1500$ WorkStation Build for Virtual Machines and Rendering

Basically I need to build out a box which will be used for 2 separate purposes,

• As a testing home server for development

• As an entry level Editing Workstation.

(To put a long story short, me and a buddy of mine a “time-sharing” this box. )

I am building a pc after a long time, given the amazing amount of advice and the varied choices available, am thoroughly lost about what to buy.

Approximate Purchase Date: This week

Budget Range: 1000-1400 USD (Rs 60-70K for only the CPU box )

System Usage from Most to Least Important:
Virtual Machines, Development, Cinema 4d , Auto Cad 2011, Photoshop/Illustrator CS5
Must support Linux (drivers etc )

Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers , OS

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com for indicative prices, however I plan to get this from local dealers. So costs may vary by about 200$

Country of Origin: Mumbai, India

Parts Preferences: No

Overclocking: Maybe sometime later but Doubtful

SLI or Crossfire: Not sure whether this would be of any use, Might go in for a professional Graphics Card later.

Monitor Resolution: Initially plan for a simple dual monitor setup (1920x1080, 1920x1080) may expand to 3 monitor in the future.

Additional Comments:

• CPU

From my basic understanding and all the research on the forums here,
I believe, the recommended method would be to get a Multi - Processor Server system.

a. Should I go for 2x Opteron 6178 or for a 2x Xeon?
b. In case of Opteron Is it possible to buy a 4 socket Motherboard and add 2 Opterons later on? Will this be very expensive?

• RAM

a. 16 GB or more ( would prefer to upgrade incrementally)

• Video Card.

a. Not sure which one to go for, but I guess anything with 1 GB memory should be ok?
b. Am not sure whether a professional video card will be within budget? Both consumer and professional recommendations would be helpful

• Hard drive

a. Should I go for an SSD? is it worth it?

b. Probably will end up buying 2x 500GB 7200 RPM Hard Drives


Any other suggestions would be highly appreciated. Will Post Detailed SS of the build and any benchmarks once i build the system.

JustShrey

So here is the basic stuff which i have picked up.

Looks like i am definately going to go much over budget, but i can use this pc for quite a while.


Given that buying 2 processes immediately proves to be too expensive, am thinking of buying a dual socket mb and adding the second processor with additional ram later on.

Could some body please suggest other components? i.e Fan /Heatsink , PSU and Case?