Build for 3D Modelling, Rendering

[hallowxlr]

Hey there,

 

 

 

So I'm interested in building a new system, as my current laptop is reaching it's end-life. I'm working in the architectural field, so that means long hours of cad design, 3d modelling, rendering, post-production. 

 

The software that I'll be using, if it matters in some aspects, are:

• Autocad
• Revit
• Rhino(ceros) + Grasshopper
• 3DS Max + Vray
• Adobe CC ( PS, AI, ID)

 

As mentioned above, everything takes a lot of time (at the moment at least) and I'm used to leaving the pc running overnight very often. I'm currently using a DELL XPS L502X (2011). Obviously anything new is going to perform better than this, but I'm also looking for a stable build that can withstand the longer working time.

 

 

After doing a bit of research on my own, I have a few of the components in mind:

• i7 5820K
• Asus X99 mobo, not yet settled on one
• 32GB DDR4
• Corsair 750D case

 

In regards to the GPU, I've searched far and wide and can't really determine which would fair better in rendering. I know that for GPU-based renderers, which I assume Vray RT is one, the more CUDA cores, the better. The Quadros are really out of the question as they are really too expensive and I can't yet justify buying a workstation card, so I was looking into the Titan Black vs 780 Ti vs 980 vs 970.

Apart from the actual memory, the 780 and the Titan seem almost identical. The 970 is the cheapest and most "lower-end" between them...so..I'm open to any ideas and suggestions.

 

And if you guys could help with the rest of the build, going on fast, silent performance.

 

Thank you

[Sadistic_Potato]

If you won't be GPU rendering, get a 960. It has enough CUDA cores for the little acceleration that Adobe will use. If you're going to be working with high-fidelity textures on very large models and need lots of VRAM, try and find a used Titan/Titan Black/780 6GB. 

 

Everything else looks good. Just get a Tier 1 PSU and an air cooler as AIOs have too many points of failure for a workstation. If you want silence, the Define S is a cheap and very solid case. 

[hallowxlr]

I'm not yet sure whether or not I'll be rendering with the gpu as I have no idea if it's any faster. From the few videos online it does seem to have an advantage, but without any first hand experience, I can't yet judge.

 

I was unable to find any new Titans or 780s in my area, let alone used ones, plus I really want a product with warranty. I also managed to make an actual list of parts, which I'll post below.

If anyone has any better ideas and suggestions both for performance and cost reduction, what is overkill and where I should invest more, etc.

 

• Intel Core i7 5820K 3.3GHz (€490)
• Corsair Vengeance LPX Black 32GB DDR4 2400MHz CL14 Quad Channel Kit (€410)
• GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 980 OC WindForce 3X 4GB DDR5 256-bit (€670)
• ASUS X99-DELUXE USB 3.1 (€458)
• SSD Kingston HyperX Savage 240GB SATA-III 2.5 inch (€136)
• Corsair Hydro H100i (€120)
• Corsair Obsidian Series 750D Full Tower Case (€172)
• 3x Noctua NF-A14 industrialPPC-3000 PWM, 140mm, 3000rpm (3x€29)
• 2x Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-3000 PWM, 120mm, 3000rpm (2x€27)
• Corsair RM Series RM850 (€180)

          Total: €2777

 

Now this doesn't take in account any discounts at the time, so the actual price is about €2500, going even lower if I would've searched for the best prices online. I do realise that some parts are too expensive, like the 980 which I'm not entirely sure I would need, compared to the 970. 

If I could get as close as possible to the €2000 mark, but without major sacrifices in performance, that would be awesome. If not, €2300 is top budget.

 

Cheers