New 3d workstation build $10k

[dreamwyzard]

Approximate Purchase Date: Not right away, possibly in the next 2-3 months

Budget Range: $10,000 (+/- $2000)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: 3d animation with local rendering (unless there's a cool article on how to build a renderfarm), Compositing.

Parts Not Required: Monitors (using 2), Mouse, Keyboard, Speakers, OS

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: PC Canada, Tiger Direct

Country: Canada

Parts Preferences: Always been with ASUS mobos - leaning towards the Sabertooth x79 Socket 2011, unless a 2P setup is better. If the x79 is the way to go, then I'd look at the Core i7 3960x

Overclocking: Not likely

SLI or Crossfire: Only if there's a performance boost for wireframe refresh rates. I don't need a wall of monitors, but if SLI makes 3ds Max move faster, lets examine that

Additional Comments: I may be able to salvage my Silverstone TJ07 case and an 800w PSU. I'll go get new drives, but is there any truth to the performance boost of an SSD? Should I use one for the OS drive?

Thanks!

 

[g-unit1111]

Parts Preferences: Always been with ASUS mobos - leaning towards the Sabertooth x79 Socket 2011, unless a 2P setup is better. If the x79 is the way to go, then I'd look at the Core i7 3960x

Workstations are the only area where I think X79 really makes sense (quad channel RAM, multiple graphics lanes, XL-ATX motherboards). It doesn't in a gaming system as it limits upgradability and things like that. But if you're going to spend $10K+ on a workstation chances are you won't need to upgrade for a while.

Additional Comments: I may be able to salvage my Silverstone TJ07 case and an 800w PSU. I'll go get new drives, but is there any truth to the performance boost of an SSD? Should I use one for the OS drive?

Absolutely, and you'll get even better performance if you use two in RAID 0. Then you'll want 2 of the same drive.

SLI or Crossfire: Only if there's a performance boost for wireframe refresh rates. I don't need a wall of monitors, but if SLI makes 3ds Max move faster, lets examine that

You'll want to go with professional cards like the Fire Pro or Quaddros then.

Additional Comments: I may be able to salvage my Silverstone TJ07 case and an 800w PSU. I'll go get new drives, but is there any truth to the performance boost of an SSD? Should I use one for the OS drive?

800 will be a bit underpowered for this build and most X79 motherboards use the XL-ATX form factor so that might not work out either.

Try this:

Case: Cooler Master Cosmos II - $349.99
PSU: Silverstone Strider ST1500W - $349.99
Motherboard: Asus P9X79 WS - $399.99
CPU: Intel Core i7-3960X - $1,059.99
Cooler: Corsair H100 - $119.99
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 64GB (8 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) - $599.99
SSD: 2 x 256GB Crucial M4 - $374.99 each
HD: 3 x Seagate Barracuda XT 3TB - $389.99 each
Optical: Plextor B950 - $159.99
Video Card: ATI Fire Pro V7900 - $2,799.99
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate - $199.99

Total: $7,958.87

 

[k1114]

2-3 months is kind of a long time in the tech world. It's good to do research beforehand but not getting a parts list til a max of a month ahead of time and you would still look for deals the day of the purchase so may still change parts. In a few months the new xeons will come out so a dual cpu setup would be a better option. New gpus will also be out although I don't know the date for the new firepros or quadros.

 

[inzone]

Thermaltake Level 10 GT UGK Combat Snow Edition (VN10006W2N-B) Ultimate Gaming Kit White and Black SECC / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case with Tt eSPORTS MEGA G1 Keyboard, Black Gaming Mouse and Shock Gaming Headset
$399.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133195

Intel Core i7-3960X BX80619i73960X Extreme Edition Processor - Six Core, 15MB L3 Cache, 1.5MB L2 Cache, 3.30 GHz (3.90 GHz Max Turbo), Socket R (LGA2011), 130W, No Fan, Unlocked, Retail
$1049.97
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1380571&CatId=7377

Corsair CWCH80 Hydro H80 CPU Liquid Cooler - 120mm Fan, LGA775, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA1366, LGA 2011, AM2, AM3
$99.97
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=581559&Sku=C13-2180

3X raid Western Digital WD2002FAEX Caviar Black Hard Drive - 2TB, 3.5", SATA 6Gbps, 7200 RPM, 64MB
$259.99 X3 $779.97
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7288043&CatId=4357

CORSAIR DDR3 4X8GB 1866MHZ 10-11-10-30 VENGEANCE SERIES [CMZ32GX3M4X1866C10]
$621.74
http://www.pccanada.com/viewitem.asp?id=36825

ASUS Rampage IV Extreme/BF3 X79 Board - ATX, Socket R (LGA2011), Intel X79 Express, 2400MHz DDR3 (O.C.), SATA 6.0 Gb/s, 8-CH Audio, Gigabit LAN, USB 3.0, PCI-Express 3.0, CrossFireX/SLI, Bluetooth
$469.97
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1553583&CatId=7381

EVGA 100-PS-1200-GR Classified SR-2 1200W Power Supply - ATX, Hybrid, 1200 Watt, 80 PLUS Silver Certified, SLI Ready, CrossFire Certified, Ultra-Quiet 80mm Fan
$311.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6620925&Sku=E145-4900

2X in raid Corsair CSSD-F180GB3-BK Force Series 3 Solid State Drive - 180GB, SATA III (6Gb/s), 2.5", up to 550MB/s Read, up to 520MB/s Write
$499.94
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1419530&CatId=5300

PNY VCQ6000-PB Quadro 6000 Fermi Graphics Card - 6GB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.0 (x16), Dual-Link DVI, Dual DisplayPort, Stereo, DirectX 11
$3999.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6809990&CatId=4044

Windows Ult 7 English ROW DVD
$299.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5364209&CatId=4622

The total for this build is $8233.55 This is of course a sample of what you could build and if you did what it would cost.

 

[g-unit1111]

Thermaltake VN10006W2N Level 10 GT Snow Edition Full Tower Case - ATX, M-ATX, Ext ATX, 4x Ext 5.25", 1x Ext 3.5", 5x Int 3.5", 140mm Fan, 3x 200mm Fans, 2x USB 3.0, 4x USB 2.0, 1x eSATA Front Ports
$299.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicat [...] CatId=1510

The Level 10 isn't an XL-ATX case (required for most X79 motherboards including Rampage IV) where the Cosmos II is.

EVGA 100-PS-1200-GR Classified SR-2 1200W Power Supply - ATX, Hybrid, 1200 Watt, 80 PLUS Silver Certified, SLI Ready, CrossFire Certified, Ultra-Quiet 80mm Fan
#311.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicat [...] =E145-4900

I haven't heard a lot about this PSU and on a $10K build I'm not sure I'd trust it. The Silverstone is proven but I'm not sure the EVGA isn't.

 

[Outlander_04]

No point RAIDing SSD's

The OCZ Revodrive 3 does that for you and has far higher bandwidth than any SATA connection

http://www.ocztechnology.com/ocz-revodrive-3-x2-pci-express-ssd.html

 

[inzone]

The Asus board is an Extended Atx board which will fit the case listed.

I didn't realize it was up to you to trust the power supply that I had listed.

 

[dreamwyzard]

@ g-unit: Thanks so much for your list! Awesome specs. Sorry, I thought I listed that I wouldn't need an OS (I'm already using Win 7 Pro 64 Bit), so I can shave a bit off these quotes. Are there benchmarks for the FirePro V7900?
@ k1114: Quite true, but I've been so busy in the last several weeks that I haven't been keeping up with the latest trends - and you fine folks are the best way I know to jumpstart my way back in to the fray! The tech may change in 2 months, but at least this way I'll know WHY it's changed, and whether it's something I need or not.
@ inzone: Thanks for your specs! Question: Are there benchmarks I can see regarding the PNY Quadro 6000?

Awesome guys! Thanks so much! I'll look at the components.

 

[dreamwyzard]

@ Outlander: Coooooool.........I like that RevoDrive. This can obviously be made a bootable drive. I wonder how much performance boost I'd get having one for the OS, another for the applications....

 

[inzone]

Cons: Why the hell almost 2 years later this card has not gone done in price. This tech is based on the 400 series ferni. Nvidia is already working on there next gen gpu passing this card by 2the generations so way the hell s the price not dropping?

Manufacturer Response:
The Quadro 6000 remains the most powerful (and desired) professional graphics board available today. No other product offers 6GB of dedicated GPU memory, is based on NVIDIA’s proven Fermi architecture, is certified by as many ISVs for professional applications, or offers as much flexibility to users who need ultimate graphics and compute (NVIDIA CUDA or Open CL) performance in a single board solution. When the new creative capabilities the Quadro 6000 enables, the graphics or compute performance gains, and the productivity advantage of being able to interactively manipulate the most complex models or datasets are taken into account the NVIDIA Quadro 6000 by PNY remains unmatched in its class and offers superb value to the most demanding MCAD, 3D design, video, Film, or scientific/technical professional user.

I will see if I can locate any benchmarks meanwhile this was a feedback from one of the people that had purchased one and because it was about cost he gave it one egg , even though he thought the card was faet. The response is also listed.

 

[dreamwyzard]

Spectacular! I'll try to find those benchmarks for the Q 6000. Thanks!

 

[inzone]

@ Outlander: Coooooool.........I like that RevoDrive. This can obviously be made a bootable drive. I wonder how much performance boost I'd get having one for the OS, another for the applications....

I have been using the RevoDrives since they came out and the way I have mine set up is with the Corsair Force Gt 180gb as the OS drive and the Revo for secondary , it works better that way. I had it as the boot drive but it was a little problamatic and tempermental.

 

[dreamwyzard]

So in your experience the Revo should be for apps only then?

 

[dreamwyzard]

Goodness.....what happens if you RAID 0 these bad boys? Do you go backwards in time?

 

[g-unit1111]

@ g-unit: Thanks so much for your list! Awesome specs. Sorry, I thought I listed that I wouldn't need an OS (I'm already using Win 7 Pro 64 Bit), so I can shave a bit off these quotes. Are there benchmarks for the FirePro V7900?

I don't really know where to look but the thing with benchmarks is often times a lot of the results are fabricated and don't make sense unless you know what other hardware they tested with it and what they did to achieve those results. You can search sites like anandtech.com and johnnyguru.com but I'm not sure if they'll have what you are looking for.

I have been using the RevoDrives since they came out and the way I have mine set up is with the Corsair Force Gt 180gb as the OS drive and the Revo for secondary , it works better that way. I had it as the boot drive but it was a little problamatic and tempermental.

I've heard that with the Revodrive which is why I hesitate to recommend them in high end builds.

 

[dreamwyzard]

g-unit: Is there a SSD you would recommend? Or do you hesitate with SSDs in general?
I've heard the MTBF rating is virtually no different than a regular SATA drive, making this "no moving parts" just a fallible as spindle 7200 rpm drives. I don't know if that's true, and frankly it evades my logic (no moving parts = nothing to seize or wear down).

 

[inzone]

Goodness.....what happens if you RAID 0 these bad boys? Do you go backwards in time?

You can't put these in raid , they are already a raid of four SSD's tied together with four sandforce controllers. If you were to use one I would go with as large as you can so that you have only one , and you can get a different one to use in just storage only.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100011691%2050001550&IsNodeId=1&name=OCZ%20Technology

OCZ RevoDrive 3 X2 series RVD3X2-FHPX4-960G PCI-E 960GB PCI-Express 2.0 x4 MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$3199.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227742

 

[inzone]

So in your experience the Revo should be for apps only then?

Like I said I have a Corsair Force GT 180gb as the OS drive and the 240gb Revo as the games and apps and then a Raptor drive for everything else.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I don't think ya really don't want to take a souped up gaming computer and just swap out the GeForce for a Quadro ....... I'd start w/ a vendor who specializes in rendering workstations.... start w/ your application vendor and ask them what works best with their software.

http://www.velocitymicro.com/wizard.php?sr=0&iid=187

 

[g-unit1111]

g-unit: Is there a SSD you would recommend? Or do you hesitate with SSDs in general?
I've heard the MTBF rating is virtually no different than a regular SATA drive, making this "no moving parts" just a fallible as spindle 7200 rpm drives. I don't know if that's true, and frankly it evades my logic (no moving parts = nothing to seize or wear down).

I definitely don't shy away from SSDs - I have two systems and both use SSD as the boot drive. there's definitely good ones and bad ones. The good ones are Intel 510, Samsung 830, Crucial M4, Mushkin Chronos, Kingston Hyper X, and Plextor.

I don't think ya really don't want to take a souped up gaming computer and just swap out the GeForce for a Quadro ....... I'd start w/ a vendor who specializes in rendering workstations.... start w/ your application vendor and ask them what works best with their software.

Mine includes a workstation-specific board and video card, I don't see how that's a "souped up gaming computer".

 

[Outlander_04]

@ Outlander: Coooooool.........I like that RevoDrive. This can obviously be made a bootable drive. I wonder how much performance boost I'd get having one for the OS, another for the applications....

The data through put of a revodrive is several times faster than the very best SATA connectors can achieve so it hoses any SATA SSD
Yes its bootable .
Just a single drive would do unless you just have to spend the money LOL

 

[dreamwyzard]

Okay, so far we're all in agreement on a couple of items:

CPU: Intel Core i7 3960X

Therefore, we're looking at a Socket 2011 board. I'm not as interested in the Rampage IV (I don't need so many GPU slots) as I am the Sabertooth X79 or the P9X79.

Will I have the raw processing power to do fast renders with this CPU and mobo? Or am I better off going with dual Xeons?

If it matters (and it may), at the end of the day, I'd still like to noodle about in Starcraft II on this thing.

 

[inzone]

EVGA Classified SR-2 270-WS-W555-A2 LGA 1366 Intel 5520 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HPTX Intel Motherboard
$584.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188070

Intel Xeon X5650 Westmere 2.66GHz 12MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 95W Six-Core Server Processor BX80614X5650
$1024.99 x2 $2049.98
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117231CVF

CORSAIR DOMINATOR 24GB (6 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory with DHX Pro Connector and Airflow II Fan Model CMP24GX3M6A1333C9
$224.99 x2 = $449.98
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145337

You could try this setup and while it is 1366 socket there are two Zeons for processing power.

 

[g-unit1111]

Okay, so far we're all in agreement on a couple of items:

CPU: Intel Core i7 3960X

Therefore, we're looking at a Socket 2011 board. I'm not as interested in the Rampage IV (I don't need so many GPU slots) as I am the Sabertooth X79 or the P9X79.

Will I have the raw processing power to do fast renders with this CPU and mobo? Or am I better off going with dual Xeons?

If it matters (and it may), at the end of the day, I'd still like to noodle about in Starcraft II on this thing.

Go with the P9X79 - it's more of a workstation-oriented board where the Sabertooth is more of a gaming-oriented board.

The problem with the aforementioned EVGA SR-2 is that while the board is highly regarded among hardcore enthusiasts, the thing is so big that it sets its' own form factor (bigger than XL-ATX even... :lol: ) and there's very few cases on the market that can contain this thing. Not to mention that dual CPU, RAM controllers and memory sets will require the use of two PSUs. Where the X79 will only need one.

 

[inzone]

If it's something that he would even consider getting I'm sure that he could find a case for it and the 1500w Strider would be enough but if not then two 1200w psu's would do , which is what I have.