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New CUDA enabled workstation build, would love to get some opinions...


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I've got the go ahead to build a new workstation, and we are going to make this one CUDA powered as well so we can take advantage of the new iRay active shade features coming out this month, as well as start dabbling in GPU rendering. I'd love to hear what you guys think of this build.

 

Cooler Master Case

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6269869&sku=C283-2080

 

Processor

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7073159&sku=I69-2600K

 

Motherboard (went with 3 PCI-E 16x slots in case we want to add another GPU)

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=743633&sku=M452-6221

 

Memory

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6978221&sku=C13-6189

 

SSD Drive

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=365476&sku=C19-8026

 

WD Hard Drive

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6076939&sku=TSD-1000FAEX

 

Optical Drive

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4829307&sku=L12-1312%20OEM

 

GTX-580 (powering displays and also secondary CUDA)

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=606066&sku=M452-0582

 

Tesla C2070

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7194549&sku=P56-2070

 

Power Supply

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4558882&sku=U12-40500

 

OS

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5213938&sku=M17-7310

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Just a couple things:

 

I still think that Tesla card is a bad deal, even having come down in price. Unless you intend to do scenes that don't fit in 3GB I'd buy multiple GTX 580 3GB cards, which are faster than the Teslas.

 

That MB in not good for multiple video cards. It has 3 slots, but it can only support one video card in x16 mode. Add a second and both are bumped down to x8 (because the first two slots share 16 lanes). Add a third and it runs at x4, and to free up the 4 lanes it turns off ESATA, aanother SATA port, front USB ports, PCI slots and firewire. I'd want one with an addon SATA controller like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131714

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Thanks for the advice! I can't seem to find that MoBo on Tiger Direct, and my employer insists on ordering from there. I'm glad you caught that though, kinda feeling like a dummy...

 

I considered doing multiple 580's, but our scenes routinely go over 3GB since we use a lot of high-res textures and render off fairly complex scenes. I wish there was a 580 with 6GB of RAM, that would save a ton of money since it's about the fastest card there is in terms of CUDA. I figured that by using the 580 to drive the displays, I would be able to use it for GPU rendering on the few scenes that do come in under 3GB.

 

Also, love your site, even when I'm not looking to buy anything I like to peruse your recommendations!

Edited by kmanus
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Thanks. Okay, Tiger Direct... motherboards... PCIE... this isn't easy, you know. Okay, this MB: http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3761#sp is available here: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=140579&CatId=6978 and it will handle two video cards in x16 plus two in x8 and takes a regular ATX case.

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