Dummy needs computer for 3D Cad and video/photo editing! Any help pretty please?

[Joeharlow]

Hi, I have never built a computer before so I appreciate all the help I can get.

I am based in the uk around London and work in prop making for the film industry. We are using large amount of 3D printing, laser cut and Cnc components so I need a computer that can handle large 3D files, possibly 3d scans. My next job may require me to draw/edit 3d cad drawings almost everyday. Rhino 5 and/or solid works are the most likely packages I will install. Multiple monitors would be useful. I also enjoy making my own short films, and need to be able to edit large video files like gopro footage. Later down the line I'd like to start playing around with digital effects. Of cause I need to be able to do the basics like web browse, email, a DVD/blu ray would be handy if possible.

I am currently only a trainee so I'd like to keep the price down if possible but I also see this as an investment as I would like to have a fast and useful computer for years to come. My budget is between £1000 and £2000. I know those are wide goal posts but I'll take your advise on where the balance lies for money spent to what I need.

I have been getting by using my Sony vaio laptop but it is 7 years old, windows xp, painfully slow and the hinges are ripping out. It's nice to have a mobile computer but I'm willing to sacrifice mobility for a better stationary machine if the price is much better.

I don't have any components to start with, will need to buy monitors keyboard mouse and I need a new operating system.

I am familiar with using computers but I had no idea how complicated and how much variation goes on inside them, I started looking on the dell website and have been trying to swat up on what means what using the great Linus tech tips youtube videos that led me to here. Any help will be appreciated so much!

[Sauron]

Hello

 

Before suggesting anything I need to know two things from you:

 

1) do you feel you're able to build a computer if I make a parts list for you? It would be the best option, but of course unfeasible if you can't mount the parts. It's pretty easy to learn if you have some time to dedicate to it.

2) is colour fidelity important to you? I'm asking to determine what to suggest for monitors. Also, how many exactly would you need? It's hard to get multiple quality monitors AND a powerful computer on a 2k budget.

[Joeharlow]

Hello! and thanks!

1) I haven't done it before, but I'm keen to learn. I'm fairly handy and I have tools, would you recommend anywhere to learn?

2) One decent quality would be good colour is less important than a reasonable size, maybe one smaller cheaper monitor for emails/toolbars/less important things open at a glance etc. If you know of a few different ones jot them down and I could stretch the budget or improve them later down the line.

Thanks Sauron, hope you aren't too embarrassed about having you ass kicked by a girl in the recent hobbit film I'm a big fan!

[Joeharlow]

One decent, one cheap = 2 monitors (not sure if I explained that very well)

[KemoKa]

Hello! and thanks!

1) I haven't done it before, but I'm keen to learn. I'm fairly handy and I have tools, would you recommend anywhere to learn?

2) One decent quality would be good colour is less important than a reasonable size, maybe one smaller cheaper monitor for emails/toolbars/less important things open at a glance etc. If you know of a few different ones jot them down and I could stretch the budget or improve them later down the line.

Thanks Sauron, hope you aren't too embarrassed about having you ass kicked by a girl in the recent hobbit film I'm a big fan!

Excellent, always good to have eager learners.

Intel Core i7-4930K -- £448

Asus P9-X97E-WS - £323

AMD Firepro W7000 - £564

Fractal Design Define R4 - £90

750W EVGA SuperNOVA G2 - £90

256GB Crucial MX100 - £80

WD Red 2TB - £75

Cooler Master Seidon 120 - £39

32GB Corsair Vengeance Pro 2133 - £273

That's the basic system down for just a hair under two grand.

Alternatively you could go for a 4820K which would have lower performance but shave £209 off the bill. downgrading to the standard  Asus P-X79 motherboard from the WS version would get you another £148 to spare. You could get just a basic case on the cheap for about £30 (the Fractal is a dead silent workstation if you needed that, but if you don't, go for a cheaper case.)

The Firepro is going to be just an absolute monster for things like OpenCL, and it's great for video editing and rendering, Tek Syndicate got two of them for a workstation build, so if you wanted to get another down the road, you could do that. Come to think of it, you can downgrade the PSU to a 550W if you're just going with one card, but make sure it's 80+ Gold, because this is a workstation that presumably is going to be running at full tilt 99% of the time it's on. The downgrades will let you pick up some other stuff too, like more mass storage or better monitors, but if you're going full-out video editing, you're gonna really enjoy the extra cores in the 4930K.

I've not a lot of experience in building workstations, but I know a fair bit about them as I am a follower of Tek Syndicate, and they do a lot more stuff on workstations and servers, so... yeah, there's my suggested build for you. Windows 10 will be coming round the corner, so that will be nice and cheap, hopefully around 30 quid maybe... Yeah, there you go! Make of the build what you will and tell me what you think!

[Joeharlow]

Thanks kemoka, where abouts did you get those prices? Can you buy all these parts from the same place?