New build advice for 3d Animation and Gaming

[bunford]

I currently have a system with a Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.7GHz, 6GB DDR2 RAM and a ATi Radeon HD 5770 1GB running on a standard ASUS P5Q SE2 motherboard.

However, having been a keen sketcher for many years, I'm now about to dabble with using software to make 2D and 3D animations. I am also about to begin a computer animation course. I will be using software like Render, and I might also consider moving up to something like Maya or 3DS Max 2012. I will mainly be looking to make short animated films, probably in 3D mainly. I will also be using the machine for gaming.

I am considering a £500 spend to upgrade my machine to the below spec:

* MSI P67A-GD65 Socket 1155 Motherboard
* Intel Core i7 2600K 3.3GHz and overclock to at least 4.4GHz (or perhaps Core i5 2500K if performance won't be that much different, or at least the £60 difference worth of performance)
* 16GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM
* Add a second 5770 to use in Crossfire

My new build to be used for 3D animation and gaming will then be:

* MSI P67A-GD65 Socket 1155 Motherboard
* Intel Core i7 2600K @ 4.4GHz
* 16GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM
* 2 x ATi Radeon HD 5770 1GB in Crossfire
* 1TB SATAIII HDD (used as the animation drive)
* 640GB SATAIII HDD (used as a storage for music, films etc)
* 500GB SATAIII HDD (used for the Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit install and program files so I can re-install Windows with risking music, video or animation files)

Is this a system that will handle 3D animation quite easily?

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

Yes it should handle 3D animation and gaming very nicely. Check withe software that you are going to run for 3D animation to see if they are multi-threaded and if so how many threads they can support. If it is less then 4 drop down to the Intel Core i5-2500K. Also if you are going to overclock make sure you pick up a nice 3rd party HSF (heatsink/fan) to deal with the increase temperatures. Make sure that the memory that you select is DDR 3 1.5v. Running memory at 1.65v can damage the processor and void the warranty.

Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team

Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team

 

[bunford]

I already got a Zalman CNPS10X Performa heatsink and fan which is compatible with socket 1155. Currently keeps my slightly overclock Q6600 at a super cool 30 degree idle and about 38 degree under normal load (as in day to day use) so will be more than capable of doing the job on an overclocked i7.

The RAM I've chosen is the G.Skill RipjawX, which is indeed 1.5v.

Also, the softwares I'm considering are (but not sure which I'll get yet, using the free Blender initially):

* Blender 2.59
* Autodesk 3DS Max 2012
* Autodesk Maya
* SideFX Houdini 11

Unfortunately, I can't find anything on their sites about the threads they support, but the increased threads available on the i7 over the i5 is why I was considering it. Just not sure if it's £60 worth of difference as I've never used 3D software before.

 

[k1114]

Yes all of those will use all the cores you can throw at it. I don't have official links but the SB review is helpful. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sandy-bridge-core-i7-2600k-core-i5-2500k,2833-15.html

 

[bunford]

Thanks for this. Very useful.

Also, At the moment, I've a budget 750W power supply. With so much expensive gear in the new build, I'd be looking to upgrade to a reliable, well known power supply.

What kind of wattage would be sufficient for the above setup? Any that are not too costly (baring in mind the cost of the other parts already!) you can recommend?