much advantage is XEON V3+C226 giving me over XEON V2+C216 chipset?

 

[bambiboom]

Hi!

Streamlining with budget, i boiled down the component list to this:

CPU: Xeon E3 1245 V3

MoBo: ASUS P9D WS

RAM: Kingston HyperX BLU 1600 8X2

GPU: NVIDIA QUADRO K2000

PSU: Seasonic M12ii 750 (SS750AM)

HDD: WD Black 1TB 7200

Fan: CM Hyper 101

SSD: Samsung 840Pro 128 GB

Case: Corsair Carbide 300R Windowed

DVDdriv: ASUS DRW D3

UPS: APC UPS 600 VA

So will these components work together?

for motherboard, what about ASUS H87 PRO instead? as i wont be Overclocking and not using ECC RAM, as it is slightly more than double the price for non-ECC1600 8GB

a CPU+Mobo 1155 combo of XEON E3 1245 V2+ ASUS P8C WS is available at slightly lesser price, how much advantage is XEON V3+C226 giving me over XEON V2+C216 chipset?

JooJoo,

Yes, that appears to be a good list.

Given the importance of rendering, I would still encourage the use of ECC RAM, but with care, results can be OK with standard- and if that's a bit faster .

As for chipset, I would stay with the C2XX chipset if you were using ECC, but H87 appears to be a good performer. My only suggestion is to pay attention to the PCIe slots and ensure you can add the devices you need. Overall, if the price is not dramatically more, with your applications an uses the ECC, CXX chipset combination would be my choice.

One thing you might consider is to build initially without the SSD. The reason I mention this is that once an SSD is set up, a lot of changes and optimizing can put premature wear on the memory. They are not delicate, but you are not supposed to defragment an SSD. I bought an HP z420 with a not very high perfroamnce 500GB Seagate, configured my OS and software in a 220GB partition, used Perfect Disk to optimize and defrag, and then when everything was perfect, made a system image and migrated to a Samsung 840 250GB. I then put the 500GB Seagate in a Star Tech 3.5" enclosure *with fan) for backup and added a WD Black 1TB. On the subject of WD 1TB, try and have the new single platter WD1003FZEX -much faster. a good, economical, good performing WD is the WD Blue WD10EZEX.

I would mention too that after a couple of months with an SSD, I really don't think it's very important in a workstation. Yes, it starts the OS, applications, and very large files somewhat faster, but it's not a meaningful time-saver to me. If I working with big video files perhaps, I'd see the benefits, but I actually would rather have spent the $200 on a better video card or more RAM.

I feel that a 750W PSU is unnecessary and even 550W will be fine. Seasonic are supposed to be very good/

As for the CPU >

Xeon E3-1245 V2 Passmark CPU average rating = 9018, ranking is No. 66
Xeon E3-1245 V3 Passmark CPU average rating = 9565, ranking is No. 49

That's a reasonable proportional improvement for the V3, so you will have to judge whether the difference in cost is worth it. In the US the price between the two is only about $15 ($275 to $290)

Good to see you're near to building. Let us know how it works.

Cheers,

BambiBoom