Build Advice Rendering new build

[yurtman]

Approximate Purchase Date: Now

Budget Range: £1500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: I need a new build for rendering, primarily Keyshot, potentially V RAY. Both of these will be running in CPU mode and because I work with large 3D models and output photorealistic images, the CPU demand is very high. I also use Photoshop, Alibre 3D modeling software and numerous other CAD /CAM programs.

Are you buying a monitor:No

Parts to Upgrade: Full system

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Not fussed, I am considering PC Specialist (https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/) I will need the company I buy from to assemble.

Location: South-East England

Parts Preferences: by brand or type (e.g.: I would like to upgrade to Intel CPU)

Overclocking: Maybe

Your Monitor Resolution: 2x 1920x1080 monitors

Additional Comments: (e.g.: Need to have a window and lots of bling, I would like a quiet PC. Please also list specific software or games you're using)

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My current PC is an antique

I'm considering (A) an intel 13900k, or (B) an AMD Ryzen 9 7950x build.

A:
Intel® Core™ i9 24-Core Processor i9-13900K (Up to 5.8GHz) 36MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME Z790-P (DDR5, LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB PCS PRO DDR5 4800MHz (1 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W CV SERIES™ CV-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 120 Series ARGB High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6E AX210 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Cost £1475

B:
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16 Core CPU (4.5GHz-5.7GHz/80MB CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B650-PLUS (DDR5, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB PCS PRO DDR5 4800MHz (1 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W CV SERIES™ CV-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 150 Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6E AX210 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Cost £1308

Presently I am leaning toward the Ryzen build. In particular, I would like to know:

Will there be a significant loss opting for ASUS® PRIME A620M-K: Micro-ATX (DDR5, USB 3.2, ARGB) and saving £63.

Or are there noticeable gains by upgrading to ASUS® TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI (DDR5, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) with the necessary PS upgrade CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET, this combination adding £92.

Is the 1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W) worth the additional £50 over 1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W).

General system / CPU cooling/component compatibility / alternative components advice will be very helpful.

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

Hello,

A few things:

I would choose a different CPU cooler to pair with an i9 or Ryzen 9. Something better quality with more cooling capacity.

You will want a dual-channel kit of RAM for better performance. One that comes with a pair of sticks.

Choose a better quality PSU. CV series is for office builds typically without a GPU. The RMx is a good choice.

I would stay away from the A-series chipset with a Ryzen 5, 7, or 9 CPU. The VRMs will not stay cool enough to allow the CPU to perform at its optimal levels.

 

[Misgar]

I went with an 850W Corsair RMx PSU and an X670E motherboard for my 7950X rendering build. You need the quality of at least a mid-range chipset and associated high power VRMs to cope with the power demands of a 13900K or 7950X. You'll tax the VRM heatsinks and MOSFETs if you specify a low end chipset mobo.

I'd be surprised if a bottom of the range, low quality CV 550W PSU would stand the strain for very long. 550W really is pushing the the lower limit of reliability. My 7950X pulls up to 190W and my RTX 3060 pulls 170 W continuously during rendering runs. Expect a 13900K to pull up to 250W.

At the very least, you need a really big air cooler for the 7950X (I chose a Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black). For a 13900K, I'd suggest a 360 or 420mm AIO water cooler to cope with all that heat. 13900K CPUs will throttle at 100C on an air cooler and many smaller AIOs.

My 7950X sat at 89C continuously for 36 hours during a long video render. You do NOT want to fit a puny cooler. Dual-tower twin fan air coolers or large AIOs are needed to calm these beasts, especially the 13900K.

A rendering rig with one of these CPUs cannot be built with inadequate cooling or a weak PSU and then work reliably.

Are you sure you can get away with only 16GB RAM? Check the spec of all your programs and see what they recommend as optimal, not the absolute bare minimum.

Photoshop CC is fairly light if you don't work on truly enormous RAW files and will cope with only 16GB, but I fitted 2 x 32GB (64GB) 4800MT/s RAM for use in Adobe Premiere Pro at 4K UHD resolution. You can get away with 32GB in Premiere Pro at 1080p, but you need 128GB for 8K resolution video.

I've got three 1TB M.2 NVMe drives fitted on the mobo, one for Window & programs, one as an Adobe scratch disk and one for work in progress. Don't worry if they're Gen.3, Gen. 4 or the new Gen 5 drives, it makes little difference. For main storage I use 5 hard disks.

You say you don't need a new OS, but if you're hoping to transfer the Windows license from an old PC, check to see if you are legally allowed to do so. Don't buy a key from a dubious cheap web site for 11 quid. Chances are it's part of a Volume License or Educational version of Windows, not intended to be split amongst thousands of users and resold. If you buy one of these keys, it will unlock Windows but you'll be unlicensed. A key is not a license.

The cheapest I've see a legal copy of Windows 11 Pro recently is the special offer which appeared in PC Pro magazine for £79.99. I bought Windows 10 Pro from the same source in 2019 for only £39.99, a bargain considering a legitimate license for Pro is nearly £200. Home is around £100 from a legit source.

Best of luck with the new (more expensive) build.

 

[Lucky_SLS]

Unfortunately, like others have mentioned, some part choices are bad. Like the cooler, single stick ram and PSU.

You would want a mobo with good VRMs for sustained multi core workloads like rendering.

A good and fast SSD in random read writes.

A good PSU.

you would have to see how you can assemble this.

Keeping those in mind, a 7950X system comes to about 1400 like so:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 4.5 GHz 16-Core Processor (£539.94 @ Box Limited)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (£45.00 @ Computer Orbit)
Motherboard: MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard (£189.00 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6400 CL32 Memory (£108.00 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (£95.98 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12G GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card (£265.00 @ Computer Orbit)
Case: Cooler Master MasterBox 540 ATX Mid Tower Case (£48.94 @ Box Limited)
Power Supply: MSI MAG A650GL 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (£79.99 @ AWD-IT)
Case Fan: Thermalright TL-C12C 66.17 CFM 120 mm Fan (£4.49 @ Amazon UK)
Case Fan: Thermalright TL-C12C 66.17 CFM 120 mm Fan (£4.49 @ Amazon UK)
Case Fan: Thermalright TL-C12C 66.17 CFM 120 mm Fan (£4.49 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £1385.32
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-09-14 11:00 BST+0100

 

[yurtman]

Thank you all for your replies, I used your advice to improve the spec. in the areas of concern. A friend of mine has offered to help assemble my PC, so my £1500 budget buys more. This is the list I have gone with, I hope I haven't made any blunders:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X £640.00 awd-IT
Motherboard: MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK - bundled with CPU
Case: Phanteks Eclipse G360A £85.00 awd-IT
SSD: WD BLACK SN850X 2TB £130.00 Amazon
GPU: MSI RTX4060 VENTUS 2X £290.00 Amazon
RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 NEO 32GB 6000MHz CL30 DDR5 £118.00 e buyer
PS: corsair rm850x £120.00 Amazon
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 £103.00 Amazon
Disc Drive: Hitachi-LG GH24 £18.00 Amazon
TOTAL £1,504.00