New Game Development Workstation Needed

Paramedicsam

Honorable
Jun 17, 2012
38
0
10,540
Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: As soon as possible

Budget Range: $4-10k after or before shipping

System Usage from Most to Least Important: This computer is going to be my main workstation for game programming and animation. Started a studio with some friends and I need this PC to work and run smoothly with Autodesk's software line (Maya, 3D Studio Max, and more), Unity, UDK, CryEngine 3, Visual Studio 2012, IBM Rational, and much more. I also wanted this PC to be able to run games that we create. I have a spare gaming PC but in the case that the gaming PC is not working I need to be able to use the workstation to test and play games. This is the big reason why I am torn between the GTX TITAN and the Quadro K5000.

Are you buying a monitor: Yes x3

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I prefer Amazon because in the case that something does not work I can return with little hassle unlike Newegg BUT I do understand if I need to buy something somewhere else so list any site.

Location: Florida, USA

Parts Preferences: by brand or type : I prefer Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU, I do not like G.Skillz RAM.

Overclocking: If possible, if not no problem

SLI: Yes please

Your Monitor Resolution: 2560x1440 to 1920x1080 (Higher the better)

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Started a game studio with friends and this is sort of our first step. We are all students in game software development and have a strong passion to work for ourselves and this is the reason we want to start our own studio. Any help would be great and I thank everyone ahead of time. I made a kick ass gaming PC from everyone's opinion here and I have been happy ever since, hope the same happens with this workstation. Here is what I have so far:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3930K 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($499.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus Rampage IV Extreme EATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($219.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($219.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 520 Series Cherryville 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($244.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial M4 512GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($383.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 800D ATX Full Tower Case ($273.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair 1200W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($299.99 @ Microcenter)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($54.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($639.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($639.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($639.99 @ NCIX US)
Other: Swiftech H2O-320 Edge HD Triple 120mm Liquid Cooling Kit (Cooler) ($250.00)
Other: PNY nVidia Quadro K5000 Graphics Card VCQK5000 ($1800.00)
Other: Wacom Cintiq 24HD Graphic Monitor ($2500.00) (Not included in the price, already on order).
Total: $6777.80

I am stuck between the GTX TITAN and Quadro also the Xeon verse i7.
 
Solution
^That.

You need better storage, of a reliable brand, preferably with a warranty that covers data recovery... and you need two of them in RAID 1, along with a way of performing regular backups.

I also agree that the Quadro is the way to go, and I would either take the i7 or, better yet, wait a month or two. Ivy bridge extreme is going to be rolling out very soon - 15 cores with 30 threads. (Edit: 6 and 12 - forgot that the 15 cores had been called out as a myth.)
G

Guest

Guest
Get the K5000, your Autodesk applications will thank you. From a storage standpoint, why the 2TB drive? If you are storing things on this machine long term as it would indicate, you should likely look in to using a couple of drives and mirroring them as it would suck to lose your game when that Deathstar drive fails. You also likely don't need the 1200w power supply (I haven't added it up but would guess 900w would suffice.)
 

Paramedicsam

Honorable
Jun 17, 2012
38
0
10,540

I was thinking a smaller PSU but I like this PSU because of the software with it, I can actually manage it with the computer and keep tabs on it.

See I was worried about the GPU because I know how awesome the k5000 is for rendering and with all the software I am using but when it comes to playing the games I make, will it handle them? That is what I wanted to know, for example if I was to have created Bioshock Infinite would the k5000 run it? These are the questions I ask myself and have looked online. I just like to be prepared lol. Plus heck, on our downtime I know we all will play games together so sort of need a minor gaming PC.

Lastly, the HDD you think maybe get smaller ones and maybe like 3 of them? I want to have one big SSD for storing my programs but save location would be the HDD. Thank you again for the fast response.
 
^That.

You need better storage, of a reliable brand, preferably with a warranty that covers data recovery... and you need two of them in RAID 1, along with a way of performing regular backups.

I also agree that the Quadro is the way to go, and I would either take the i7 or, better yet, wait a month or two. Ivy bridge extreme is going to be rolling out very soon - 15 cores with 30 threads. (Edit: 6 and 12 - forgot that the 15 cores had been called out as a myth.)
 
Solution

Paramedicsam

Honorable
Jun 17, 2012
38
0
10,540

Any advice on what HDD brand to get and size? Also...Intel is really coming out with the i7 extreme? I am in no rush at all to purchase, I have plenty of time just the sooner the better.
 

Paramedicsam

Honorable
Jun 17, 2012
38
0
10,540

Okay, thank you for the HDD advice. As for the Intel, I read that but then I remembered the date...sure it isn't a joke from them lol. I couldn't tell if it was real when I read it or not
 


Oh dear. That's a good point - hadn't even processed that.

Wait, no, we're good. It's just that Tom's is slow when it comes to news - everyone else had this on or before march 30th.
 

Paramedicsam

Honorable
Jun 17, 2012
38
0
10,540

Well I do not mind waiting if it will be better. Thanks again for the information.
 

Paramedicsam

Honorable
Jun 17, 2012
38
0
10,540
Updated some specs, I am being told though to get a dual Xeon chipset when working with Maya or any rendering software. Can anyone relate to this information?

This is from a Boxx support tech that I am speaking with for computer ideas: "Maya uses as many cores as you throw at it. So dual proc setups are the best for Maya."