A new PC build for rendering and pc gaming

[serviann]

1. Budget & Location
I have a budget of around Php 40,000.00 ($900) for the tower only. In terms of location, I'm currently based in the Philippines. A lower cost for the same performance would be better.

2. Aim

The main purpose of the set-up is for 3d rendering with a secondary purpose of pc gaming. In terms of gaming, I wish to play the current graphics heavy games (esp. Witcher 3) and possibly the newer upcoming games of 2016 like Farcry. No overclocking is preferred but if it outweights the sustainability to performance I'm more than willing to try it out.

3. Monitors

I plan to use a minimum of 2 monitors. Though, I only want to buy 1 newer monitor with a minimum resolution of 1080p. Costing is not included in the budget and has a separate one. Also, I currently have an old one which is functional.

4. Peripherals
A good suggestion for a budget 1080p monitor would be nice specifically with an HDMI connector for compatibility with my ps4.

5. Why are you upgrading?
My laptop is quite old and cannot handle any more heavy graphic intensive tasks and overheats. I had it for more than 4 years now which is why I thought it would be a good time to build a desktop as my main design pc and the laptop becomes more of a presentation laptop to avoid anymore intense workloads.

 

Here is the current build I've come up with:

 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H

Processor: Intel i5-4460 3200 MHz

Ram: 2 pcs 8 gb Kingston hyperX DDR3 1600

Powersupply: Seasonic S12II 520w

Videocard: Palit GTX 970 Jetstream or Zotac GTX 970

HDD: Seagate 1TB 7200 RPM

SSD: ADATA/San Disk/Kingston SP550 120 Sata3 (Not sure which brand to take)

Casing: Tecware Alpha (PH brand = Php 2300/ roughly $ 52)

Caselink: http://www.tecwareph.com/#!alpha/tn2oi

 

I would really appreciate your opinion on the build. I've heard that i7 does way better with rendering due to hyperthreading but I might have to downgrade my GPU if so and might cripple my gaming experience due to limitation of my budget. For what its worth, this is a home desktop and I might spend more time playing games with it as soon as I graduate which by estimate is a year from now.

[cfair766]

stick with i5

[HKZeroFive]

I'd look to getting a Xeon 1231 v3. Costs slightly more than the i5 4460 but I'd say it's more suited for your rendering work because of its hyperthreading.

[Streetguru]

1. Budget & Location

You're going to want a 390 over a 970 if they're the same price, it has a fair bit more performance overall, more so at higher resolutions, and potentially better DX12/Vulkan support

As far monitors goes just buy whatever is 1080p IPS

 

You're better off downgrading your GPU, the 390/970 are more for 1440p, a 380 would be your best bet if the price is similair to the 960 as it has a decent ammount more performance as well compared to the nvidia card. and then with the $100 saved, go for the Xeon 1231v3 as rendering is your main focus here no?

[serviann]

Unfortunately, I dont think Xeon chipsets are available in the Philippines. I will check the stores again but I checked the store's website and they do not seem to list it on theirs.

@Streetguru

I will check out the 390/380 series and will decide if it fits my budget. But regarding the monitors, 1080p are the only ones I can fit on my budget as Im still a univ student and does not want to ask a penny from my parents. I plan upgrading as soon as I start working though but I will keep that in mind. My mobo has 2 gpu slots anyway.

Update: doesnt the amd versions heat up? Ive read other forums dont seem to suggest it for rendering due to heating problems.

Thanks a lot to those who replied. I will update you soon.

[Streetguru]

Unfortunately, I dont think Xeon chipsets are available in the Philippines. I will check the stores again but I checked the store's website and they do not seem to list it on theirs.

You don't need certain chipsets for the Xeons on 1150, H97 or Z97 boards will work fine, the Xeon is basically just an i7 with no iGPU or overclockability

As far as the 390 goes, it uses a bit more typical power something like 50W at most under gaming, so it can produce more heat, but as long as you get one with a decent cooler that's really not going to matter much.

 

Though the 380/960 are more 1080p cards.

 

as far as the rendering goes, the GPU acceleration I believe depends a lot on what codec you're using. and also what software, like Sony Vegas I don't think supports CUDA natively, gotta do a fix first for it.

 

[serviann]

You don't need certain chipsets for the Xeons on 1150, H97 or Z97 boards will work fine, the Xeon is basically just an i7 with no iGPU or overclockability

As far as the 390 goes, it uses a bit more typical power something like 50W at most under gaming, so it can produce more heat, but as long as you get one with a decent cooler that's really not going to matter much.

 

Though the 380/960 are more 1080p cards.

 

as far as the rendering goes, the GPU acceleration I believe depends a lot on what codec you're using. and also what software, like Sony Vegas I don't think supports CUDA natively, gotta do a fix first for it.

I don't think I'll be finding any Xeon 1231v3 here in the Philippines. I've checked the biggest retailers of PC parts here and they don't have it listed. Also, I don't think my budget with be able to handle it. As far as I've checked, Xeon 1231v3 nearly as much as an i7 or even pricer than it.

 

As for the 390, I've researched quite a bit and found out that it truly is a better than a 970 especially in higher resolutions. This, however, will require me to upgrade my current PSU from 520 to 620 due to the power usage of a 390 and also due to the fact that is a tad bit pricer than a 970. But in terms of future-proof, it might be a better option than a 970 considering that my Mobo also support CF and not SLI. Thank you very much, Street! You've been very helpful. And in terms of the monitors, I do plan to upgrade soon from 1080. It will most likely be a temporary set-up especially after Ive graduated. Work means more budget for a better pc rig.