Help mid/high-end build for game development (not for gaming.. but to use with unity/unreal/maya)

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
N

natblank

Reputable
Sep 22, 2015
4
0
4,510
I've just begun a games development degree and I've decided to build my own computer.
I don't really know the first thing about it (I've only ever owned Macs previously) and would like some insight/advice as to what are the particularly important components that I should get, specific for development usage with programs like Unity, Unreal, and Maya.

I'm not an actual gamer so I don't think I really need the typical hectic visual hardware that that usually entails (though I do stream heaps of movies). I'm looking to spend up to $2500 AUD (about $1800 USD) and was wondering if someone could help me put together a list of parts they would best recommend (it's hard to find an up to date thread on here with the latest technology in the comprised lists). From what I've gathered I'd like to include a SSD in there and definitely 2 monitors.

Sorry for my jumbly ramblings, but any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much :)
 
Solution
sadams04
GPU - You had the budget available and the GTX 980 would make easy work of just about anything you throw at it... You could easily scale down to the GTX 970 or 960 if you wanted to save on the budget.

COOLING - The 230T case has two front intake fans and one rear exhaust. With a non-overclocking setup and a single GPU, this is more than sufficient. You can add up to three more later if needed.

EDIT: If you were referring to a CPU cooler... no. The stock Intel cooler will be just fine.
Sort by date Sort by votes
G

Geek2015

Reputable
Sep 20, 2015
66
0
4,660
One thing that you need to consider is that for Maya, your only option is a workstation graphics card, as a gaming graphics card sucks at rendering in Maya. For any other rendering works, a gaming graphics card should be Ok.

Here's my recommended PC for you. the prices are in USD.

Processor: AMD FX-9370 - 4.4 GHz - 8 Core - 8MB L2 Cache - AM3+ $205

Case: NZXT Guardian 921 RB (921RB-001-BL) $80

Mother Board: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 - AM3+ - AMD 990FX - SATA 6Gb/s - USB 3.0 $127

Cooling Fan: ZALMAN LQ-310 Ultimate Liquid CPU Cooler $67

Power Supply: XFX PRO850W Core Edition - 80+ Bronze - 850W - ATX12 / EPS12V - P1850SNLB9 $100

Hard Drive: Western Digital Black 1TB - SATA 6Gb/s - 7200 RPM - 64 MB Cache - WD1003FZEX $72

SSD: Samsung SM951 256GB AHCI M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 - Seq Read 1600MB/s - Write 1350 MB/s $207

RAM: Kingston HyperX Beast 16 GB Kit (4x4 GB) DDR3 1600MHz - KHX16C9T3K4/16X $98

Optical Drive: LG 12X Blu-Ray Combo - 2MB Cache - UH12NS30 $41

Graphics Card: Gigabyte R9 380 G1 GAMING (GV-R938G1 GAMING-4GD) - 4GB GDDR5 - 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DP $230

Total Price $1227


You can get a workstation graphics card but i just added the graphics card to make a complete list of parts.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
N

natblank

Reputable
Sep 22, 2015
4
0
4,510


Thanks for that!

I reckon I'll just stick with the gaming graphics card (as suggested) for now, I think that will sufficient, and if down the track I end up using Maya a lot then I'll revisit the issue.

Sorry, I forgot to mention I'm pretty sure I want to get a 2TB hard drive!

In regards to the processor, I think I rather maybe spend the extra on one of the new Intels (especially since I have a 1800 budget). Which would be best to go with? Unless (besides price-point), is there any particular reasons I should get the AMD over an Intel?

As for the OS, what would recommend; normal or pro and is it worth waiting for Windows 10 to come out?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
sadams04

sadams04

Splendid
Nov 23, 2010
4,711
1
26,960
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($369.00 @ Umart)
Motherboard: Asus H97M-E Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($135.00 @ PLE Computers)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($142.00 @ IJK)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($146.00 @ IJK)
Storage: Western Digital WD Green 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($99.00 @ Centre Com)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 4GB STRIX Video Card ($739.00 @ IJK)
Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($122.00 @ CPL Online)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($17.00 @ IJK)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($155.00 @ CPL Online)
Monitor: LG 23EA53V-P 23.0" Monitor ($169.00 @ Scorptec)
Monitor: LG 23EA53V-P 23.0" Monitor ($169.00 @ Scorptec)
Total: $2371.00
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
N

natblank

Reputable
Sep 22, 2015
4
0
4,510


Thanks, this seems like a great build.

Just a couple questions.. do you think I need such a serious level GPU even though I not really playing hardcore games on it (and leaving Maya out of it)? The reviews of it are fantastic, but maybe there's a slightly cheaper option you could recommend as well? What about getting something with a stronger onboard graphics capability and get a lesser video card? Also, do I not need a cooling fan with this setup?

Cheers
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
sadams04

sadams04

Splendid
Nov 23, 2010
4,711
1
26,960
GPU - You had the budget available and the GTX 980 would make easy work of just about anything you throw at it... You could easily scale down to the GTX 970 or 960 if you wanted to save on the budget.

COOLING - The 230T case has two front intake fans and one rear exhaust. With a non-overclocking setup and a single GPU, this is more than sufficient. You can add up to three more later if needed.

EDIT: If you were referring to a CPU cooler... no. The stock Intel cooler will be just fine.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
N

natblank

Reputable
Sep 22, 2015
4
0
4,510


You're completely right, I automatically assumed that it was in USD (making it way above) but since it's within range I definitely think I'll get that one after reading all the reviews. Yeh, I have absolutely no plans for over-clocking and the like, so I think the cooling situation is perfect.

Lastly, is Windows 10 Home enough or should I get the Pro version? Will there be much difference for what I'm doing?

Thanks so much for your help! I really appreciate it. (Now to convince myself I'll actually be able to build this without majorly screwing it up. Can't be too hard I hope... I've successfully built IKEA furniture before, so hopefully that was enough practise!) :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom