3D Animation Workstation First Time Build

[Regal Dreamer]

Approximate Purchase Date: Within 3-4 weeks

Budget Range: (2000-3000) Before Rebates; Before Shipping

System Usage from Most to Least Important: I'm using this mostly for animation(maya 3d max etc.) and photo editing(photoshop, illustrator sketchbook, etc) I also will use it slightly for sound recording and video editing. Im not really looking to play any games.

Are you buying a monitor: Yes two

Parts to Upgrade: Starting from the ground up!

Do you need to buy OS: yes

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com, ncix.com, amazon.com

Location: Lakeland, FL, U.S.

Parts Preferences: I don't have any preferences. I'm not very tech savy.

Overclocking: Maybe if its beneficial

SLI or Crossfire: IDK

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 I need two with decent size nothing bigger than 24"

Additional Comments: Blender, Brush/Sculptress, Maya, Mudbox, gimp, sai, manga studio, autodesk sketch book, adobe cloud, corel painter. Also I'm looking to run a 24" cintiq I don't know if this affects things. No games this is a strictly work computer. I will need to future proof slightly I've been saving for a while and won't be able to upgrade for sometime.


And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I'm attending vfs in the fall for animation. I've been using a comp that I got for high school graduation 6 years ago and sufficient to say it couldn't really run these programs back then

 

[Draven35]

Have you used a 24" Cintiq? Many people find the smaller one easier to use, because you can keep it ion your lap instead of reaching for the 'monitor'. Also, it does affect the setup because the Cintiq uses a monitor connection.

 

[Regal Dreamer]

Have you used a 24" Cintiq? Many people find the smaller one easier to use, because you can keep it ion your lap instead of reaching for the 'monitor'. Also, it does affect the setup because the Cintiq uses a monitor connection.

I have not used a cintiq before I thought they were all fixed to desks. I use an Intuos tablet now that I use in my lap.

 

[Draven35]

I have not used a cintiq before I thought they were all fixed to desks. I use an Intuos tablet now that I use in my lap.

The small Cintiq http://www.wacom.com/en/creative/products/pen-displays/cintiq/cintiq-12wx is the size of a slightly tubby Intous

 

[Regal Dreamer]

Cool any suggestions on the rest of the comp?

 

[Draven35]

Make do with a gaming card, get an i7 CPU, as much ram as you can afford (16GB is good,32 GB better but I don't know if you'll use it), an NVIDIA GPU (gamer card will work fine for you more than likely), and Win 7 Pro. SSD+HDD configuration.

 

[ddomingo83]

I do 3D animation as well, and we used nVidia Quadros at work, so that's what I picked up for my home build. I'd recommend the mid-range Quadro 2000.

 

[Draven35]

The 'Mid-range' Quadro 2000 is the equivalent of a Geforce 450. If you're working from home, especially if you're just starting out at it, you can 'get by' with a game card for a long time. For what you'd spend on a Quadro 2000 (roughly $330), you can get a game card that despite its shortcomings in the workstation arena will still surpass the performance of the Quadro, with a *lot* more onboard memory. The 1GB Quadro 2000 in the THG baseline workstation is a severely limiting factor, especially for GPU rendering.