Your opinion on my stats for a new computer? Appreciate insite
Kharma
Posts: 3,214
So I too am looking to purchase a new system this year and priced out all the options I want at newegg.ca. The following is a list based on reviews and other info I have aquired through the forums and product sites. I know alot of you have several years experience working with and building computers. The last one I build myself was about 14 years ago and so much has changed and I haven't kept ontop of that, so I would appreciate any insite you can give or maybe alternatives to less expensive but equal or better hardware I could use. The parts I have on this list came to 3100.00 + 10% tax. I am looking to spend only 2600.00 ( be advised this is canadian dollars not US funds), so please go ahead and let me know where I can cut and where to increase. I would be using this computer for 3D using DS and Iray, Reality renders, and I want to start learning modelling and texturing. The programs I use now are Daz Studio w/ Iray and Reality, Photoshop CS2, Paintshop Pro 6X, Silo, Blender, FilterForge and I am looking at purchasing ZBrush. I hope that gives you a good idea of where I want to go with this hobby without upgrading for at least 5 - 7 years except for adding ram, video card, or starage space. Thanks for any advice you can offer
Computer Specs
Intel Core i7-5820K Haswell-E 6-Core 3.3 GHz LGA 2011-v3 140W BX80648I75820K Desktop Processor
ASUS X99-A/USB 3.1 LGA 2011-v3 Intel X99 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
G.SKILL TridentZ Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3400 (PC4 27200) Intel Z170
Platform Desktop Memory Model F4-3400C16Q-32GTZ
CORSAIR RM1000i 1000W ATX12V / EPS12V 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Active PFC Power
Supply
Corsair Hydro Series™ H100i GTX Extreme Performance Water/Liquid CPU Cooler. 240mm
Corsair CC-9011073-WW Black Computer Case
ASUS GeForce GTX 970 STRIX-GTX970-DC2OC-4GD5 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready
SLI Support G-SYNC Support Video Card
SAMSUNG 850 PRO 2.5" 1TB SATA III 3-D Vertical Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-7KE1T0BW
WD Black 2TB Performance Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch -
WD2003FZEX
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Comments
You can cut the size of the SSD drive. I think that a 256G is more than enough for only the OS and the software you use. You save 375$ if you go with the 256G and about 250$ if you go with the 500G.
Next thing: if you want to render with Iray why not invest with a better graphic card? (GTX 980, GTX 980i)
If you go for an i7-4790K (LGA 1150), you'll still have enough horsepower and can get a better graphic card (wich will be good for Iray).
If you don't intend to go SLI (buying a second graphic card some day) than a 1000w power supply seems a bit high for nothing.
It's just my opinion :o) (but I wish a can afford a system like that!)
Just did this one... I think it could be great for what you want to do and it's a little below your budget.
PCPartPicker part list: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/WTCRD3
Price breakdown by merchant: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/WTCRD3/by_merchant/
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($419.99 @ NCIX)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($144.99 @ Canada Computers)
Motherboard: Asus SABERTOOTH Z97 MARK 1/USB 3.1 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($254.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($206.00 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($199.29 @ Vuugo)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($155.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card ($879.00 @ Canada Computers)
Power Supply: XFX PRO Black Edition 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($181.45 @ Amazon Canada)
Total: $2441.68
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-04 13:32 EST-0500
I want the bigger power supply so I can add a 980Ti or Titan X at a later date, and figured the 970 would be ok for now as I could add a 2nd one in about 6 months and use the 970 to run just the monitor ( I don't think this MB has onboard graphics). I wanted the basics to be the highest quality and newest technology and add in as I could hence the 17 6 core processorand more power wattage. The hard disks are debateable and I could go smaller for sure, I was just told that all programs and operating system get installed to the SSD ( i have never had one in my computers) so I wanted to make sure it was big enough to start. Can you have more than one?
(P.S. the only reason I can afford a system like this is because I have a job that requires me to work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week and I never take holidays other than a 3 day weekend a couple times a year...hopefully that will change soon and I can stay at home more to play with this bad boy...lol)
Good suggestions, but do you think you need the liquid cooling for the CPU, especially if the main use of the machine is GPU-based rendering? Interested in your opinion for my own reference. The GPU would create a fair bit of the heat. A good after market CPU fan should be enough, especially if care is taken in the choice of case and case fans to create good airflow over both CPU and GPU.
If budget is tight, maybe drop to 16Gb RAM initially with the option of upgrading to 32 later?
Karma: if you afford these beast than go for it! :o)
andy: These two cpu's are "K" cpus... it means that they can be overcloacked. And if you want to overcloacked it than water cooling is better.
I wasn't sure if the liquid cooling was required but have been told it's a good option, maybe more case fans would be better? I am sure that I will use this computer for more than just graphics ( definitely not gaming, I don't even own a computer game) and the 32 GB is upgradeable to 64 on the X99 board but I think 32 is the limit on the Sabertooth. I haven't decided on operating system yet as to whether I would go to Windows 10 or not, I still am using windows 7 home on my laptop.
That sounds like a good system, do you think the quad core system is good and be stable for several years? I didn't know about parts picker, but will check it out, I have only checked NCIX and Newegg for Canadian suppliers
It's not the afford part I worry about, it's the getting the most for my money I want lol. Would the price make much difference by choosing maybe the same amount in a different brand? Say a different brand of Memory or a different video card such as MSI and still have the same quality? I picked these brands because of reviews or experience, but maybe there is an equal quality, less expensive one that someone may recommend based on their experience with said brands? I know the prices of memory were all over the place but how do you know which is best performance?
OC'ing a computer that pins it's cpu for a lot of tasks like rendering is going to put a lot of wear on the rig as opposed to OC'ing a computer that pins it's cpus on some tasks like gaming, water cooling or not.
If you don't plan to OC water cooling is a luxury you don't need and the stock intel fan and chassis fan wil suffice.
I have the i7-5820K and I overclock to 4GHz - the thing about this is that it's not overclocking all the time, just when under full load. Like mentioned this has some potential to reduce it's lifespan, but in the scheme of things I upgrade every couple of years so it does not affect me. My upgrade route and maybe yours would be to the 8 core probably, but then in a couple of years you never know what can happen with PC tech.
I have an EVGA SSC GTX 970 and it does well, reducing my render times to 20% of the time on just the CPU. If your most taxing task is rendering I would put most into that side of things, which is really the GPU if you are using Iray. What you have listed there above is a really a nice system and should last a few years and demolish the majority of desktop tasks as a bonus. It's a better spec than a lot of mid to high end gamer's rigs.
Having said that, if you can cut down on something like the memory and a somewhat smaller SSD then you might be able to squeeze in a 980ti. I'm actually seriously thinking of getting the 980ti to go with my 970 as I don't see the need for SLI for what I do and the games I play. The 980Ti as I'm sure you are aware has more memory - 6GB. So yep if you can realistically get the 980ti then it's one of the best options out there at this time if you can't wait to see what nVidia come up with later in the year.
Liquid cooling is something I chose for my rig - I often run my CPU full whack for Iray, perhaps limiting cores sometimes so I can still actually use my PC ! What's good about the liquid cooling is that the heat is pushed right out of the case via the attached fan - which has the radiator behind it. That's much better than a stock cooler that just pushes air into the case. It's also quieter than stock fans, but of course still not silent. So if you are chuggin away with both CPU and GPU for long periods then liquid cooling is certainly worth consideration.
As for the GPU - look for some heat solution that sends most of the heat out the back of the case - some of the EVGA range do this - called ACX 2.0(+)...
SSDs are really where it's at now and your PC will be far snappier with your OS on that instead of old hard drives. They also run cool, virtually no heat worth talking about, unlike the old HDDs. Yes you can have more than one, just lilke you could with HDD. I have four SSDs in my build. As new and faster and cheaper ones come out (I was an early uptaker) you can swap things around to suit. I've found a 250GB or thereabouts is fine to put Windows on and a few programs as was suggested above. You could still use an old HDD for storage if you wanted. I've given up on them entirely myself.
I would agree on the beefy PSU - if you can get Corsair then they used to have a 7 year warranty. I went for a 850W a few years back now and it will still easily power this build even with SLI. Don't skimp on the PSU is my advice.
Well that's the end of my rambling, hope some of it helps :)
@Widdersins Studio Thank you for all the info, it helps alot. I will see if I can bring down the price a bit with the various suggestions you have given
Looks like I might be too late to this one, but if you must go X99, consider the Gigabyte UDP3 mobo. I'd swap out an 850 EVO for the PRO. But I second patboudrum...the Z97 chipset is still quite good. If you know you're going to be doing a lot of CUDA rendering from the start, I'd recommend going with the 980 ti now.
The quad core 4790k is still an amazing cpu. The only thing where you need the 5820k is filter forge, which scales well with more cores.
Also, almost all of the brands are super legit these days. I'm an EVGA loyalist for their customer service, but pretty much everything is good. MSI is another great brand. It comes down to specs.
Patboudrum's suggestion is pretty much perfect, I'd say.
Since we're posting potential builds, here is what I'm considering in the near future. I researched these fairly carefully, but if anyone has heard anything particularly noteworthy (good or bad) about any of these parts, I'd be interested in hearing it. This build is for both rendering (mostly to improve Iray preview speed) and gaming.
* Intel Core i7-5820K Haswell-E 6-Core 3.3GHz LGA 2011-v3 140W Desktop Processor
* EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB SC+ GAMING ACX 2.0+, Whisper Silent Cooling w/ Free Installed Backplate Graphics Card
* MSI Computer ATX DDR4 3000 LGA 2011-3 Computer Motherboard X99A SLI KRAIT EDITION
* Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 DRAM 2400MHz (PC4-19200) (might go to 64 GB)
* Thermaltake Core V71 E-ATX Full Tower Gaming Computer Case
* EVGA 210-GQ-1000-V1 1000GQ 80+ GOLD, 1000W ECO Mode Semi Modular NVIDIA SLI & Crossfire Ready
* Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (probably two at some point. I'm using one in my current PC).
SnowSultan,
Like JCThomas mentioned above, if I was choosing a Samsung SSD I would go for the PRO version. Or alternatively, do what I did and get an M.2 drive, it's small and fast, but a tad more than 'regular' SSDs.
Otherwise I think that is a droolworthy build. My choice of motherboard is usually Asus. One question though, why might you go to 64GB VRAM ? For games mainly, video processing ?
something to read about SSD's, very interesting info
The SSD Endurance Experiment: They're all dead edit: this was the artical I was looking for but couldn't find it, it actually the first part The SSD Endurance Experiment: Two freaking petabytes
Some other links and info:
if you want to review/compare some Video Cards, here is a good spot Video Card Comparison
and then there is the site for showing where to buy and that the system (parts) are compatible, PCPartPicker
I actually was suggesting the other way around, gettin g an EVO instead of the PRO. The cost/benefit ratio drops off at the PRO in my opinion, which is a little better than the EVO, but a lot more expensive.
If you're going full tower, I have to strongly recommend the Corsair 750D, which can be had for the same or less as the Thermaltake. The style is understated and it's very easy to build in. The cable management is also superb. If it's in your budget, I'd consider the 980ti hybrid. I bought the cooler separately and was able to mount it to a Titan Black with some hacking and dremmeling (which I don't recommend) and the temps are never above 40 degrees Celsius while rendering. The ACX cooler is great, but it's not ideal for expansion down the road because of the way it dumps air into the case. If you got another one and put it in the bottom slot on that mobo, it would be fine, but right next to each other and the temps soar. I'd also ignore any suggestions that you're likely to get concerning an upgrade to 5930k. The PCIE lanes matter little for rendering. Also the KRAIT's newegg page says 4-way sli, but there are only 6 PCIE slots (and the bottom appears to be covering the power button...) I'll go ahead and give another shout out to the Gigabyte model I mentioned in a previous thread, the UDP3. Also, I haven't priced anything, but I've always had the impression that Corsair memory is more expensive. I'd suggest just going with the cheapest kit that has the specs/timing you want, but avoid the no name brands. Crucial, Kingston, G.SKill and EVGA (which can only be had at microcenter) have all been good to me. Might only be like 10-20 dollar difference though, so may not make a difference.
Didn't see a CPU cooler on your component list, but that's gonna be important for sure if you don't already have one. The Hyper 212 EVO is a solid fallback. ANyway, a lot of my recommendations boil down to personal preference. It's a nice build you have there.
I missed this earlier, but the ACX 2.0(+) doesn't actually exhaust out the back. The reference coolers (blower style) exhaust out the back, through the vents in the IO panel. The ACX and other custom cooling solutions such as ASUS Strix, Gigabyte Windforce or MSI...Lightning(?) exhaust out the side of the card. The fans blow up toward the gpu and that air exhausts sideways (into the side panel of the case) as it hits the PCB. They deliver way better temps when using a single card and are much quieter, but their hot air is dumped inside the case. Side exhaust fans help a lot, but generally good airflow helps too.
Thank you for the comments on my build. It's always helpful to hear other recommendations and ideas.
Could you tell me why 6 PCI-E slots would not be enough? I'm really only considering having two video cards at some point. I like the KRAIT for a few reasons, one being the RAM slots split across two different areas so that a large fan or such could be used if necessary. I also couldn't find the exact UDP Gigabyte mobo that you mentioned, could you link to that if possible?
The main reason why I'm considering that RAM is because of the price on Amazon. It's normally $500, which is how much it is if you include it in a CyberPower build, and highly recommended.
I think that's what I have in my current system. I was considering a Noctua cooler [NH-U12S], although it's kinda pricey (but we shouldn't skimp on cooling). :) The information about the ACX2.0+ is a little alarming though. Cases don't have side ventilation, so what is recommended to get the heat out when using one? I don't overclock, but I also do not want to mess with liquid cooling.
I agree, the speed increase is extremely small. I'm using one (an EVO) on SATA II at the moment and the speed is still an improvement over a normal HD.
I bookmarked that and will compare it to the Thermaltake later, thank you. It looks good, I'll just have to compare the fans and such.
FWIW, I'm running the Noctua NH-U12S and I'm pretty happy with it. I just have the one fan on it, running the I7 Haswell 3.5 GHz 6-core cpu - and I can run the cpu at 100% for over 24 hours and not exceed 60 degrees C. Of course, my case (Antec 1200 V3) has 3 120 mm intake fans (front, behind the drive bays), two 120 mm exhause fans (rear, in line with the cpu), and a 210 mm exhaust fan (top). :-)
Glad to help.
6 PCIE slots is plenty, it's just not enough for 4-way graphic card setups since each card is dual slot. Here's a tweaktown review of the Gigabyte:
http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/7185/gigabyte-x99-ud3p-intel-motherboard-review/index.html (I had the name wrong, which is probably why you couldn't find it...)
Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128772
A good price is a good price, and it's definitely good RAM.
Don't get me wrong about the ACX. It's great on one card. The heat that one card dumps into the case won't have a negative impact on your overall temps as long you have good airflow...intake upfront, and then some rear and/or top exhaust. It's just when you have more than one right next to each other that the temps really rise, especially on the top card. If you got a second one down the road and put it in the fifth or sixth slot, you wouldn't have any temp problems.
I'd stick with the Hyper 212 EVO if you'll be mostly rendering in Iray.
Can someone explain the difference in SLI and PCI, I see in some posts in the different computer specs posts people saying don't go SLI and it seems to have to do with the video card when there is more than one? In the specs I posted in the opening post I am planning to add a second video card later, unless I get the 980Ti now, what problems does this present in SLI/PCI ? Also if I didn't go with the liquid cooling,( I seem to have gotten the impression that it may not be the best option?) wht would I use for extra cooling fans ? How many is necessary in this particular case?
PCI is the type of slot the video card is inserted to on the motherboard.
SLI is technology that lets two or more of the same type of video card work in unison for improved performance in high-end video games, using a special chip that attaches to both cards to bridge them together. For example, if you have two 980 Ti's in SLI mode, whatever game you play will have access to 12 GB of VRAM instead of 6.
SLI is useless for Iray because Iray only sees VRAM in one card. It does, however, use all of the CUDA cores, but only if you're not in SLI mode.
Most tower cases come with stock cooling fans. For most cooling scenarios, they're enough. My Thermaltake MK-I came with its own fans, with an optional slot for the side door that I've yet to find a need for.
One of the key benefits of liquid cooling is that it lets you cool specific components to a greater degree than with traditional air cooling. Unfortunately, it also costs a lot more money, and requires more maintenance. You're effectively using the same technology used to cool a motor vehicle, in that your PC is pumping liquid through a series of tubes attached to various components and carrying heat away from those components. If one of those tubes spring a leak, your PC could wind up flooded, and your expensive hardware fried.
I've built three PCs in the last 10 years, and still prefer traditional air cooling.
Thank you for that explanation, so if you need SLI for gaming the cards have to be the same type/model etc to bridge them, but to use iray you can have 2 or more different types of video card say one MSI Nvidea brand and one Asus Nvidea brand because it will just combine the cuda cores on both to use?
Thanks for the correction - I got my exhausts mixed up.
For video games, you need the same type (read chipset), not necessarily the same brand. For example, you could bridge a 780 from MSI and a 780 from ASUS, but not a 780 and a 980.
For Iray, all you need is one CUDA-compatible nVidia card with enough VRAM to prevent Iray from kicking over to CPU-only mode while rendering. Two or more CUDA-compatible cards will give Iray more rendering power, but only in non-SLI mode, and it won't see the extra VRAM.
I've attached a screenshot of SickleYield's device list as shown in a YouTube video she posted here (her CPU was scrolled off-screen). She has two 740's and two 980's. None of them are in SLI mode, but they're all visible in Studio, and one of the 740's was driving her monitor. She can tell Iray to use the CUDA cores from however many of those cards she wants, but it will only see the VRAM from one of the 980's. She used every card, and her CPU, for the video.
@Nyghtfall , thanks for the image and link to video, I see how that works now :)
New question about RAM: This MB can use up to 64 GB , I wanted to start with 32GB in 4/ 8 GB Modules. Does this work or do all the slots have to be full at the same time or can I add additional at a later date? Is there a difference in the # listed on the memory as this one says DDR4 3400, what does the 3400 mean because some list different numbers which seems to chnage the price.
I would not go with a 1000W PSU. Especially if you upgrade your video cards to higher end ones. I would highly recommend you get a CORSAIR AX1500i instead.
The problem with going with the 4700 series instead of the 5000 or 6000 series CPU is you don't get the same number of PCI-e 3 lanes on the MOBO.
I definitely recomend a motherboard with the ability for an M.2 drive for your boot drive. I would go with no less than 256gb on that drive and recommend 480+ gb, bacause it makes a heck of a drive for temp folders.
Don't just pay attention to the number of PCI-e slots but also the number of PCI-e Lanes, and whether the M.2 drive uses PCI-e lanes, or Sata lanes or dedicated.
Make sure your PSU has enough dedicated Graphics card power cords. (And I recommend them all being 6+2 cords) EVGA has a nice 1000 watt modular with 8 cords at a reasonable price.
I am not sure you are correct on that. Can you point me to some documentation that supports that? I have my cards in SLI mode and it looks to me like both cards are getting used.
Thanks for the link. The reviews scare me though, way too many people are saying that it isn't POSTing for them. I'm probably going to stick with the KRAIT, although putting the second card far away from the first is good advice. Looks like both motherboards space them out enough so that ACX shouldn't be an issue (I hope).
That really seems like overkill unless you're going to run three Titans and overclock.