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Rendering Machine

joshgarth22_f85d653be8joshgarth22_f85d653be8 Posts: 9
in The Commons

Hey all!  Long time Daz user, but my laptop is getting slow as hell for rendering and I'm just fed up with it.  I'm wanting to dive into actually creating my own content and using new programs such as ZBrush and other modeling softwares.  In addition, I am getting back into gaming as well and so with some cash I got for Christmas, some gift cards, and a bit of my own scratch I've come up with the following set-up and I'm wondering if this will be a good machine to render in, create in, and game in.

I've done a bunch of research and this I think is the best thing that's within my budget, but I'll ask the experts before purchasing.

Thanks in advance!

Josh

 

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($249.36 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($62.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($66.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 960 4GB Video Card  ($239.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Thermaltake Core V21 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $779.28
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-03 16:43 EST-0500

Comments

  • patboudrumpatboudrum Posts: 33

    I think you have a really good computer there. The only thing  I would add to this is an SSD drive of the OS (look for a samsung 850 EVO Series)

     

    http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam

     

  • Subtropic PixelSubtropic Pixel Posts: 2,388
    edited January 2016

    I recommend a minimum of 24 GB, a graphic card with a minimum of 6 GB of ram, and a minimum 500 GB SSD for OS and applications.  You can still use the 1TB blue drive for your other stuff.

    Edit:  Yeah, I also noticed that you have a Xeon E3 server processor on your list.  If I were me and I am, I would bump that to an i7 and go with the X99 chipset, which will open up things a bit for you.  You can still do this with a mini-ATA form factor if smaller is better for you.

    Be aware, however that mini motherboards may or may not be able to support a second GPU down the road, and small cases may or may not be able to move enough air for a hard-working CPU and GPU combination.

    Post edited by Subtropic Pixel on
  • patboudrumpatboudrum Posts: 33

    Subtropic Pixel has great advices here but in the end it all depends on your budget.

    The Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 is in reality an i7-4770. It's exactly the same cpu but the Xeon lack the integrated graphic of the i7-4770 (you absolutly need a graphic card). Same clock speed, 4 core and 8 thread.

     

  • wizwiz Posts: 1,100

    I've dealt with problems with both Asrock motherboards and MSI video boards. Suggest ASUS and EVGA, respectively.

    Aside from that, I tend to agree on the 6 gig video boards. Problem is finding something cheaper than a basic 980 Ti. ;)

    Of  course, a 980 Ti makes a hell of a rendering machine. ;)

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