(2) Builds for work and home. $1500 per build. CAD/CAM and gaming.

millsyman

Prominent
Dec 8, 2017
3
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510
I am looking to build (2) rigs. One for the office (Manufacturing Engineering) and one for home.


Approximate Purchase Date: 2 weeks (12/10-12/17)

Budget Range: $1500 ± $300 per build

System Usage from Most to Least Important:
Work Build: CAD/CAM with Solidworks and Mastercam (5-axis toolpathing), other various CAD software and 3D printing software, screen recording software.

Home Build: Gaming, CAD/CAM with Solidworks and Mastercam (5-axis toolpathing), streaming videos, recording and editing music

Are you buying a monitor: No

Do you need to buy OS: Yes

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Amazon

Location: Ohio, USA

Parts Preferences: None

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: TBD

Additional Comments: I want to be able to run my CAD/CAM software on both computers, and I also want to game on my home computer. I have been considering going with an AMD Ryzen on the work build for maximum multi-threading but I'm not sure. I am also not sure which graphic card would be best for the work build, I won't be gaming on it but I will be 3D modeling.

I'm leaning towards an i7 8700K/GTX 1080 for the home build (it seems to be considered the best atm). I would also like the home build to run rather quietly and have a window with a little bit of disco inside. The work build can be rather plain and compact/efficient, it needs to be able to attach to the underside of my desk.

I am currently running Windows 7, however I am considering getting Windows 10. I haven't been a fan of the interface in the past but I'm accepting that I may have to jump on board.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I am currently upgrading pcs at work and I have been toying with building a home office rig for awhile. I want to have the highest most efficient production at work, and a more general all around build for home, while still be able to do my work from home.

Thanks in advance for any help!
 
Solution
The H5 ultimate can indeed cause ram clearance issues with tall rams.
The alternate cooler that I would suggest is the Scythe Mugen 5.
U can also consider the meshify c case for better airflow.
Okay, here are the two builds. For Solidworks and CAD/CAM in general you will not be needing much in the way of Quad-core performance but rather single core speed is of greater importance.
https://www.pugetsystems.com/recommended/Recommended-Systems-for-SOLIDWORKS-150/Hardware-Recommendations

For this reason the i7-8700K is the better choice over a Ryzen CPU. The 8700K is a better choice over the 7700K due to the extra 2 cores. For GPU the Quadro cards actually perform much better than GE Force cards for Solidworks.
https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Why-you-should-use-a-Quadro-video-card-in-Solidworks-2016-751/

Here I chose the a Quadro P2000 card which is a pretty solid card with 5GB of VRAM. I also included upgrade and downgrade options below. Here is their relative Passmark performance scores.
https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/compare.php?cmp%5B%5D=3727&cmp%5B%5D=3712&cmp%5B%5D=3719

What you will need will depend on the size and complexity of the models you will be creating and manipulating. Here is a general assessment tool.
http://www.nvidia.ca/object/autodesk-design-suite-find-graphics.html

Main storage is two 4TB NAS type HDD which should be setup in a RAID 1 configuration. This creates a safeguard against HDD failure with mirrored drives. Not sure if this is needed as I don't know what NAS server system you might have. Programs/OS will be stored on the 275GB SSD. Be advised that using the HDD's might slow down boot times if you are using large, complex models. If this is the case you might want to consider a pure SSD configuration.

For OS you might want to stay with Win7 for the time being, I don't see a big advantage to upgrading to Win10 at this time although that will likely change in the future. I did not include OS in these builds.

For the home system I would just change the GPU to a 1070 Ti. This is much cheaper than the 1080 but has almost the same performance. Replace the HDD's and case and add an RGB lighting kit.

If you need things modified I will try accommodate you, just ask.

Work Build
PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/93zysJ
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/93zysJ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor ($404.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool - GAMMAXX 400 74.3 CFM CPU Cooler ($23.79 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus - Prime Z370-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($174.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($214.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial - MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital - Red 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($133.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital - Red 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($133.99 @ B&H)
Video Card: PNY - Quadro P2000 5GB Video Card ($443.48 @ B&H)
Case: Corsair - 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.28 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus - DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1779.47
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-12-13 10:08 EST-0500

Upgrade GPU: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/7ms8TW/pny-quadro-p4000-8gb-video-card-vcqp4000-pb
Downgrade GPU: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/86H48d/pny-quadro-p1000-4gb-video-card-vcqp1000-pb

Home Build
PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/VNPsRG
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/VNPsRG/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor ($404.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool - GAMMAXX 400 74.3 CFM CPU Cooler ($23.79 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus - Prime Z370-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($174.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($214.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial - MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - BarraCuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition Video Card ($469.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Zalman - Z11 NEO ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.28 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus - DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ B&H)
Other: DeepCool RGB350 Color LED Strips ($19.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1592.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-12-13 10:41 EST-0500
 

millsyman

Prominent
Dec 8, 2017
3
0
510
What do you think about the builds I got from another post on PCPicker? Here are my current builds:

Work Build

Home Build


I have contacted my Mastercam (my most used software) dealer and they recommended a higher speed processor, so I have decided to go i7-8700K on both builds now.

I am now considering getting two gpu's for my home build. I'm not 100% on this yet but I at least want to plan for the potential in the future. Do you have any recommendations for going about this? Would the Gigabyte Z370 that I have in my current home build support using both cards?

Also, what is your opinion on M.2 type storage? I like the cleanliness of it, but I have no experience with them.

 
If you like the portable powerhouse idea :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor ($404.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - C1 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG Strix Z370-I Gaming Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($179.18 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance RGB 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($377.71 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung - 960 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($289.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Hitachi - Deskstar NAS 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($121.00 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks - ENTHOO EVOLV SHIFT X Mini ITX Tower Case ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit ($136.88 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: LEPA - LP-BOL12P-BL 81.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.99 @ Amazon)
Other: SilverStone Technology SST-SX650-G 650W SFX Fully Modular 80 Plus Gold PSU with Improved 92mm Fan and Japanese Capacitors SX650-G ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Other: NVIDIA TITAN Xp Star Wars Jedi Order COLLECTORS EDITION ($1599.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $3477.60
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-12-15 04:07 EST-0500
 
on your build go with the newer nvd (sp) sata drives for speed. with windows 10 now you can use free classic shell to make it act and look like windows 7. with newer intel mb there no chipset drivers for the older os. on drive for the build make sure there the faster 7,200 drives. go with 16 or 32g of ram the more ram the better the rig going to run with large files or lots of windows open. if you have a lot of windows open now think of getting two monitors so you can use one as workspace and one for web/emails.
 
Here is the list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor ($404.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Silverstone - AR06 40.2 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.99)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG Strix Z370-I Gaming Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($179.18 @ B&H)
Memory: Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($331.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($124.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital - Black 1TB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($63.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital - Black 1TB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($63.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PNY - Quadro P5000 16GB Video Card ($1773.00)
Case: Silverstone - ML08B-H HTPC Case ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Thermaltake - Toughpower SFX 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $3180.42
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-12-15 06:21 EST-0500

Both GPU and CPU cooler pricing is from Amazon.com(not updated in PCPP).
Few of the above listed software benefit from Quadro GPU over Geforce. And P5000 is not at all bad for gaming, it will perform nearly as good as GTX1080/GTX1070Ti if not better which should satisfy 1080p needs for coming few years.
 
I am hoping the poster will respond but with the work PC using Mastercam (5-axis toolpathing) I suspect that it is tied to a metal machining center like a CNC mill. I would not want to be connnecting/disconnecting a PC in such a setup, too much of a chance of taking your business down.

 
The work build has decent parts, the GPU is slower and the RAM as well but increases the total RAM to 32
GB. What you will need will depend on the image size and complexity. If you are milling/machining small parts like fasteners or bushing you can use a P1000 and 16GB of RAM. And much smaller storage, probably not enough for a work application. Again, not sure what Network Attached Storage (NAS) you have.

One issue that has to be considered for the work machine is what environment will it be placed in? Things like aerosols, large particulates (metal filings) and vibration can have an negative impact on PC reliability and you should design accordingly. An example would be to have positive case air pressure with a good intake filter for aerosols.

The home build again lacks storage and has only 1x16GB of RAM thus it will only run in single channel mode. Better to get 2x8GB of RAM. For the home build where you might want to overclock I would be looking at RAM that is faster than 2400 MHz, say 3200 MHz.

Both the GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Gaming 5 and the Asus Prime Z370-A support SLI but if you want to go this route you will need to increase your PSU wattage. SLI'ed GPU's will certainly increase your graphics power but be aware that there can be compatibility issues. Make sure to review your software for issues before you proceed.

M.2 SSD's are certainly the fastest. Some can heat up a bit so if heat is an issue you might want reconsider. Whether you need them is a question but I would not shy away from them.

 
I honestly believe that this pc would be in a separate place, maybe in a office space, and there would be another control terminal attached to the rig(with only monitor and input devices mirroring the master pc in the office.
Atleast that's how it's setup in my work area.
 

millsyman

Prominent
Dec 8, 2017
3
0
510
I use the work pc to program CNC machines for a manufacturing shop, however it will be in an office setting with no risk of chips or coolant.

Here are the builds I am settling in on:

Work Build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor ($404.00 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Scythe - FUMA Rev.B 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus - Prime Z370-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($168.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($181.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($27.00 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Video Card: PNY - Quadro P1000 4GB Video Card ($309.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair - 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($97.74 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1471.45
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-12-17 18:21 EST-0500


I have the 16gb of RAM and the Quadro P1000 currently selected right now in order to stay within budget. Depending on the budget I may upgrade to P2000, and I figure I can always at another 16gb of RAM if desired.



Home Build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor ($404.00 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H5 Ultimate 76.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z370 AORUS Gaming 5 (rev. 1.0) ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($186.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($214.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($139.99 @ B&H)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition Video Card ($469.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design - Define C with Window ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($97.74 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Total: $1630.56
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-12-17 18:17 EST-0500

I have decided to go with 16gb of RAM at home for budget purposes, however I decided to go with DDR4-3000 because I might want to OC my cpu. The intel specs state that the 8700K supports DDR4-2666 by default. Is it correct to think this means I need to OC to get DDR4-3000 support?

I have decided against M.2 for now also due to budget reasons. I also have a 1TB drive already that I plan to use here.

One concern of mine is the cooler/case/RAM clearance issues. How can I know if all of these parts are going to fit together nicely?

Thanks!