Which one of two setups is more viable for 3D rendering?

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martynaaas

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Nov 8, 2015
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So, I'm working in a small architecture firm and we're looking for a new computer to work on (4 people will be working on 1 computer for about 12h/day, the computer will be turned on pretty much 24/7). We mainly work with AutoCAD, 3D modelling and rendering software. After doing a little bit more research, we have came down to 2 options:

Overclocked i7 system:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5960X 3.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($999.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Extreme S 99.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($79.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X99-SLI ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($132.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($72.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($72.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($72.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($72.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($66.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($65.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($169.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
UPS: CyberPower CP1350AVRLCD UPS ($132.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $2134.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-10 08:07 EST-0500

Dual Xeon system:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2620 V3 2.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($399.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2620 V3 2.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($399.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120V 86.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($53.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120V 86.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($53.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z10PE-D16 SSI EEB Dual-CPU LGA2011-3 Narrow Motherboard ($389.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB (1 x 8GB) Registered DDR4-2133 Memory ($48.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB (1 x 8GB) Registered DDR4-2133 Memory ($48.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB (1 x 8GB) Registered DDR4-2133 Memory ($48.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB (1 x 8GB) Registered DDR4-2133 Memory ($48.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB (1 x 8GB) Registered DDR4-2133 Memory ($48.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB (1 x 8GB) Registered DDR4-2133 Memory ($48.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB (1 x 8GB) Registered DDR4-2133 Memory ($48.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB (1 x 8GB) Registered DDR4-2133 Memory ($48.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($65.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($169.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
UPS: CyberPower CP1350AVRLCD UPS ($132.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $2298.77
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-10 08:08 EST-0500

Both system, give or take, cost the same. However, I've heard and read multiple things about i7 and xeon processors and not really sure which way to go. Our colleagues are specialising in 3D architectural visualizations and they went for 2 overclocked i7 systems stating that it's much better than go for dual xeon setup, yet everything I've read on the internet says the opposite. The computer will be expected to do some heavy rendering work most of the time with some architectural drawing along side.

What is your opinion on these 2 setups? Which one is more future-proof/cost-efficient/more valuable overall? Thanks.
 
Solution
Tradesman1
One thing that stands out is all the mixing of sets of DRAM - chances are that will cause problems, get all the DRAM you want/need in a single package so it's guaranteed to all play nice, it may cost more that way (it takes more testing to find say 8 sticks that all play nice then it does two), but you'll be assured all will play together.
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Onus

Onus

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Jan 27, 2006
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Depending on what GPGPU processing your software uses, you choice of graphics card(s) may make a bigger difference than your choice of CPU; something to investigate.
Particularly since these machines will not be overclocked, there is no need for liquid cooling. It is more expensive than air cooling, and at the low end (i.e. using smaller AIO closed loop vs. custom loop), performs no better. It also does not cool motherboard components, which will be as stressed as the CPUs in systems worked hard all day long.
 
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martynaaas

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Nov 8, 2015
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I forgot to mention that we will be working on a computer remotely, thus it's GPU won't be utilised. We are also using CPU-based rendering engines.

Good insight on cooling systems, something I'm not too knowledgeable at. Isn't air cooling much louder than liquid? Also, what are your thoughts on case fans? Are they needed? Since the machine will be running most of the time, efficiency is probably the main goal in this build.
 
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martynaaas

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Yeah, we might review our memory and other parts choices after we're sure which way we're going. For now, it's still uncertain whether to get an i7 and overclock it or go for dual xeon setup.
 
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SkyEvil

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Feb 25, 2013
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If you're not using GPU for rendering, why did you opt for gtx 960?
This is http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-r5450md1gd3hlp all you need to get video output :)
Also, don't buy ram sticks separately, it's a much better idea to get them in a set like this one: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f42400c15q264grk or this one for (ecc registered ram) http://pcpartpicker.com/part/kingston-memory-kvr21r15d4k464
 
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Onus

Onus

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Right, if your software cannot use one or more GPUs for rendering, you could get a $30 card like a HD5450, HD6450, or GT610. I would think that pro-level rendering software would be able to use GPU processing though, in which case you'd want to find out if it prefers nVidia or AMD. The software vendor(s) ought to be able to provide some performance data.
 
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game junky

game junky

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Feb 2, 2012
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I don't think you can go wrong with either setup, but I would lean toward the dual-xeon rig (might even be worth considering 2630s if you're looking at multiple simultaneous sessions) - 3D modeling can be both CPU & GPU intensive. Even if you're using remote desktop, your software will like try to leverage your GPU to speed up the calc. Difference in performance between a 960 and a 970 is extensive for gaming purposes, I can only assume the base clock, ram clock and increased cuda cores would be beneficial for that process as well.

The motherboard looks like 2133 is the highest stock speed you can run without resorting to an XMP profile for your ram, 64GB is impressive for a workstation but it seems like you're going to treat it more like a small business server. Regardless, as long as you're not using more than 2 sessions simultaneous you'll never want for more memory. I personally am a Corsair fan, but GSkill and Kingston are still good options. Might be worth going with a higher quality set of sticks to help with heat dissipation and stability.
 
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martynaaas

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Nov 8, 2015
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I'm aware of GPU rendering and its' benefits but we're currently not expecting our workflow to go that way. In fact, choosing an even cheaper GPU might be a better option since we use Remote Desktop Protocol to do our work, in which case this machine's GPU will never be used during the work process.

We are going to be using 3 to 4 sessions simultaneously for about 12hours/day, as mentioned previously, so having enough RAM is a second priority (first is CPU power at the moment). We have not looked into different RAM vendors too much, just chose the ones for best price/gb ratio. What do you mean by saying 'higher quality set of sticks'? What else besides RAM clock speed defines it's quality?
 
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turkey3_scratch

turkey3_scratch

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Jul 15, 2014
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There are Broadwell-E CPUs that should be coming out probably before summer which will have a 10-core I7-6950X based on the 5th Gen Broadwell architecture.
 
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martynaaas

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Nov 8, 2015
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Looks really promising, I'll definitely have to keep an eye on this.

Coming back to the topic, I'm a little bit worried about a single i7 processor and that's due to it's reliability. This build would have to be turned on pretty much all the time, and I'm not sure how overclocked i7 would handle such amount of stress in longer periods of time.
 
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Tradesman1

Tradesman1

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Jun 5, 2013
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One thing that stands out is all the mixing of sets of DRAM - chances are that will cause problems, get all the DRAM you want/need in a single package so it's guaranteed to all play nice, it may cost more that way (it takes more testing to find say 8 sticks that all play nice then it does two), but you'll be assured all will play together.
 
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Solution
M

martynaaas

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Nov 8, 2015
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I never actually thought about it, thanks for pointing that out. Do they even sell in packs of 8? I was not able to find anything like that on partpicker, maybe I need to check elsewhere.
 
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