Building Designer's Workstation

[scs_789]

Hi there,

 

I am still relatively new to the world of tech.  I started on this forum in the search for a way to upgrade my laptop, and have since become aware of the fact that I cannot upgrade it due to compatibility issues.

 

Current Laptop:

HP Zbook 15 G2
Intel Core i7-4810MQ CPU
NVIDIA Quadro K2100M NVIDIA N15P-Q3 GPU
16GB Installed RAM
220GB Hard Drive (I also have a 1TB external drive so thats not an issue)

 

 

My main gripe is my current GPU.  When I first started as a design student, I was making simple CAD models and photoshopping a few images here and there.  Now, I am in my 4th year in a 5 year program, and my laptop just doesn't keep up any longer.  I am rendering product animations at 1920x1080, 300 dpi and 45fps, as per the industry demands, and it takes my laptop all night to render 25 seconds of video.  Performance charts show that i am never using more than half of my RAM, which leads me to believe the larger issue is the graphics card.  The only compatible upgrade for a dedicated gpu is the AMD FirePro 5100, which has a slightly better benchmark but not nearly enough to convince me it would be beefy enough for my purposes.  And, an eGPU is out of the question because my laptop doesn't have a thunderbolt 3 port, so I cant run one efficiently due to bandwidth restrictions.  

 

All of that to say, I thing I would like to take a swing at building my own PC.  I want to build it because I think it would be an excellent learning experience and hopefully save some money.  Since I am still relatively new to all things tech/computer, I am hoping I can rely on the advice of you, the kind people of the internet.

My Wishlist:

16GB RAM

4-6GB vRAM
500GB Hard Drive Space
1920x1080 QHD Widescreen Monitor

Max Compatibility for future upgrades, on account of the fact that if I do commit to this process, I want to upgrade in the future as my needs change and tech improves
Compatibility with variety of peripherals, particularly Wacom Capture Tablets

My Budget: $800-$1300

Anyone have any suggestions on where to start when it comes to building a PC?  Have you built one before?  What things did you learn through the process that you wish you knew beforehand?  Do you think it is possible to attain my wishlist inside of my budget, or will compromises need to be made?

I appreciate any help you can give to this struggling college student!

[mech]

Do you need mouse, keyboard, monitor, ect. ?

[TheGlenlivet]

I think your budget is realistic for the performance you want.  I'd suggest using pcpartpicker.com .  The site will help with compatibility and pricing issues and show you the WIDE array of parts availible.

[Jurrunio]

1 minute ago, TheGlenlivet said:

I think your budget is realistic for the performance you want.  I'd suggest using pcpartspicker.com .  The site will help with compatibility and pricing issues and show you the WIDE array of parts availible.

pcpartpicker

 

5 minutes ago, scs_789 said:

Have you built one before?

95% of users here have

 

6 minutes ago, scs_789 said:

Anyone have any suggestions on where to start when it comes to building a PC?

Ask for a parts list first, meanwhile learning why each parts are picked.

 

7 minutes ago, scs_789 said:

What things did you learn through the process that you wish you knew beforehand?

fan splitters and modular PSUs are really useful.

 

Dont forget the motherboard standoffs, which should be mounted onto the case before the motherboard (most manufacturers do it for you, but some dont).

 

9 minutes ago, scs_789 said:

Do you think it is possible to attain my wishlist inside of my budget, or will compromises need to be made?

I think the $1.3k budget should be enough. Do you use Autodesk apps though? They prefer workstation cards rather than gaming cards, which is a problem because they cost a lot more than gaming cards. Like, double the cost per card.

[TheGlenlivet]

3 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

pcpartpicker

OOOF  that's what I get for not cut/paste-ing.  Good catch.  Fixed.

[Fokus]

11 minutes ago, scs_789 said:

Hi there,

 

I am still relatively new to the world of tech.  I started on this forum in the search for a way to upgrade my laptop, and have since become aware of the fact that I cannot upgrade it due to compatibility issues.

 

Current Laptop:

HP Zbook 15 G2
Intel Core i7-4810MQ CPU
NVIDIA Quadro K2100M NVIDIA N15P-Q3 GPU
16GB Installed RAM
220GB Hard Drive (I also have a 1TB external drive so thats not an issue)

 

 

My main gripe is my current GPU.  When I first started as a design student, I was making simple CAD models and photoshopping a few images here and there.  Now, I am in my 4th year in a 5 year program, and my laptop just doesn't keep up any longer.  I am rendering product animations at 1920x1080, 300 dpi and 45fps, as per the industry demands, and it takes my laptop all night to render 25 seconds of video.  Performance charts show that i am never using more than half of my RAM, which leads me to believe the larger issue is the graphics card.  The only compatible upgrade for a dedicated gpu is the AMD FirePro 5100, which has a slightly better benchmark but not nearly enough to convince me it would be beefy enough for my purposes.  And, an eGPU is out of the question because my laptop doesn't have a thunderbolt 3 port, so I cant run one efficiently due to bandwidth restrictions.  

 

All of that to say, I thing I would like to take a swing at building my own PC.  I want to build it because I think it would be an excellent learning experience and hopefully save some money.  Since I am still relatively new to all things tech/computer, I am hoping I can rely on the advice of you, the kind people of the internet.

My Wishlist:

16GB RAM

4-6GB vRAM
500GB Hard Drive Space
1920x1080 QHD Widescreen Monitor

Max Compatibility for future upgrades, on account of the fact that if I do commit to this process, I want to upgrade in the future as my needs change and tech improves
Compatibility with variety of peripherals, particularly Wacom Capture Tablets

My Budget: $800-$1300

Anyone have any suggestions on where to start when it comes to building a PC?  Have you built one before?  What things did you learn through the process that you wish you knew beforehand?  Do you think it is possible to attain my wishlist inside of my budget, or will compromises need to be made?

I appreciate any help you can give to this struggling college student!

When I start off with building a PC I want to look at all my options and then start evaluating what I need and don't need. I start off with my max budget and I make a list of all all the components I want within that budget. In your case, it's about $1300. After I make a list I start getting rid of stuff I don't really need. I try to make the build as cost-effective and practical as possible. So I made a PcPartPicker list for you with the components you want all under $1300. After you look it over maybe we could narrow down everything so we have what we really need but hopefully get the price down. 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PfhLyX

[Fokus]

8 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

pcpartpicker

 

95% of users here have

 

Ask for a parts list first, meanwhile learning why each parts are picked.

 

fan splitters and modular PSUs are really useful.

 

Dont forget the motherboard standoffs, which should be mounted onto the case before the motherboard (most manufacturers do it for you, but some dont).

 

I think the $1.3k budget should be enough. Do you use Autodesk apps though? They prefer workstation cards rather than gaming cards, which is a problem because they cost a lot more than gaming cards. Like, double the cost per card.

I don't think that will really be a problem. It depends on what he is doing on those apps and it also depends on how hard he runs them. A 750ti can run auto desk pretty well when working with the card reasonably. A1060 is a good card to start with, especially when you're on a budget.

[scs_789]

47 minutes ago, ScrappyZeDog said:

Do you need mouse, keyboard, monitor, ect. ?

I already have a decent mouse, and a couple keyboards laying around.  The monitor is pretty important though (designer, so resolution and color depth are critical) so I think for now I would probably hook up to my 26" TV with an hdmi cable, until I can afford a nice quality monitor.  I kind of see that as being a whole separate step.

 

 

50 minutes ago, TheGlenlivet said:

I'd suggest using pcpartpicker.com .  The site will help with compatibility and pricing issues and show you the WIDE array of parts availible.

This is the kind of information I came here for!  Thanks!


 

 

40 minutes ago, coyotetracker said:

When I start off with building a PC I want to look at all my options and then start evaluating what I need and don't need. I start off with my max budget and I make a list of all all the components I want within that budget. In your case, it's about $1300. After I make a list I start getting rid of stuff I don't really need. I try to make the build as cost-effective and practical as possible. So I made a PcPartPicker list for you with the components you want all under $1300. After you look it over maybe we could narrow down everything so we have what we really need but hopefully get the price down. 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PfhLyX

Did you really go through and virtually build a PC just for me?  I am touched, truly.  I think for now I may pass on the monitor and come back to that later, so that saves $150.  Haven't really looked at the other cases available but I feel like this one is too pretty.  Maybe an uglier one that is still functional can save a few bucks.  Also can you explain to me the difference between an SSD and an internal hard drive?  

 

 

 

59 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

Do you use Autodesk apps though? They prefer workstation cards rather than gaming cards, which is a problem because they cost a lot more than gaming cards. Like, double the cost per card.

I do use Autodesk Fusion 360 quite often, and never had a problem with it on my laptop.  The real issues are for programs like Keyshot and Blender, and games like Dying Light and Fallout 4.

[TheGlenlivet]

4 minutes ago, scs_789 said:

This is the kind of information I came here for!  Thanks!

Not at all.  Happy to help.

5 minutes ago, scs_789 said:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PfhLyX

This is a pretty strong build.  Besides meeting all your requirements and coming in under budget, it also features a motherboard and chip set that will be upgrade able for a few more years and CPU revisions.

[mech]

An SSD uses no moving parts, which makes it much faster. It is more expensive, but it is worth it.

48 minutes ago, scs_789 said:

 can you explain to me the difference between an SSD and an internal hard drive?

[Fokus]

1 hour ago, scs_789 said:

I already have a decent mouse, and a couple keyboards laying around.  The monitor is pretty important though (designer, so resolution and color depth are critical) so I think for now I would probably hook up to my 26" TV with an hdmi cable, until I can afford a nice quality monitor.  I kind of see that as being a whole separate step.

 

 

This is the kind of information I came here for!  Thanks!


 

 

Did you really go through and virtually build a PC just for me?  I am touched, truly.  I think for now I may pass on the monitor and come back to that later, so that saves $150.  Haven't really looked at the other cases available but I feel like this one is too pretty.  Maybe an uglier one that is still functional can save a few bucks.  Also can you explain to me the difference between an SSD and an internal hard drive?  

 

 

 

I do use Autodesk Fusion 360 quite often, and never had a problem with it on my laptop.  The real issues are for programs like Keyshot and Blender, and games like Dying Light and Fallout 4.

M.2 SSD, in my opinion, is essential for a workstation build. An SSD boots up your OS and computer very fast(put your Operating System and all your drivers on this drive so they all boot fast). An internal HardDrive loads all your big programs and files. For example Games, Files Pictures, videos, etc. Basically, put any large file or less used file on this drive. 

[scs_789]

I made the mistake of wandering off into liquid cooled systems.  Makes me want to do so many terrible things that I know I shouldn't or I will end up in over my head.  

As an Industrial Designer, I am really tempted to make my own case for my PC.  Is there a thread anywhere on this forum pertaining to homemade PC cases?  Could be useful.