Needing help with a 3D rendering and video editing work station

[Pheropod]

Hello everyone!

 

I'm studying fine arts and switched from painting and drawing to Blender.

Since my current rig shows its age after serving me quite admirably for eight years, its finally time to go all in.

 

My current plan looks like this:

 

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/VRVNJ8

 

CPU: Ryzen 3950x

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 64.95 CFM CPU Cooler  ($74.95 @ Amazon) 
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory  ($399.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($269.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($139.99 @ Adorama) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB AORUS Video Card 
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($189.88 @ OutletPC) 
Total: $804.81

 

Soooo, i already bought the gpu as well as the SSD for my current build to keep it alive for a bit longer.

I am not sure about the specific Noctua fan as well as my choices in regards to the motherboard as well as the PSU.

 

My goal is to build a system which is future proof. so enough slots for two GPU's and the possibility of adding additonal RAM is preferable.

I know that the current board doesn't seem to offer SLI support, a different choice would be preferable for me because of that.

 

The case is another variable which just gives me headaches. I need something which is sufficently ventilated without breaking the bank and blinding me with too much rgb goodness.... tough a little bit rgb might be fine....  I don't want to lose that performance boost

 

I'm thankful for all suggestions, since I've never built a workstation before.

 

Thanks!

[Spakes]

I wonder why you went with EVO and not PRO series of SSD... They are much more reliable.

To the current stuff...

If I recall correctly, not many motherboards can work with SLI/NVLink, better check for that. Luckily, Blender doesn't require SLI to use multiple GPUs (thanks, CUDA).

Also I'd probably go for Threadripper on your place (to get even more room for expansion on RAM and core count and more PCIe lanes).

M.2 NVMe storage is going to be a nice addition to get a tiny bit more snappy response and in case Samsung SSD dies, you still can do your work because OS and all software will be on separate SSD.

If you'll stick to Ryzen CPU, I'd suggest not overpaying for additional features like Wi-Fi (unless you really plan on using it) and looking at ASUS boards. Their VRM design is usually better (still requires manual comparison of different mobos). Plus they support SLI usually (though, in your case that will only be benefitial in games, which you didn't stated you are going to play, too, so noevermind that part).

Nice case for airflow - something from Fractal Design or Silverstone. But those are expensive, so I'd suggest looking into Zalman stuff (or just browse case catalogs and choose what you like).

CPU cooler is trickier... NH-D15 is better choice, if it costs almost the same as D14, otherwise I would change it only for custom watercooling.

So, yeah, there's that...

[Pheropod]

39 minutes ago, Spakes said:

I wonder why you went with EVO and not PRO series of SSD... They are much more reliable.

To the current stuff...

You are absolutely right about that, and i will switch to a PRO SSD, but i already bought that one when it was on sale.

[Pheropod]

Which Asus Boards would you reccomend in my situation? 

 

In theory it should be possible to access the combined Vram of my GPU setup if i would be able to use NVlink, right? Which would make it possible to build more complex scenes. Otherwise i would not need a SLI compatible board.

 

Oh, and i completely forgot that i want to play games on this system as well, should have mentioned that one

 

I would like to stick with the Ryzen in this case, since i will also do some work in Unreal Engine and Unity for VR Environments, the Threadripper i would like to use is also a lot more expensive than the 3950x is going to be.

 

So the NH-D15 then..... i'll have to think about that.

 

Is a 1000W PSU fine for this setup or a bit too much?

 

Thank you for your help!

[Spakes]

26 minutes ago, Pheropod said:

Which Asus Boards would you reccomend in my situation? 

Anything written in this comment: 

 

27 minutes ago, Pheropod said:

In theory it should be possible to access the combined Vram of my GPU setup if i would be able to use NVlink, right? Which would make it possible to build more complex scenes. Otherwise i would not need a SLI compatible board.

As long as there is SLI support on MoBo and same GPU (2080/2080 Super/2080 Ti/Titan RTX/Quadro), yes, it is possible.

33 minutes ago, Pheropod said:

Oh, and i completely forgot that i want to play games on this system as well, should have mentioned that one

Don't expect anything new in terms of perfomance, most game devs don't even care about dual GPU setups.

34 minutes ago, Pheropod said:

Is a 1000W PSU fine for this setup or a bit too much?

I'd say for now it is a bit overkill, but that might allow to upgrade to Threadripper and dual Quadro RTX 6000 in future. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

36 minutes ago, Pheropod said:

Thank you for your help!

No problem, mate. Good luck!)

[Pheropod]

12 minutes ago, Spakes said:

Anything written in this comment: 

Going with a  570 board would be the right decision in regards to my chosen processor though, right?

12 minutes ago, Spakes said:

As long as there is SLI support on MoBo and same GPU (2080/2080 Super/2080 Ti/Titan RTX/Quadro), yes, it is possible.

Nice!

12 minutes ago, Spakes said:

Don't expect anything new in terms of perfomance, most game devs don't even care about dual GPU setups.

Yeah, i know  It would be worth it for the aforementioned VRAM Issue, though.

12 minutes ago, Spakes said:

I'd say for now it is a bit overkill, but that might allow to upgrade to Threadripper and dual Quadro RTX 6000 in future. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

One can dream.... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

12 minutes ago, Spakes said:

No problem, mate. Good luck!)

 

Thanks again!

 

[Spakes]

3 minutes ago, Pheropod said:

Going with a  570 board would be the right decision in regards to my chosen processor though, right?

For as little as possible hassle and upgradeability, yeah.

[Pheropod]

5 minutes ago, Spakes said:

For as little as possible hassle and upgradeability, yeah.

Hmmm, kind of expected this.

I‘m gonna research those boards.

[m777y]

3 hours ago, Pheropod said:

Hello everyone!

 

I'm studying fine arts and switched from painting and drawing to Blender.

Since my current rig shows its age after serving me quite admirably for eight years, its finally time to go all in.

 

My current plan looks like this:

 

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/VRVNJ8

 

CPU: Ryzen 3950x

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 64.95 CFM CPU Cooler  ($74.95 @ Amazon) 
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory  ($399.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($269.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($139.99 @ Adorama) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB AORUS Video Card 
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($189.88 @ OutletPC) 
Total: $804.81

 

Soooo, i already bought the gpu as well as the SSD for my current build to keep it alive for a bit longer.

I am not sure about the specific Noctua fan as well as my choices in regards to the motherboard as well as the PSU.

 

My goal is to build a system which is future proof. so enough slots for two GPU's and the possibility of adding additonal RAM is preferable.

I know that the current board doesn't seem to offer SLI support, a different choice would be preferable for me because of that.

 

The case is another variable which just gives me headaches. I need something which is sufficently ventilated without breaking the bank and blinding me with too much rgb goodness.... tough a little bit rgb might be fine....  I don't want to lose that performance boost

 

I'm thankful for all suggestions, since I've never built a workstation before.

 

Thanks!

buy mobo supp 4 gpu nvlink

[Pheropod]

2 hours ago, m777y said:

buy mobo supp 4 gpu nvlink

Yes, that's definitely on my list.

 

4 hours ago, Spakes said:

 

Nice case for airflow - something from Fractal Design or Silverstone. But those are expensive, so I'd suggest looking into Zalman stuff (or just browse case catalogs and choose what you like).

 

I came across the NZXT H700, which seems to suit my needs perfectly. Any opinions on this case?

 

The new setup looks something like this:

 

PCPartPicker Part List:

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU Cooler	Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler	$89.95 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Asus ROG Strix X570-E Gaming ATX AM4 Motherboard	$324.69 @ OutletPC
Memory	G.Skill Trident Z Neo 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory	$399.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$139.99 @ Adorama
Video Card	Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB GAMING OC Video Card	$744.98 @ Newegg
Case	NZXT H700 ATX Mid Tower Case	$141.89 @ OutletPC
Power Supply	be quiet! Power Zone 1000 W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1881.49
	Mail-in rebates	-$40.00
	Total	$1841.49
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-20 08:57 EDT-0400

CPU: Ryzen 3950x

 

Are there any recommendations in regards to alternative parts to lower the price a little bit?

I don't think that i want to change the RAM to something cheaper since it seems to be quite perfect for Ryzen.

[Spakes]

5 hours ago, Pheropod said:

I came across the NZXT H700, which seems to suit my needs perfectly. Any opinions on this case?

Nice choice, I gotta say.

5 hours ago, Pheropod said:

Are there any recommendations in regards to alternative parts to lower the price a little bit?

I don't think that i want to change the RAM to something cheaper since it seems to be quite perfect for Ryzen.

I'd say ditch the RGB... https://pcpartpicker.com/product/JBzkcf/gskill-ripjaws-v-32gb-2-x-16gb-ddr4-3600-memory-f4-3600c19d-32gvrb

And get sticks with higher timings (you can easily adjust them later with DRAM Calculator for Ryzen). That can save you some pretty pennies.)

[Pheropod]

3 hours ago, Spakes said:

 

I'd say ditch the RGB... https://pcpartpicker.com/product/JBzkcf/gskill-ripjaws-v-32gb-2-x-16gb-ddr4-3600-memory-f4-3600c19d-32gvrb

And get sticks with higher timings (you can easily adjust them later with DRAM Calculator for Ryzen). That can save you some pretty pennies.)

That sounds like a great idea.

I‘ve never fiddled with RAM settings before though.

So you think that I should be able to achieve the same timings and keep the system stable?

 

 

[Spakes]

10 hours ago, Pheropod said:

So you think that I should be able to achieve the same timings and keep the system stable?

Pretty much. Or at least close to lowered ones. You may pay additional money just for "binned chips" that are guaranteed to achieve those timings. But it's for people who don't want to have or have no ability to do any hassle whatsoever. But tbh, it's not much of a hassle, DRAM calculator can do almost everything for you.

[GoldenLag]

On 8/20/2019 at 10:11 AM, Spakes said:

I wonder why you went with EVO and not PRO series of SSD... They are much more reliable.

because there is no reason to go with the Pro series from Samsung. their drives are allready pretty overpriced. 

On 8/20/2019 at 10:11 AM, Spakes said:

f you'll stick to Ryzen CPU, I'd suggest not overpaying for additional features like Wi-Fi (unless you really plan on using it) and looking at ASUS boards. Their VRM design is usually better (still requires manual comparison of different mobos).

usually?

 

unless you are looking at x570, that really hasnt been the case. 

20 hours ago, Pheropod said:

Power Supply be quiet! Power Zone 1000 W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply

iirc that not a great PSU.....

20 hours ago, Pheropod said:

Storage Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive $139.99 @ Adorama

swap for intel 660p or the P1 from Crucial. 

20 hours ago, Pheropod said:

Motherboard Asus ROG Strix X570-E Gaming ATX AM4 Motherboard $324.69 @ OutletPC

dont get that board. 

 

get something like the Asrock Taichi or the gigabyte board at a similar price (i dont remember the name). 

 

On 8/20/2019 at 9:26 AM, Pheropod said:

My goal is to build a system which is future proof. so enough slots for two GPU's and the possibility of adding additonal RAM is preferable.

if you are just looking for Vram, this might be one of the few applications of getting the Rad 7. 

[GoldenLag]

PCPartPicker Part List

Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS MASTER ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($359.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory  ($209.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory  ($209.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB GAMING OC Video Card  ($739.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: be quiet! Silent Base 801 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($159.00 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair RM (2019) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($118.73 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1797.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-21 05:49 EDT-0400

 

if you are interested in Ram tweaking, get this Ram kit, you can get cheaper unless you arent interested in Ram tweaking. 

[Spakes]

8 minutes ago, GoldenLag said:

if you are just looking for Vram, this might be one of the few applications of getting the Rad 7. 

There are CUDA-specific use cases involved. Plus RTX 2080 is already on OP's hands.

[GoldenLag]

1 minute ago, Spakes said:

There are CUDA-specific use cases involved. Plus RTX 2080 is already on OP's hands.

then there are allways older titans to choose from. 

[Pheropod]

38 minutes ago, GoldenLag said:

dont get that board. 

 

get something like the Asrock Taichi or the gigabyte board at a similar price (i dont remember the name). 

Why?

I know that the Taichi offers a lot for the price, but I’ve heard of heat dissipation issues and extremely loud fans.

I am considering it as an alternative though. 

38 minutes ago, GoldenLag said:

 

if you are just looking for Vram, this might be one of the few applications of getting the Rad 7. 

Yeah, but I already have a 2080 super, and the upcoming optix implementation will help me a lot in regards to managing renders. 

 

NVLINK with two 2080 s is my goal at the moment. 

 

Would the 850 PSU be enough for two 2080s and a 3950x?

 

Thanks for the additional RAM recommendations, I really appreciate it!

[GoldenLag]

28 minutes ago, Pheropod said:

Would the 850 PSU be enough for two 2080s and a 3950x?

Yes it would be enough. 550watt is enough for 9900k + 2080ti.

 

3950x + 2 2080s is no problem.

[GoldenLag]

29 minutes ago, Pheropod said:

Why?

I know that the Taichi offers a lot for the price, but I’ve heard of heat dissipation issues and extremely loud fans.

I am considering it as an alternative though. 

Because the strix-E is really not a great board at its pricepoint. The Hero is super close in terms of price and better. 

 

The Auros Master should cover everything you would want. 

[Pheropod]

1 hour ago, GoldenLag said:

Because the strix-E is really not a great board at its pricepoint. The Hero is super close in terms of price and better. 

 

The Auros Master should cover everything you would want. 

The price difference is about 80€ over here, which is quite a lot.

 

The Taichi would cost me around the same as the strix-e... I‘m at a loss.

 

[brob]

Tall memory modules and the NH-D15 are a suboptimal combination.

 

An 850W psu is sufficient to support a 3950X and two RTX 2080 Super gpu.

 

According to https://www.techpowerup.com/review/amd-zen-2-memory-performance-scaling-benchmark/, with a few case specific exceptions the performance improvement offered by DDR4-3600 is at best quite minor.

 

The H700 does not have a front USB-C port. A motherboard like the X570 Aorus Pro WiFi supports such a port. You might consider then a case like the Fractal Design Define S2.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($89.95 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($269.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($319.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB AORUS Video Card  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Case: Fractal Design Define S2 Blackout ATX Mid Tower Case  ($153.45 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($137.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $971.37
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-21 10:15 EDT-0400

[Pheropod]

1 hour ago, brob said:

Tall memory modules and the NH-D15 are a suboptimal combination.

Thank you for mentioning that, I already feared that this might be an issue. 

Do you think that there will be problems with the RAM you suggested?

Quote

An 850W psu is sufficient to support a 3950X and two RTX 2080 Super gpu.

Ok, that would save me quite a bit of money, thanks!

 

Quote

 

According to https://www.techpowerup.com/review/amd-zen-2-memory-performance-scaling-benchmark/, with a few case specific exceptions the performance improvement offered by DDR4-3600 is at best quite minor.

Huh, intriguing... this would save me a bunch as well.

 

Quote

 

The H700 does not have a front USB-C port. A motherboard like the X570 Aorus Pro WiFi supports such a port. You might consider then a case like the Fractal Design Define S2.

That looks like a sound suggestion, I’ll have to look into it.

Quote

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($89.95 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($269.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($319.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB AORUS Video Card  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Case: Fractal Design Define S2 Blackout ATX Mid Tower Case  ($153.45 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($137.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $971.37
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-21 10:15 EDT-0400

Why are you suggesting the Aorus Pro in particular?  It doesn’t seem to be multi GPU capable.

 

Thank you for your help! 

[brob]

4 hours ago, Pheropod said:

Do you think that there will be problems with the RAM you suggested?

The memory kit I suggested uses low profile memory modules, 32mm if memory serves. Hence the LPX in the model name.

 

4 hours ago, Pheropod said:

Why are you suggesting the Aorus Pro in particular?  It doesn’t seem to be multi GPU capable.

 

Not sure how you are determining multiple gpu compatibility. The motherboard has two x16 PCIe slots and the specifications, found at https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/X570-AORUS-PRO-WIFI-rev-10/sp#sp indicate that multiple gpu are supported. See the Expansion Slots section. Since you indicate Blender usage, while supported SLI is not necessary.

 

[Pheropod]

7 minutes ago, brob said:

The memory kit I suggested uses low profile memory modules, 32mm if memory serves. Hence the LPX in the model name.

 

I never paid attention to those descriptors when choosing RAM. I've only been using stock cooling solutions so far, so it didn't really matter. Thank you for clarifying that.

7 minutes ago, brob said:

Not sure how you are determining multiple gpu compatibility. The motherboard has two x16 PCIe slots and the specifications, found at https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/X570-AORUS-PRO-WIFI-rev-10/sp#sp indicate that multiple gpu are supported. See the Expansion Slots section. Since you indicate Blender usage, while supported SLI is not necessary.

 

It seems like i was mixing this board up with another one earlier, sorry for that.

I would like to use NVLINK though in order to use the gpu VRAM in a combined manner.

 

Thanks again!