First Build: Design & 3D Workstation – GPU Rendering with Octane

Coulter · January 8, 2016

1. Budget & Location
My budget is around $5000 and I live in the US of A.

I can go over my budget slightly, but only by ~$300. Also, I need to factor in another Octane license which will cut $500 from my budget. So yeah, my actual budget is $4500 US.

2. Aim
Design and 3D (GPU rendering in Octane).

My main applications are: Adobe CC Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere), MODO, Octane, and ZBrush.

Most of my work is done in MODO and Octane. For those not familiar with Octane Render, it's a GPU renderer that can utilize up to 12 gfx cards and primarily relies on CUDA cores for rendering. In other words, the more CUDA cores you add, the faster your renders get.

Aside from 3D work, I'll occasionally edit some short videos or work on 2D print designs.

I plan on making this my main workstation, so reliability and flexibility are key. I don't want to have to do another full upgrade for at least a few years.

3. Monitors
I'm planning on trying a single ultra-wide monitor. Currently, my monitor of choice is the Dell UltraSharp U3415W ‑ 34.08" Curved IPS LED Monitor (3440x1440).

4. Peripherals
I'm starting from scratch. Along with my workstation, I'll need to purchase a keyboard, mouse, Windows, and a monitor.

5. Why are you upgrading?
My current workstation is a 2013 iMac. Great for simple design work. Not so great for 3D. I've been a Mac person my whole life, but I'm sick of their attitude toward professional creatives.

This will be my first Wintel machine and also my first computer build. I'm a little nervous about building my own machine, but I know it's the right choice, so I'm also excited.

CURRENT PART LISTS

Case – Thermaltake Core X9
Processor – Intel i7 5930K 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor
RAM – The cheapest 32GB Quad-Channel DDR4 2133 kit I can find.
Cooling – NZXT Kraken X61
Storage – 1 256GB Samsung 950 Pro M.2 SSD / Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB (x2)
Motherboard – ASUS X99-E WS
Video Card(s) – EVGA GTX 970 Hybrid Liquid Cooled (x4)
Power Supply – EVGA SuperNOVA P2 1200W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

PERSONAL NOTES

Case
I have one reason for choosing this case – It looked like the only one that would comfortably fit the Kraken X61 along with the four 120mm Radiators on the 970 Hybrids. If you know of any other cases (within my budget) that could work, I'd love to know about them.

Processor
This looked like the Goldilocks option. I'd love the 5960X, but I don't know if the extra cost is justifiable.

RAM
RAM is something I don't understand very well beyond knowing I need a lot of it. According to most of the articles I've read, RAM amount is FAR more important than speed. Unless someone can tell me why I should buy faster RAM, I'm going to find the cheapest (brand name) DDR4 RAM I can find and call it a day.

Cooling
I've heard good things about the Kraken X61, so that's why I chose it. The four GTX 970s are Hybrids, so they come with 120mm radiators and fans. I know I'll need to buy more fans but I haven't really looked into that yet.

Storage
I've gone back and forth between the Samsung 850 Pro and the Samsung 950 M.2 card. I could probably afford more space with the 850, but I'm only planning on using this for the OS and apps. Do I really need more than 256GB?

As for the Mechanical drives, I didn't put much thought into my choice. The 1TB WD Caviar Blue drives had a lot of reviews and were rated highly. Honestly, I don't know what makes one drive better than another, aside from brand reputation and storage space.

Motherboard
I wanted to go with ASUS, as I have a few friends who recommended their boards. On the X99 platform I had two choices that support four gfx cards – the X99-E WS and the ROG Rampage. I don't game, so I figured the WS board was a better fit. Plus, it seems like it's aimed at professionals who need reliability.

Video Card(s)
First, let me get this out of the way; why Hybrids? There's a few reasons…

Liquid cooled cards perform considerably better in Octane.
I don't have the budget to design a custom loop.
I don't have any desire to design, build, and maintain a custom loop.

I've gone back and forth about how many gfx cards I really need. I thought about going with two 980 Ti Hybrids. Honestly, those would likely be enough. I've seen how well two 980 Tis perform with Octane and MODO and it's pretty dang good. On the other hand, more power for a similar price is hard to pass up. Once I realized EVGA made 970 Hybrids for $400, I had to see the benchmarks in Octane. The two 980 Tis score ~240, whereas the four 970s would clock in at ~355. That's a considerable speed increase for only about $100 more.

Power Supply
I don't know a ton about PSUs, but I do know you don't want to buy cheap ones. This EVGA has enough power (I think) and has a Platinum certification. <--- not exactly sure what that means, but it's good right?