I am an avid DIY'er but haven't built a machine in 10 years. Frankly, I'm out of touch with the technology and hoped the community can help me with the details. I am a geoscientist in the Oil and Gas buisiness and use a software package to analyze seismic data. The software (Hampson-Russell) is multi-threaded and the new release will use up to 24 threads when crunching the data. I would like to install 128GB of ram and run an electronic drive at 1TB partnered with more standard drive(s) for 3TB (possibly more) of storage. I carve up the data in small peices and run the peices through the software serially; combining them in the end. I'll keep interem datasets in case I have to go back a couple of steps and re-run a different parameter. I also need dual video cards to render in 3D and a case/power supply recommendation. Of course the chipset should be fast (but doesn't need to be the fastest if I can save money). If I left anything out please ask and I'll clarify. Thanks in advance.
New build - dual hexacore machine
- Thread starter geo-phys
- Start date
Solution
- Nov 18, 2008
- 20,308
- 4
- 74,960
I know very little about this level of hardware , but to start the discussion
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KJw6K8
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KJw6K8/by_merchant/
CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2620 V3 2.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($418.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z10PA-D8 ATX Dual-CPU LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($374.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ RevoDrive 350 Series 960GB PCI-E Solid State Drive ($1228.11 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital VelociRaptor 1TB 3.5" 10000RPM Internal Hard Drive ($213.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital VelociRaptor 1TB 3.5" 10000RPM Internal Hard Drive ($213.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX Titan Z 12GB Video Card ($2999.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 760T Black ATX Full Tower Case ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: LEPA G Series 1600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH16NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro (OEM) (64-bit) ($129.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $9057.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-06 00:47 EDT-0400
That price includes only one cpu , and one graphics card . I would probably want to stick with the single Titan Z for the time being [ actually you probably have to since the board does not support SLI ] , but I would have added the second cpu if the partpicker site had allowed me to .
The system also needs coolers for the processors . Probably water .
The REVO drive operates in a pci-e slot and is much faster than a conventional SSD . An M2 drive was a possibility too , but I couldnt find any in the capacity you were looking for . M2 is faster than pci-e though so it may be worth the compromise
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KJw6K8
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KJw6K8/by_merchant/
CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2620 V3 2.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($418.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z10PA-D8 ATX Dual-CPU LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($374.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ RevoDrive 350 Series 960GB PCI-E Solid State Drive ($1228.11 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital VelociRaptor 1TB 3.5" 10000RPM Internal Hard Drive ($213.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital VelociRaptor 1TB 3.5" 10000RPM Internal Hard Drive ($213.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX Titan Z 12GB Video Card ($2999.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 760T Black ATX Full Tower Case ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: LEPA G Series 1600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH16NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro (OEM) (64-bit) ($129.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $9057.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-06 00:47 EDT-0400
That price includes only one cpu , and one graphics card . I would probably want to stick with the single Titan Z for the time being [ actually you probably have to since the board does not support SLI ] , but I would have added the second cpu if the partpicker site had allowed me to .
The system also needs coolers for the processors . Probably water .
The REVO drive operates in a pci-e slot and is much faster than a conventional SSD . An M2 drive was a possibility too , but I couldnt find any in the capacity you were looking for . M2 is faster than pci-e though so it may be worth the compromise
smackers_12
Honorable
- Jul 4, 2013
- 1,445
- 0
- 11,960
If you want a smaller system you could look at a single 12 core xeon. Because as Outlander said with two cpus you will probably have to go water due to clearance between the sockets. You could look at a workstation graphics card if you need some serious compute power but the titan Z is an absolute beast and this is probably the one scenario where will actually get utilised
Thanks for the great starting point. I'll look into the details of the recommended parts and go from there. BTW, not sure if a $3k graphics card is really necessary. The data is generally like a cube or 3D volume. We make vertical slices say in the north-south or east-west direction. Sometimes along an arbitrary line and examine the data to make geologic sense out of it (i.e. does it look like the earth or should I spend more time removing residual noise). Then we highlight/map regions of interest. We also make horizontal slices too. We don't have a need to rotate the volume on it's corner and spin it
Any alternate, less expensive recommendations for a graphics card? Also, are water cooler pretty generic? Is there a specific recommendation for a cooler as well? Again thanks!
- Nov 18, 2008
- 20,308
- 4
- 74,960
I think your graphics system has to be designed with your software in mind .Software that can use GPU computing for rendering may be much better on a powerful graphics card . Also it may not be such a heavy load for you because the level of detail in the renders is less than say someone rendering a movie frame
I just do not know .
Most of the hardware in the list I suggested chose itself . The mb is the only dual socket mb for the latest zeons . The 32 gig DDR4 DIMMs were the only choice .
Again the Revodrive was the only solid state drive approaching those capacities
If you were to run with a slightly older system using previous gen Xeons and DDR3 I suspect you could save a large amount , and perhaps still have the performance you need .
But as I said earlier I have no direct experience with machines at this spec , and you must treat my suggestions as very tentative
A water cooler would have to be a custom loop . You need two cpu water blocks , and I suspect you would want the water flow to be parallel rather than in series
I just do not know .
Most of the hardware in the list I suggested chose itself . The mb is the only dual socket mb for the latest zeons . The 32 gig DDR4 DIMMs were the only choice .
Again the Revodrive was the only solid state drive approaching those capacities
If you were to run with a slightly older system using previous gen Xeons and DDR3 I suspect you could save a large amount , and perhaps still have the performance you need .
But as I said earlier I have no direct experience with machines at this spec , and you must treat my suggestions as very tentative
A water cooler would have to be a custom loop . You need two cpu water blocks , and I suspect you would want the water flow to be parallel rather than in series
bsod1
Distinguished
- Feb 7, 2013
- 1,834
- 0
- 20,160
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2697 V3 2.6GHz 14-Core Processor ($2635.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Silver Arrow IB-E Extreme 130.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($93.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty X99X Killer ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($287.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($439.80 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($555.91 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($555.91 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Cosmos II (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair AX1500i 1500W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($439.99 @ Micro Center)
Total: $8381.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-07 04:15 EDT-0400
CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2697 V3 2.6GHz 14-Core Processor ($2635.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Silver Arrow IB-E Extreme 130.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($93.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty X99X Killer ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($287.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($439.80 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($555.91 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($555.91 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Cosmos II (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair AX1500i 1500W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($439.99 @ Micro Center)
Total: $8381.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-07 04:15 EDT-0400
- Nov 18, 2008
- 20,308
- 4
- 74,960
Gaming cards are not ideal for renders .
But I like the single cpu option . It opens up a much bigger range of hardware
An SSD is relatively slow compared to a pci-e drive . And a pci-e drive is relatively slow compared to an M2 drive .
The largest capacities I have seen are 480 gig , but it might be worth it
bsod1
Distinguished
- Feb 7, 2013
- 1,834
- 0
- 20,160
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2697 V3 2.6GHz 14-Core Processor ($2635.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Silver Arrow IB-E Extreme 130.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($93.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty X99X Killer ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($287.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (1 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($750.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ RevoDrive 350 Series 960GB PCI-E Solid State Drive ($1227.50 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PNY Quadro 6000 6GB Video Card ($1205.86 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Cosmos II (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($279.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair AX1500i 1500W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($439.99 @ Micro Center)
Total: $9283.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-07 06:24 EDT-0400
DonkeyOatie
Champion
- Sep 16, 2014
- 12,141
- 1
- 50,960
From my experience with both molecular modelling and molecular spectral analysis, the software is most important. Does it use OpenCL GL? Can it offload some processing onto the GPU CUDA?
What version are you using 9/2 or are you planning for 10?
Have you asked them about optimal CPU/GPU configurations?
What version are you using 9/2 or are you planning for 10?
Have you asked them about optimal CPU/GPU configurations?
TRENDING THREADS
-
-
Question Download speed is slow on only my PC - please help!- Started by Ograsmium
- Replies: 16
-
-
Question Buying a used card, what should I look for before purchase?- Started by MatthewJamess
- Replies: 8
-
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram