Quadro, GTX or AMD for Design PC?

[ngrego]

Hi All,

I am preparing to help build a PC for a friend who is studying Graphic Design but I am unsure about what GPU to suggest. As I understand Quadro GPUs are for "professional" use and best suited for CAD, Video Rendering and other specialized software for design.

Would a Quadro be the best pick for such a build, or would a higher end GPU (GTX or r9) do the job just as well?

Would this PC need to be accompanied by a high end CPU as well?

Finally, would I need to have a higher output PSU to support the Quadro?

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[andy_Man]

Do you know what software will be used. It makes a difference.

 

[bootcher]

For designing the CPU/GPU don't make much difference, but the ram will. So get enough ram and get the faster latency ram. Also the speed of the disks will make a big difference, so make sure to include a large enough SSD.

 

[k1114]

Consumer cards will have better performance but the biggest concern for graphic design is usually having a higher end 10 bit monitor so you want a quadro to take advantage of that. Knowing what software will get a better idea of what it uses. But cad and video is not graphic design and has different needs.

 

[ngrego]

Thanks for your replies.

The software that will be used is AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, Adobe Premier, Adobe Photoshop and also some other 3D design software he couldn't remember the names of.

I was thinking that a highish-end consumer GPU would do for that kind of thing when I came across the Quadro. Apparently they use specialized driver that take advantage of gpu and make it better for that kind of use. But honestly I don't know anyone with any experience with Quadro cards so I cant be sure.

 

[bootcher]

For serious 3d design the only way to go is a Quadro or Firepro type card. 'Normal' 3d cards can also do the job but lack the precision these professional cards have. Some programs can be accelerated through using cuda cores on nvidia cards but you should check if the specific programs support it.

 

[k1114]

All those would be better with consumer except ps if you want 10bit support and archicad/any of the other 3d that weren't mentioned uses opengl. None of those need cuda as adobe has opencl support for a couple years now. I see this is not graphic design. It's architecture? Also 3d design is very broad and people often mix precision for somehow meaning something else. Nvidia gimps fp64 on geforce vs quadro and it makes no difference except for computations and simulations, not any design work. It's not the precision that serious design work goes for quadro, it's stability. You just can't be handling downtime or wasting time bug troubleshooting. Not that I've ever had issues with consumer cards since it does render 3d and video faster and cheaper. Same goes for any other sims that's just for show or visualization. Which to choose just goes down to budget and more exact usage. He's still a student so I assume not a big budget or seriousness and will probably say go with consumer.

 

[ngrego]

Thanks k1114!

You are right the lad is studying something architecture related, and yes, his budget is whatever he managed to save from his summer job.

I will go for a consumer GPU as you suggested, would you have any good suggestions?

What level of CPU power would I need for this build though?
I was thinking of a CORE I5-4690K, but this CPU costs 270 euro so it leaves me with less wiggle room for the GPU.
How about RAM, will 8GB be enough or will he need 16GB?

I believe that the three GPU, CPU and RAM are all vital for this kind of work, so I want to be sure to make the right picks.

I really appreciate your help.

 

[k1114]

Just starting out, he won't do anything too complex so 8gb ram, an i5 and a mid range gpu. I don't know the budget but that is usually in budget for a student. Those software are cpu renderers so maybe go up to an xeon e3 since i7 costs more. Not ocing could save money on a cheaper mobo and could go with a 750ti. The gpu will just be handling viewports in most software. Premiere does have gpu rendering but it's diminishing returns after mid range gpus.