Sub $1300 for 3D Modelling and Rendering

drkdad22

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Dec 12, 2011
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Hey all,

I've just revised my potential purchase list and I think I'm pretty close to hitting that "checkout" button! I'd really appreciate any comments/feedback on the setup I've chosen especially if you think a certain part I've spec'd is insufficient or overkill.

Approximate Purchase Date: Late December/Early January

Budget Range: $1000 - $1300

System Usage from Most to Least Important: 3D Modelling (Rhino), Rendering (VRay), Adobe Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign), AutoCAD. Also, I don't play any games.

Parts Not Required: Keyboard, Mouse

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com

Country: USA

Parts Preferences: None

Overclocking: Nope

SLI or Crossfire: Not likely, but I'd like to maintain the option

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: Will also need Windows OS, a monitor, and a wireless card.

Parts List:

CPU: Intel Core i7-2600 Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz
Don't need the K version, as I wont be doing any overclocking.

MOBO: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory

PSU: Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
I'm only running one HDD and one GPU, so I don't think I need anything insane here.

GPU: EVGA SuperClocked GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500413AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive

CASE: Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

CD/DVD: ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA

WIRELESS: TP-LINK TL-WN781ND Wireless Adapter IEEE 802.11b/g/n PCI Express Up to 150Mbps Wireless Data Rates 64/128-Bit WEP, WPA, WPA2

MONITOR: Acer G235HAbd 23'' 5ms 1920x1080 WideScreen LCD monitor 300 cd/m2 1000:1

In the future, I'd like to add an SSD and a second monitor, but for now, this should be a pretty big improvement over my current 1.66GHz 2GB RAM w/ integrated graphics laptop!

Thanks everyone! I'm excited to get everything ordered and see it all arrive on my doorstep!
 
Better memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145347


your mb is more expensive than you need since it has two graphics card slots . Definitely get a board with the Z68 chip set but you can save a little money , and perhaps even use an m-ATX board

I would use a silent office case . Gamer cases move a lot of air which is never completely sound free .CM Silencio , Antec Sonata lll or Sonata lV

A gaming graphics card is not an ideal choice for rendering . A pro quality quadro is out side your budget though . I do not think you will get any advantage by using an Over Clocked card . Maybe a vanilla GTX 560 with a quiet cooler ?

If you can fit an IPS panel LCD in your budget do it. The image quality and viewing angle improvement is remarkable
 

drkdad22

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Dec 12, 2011
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drkdad22

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I really appreciate all the suggestions being offered! Without a doubt, the importance of a workstation GPU is clear when dealing with high polygon models and seeking minimized lag in visualization programs. The FirePro, or even some of the Quadro cards would be really great. Unfortunately, they're simply out of my budget at the moment. I believe any workstation card that was inside my budget would perform less competitively than the 560Ti.

When I head off to graduate school, I'll hopefully have the ability to upgrade my system and buy one of the workstation cards. For now, I think I'll have to stick with the GTX line, unless someone is able to point me in the direction of an affordable alternative.

Don't get the feeling that I'm not listening to you guys! I definitely understand that the GTX option is fundamentally the wrong choice. However, the reality is that this is where my budget lies at this point in time.

I've also taken into account the other suggestions dealing with case, motherboard, and memory offered up here, but it seems, as is common, the main point of contention is the GPU selection.

Thanks!
 

drkdad22

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Dec 12, 2011
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For example, the FirePro 2450 would probably be overall less adequate than the GTX 560Ti, despite being a workstation card tailored toward my tasks. However, if that is a wrong assumption, please do let me know!
 
did you look at any AMD stuff ?. you can get a 6core/16gig DDR3 1333 and a cheaper mother board than intel stuff listed and still have enough for a work station card. i just got 2-4gig sticks for $27. ( $34 now ) no fancy heat sinks but i'll never know the performance difference while i work. 1.5volts will never get them hot.
 

drkdad22

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Dec 12, 2011
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I did consider going the Phenom II X6 route, but from what I was reading, the i7 2600 would still give me overall better performance thanks to hyperthreading. And since the most important task for me is rendering, which is predominantly CPU intensive, I figured that I should go for the best CPU within my budget.

You bring up a good point though. I should definitely try to spec out a Phenom II X6 system and see where that gets me comparatively. For all I know, it will be a more well rounded machine.