I'm planning to build a new computer to work on 3D Modeling projects (primarily in Maya), hopefully as a career. Can someone give me rig suggestions for something under or up to $2,000? Among other considerations, I'd prefer the new Intel Centrino processor, already have a 250GB hard drive, speakers and sound card (might as well save money somewhere), and would obviously place most emphasis on the RAM and video card. I'll be forever indebted to anyone who helps me :O I suppose I'll also need a monitor. -Gray
Well, Centrino isn't a processor. It's a mobile computing platform. Do you mean the new Core 2 Duo perhaps? Under $2k? It can be done...actually, what I've come up with is about half that plus shipping. Motherboard: MSI P965 Neo-F $86.99 CPU: Core 2 Duo E6600 Retail $308.00 RAM: Corsair XMS PC6400 2x1GB kit $158.00 Video Card: PNY Quadro FX560 128MB PCIe $269.99 Optical Drive: Pioneer DVR-112 18x DVDRW $31.99 Power Supply: Enermax EG565P-VE 535W $84.99 Case: CoolerMaster Centurion 532 $49.99 Display: BenQ FP92W 19" LCD $179.99 Total: $1,169.94 I've used one of those Enermax EG565P-VE's in my main box for about two years now, and it's been a real champ. I don't know what you have now, but a good power supply is worth every cent, so don't dismiss it. I also just picked up that MSI P965 Neo-F on the list. It's been a flawless performer, but it is a basic board, so if you want more frills, it's probably not the board for you. I'm not as knowlegeable on workstation cards, but you'll want to look at ATi's FireGL or nVidia's Quadro line. It's not that their Radeon or GeForce line can't do it, but they're not designed with workstation graphics in mind. The E6600 Core 2 Duo is about the sweet spot for price/performance. The next step up is an E6700, and that commands an extra $200 for an extra 266MHz. You didn't mention any optical drive, so I tossed in the Pioneer DVDRW unit. I don't have that unit, but I do have a couple of their previous models, the DVR-109 and DVR-111D, both of which have been very solid drives. I started off with 2GB of DDR2, but given your line of work, you might even want 4GB. The case is there as a stylish, inexpensive option. Your tastes might like something else, and as long as it's an ATX-compatible unit, you're fine. I did toss in an LCD monitor, but I'd strongly advise checking out your display before purchasing. Along with audio preferences, displays are subjective to the person using them, so what I might like may not be up to your standards. While I've heard good things about BenQ displays, I've never seen them in action.
Ha ha, I'm already making an ass out of myself? Yes, of course, I meant the Duo... You can tell I've never had a laptop. And if I hadn't read an article recently about Intel getting back in the processor fight with AMD, I wouldn't have known that their Duo processors seem to have the lead now. Hmm... Do you think you could suggest a beefier video card? I could always save the rest for software (Windows, Maya, Photoshop, etc.), and I'm obviously not an expert so I shouldn't complain, but I guess my logic is I might as well get something that can amply handle intensive 3D rendering (oh, and gaming). Do workstation cards handle games as fine as the consumer versions or do I have to pick between a gamer card that wasn't built for rendering or a workstation card that isn't stable with games? As for the motherboard, again, I'm not a hardware expert, so I'll have to be humbly ask what I could expect if I spent more (i.e., feature-wise). Many thanks for the prompt help (yes, I'm now in your debt). -Gray
A higher priced motherboard would encompass such features as: multi-GPU support for gaming (SLI or Crossfire), more SATA ports, a larger accessory bundle, and coolness factors. They also typically contain a more extensive overclocking set of options in BIOS. Given the workstation orientation of this build, overclocking is not recommended. SLI and Crossfire are intended for gaming, so while I *think* SLI is available for some Quadro's, from what I've been told by folks who actually do this line of work, SLI doesn't give a real benefit. This isn't to say you can't use multiple video cards without SLI or Crossfire. These features (for nVidia or ATi-based cards, respectively) utilize two video cards in tandem to increase gaming performance. Can you game with a workstation card? Yup. At least with nVidia and ATi cards, which are based on the same silicon as their mainstream and gaming products. Other professional grade cards from Matrox or 3DLabs are designed exclusively from the ground up for workstation. When it comes to gaming, they're abysmal. As far as a FireGL or Quadro, keep in mind that they're oriented toward workstation graphics, not gaming, so they will not be on par with the consumer level graphics in gaming. They still will allow you to play, but not at the same settings as the equivalent mainstream or gaming level card. This list is all the workstation cards available on Newegg. This FireGL 7200 looks like the most powerful unit under $1,000, judging by it's specs. I don't know that it is, but in the past ATi has had better performance than nVidia in the workstation area. I can't say if that's still true or not. This one area I'm not that well informed on, so I would check around the web for some reviews. The accessory bundle size is up to you. Depending on the company, it may include extra gizmos, but they all typically include a more extensive set of SATA cables and 4-pin Molex to SATA power adapters. All new motherboards come with at least 4 SATA connectors. Pretty much anything up past that will include more. Depending on your work, this could be a major factor for you with internal storage.
Just curious; would it be the opposite or the same if I was going for a gaming PC? I'm really ignorant on these points.
While gaming also likes RAM, you can also invest in a high-end SLI or Crossfire setup that will improve gaming performance. Since you wouldn't gain a benefit by running an SLI or Crossfire setup with workstation, the performance options have to take another angle. While a more powerful card would help, the top-end card is close to your entire budget, and not an option. RAM and the CPU come in here. RAM gives you more "space" to work with, and that's what you'd want.
Could you suggest a case with more USB and FireWire ports? I'm thinking 4 USB ports and 2 Firewire... EDIT: Would it be cheaper/easier to buy a USB/FireWire controller card?
The cases ports would connect to a header on the motherboard. I'm not sure what cases have a ton of USB and Firewire ports in the front off hand. I'd have to snoop around to find a link, but there are panels that fit into a 3.5" bay (and frequently come with an adapter to 5.25" bays) that have a bunch of USB and Firewire ports. You can buy a card, but motherboards frequently support 8-10 USB ports between the IO panel and headers. That MSI board does not have Firewire, but you wouldn't have to spend a ton to find a board that does. Let me look some stuff up and post some ideas.
I got another suggested motherboard: MSI P6N SLI-F1. It has one Firewire port on the IO panel, and a header to run to the front panel. Of course, there's plenty of cheap Firewire cards in the sub-$30 range. I looked for some panels with Firewire, but they only seem to come up with one port...much like the cases I can find. However, at the very least, your USB issue would be dealt with.
Actually, my real problem with this is the only one IDE port; I tried connecting my hard drive as a master and burner as a slave, yet when I do this I get an error message of having no HD, although it lists both the burner and drive. Maddening. According to one site I'm reading, it's suggested to hook up hard drives to one IDE, and burners to another, yet I don't have the option with only one IDE port and lots of SATA ones, though with an IDE connector on the burner. I can't figure out how to get this damn thing to recognize the hard drive, or at least boot from the Windows CD-Rom! -Gray
Well, I do sympathize. I'm not really fond of Intel's move of eliminating IDE just yet, since IDE is still used by many and SATA optical drives are just now starting to hit big. You have a couple of options: 1.)Buy the motherboard (or any other 1 IDE motherboard) and snag an extra IDE controller card. These are pretty cheap, as most run in the $10-25 range. The only real con here is that it's going to take up a PCI slot, which are a bit more of a precious commodity these days. 2.)Buy a motherboard with 2 (or more) IDE ports. The problem is, the selection is going to be more limited due to the change to all SATA.
