Noob First build: Workstation $1500~2000

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Renee12

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Looking for help to pick parts for my workstation build, able to go a little over budget. Most likely looking to buy in the next three months. I am a pc building noob, I don't know parts well so I'm really hoping someone can help me out :). The computer will be used mostly for animation, 2d/3d rendering, heavy video editing( not only for just animation), multiple monitor setup, working with big files, and some programming . No Gaming. Cs6 (Photoshop,premier pro etc.), Autodesk sketch book pro, zbrush, blender, etc. Just need the build no peripherals. Also price should include OS Win 8. Thank you so much for the help, if you need more information, I'll be happy to give it!!! Feel free to go with whatever you believe the best build for this kind of work would be and thanks again.

Edit: sorry, forgot to add no monitors. Basically only the best build you can think of for this budget and type of work.
 
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ok yes GPU acceleration is almost always better by around 5x to 20x faster than purely CPU compute if it is implemented in the software of course.
Are you going to be making and/or reading from Blu-ray disks now and/or in the future?
How long do you plan on keeping it?
Also how upgradeable do you want it to be as are you going to build / make another Workstation when this one fails you or are you going to upgrade it?

I also ask as your price point of $1,500 to $2,000 is kinda low for a workstation for your needs. Sorry to say but what you ask for will work alot better with a higher end build but $1,500 to $2,000 is ussualy the starting range of gaming rig while a workstation because of just the parts needed for a standalone...
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turkey3_scratch

turkey3_scratch

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Here is something I whipped up:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($369.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus X99-DELUXE ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($369.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($322.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($348.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 500R White ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSC0B DVD/CD Writer ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1737.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-13 20:42 EST-0500
 
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yumri

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ok as it will not be for gaming may i ask if you are going to use GPU acceleration technogloy? As if you are not then we can not get as high end of a card but if you are then a better GPU is needed.
Also are you working with a rendering server and/or a file server and/or a server of some other kind? as if you are then that can bring down the requriements on the works station alot more as the amount of RAM, hard drive size and/or video card power in a rendering server and/or file server and/or computing server would be alot higher than a client of said server.
So is it a standalone machine or is it part of a network?
 
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Renee12

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It is a standalone machine, and honestly if having gpu acceleration is better than sure I would like that. Sorry I am really not good with parts, I've always had prebuilt systems. :(

Also what could I get with the highest amount on this budget $2000 (can go a little over), unless you feel that it is pointless to spend more, if I can get the same efficiency and quality for less.
 
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yumri

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ok yes GPU acceleration is almost always better by around 5x to 20x faster than purely CPU compute if it is implemented in the software of course.
Are you going to be making and/or reading from Blu-ray disks now and/or in the future?
How long do you plan on keeping it?
Also how upgradeable do you want it to be as are you going to build / make another Workstation when this one fails you or are you going to upgrade it?

I also ask as your price point of $1,500 to $2,000 is kinda low for a workstation for your needs. Sorry to say but what you ask for will work alot better with a higher end build but $1,500 to $2,000 is ussualy the starting range of gaming rig while a workstation because of just the parts needed for a standalone computer starts about at $1900 and goes up with more peices so here is the bare minimum computer which i could shove into that budget of course feel free to modify and edit upwards but i do suggest not going downwards due to your applications running alot slower.
So here is what i came up with as a base line build for a workstation
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/jvBwjX
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/jvBwjX/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master RR-T4-18PK-R1 70.0 CFM Rifle Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Asus X99-E WS SSI CEB LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($481.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($192.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Red Pro 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($226.99 @ B&H)
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 770 4GB Video Card ($284.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill RISE ATX Full Tower Case ($81.56 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair 760W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($183.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($129.94 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1917.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-13 22:18 EST-0500

it barely comes under how much the top of the budget is but has room to upgrade alot in so you will not have to build another computer when your needs become larger. Room for a M.2 drive if your needs require more hard drive speed, enough SATA connnectors to hold 9 more hard drives so you will not need to buy another computer for storage ... unless you want to make a cheap sub-$1,000 NAS for network storage which really should be done instead of a more expenive workstation but i am not you, also upgradeableity to better CPUs of Core i7 and of Xeon CPUs so if you need more CPU cores it currently can support up to 14 physical cores with hyperthreading. RAM goes up to 128GB unlike many other boards which only support upto 64GB, and many other options for upgrades in the future.
THIS IS ONLY A STARTING POINT not a ending point as it is a lower end build for a standalone workstation but can be upgraded to be a very good one. I will not suggest gaming on it but if your work demands testing your files inside of runtimes alike to games it will handle it fine. I put in enough for it to be a all around decent workstation and suggest if you want more than just this start looking at off loading to servers as that will be cheaper to do.
 
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yumri

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then what i listed above should last you quiet awhile as it is very upgradeable as explained above and can suit all your needs. Also i do suggest getting a in house NAS for storage so you wont have to shut down your work space to much when hard drive space gets to be to small. A good NAS can be like this one
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/67KYwP
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/67KYwP/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD A4-6300 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($34.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A88X-ITX+ Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard ($95.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($27.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Red 6TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($266.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 160GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($19.25 @ Amazon)
Case: Zalman ZM-T1 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($32.91 @ OutletPC)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Platinum 400W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Other: Kingston DataTraveler Generation 4 8GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Model DTIG4/8GB ($4.99)
Other: FreeNAS ($0.00)
Total: $597.10
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-13 22:40 EST-0500

As it is cheap and upgradeable with 4 more free SATA slots and ability to take a controller card for even more hard drives to be connected to it. In that the only problem you might run into with that one is room inside the case but 6TB should last you for a while before upgradeing it is needed and to reduce the cost of the workstation by a little get the workstation then network it to this NAS so you just have to upgrade the NAS when more disk space is needed also FreeNAS is well free also easier to configure for being a NAS than a windows system would be.

So i will suggest getting a smaller internal hard drive if you choose to go the route with a NAS which are a cost effecent way to have a ton of storage on the network so you could work with others when and if it ever becomes needed or wanted or just store unneeded files on the NAS and keep the work files on the Workstation until the project is done then transfer them back keeping the load on the workstation less and the NAS running as it should.
...
A NAS really doesnt need to be a high end machine thus why i choice such low end components for it but it will work and work as well as if i choose as high components as i did on the workstation itself as it is just the propuse of the computer is differnet just dont try to run anything besides basic tasks on the NAS and move stuff over to the workstation when needing to be worked on.
 
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Renee12

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Thank you so much for your help and I had no idea about making a NAS(Actually have to look up how to connect it etc, I will look up a tutorial to understand the process better. ), I know it's a really low budget for a workstation, but I needed a computer to be doing some of my more task heavy work now(All I have is a crappy hp laptop that I've had for the past eight years lol. Also my grandmothers all in one xD sad really.) Eventually I will definitely upgrade the parts to something much better. Although right now I think this will be more than enough for the time being. Thanks again for all your help and information, I've really learned a lot!!!
 
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okcnaline

okcnaline

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Nov 17, 2013
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Purely workstation, with all the proper OpenGL acceleration for AutoDesk and Adobe CC. Sorry, no NAS.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($92.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($120.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 520 Series Cherryville 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.85 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: AMD FirePro W8100 8GB Video Card ($1091.77 @ TigerDirect)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($60.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $2048.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-13 23:05 EST-0500
 
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okcnaline

okcnaline

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1) Is $100 over okay?
2) Here's a updated build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($92.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($120.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 520 Series Cherryville 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.85 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: AMD FirePro W8100 8GB Video Card ($1091.77 @ TigerDirect)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($60.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Intel 7260HMWDTX1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $2098.49
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-13 23:28 EST-0500
 
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Renee12

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Yes $100 over is fine. As far as being able to upgrade, (a bit confused), which one of these builds would I be better off buying? I'm saying this because I really don't know, all of them seem to be really good builds. Sorry, I'm not very knowledgeable about this, I'm trying to learn :)! I will definitely set up a NAS it seems like it will be better off in the long run, I really like the idea. Also since this is a low budget workstation, which specific parts should I definitely think about upgrading in the future?
 
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okcnaline

okcnaline

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I would say mine (*very embarrassed*) as a Workstation. I am using OpenGL with my included build, which is supposed to have great support for 3D software quite soon. That's the point of the FirePro series. Plus, it has more VRAM than the other GPUs they posted, which is great for high resolution.

For a NAS, pretty much anything is fine. His is good enough. Or maybe I'll post a suggestion...
 
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yumri

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Really for a NAS it can be connected to like a Raspberry Pi and still work just the OP is a Noob Builder and doing that is very invovled also has a pretty small limit of only 4 IDE drives thus a low end computer would work better with FreeNAS as the OS. I say this as FreeNAS is a pretty good NAS OS that he will not have to pay for and it is mostly already set up for him when he downloads it and installs it it is also upgradeable like the workstation i listed above. I think upgradeablity is key to any $2,000+ USD build as that kind of money is not easy to obtain for a single computer.
 
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Alde

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Hi Renee12, I am also building something similar so I've been lurking on your thread to see its conclusions. This is the link to the thread I started for my build: http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2422523/final-check-1600-workstation-build.html

I don't know if this will help you or just add to the confuzzlement. Full disclosure: aside from some furious reading the past few weeks, I'm probably more of a noob than you are.

Also, please let me know if this kind of posting is considered bad manners. Noob, like I said before.
 
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Renee12

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Nov 18, 2014
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Hi Alde, I took a peek over at your thread and I can assure you that you know way more about this stuff than I do. I really need to do my research as far what each part does and reliable brands. (I say this because I am not able to look at someone's part list and tell whether or not if it's a good build. I just place trust that I'll be put in the right direction! Lol) The good thing is there are so many people on this forum that are willing to help and I am already learning a lot! I will definitely give your build a more thorough look.
 
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Alde

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