HELP 3D Modeling/Rendering + General Use Build

Pangie · Nov 25, 2016

Hey Everyone,

So I'm making a computer for my desired profession which is 3D modeling/sculpting, rendering, and a touch of animation. I also will be using this computer for my general use. I'm no novice with computers but I most certainly am not an expert. As such I am in need of your help to see if I can perhaps get more for my buck, I should have something I don't, or I shouldn't have something I do. I don't have a motherboard chosen at the moment as that's my weakest spot (I lack knowledge of what makes a good motherboard) I also have not chosen a monitor since I'm starting to have second doubts on the one I had in mind (linked below). My budget is around 2,500 with a little wiggle room. I also would prefer and almost need the products to be from amazon, amazon prime store card, and I have store credit.

The programs I will be using:
Autodesk Maya and Z-Brush are probably my main programs. I will also be using Photoshop a lot.

But yes, I would be ever so grateful for anyones help. And if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. Thanks again. =)

Here is the build I currently have in my cart to purchase. Please do not hesitate to inform me on better choices. (Side note I already purchased the cpu cooler as it was on sale for $30, and the high power supply is so when I buy and add more GPU's I won't need to upgrade my power supply as well.)

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K
CPU COOLER: CRYORIG H7 Tower Cooler
GPU: ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8GB ROG STRIX Graphics Card
GPU: ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8GB ROG STRIX Graphics Card
SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD
HD: WD Blue 1TB SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 64MB Cache 3.5
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB DDR4 3000 C15
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3000MHz (PC4-24000) C15
Power: Corsair RMx Series, RM1000x, 1000W, Fully Modular
Case: Cooler Master HAF X - Full Tower
Disc Drive: LG WH16NS40 Super Multi Blue Internal SATA 16x Blu-ray Disc Rewriter
Monitor: ASUS PA279Q 27" WQHD 2560x1440 AH-IPS DP Input, Daisy-chain DP Output HDMI DVI-D Ergonomic Back-lit LED Monitor
OS: Windows 7 Pro

Best,
Pangie

bambiboom · Nov 26, 2016

Pangie :

Pangie,

The list is quite good overall, but there are a couple of conflicting aspects. The 3D modeling of Maya will benefit from faster, fewer, CPU cores, but Zbrush runs entirely on the CPU, and so that program would be better suited by a dual Xeon with as many physical cores. With CPU's , more cores means lower clock speeds. Also, Adobe products do not perform as well over dual processors. These are the reasons I have a fast 6-core and separate 16-core system. I might mention in passing that the i7-5820K supports 28PCIe lanes whereas there are two GTX 1080's which are sitting in two x16 PCIe slots. that means one of the GTZ's will be running at x8. That's not terribly serious, but a slight waste of the GTX 1080.

My suggestion is to change to a 6-core E5-1650 v4 (3.6 / 4.0GHz) so as to increase to 40PCIE lanes,

[b]Xeon Processor E5-1650 v4 > $650[/b]

Mount that on an X99 motherboard:

ASRock ATX DDR4 Motherboard X99 EXTREME4 > $197

Start with 32GB of RAM (DDR3-1600 ECC unbuffered), expecting eventually to have 64GB > about $160

Use a single GTX 1080 to start > about $750

As X99 and M.2 are such a great combination, use:

Samsung 950 PRO Series - 512GB PCIe NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD (MZ-V5P512BW) > $350

And that will have an OS/ Programs partition and active projects partition. It may be possible to do that on a 256GB > $200

Have a good storage drive such as WD Black or Seagate Constellation ES.3 1 or 2TB (those have 128MB chance instead of 64MB.

If I might suggest, consider a case that is specifically made to operate quietly. gaming cases with fans and radiators close on the outer surfaces can be noisy. Workstations are designed with the fans buried deep inside and within shrouds for that reason.

be quiet! DARK BASE 900 ATX Full Tower Computer Chassis - Black/Silver > $150

Corsair Obsidian Series 750D Performance Full Tower Case > $100

LIAN LI PC-A76X No Power Supply ATX Full Tower (Black) > $200

Another approach would be to upgrade a used, dual Xeon workstation so as to benefit from depreciated Xeon E5-2600 series CPU's. This can provide a system with two 8-core Xeon E5 first series CPU's. For example:

Purchased for $270 (Slight cosmetic damage):

HP z620 (Original) Xeon E5-1620 4-core @ 3.6 /3.8GHz) / 8GB (1X 8GB DDR3-1333) / AMD Firepro V5900 (2GB) / Seagate Barracuda 750GB + Samsung 500GB + WD 500GB
[ Passmark System Rating= 2408 / CPU= 8361 / 2D= 846 / 3D = 1613 / Mem =1584 / Disk = 574 ] 7.13.16

CPU:s $320 ($152 and $154)
2nd CPU /Fan /Mem Riser board: $150
RAM: $160
GPU: $250 (Quadro K2200) + $86 (Tesla M2090)
HP Z Turbo drive 256 M.2 : $150
Seagate Constellation ES. # 1TB: $60
Set z620 plastic case parts: $56

Result- about $1,300 total:

Analysis / Simulation / Rendering:

HP z620 (2012) (Rev 3) 2X Xeon E5-2690 (8-core @ 2.9 / 3.8GHz) / 64GB DDR3-1600 ECC reg) / Quadro K2200 (4GB) + Tesla M2090 (6GB) / HP Z Turbo Drive (256GB) + Seagate Constellation ES.3 (1TB) / 800W > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit > HP 2711x (27" 1980 X 1080)
[ Passmark System Rating= 5675 / CPU= 22625 / 2D= 815 / 3D = 3580 / Mem = 2522 / Disk = 12640 ] 9.25.16
[Cinebench R15: OpenGL= 115.78 fps / CPU = 2199 cb / Single core 131 cb / MP Ratio 16.84x

This is much easier than building from individual components. And that system runs VRAY on all 32 threads at up to 3.4,-3,5GHz at 95-100% CPU utilization. A 3180 X 1680 rendering with few lights and bounces requires about 6 minutes. The Quadro K2200 (4GB) + Telsa M2090 (6GB) combination performs similarly to a Quadro M5000 (8GB) and somewhat above a GTX 970.

In this use, consider used HP z620 and, better, z820 or Dell Precision T7600 or, better, T7610 as that will allow the use Xeon E5- 2600 v2 CPU's and DDR3-1866 instead of 1600. The z620 uses an expensive CPU .Fan, memory rise board- so subtract $150 from the price of a z820 to compare.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

CAD / 3D Modeling / Graphic Design:

HP z420 (2015) (Rev 3) > Xeon E5-1660 v2 (6-core @ 3.7 / 4.0GHz) / 32GB DDR3 -1866 ECC RAM / Quadro K4200 (4GB) / Samsung SM951 M.2 256GB AHCI + Intel 730 480GB (9SSDSC2BP480G4R5) + Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > 600W PSU> > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit > Logitech z2300 speakers > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H (2560 X 1440)
[ Passmark Rating = 5581 > CPU= 14046 / 2D= 838 / 3D= 4694 / Mem= 2777 / Disk= 11559] [6.12.16]

okcnaline · Nov 26, 2016

Maya is an animation software. The GTX 1080 is a good choice, but since Photoshop is involved, color bit accuracy of the Quadro may be desired. Z-Brush, like Bambiboom said, is CPU-based. There's a way to get around that.

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 Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ B&H)
Motherboard: Supermicro MBD-X10DAL-I-O ATX Dual-CPU LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($301.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (2 x 16GB) Registered DDR4-2133 Memory ($194.00 @ B&H)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($76.29 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($76.29 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 1080 8GB AMP! Edition Video Card ($569.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define XL R2 (Black Pearl) ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Other: Quadro K620 ($159.99)
Total: $2522.37
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-26 17:20 EST-0500

Pangie · Nov 27, 2016

bambiboom :

Pangie,

The list is quite good overall, but there are a couple of conflicting aspects. The 3D modeling of Maya will benefit from faster, fewer, CPU cores, but Zbrush runs entirely on the CPU, and so that program would be better suited by a dual Xeon with as many physical cores. With CPU's , more cores means lower clock speeds. Also, Adobe products do not perform as well over dual processors. These are the reasons I have a fast 6-core and separate 16-core system. I might mention in passing that the i7-5820K supports 28PCIe lanes whereas there are two GTX 1080's which are sitting in two x16 PCIe slots. that means one of the GTZ's will be running at x8. That's not terribly serious, but a slight waste of the GTX 1080.

My suggestion is to change to a 6-core E5-1650 v4 (3.6 / 4.0GHz) so as to increase to 40PCIE lanes,

[b]Xeon Processor E5-1650 v4 > $650[/b]

Mount that on an X99 motherboard:

ASRock ATX DDR4 Motherboard X99 EXTREME4 > $197

Start with 32GB of RAM (DDR3-1600 ECC unbuffered), expecting eventually to have 64GB > about $160

Use a single GTX 1080 to start > about $750

As X99 and M.2 are such a great combination, use:

Samsung 950 PRO Series - 512GB PCIe NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD (MZ-V5P512BW) > $350

And that will have an OS/ Programs partition and active projects partition. It may be possible to do that on a 256GB > $200

Have a good storage drive such as WD Black or Seagate Constellation ES.3 1 or 2TB (those have 128MB chance instead of 64MB.

If I might suggest, consider a case that is specifically made to operate quietly. gaming cases with fans and radiators close on the outer surfaces can be noisy. Workstations are designed with the fans buried deep inside and within shrouds for that reason.

be quiet! DARK BASE 900 ATX Full Tower Computer Chassis - Black/Silver > $150

Corsair Obsidian Series 750D Performance Full Tower Case > $100

LIAN LI PC-A76X No Power Supply ATX Full Tower (Black) > $200

Another approach would be to upgrade a used, dual Xeon workstation so as to benefit from depreciated Xeon E5-2600 series CPU's. This can provide a system with two 8-core Xeon E5 first series CPU's. For example:

Purchased for $270 (Slight cosmetic damage):

HP z620 (Original) Xeon E5-1620 4-core @ 3.6 /3.8GHz) / 8GB (1X 8GB DDR3-1333) / AMD Firepro V5900 (2GB) / Seagate Barracuda 750GB + Samsung 500GB + WD 500GB
[ Passmark System Rating= 2408 / CPU= 8361 / 2D= 846 / 3D = 1613 / Mem =1584 / Disk = 574 ] 7.13.16

CPU:s $320 ($152 and $154)
2nd CPU /Fan /Mem Riser board: $150
RAM: $160
GPU: $250 (Quadro K2200) + $86 (Tesla M2090)
HP Z Turbo drive 256 M.2 : $150
Seagate Constellation ES. # 1TB: $60
Set z620 plastic case parts: $56

Result- about $1,300 total:

Analysis / Simulation / Rendering:

HP z620 (2012) (Rev 3) 2X Xeon E5-2690 (8-core @ 2.9 / 3.8GHz) / 64GB DDR3-1600 ECC reg) / Quadro K2200 (4GB) + Tesla M2090 (6GB) / HP Z Turbo Drive (256GB) + Seagate Constellation ES.3 (1TB) / 800W > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit > HP 2711x (27" 1980 X 1080)
[ Passmark System Rating= 5675 / CPU= 22625 / 2D= 815 / 3D = 3580 / Mem = 2522 / Disk = 12640 ] 9.25.16
[Cinebench R15: OpenGL= 115.78 fps / CPU = 2199 cb / Single core 131 cb / MP Ratio 16.84x

This is much easier than building from individual components. And that system runs VRAY on all 32 threads at up to 3.4,-3,5GHz at 95-100% CPU utilization. A 3180 X 1680 rendering with few lights and bounces requires about 6 minutes. The Quadro K2200 (4GB) + Telsa M2090 (6GB) combination performs similarly to a Quadro M5000 (8GB) and somewhat above a GTX 970.

In this use, consider used HP z620 and, better, z820 or Dell Precision T7600 or, better, T7610 as that will allow the use Xeon E5- 2600 v2 CPU's and DDR3-1866 instead of 1600. The z620 uses an expensive CPU .Fan, memory rise board- so subtract $150 from the price of a z820 to compare.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

CAD / 3D Modeling / Graphic Design:

HP z420 (2015) (Rev 3) > Xeon E5-1660 v2 (6-core @ 3.7 / 4.0GHz) / 32GB DDR3 -1866 ECC RAM / Quadro K4200 (4GB) / Samsung SM951 M.2 256GB AHCI + Intel 730 480GB (9SSDSC2BP480G4R5) + Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > 600W PSU> > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit > Logitech z2300 speakers > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H (2560 X 1440)
[ Passmark Rating = 5581 > CPU= 14046 / 2D= 838 / 3D= 4694 / Mem= 2777 / Disk= 11559] [6.12.16]

I really like the custom build you have going, couple questions:
1. If I could spend a little more on a motherboard would this one be okay? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132686&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleKWLess&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleKWLess-_-DSA-_-CategoryPages-_-NA&gclid=Cj0KEQiAperBBRDfuMf72sr56fIBEiQAPFXszUg50FNDhhz_5RWEDaCBz-yzdZiWtBHkus8Bb5YGcuYaAu158P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

2. Is the difference between DDR3-1600 and DDR4-#### significant? Because I'd be willing to spend alittle more to get the DDR4, if it's worth the price and I'm not paying more to pay more.

Pangie · Nov 27, 2016

okcnaline :

Thinking hard about it, I actually will be, and do, use Maya and Photoshop more than ZBrush, so would investing the extra $100 be worth it to get the Quadro K1200?

(Also side note thank you for pointing me toward the Quadro)

I'm really interested in the dual CPU build but once I make a choice for a build I need to stick with it. And as such I think I'm going to go with a single cpu build for the time being.

okcnaline · Nov 28, 2016

I don't think it's worth getting the K1200. The Quadro is going to be driving your monitors and giving extra goodies while the GTX 1080 will be used as compute. It doesn't gain much FPS to move from a GTX 750 to a 750 Ti. Plus, Photoshop rendering is mostly on CPU, so any power on the Quadro cards will be negligible aside from enabling extra rendering engines or real-time detailed views.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2630 V4 2.2GHz 10-Core Processor ($649.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock X99 Extreme4 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($130.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 32GB (2 x 16GB) Registered DDR4-2133 Memory ($209.00 @ B&H)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($76.29 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($76.29 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1080 8GB TURBO Video Card ($579.99 @ B&H)
Case: Lian-Li PC-9NA ATX Mid Tower Case ($84.00 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1985.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-28 00:04 EST-0500

It still runs 10 cores, so Photoshop should be way more than adequate, while ZBrush shouldn't be that much worse with 2/4 less cores.

Pangie · Nov 28, 2016

Taking what you guys said into account, thank you again. Here's my updated build.

CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2630 V4 2.2GHz 10-Core Processor
CPU COOLER: CRYORIG H7 Tower Cooler
GPU: ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Turbo
2nd GPU: Quadro K620
STORAGE: Seagate Constellation ES.3 ST1000NM0033 1TB 128MB Cache
STORAGE: WD Blue 1TB SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 64MB (The WD Black 1TB that I could find still only had 64MB cache so to save $25ish I'm just going to go with the WD Blue, for general storage. Nothing major on this drive)
SSD STORAGE: SAMSUNG 950 PRO M.2 2280 512GB
MEMORY: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB DDR4 3000
MOTHERBOARD: ASRock X99 Extreme4
POWER: Corsair RMx 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX
CASE: be quiet! DARK BASE 900 | SILVER ATX Full Tower Case
DISC DRIVE: LG WH16NS40 Super Multi Blue Internal SATA 16x Blu-ray Disc Rewriter
OS: Windows 7 Pro
MONITOR: ASUS PA328Q

Total: $2650.00ish (not including the monitor)

What do you guys think of this? okcnaline the ram I listed is cheaper, but I wanted to know if there was a particular reason you listed the Crucial RAM. Also would investing in a better motherboard say

Asus Motherboard ATX DDR4 LGA 1151 Z170 WS

I like the one you listed but I was just wondering if it would be worth increased price to upgrade to ASUS WS.

Another thing to note is that I listen to music almost constantly whether it's on speakers on headphones (mostly headphones), as such should I invest in a simple soundcard? Last I really like what I'm hearing about the Samsung 950 PRO M.2 and would like to incorporate it into my system. Would like to hear your guys' thoughts. Thanks! =D

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HELP 3D Modeling/Rendering + General Use Build

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okcnaline

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