New $2000 Workstation/Game Art/Animation Build

krawlin

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Jul 29, 2010
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18,510
Just wanted to know if this is going to be a solid, stable, performance "budget" workstation machine and that all the parts play well together and that I'm not spending extra money on parts that are unnecessary.


USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: 3D Modeling/Texturing, Photshop, 3DS Max, Zbrush, Maya, Animation & Game Art, possibly Film asset creation, Character Turntables, VRay RT, UnrealED, 3D Scenes for Prints, some Gaming: mostly for testing modding and asset creation, some hobbyist audio production.
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BUDGET RANGE: Around $2000 CND

PARTS NOT REQUIRED:keyboard, mouse, monitor, headset, all that crap

WEBSITE FOR PARTS: NCIX

COUNTRY: CND

PREFERENCES: Intel, Asus, other..not much

OVERCLOCKING: Yes (Stability prefered over speed)

CROSSFIRE: Possible Future

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1680x1050 (Have Dell 2209WA...got one for $200!)

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CPU: Intel Core i7 920 D0 Stepping Quad Core Processor - $319.32

MOBO: ASUS P6X58D Premium X58 ATX LGA1366 CrossFire SLI - $325.11

GPU: ATI FirePro V4800 1GB DDR3 Workstation Video Card - Retail - $174.76

RAM: Corsair XMS3 TR3X6G1333C9 6GB DDR3 3X2GB DDR3-1333 CL 9-9-9-24 Core i7 Memory Kit [Reg. $160.71] - $154.99 (this any good?)

HD 1: (OS)Intel X25-M 80GB 34NM Postville 2.5IN SSD SATA SSD 1 - $262.95

HD 2: (Data, etc.)Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB SATA2 7200RPM 32MB [Reg. $99.99] $90.00

COOLER: Noctua NH-D14 LGA775/1156/1366/AM3 I7/I5/PHENOM Heatpipe Cooler W/ NF-P14 140MM & NF-P12 120MM Fan 1 $89.99

PSU: Corsair TX750W 750W ATX 12V 60A 24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 140MM Fan [Reg. $144.99] $109.99

CASE: Cooler Master Haf 932 Full Tower EATX Case 6X5.25 1X3.5 5X3.5INT - Black [Reg. $149.99] 1 $129.99

Samsung SH-S243D/BEBE 24X Black DVD Writer SATA OEM [Reg. $32.99] - $24.99

OS: Win7 Pro. 64BIT DVD OEM [Reg. $163.99] 1 $145.99
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PC Assembly and Testing with 1 Year Limited NCIX System Warranty (PRE-CONFIG WIN. OS If Purchased)
1 Year Limited Warranty on system components assembled by NCIX. 1 $50.00



SUBTOTAL: $1,883.58
HST(12%): $226.03 (grr tax)
TOTAL: CAD $2,109.61
ALL PRICES IN CANADIAN DOLLARS BALANCE: $2,109.61
 

krawlin

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Jul 29, 2010
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18,510
My bad. I didn't realize I was doing anything wrong, as I would put it together myself but I want the 1year warranty. It's not like it's a dell or anything, rather a built to spec system. Via my research I specifically asked for a quote on all the components except for the Case, PSU, and Ram, which the salesman filled in.

I just want extra eyes to make sure it's decent setup and am not being sold unnecessary pricy components.

Which forum should I move this to?
 
No this is the right area. NCIX does assembly, but it's not like a pre-built.

krawlin, I think it's pretty good.

If you are going to be doing large projects on a deadline you might want faster RAM. You need at least 1600 for overclocking, and the lower the latency the better.
This Mushkin redline would be awesome:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=49816&vpn=998805&manufacture=Mushkin%20Enhanced

Or this OCZ Gold would be a budget choice:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=35710&vpn=OCZ3G1600LV6GK&manufacture=OCZ%20Technology&promoid=1008

You could very much benefit from a larger SSD for those programs. This one is good:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=53424&vpn=CSSD-F120GB2-BRKT&manufacture=Corsair&promoid=1008

This Seasonic PSU is more than enough power, quieter, more efficient, and less expensive:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=52174&vpn=S12II%20620&manufacture=Seasonic%20Electronics

Or get the modular version:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=52176&vpn=M12II%20620&manufacture=Seasonic%20Electronics
 

krawlin

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Jul 29, 2010
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I will be overclocking to 3.2-3.8 so I will have a look at those 2 rams. I really am already stretching the budget already so I might have to go with the OCZ, but have read some good things about the Mushkin Redline. I am a bit of a noob concerning ram but I did hear that CL6 is prefered. I want this system snappy and stable so would I notice much of difference between the OCZ and the Mushkin?

(will be getting 6gb more ram in a couple months)

PSU: I def. like quiet. Would that PSU be enough if I decide to go dual vid cards in the future? Cheaper is better also so + for the seasonic..good brand as well.

re the SSD: Not many reviews on the one you linked..although an extra 40gb would be dreamy. The Intel one has some pretty solid feedback hence my choice. Yeah it will probably fill up pretty fast but I'm going to try to keep the OS disk for JUST the programs and the workspace data will be held elsewhere, or copied to a scratch disk to work from.
 
RAM latency is not something you "see" so much. It's good for shaving time off long renders, things like that. Shows up in benchmarks and shaves off a week or two of time at the end of the year (in a professional workstation build). If you are a gamer you buy it for an extra frame here and there if you can afford it, if you are a pro you get it because time is money.

Let me point you to the source you want to use for SSD decisions:
Wow I lost this, took me 20 mins to find again, bookmarked now ;)
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2010/07/08/ssd-buyers-guide/1

Anandtech is the place to go for expert opinion on SSD, but this article does a fantastic job of wrapping it up. Right now the Sandforce controllers are the best bang for the buck.

I will look up power draw on the V4800....
Ah, it's nothing, 48W under normal max load. Yes the PSU is fine for two.
 

krawlin

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Jul 29, 2010
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18,510
thanks for that link. checking it out right now, very informative.

Noob question here...So with the Sandforce..I'm a bit confused as to the performance based on file compression talk. What if I work a lot with TGA's which don't typically compress that well..will speeds suffer?

Crucial 128GB SSD looks sweet..would the MOBO i'm using work with the 6gb/s sata 3?

RAM - I'm going to go with the OCZ memory..with the mail in rebate It can be had for $129..when I get a bigger paycheck I'll perhaps sell that off and go to the 12gb of mushkin. ;)


Mr. Pizza: Yeah but for they test it for 2-3 days as well as have the 1 year warranty.. peace of mind for me for the initial build since I'm still learning parts connections etc.. Although that case is pretty friendly for custom builts by the looks of it..

Future upgrades will be done by me of course though.
 

krawlin

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Jul 29, 2010
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18,510
Noob question here...So with the Sandforce..I'm a bit confused as to the performance based on file compression talk. What if I work a lot with TGA's which don't typically compress that well..will speeds suffer?

Hardly a noob question, and should probably be asked separately in the forums for a definitive answer.... although the compression you are speaking of is different than a zip.

Crucial 128GB SSD looks sweet..would the MOBO i'm using work with the 6gb/s sata 3?

Yes.

RAM - I'm going to go with the OCZ memory..with the mail in rebate It can be had for $129..when I get a bigger paycheck I'll perhaps sell that off and go to the 12gb of mushkin. ;)
That's fine really. OCZ has taken a recent quality hit with some bad batches, but I think it's all resolved now and they are back to their usual 95% quality.
 

krawlin

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Jul 29, 2010
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18,510
Ok well ty for all the info. I would get the sandforce, but now the price on the intel x25 is $230..although sandforce is 264 with mail in rebate...decisions decisions!

Just hope all the mail in rebates get here quickly enough. lol.
 

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