Ordering Today! - 3D / HD Video workstation

robjl

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Jan 19, 2010
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Hey guys,
So I'm trying to build a nice video editing and 3D production workstation that can do some gaming as close to $2000 as possible.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: One week
SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: HD Video editing, 3D Rendering / Compositing, Gaming, Audio Editing
PARTS NOT REQUIRED: OS, Mouse, Keyboard, Monitors
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: www.newegg.com (U.S.)
PARTS PREFERENCES: Any mid-tower
OVERCLOCKING: Maybe
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe
MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1200 x 2
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

Main programs being used:
Adobe Premiere / After Effects / Photoshop CS4
Maya 2010
ZBrush
Nuke
Realflow
Houdini


Thus far...
_________________
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM $104.99

Case:
Antec Nine Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $109.95

Power:
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail $109.99

Motherboard:
GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $199.99

Processor:
Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 $288.99

GPU:
POWERCOLOR AX5850 1GBD5-MDHG Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Retail $289.99

OS / Main Apps Drive:
Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2M080G2XXX 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - OEM $289.95

Backup / Extra programs:
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $89.99

Work Drive (RAID0)
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive x 2 $179.98

RAM:
Patriot Extreme Performance Viper Series 12GB (6 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model PVT312G1333LLHK - Retail $319.99

Sound:
Creative Audigy 2 ZS Platinum *will be re-using this from current PC

Optical:

Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD/CD Rewritable Drive - OEM $26.99

Grand Total:
$2010.80

Please help me out with anything that looks off balance! I decided against a workstation card since I would like to do gaming as well (and dev stuff...some modeling would be for game engines) and I just havn't seen or heard a good argument to justify dropping over $500 for a workstation card to save me some time when this isn't for clients. Is there any extra cooling I should be looking into as well or will stock fans be sufficient?
 
Solution
^ Good build there...but I have few suggestions...

1. Mobo - I feel this is a better option as of now...
It has very similar features to the P6T, but also has USB 3.0 and SATA 6GB/s
GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128423

2. RAM - As you will be populating all the 6 slots, better to go with lower speed, tighter timings...as they are easier to set than faster speed when populating all the 6 slots...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220386
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226116
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148278

3. HDD - The WD Blacks are good, but these are also equally good and in some case even better...

grossemesser

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May 7, 2009
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Other users: correct me if i'm wrong, but it seems that the GPU you must use, based on the use you will give the eorkstation would be an nvidia Quadro or the ATI FirePro or FireGL series
 

robjl

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Jan 19, 2010
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I'm glad you brought this up. I am leaning towards the nvidia Quadro - I should have mentioned this with the video card uncertainty but I really have no idea what I'm dealing with as this is the first non-gaming build I've attempted. I understand this has a lot to do with what software you use as well, and I've read nvidia is the right match for CS4. I also don't want to spend more than 1000 on the GPU alone unless I know it will be a match made for the 3D apps I use.
 

robjl

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Jan 19, 2010
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Modified original post with more detail.. bumping since this went bottom up over the weekend (guess i-7 builds aren't so exciting anymore :) ). Hoping to order this week so any help would be much appreciated - I'm a first timer looking to avoid paying for an apple : )
 
^ Good build there...but I have few suggestions...

1. Mobo - I feel this is a better option as of now...
It has very similar features to the P6T, but also has USB 3.0 and SATA 6GB/s
GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128423

2. RAM - As you will be populating all the 6 slots, better to go with lower speed, tighter timings...as they are easier to set than faster speed when populating all the 6 slots...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220386
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226116
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148278

3. HDD - The WD Blacks are good, but these are also equally good and in some case even better...
Samsung F3 1TB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

4. CASE - Check out thise case too - CM HAF 922
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197

5. SSD - Buy the retail version - Cheaper at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002IJA1EG/ref=asc_df_B002IJA1EG1014165?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=googlecom09c9-20&linkCode=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B002IJA1EG

6. PSU - No doubt Corsair is the best, but at this price, the Antec is a better buy...
Antec EA 750 - Also it is partially modular...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371026

7. Graphics card - GTX 260 for that price ? I would rather get this one - ATI HD 5850 DirectX 11, ATI Stream like Nvidia's CUDA, As powerful as the GTX 285...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131184
 
Solution

robjl

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Jan 19, 2010
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Thanks for the feedback, going to go with your suggestion on the mobo (especially for usb 3.0) and ATI video card. I'm not sure what you mean by setting the ram on 6 slots, are you referring to OC'ing?


 
^ The X58 has default RAM speeds(1066MHz)...anything higher, you would have to set them manually or with the help of XMP profiles...It is slightly harder to set the higher speed when all the 6 slots are populated...So that time it is better to get lower speed RAM with tighter timings...
 

robjl

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Jan 19, 2010
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So basically this RAM will just plug in without needing to manually adjust the speed?

I'm going to take all of your suggestions, I've changed the original post to reflect it. After a talk with a coworker on RAID systems I've decided to drop down to a RAID0 for a working drive, and just keep an extra samsung partitioned as a place for extra installs and backups.
 
With those RAMs will be easier to set the rated timings and speed...
You can use the XMP profiles, which will allow you to set the speed and timings without the need to go into the BIOS...

And a suggestion...why not try a SSD for OS and apps - maybe even use it as a scratch disk ? they would offer better performance(Faster boot up, apps load quicker) than RAID setup but less storage space and still have a price premium attached to them...
If you feel that the performance increase warrants the price in your case, then go with it...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010150636%201421439415%201421541071&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&CompareItemList=N82E16820227394%2CN82E16820227469%2CN82E16820227461
 

robjl

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Jan 19, 2010
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Ok, i'm sold on the ram but sticking to my SSD for OS / main programs, the raid for scratch and working, and the extra for storage and whatever else needs to be installed.

update: Ordered!