Need on building CAD Capable/Gaming Capable Computer

[paulalexdenton]

So in April I will be entering my Engineering program/ Computer Science program so I will be working around with 3d modelling. Since I will be receiving some student aid I have enough money to buy a new computer that covers around 2000~2500 dollars. Does anyone have suggestions for a new computer system. I am an ardent video game and I want to be able to play the latest video games, but I expect to use this system for a couple of years and possibly into a 3d modelling job. Your input is well appreciated.

 

[bogo663]

This is the build that I made for 3D CAD Modeling and gaming for my Engineering/Computer Science program. Works like a dream:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks
CPU: Intel Core i7-3930K 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($499.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X60 98.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($133.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: MSI Big Bang - XPower II XL ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($369.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston Beast 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($99.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($199.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Video Card ($472.99 @ Adorama)
Case: NZXT Switch 810 (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 850W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($56.23 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $2522.12 (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.) (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-18 10:08 EST-0500)

I hear that the 7970 GPU is better for 3D rendering. If that little extra matters to you, http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sapphire-video-card-111971240g

 

[maestro0428]

I recommend a pro graphics card for your build. For the money, the Quadro 4000 is your best bet. It can play games too, not nearly as well as a 680, but it will run CAD software much better than the 680. Other than that, the more cores and memory the better. A good balance would be a 3770k/32GB/Quadro 4000.

 

[g-unit1111]

I hear that the 7970 GPU is better for 3D rendering. If that little extra matters to you, http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sapphire-video-card-111971240g

Not necessarily. Most rendering programs including Autodesk Revit and Solidworks take advantage of the added NVIDIA hardware acceleration like CUDA and Phys X.

I recommend a pro graphics card for your build. For the money, the Quadro 4000 is your best bet. It can play games too, not nearly as well as a 680, but it will run CAD software much better than the 680. Other than that, the more cores and memory the better. A good balance would be a 3770k/32GB/Quadro 4000.

The Quaddro 4000 is old, expensive, and a power hog. It has it's benefits, but it's not really worth it anymore. The newer Quaddro K5000 is certainly worth a look but it alone will cost as much as the system right now.

If I was going to do an X79 build I'd do something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3930K 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($569.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock X79 Extreme6 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($206.50 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vector Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($147.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($144.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: NZXT HALE 90 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $2274.40
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-18 12:53 EST-0500)