HELP on buying PC for efficient 3DsMax

[virgilioorallo]

I am old in Architecture but mostly exposed to site supervision. Now I am looking at a new career in Interior Design. I have somehow learned the basics and I wish to do better. To start with I need a PC, new... for 3DsMax.

 

Please give me the best list.

 

Thank you very much!

Edited October 2, 2013 by virgilioorallo

[numerobis]

http://forums.cgarchitect.com/74451-help-workstation-build.html

http://forums.cgarchitect.com/74417-thinking-about-new-workstation-need-advice.html

http://forums.cgarchitect.com/74262-help-me-build-my-new-computer-please.html

http://forums.cgarchitect.com/74477-build-new-cg-desktop.html

http://forums.cgarchitect.com/74348-computer-specs-monster.html

 

http://forums.cgarchitect.com/13-hardware-technical-discusions/

 

First of all you need to specify a budget. Single processor or dual? Which programs beside 3dsmax? Do you plan to build it yourself? Is overclocking an option?

[virgilioorallo]

Around $2000. No. I'm not gonna build it. I'll slide by the computer store but I do not trust them because I know that they don't know much about our requirements. 3DsMax is the most essential but I would also like to do walk through so there could be some video editing as well. AutoCAD of course, SketchUp and Photoshop. That would be all I guess.

 

Thank you for the response Numerobis :-)

Edited October 2, 2013 by virgilioorallo

[AJLynn]

You want something with a good current model Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM or more, and a "real" video card - doesn't need to be a Quadro or FirePro (which is what a vendor will try to sell you if you say you're using CAD or Max) but it should be a midrange model Geforce (e.g. GTX 760) or Radeon (e.g. 7800-7900 series). Add a good 24" monitor with an IPS panel and you should be within budget. Then make sure you have enough hard drive (or SSD plus hard drive) and an external backup, and a keyboard and mouse you're happy with.

[Dimitris Tolios]

You want something with a good current model Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM or more, and a "real" video card - doesn't need to be a Quadro or FirePro (which is what a vendor will try to sell you if you say you're using CAD or Max) but it should be a midrange model Geforce (e.g. GTX 760) or Radeon (e.g. 7800-7900 series). Add a good 24" monitor with an IPS panel and you should be within budget. Then make sure you have enough hard drive (or SSD plus hard drive) and an external backup, and a keyboard and mouse you're happy with.

 

This.

You don't need to go wild. Technically any PC tower with a i7 (or i5, or AMD FX etc) you could buy of the shelf, with any mid-range GPU and 8-16GB of RAM will let you do professional work. Is it optimal? No, but ANY could do it. Won't be able to do "everything", sure, but nothing does.

 

When in doubt, just take a "walk" around the worlds created in CGarchitect or Evermotion forums etc, with dates 2006-2008 etc, when "4 cores" and 16GB of RAM and GPUs with more than 256MB or RAM would be daydreaming for 99.9% of the pros out there.

[virgilioorallo]

Thanks you Andrew. Much appreciated

[virgilioorallo]

Thanks Dimitris.

[philvanderloo]

You won't find anything better than Boxx. These machines are made for cad and design viz and always receive the best reviews. I'm using the 4920 extreme. They have a pretty wide range of choices and features but you will see that they were made with 3dmodeling in mind.

http://www.boxxtech.com/3dboxx-4900-series-workstation

Edited October 11, 2013 by philvanderloo
forgot the link

[Dimitris Tolios]

I won't disagree with the BOXX suggestion, just clarify that BOXX doesn’t "make" anything unique outside their BOXX case (i.e. BOXX is a box lol).

 

BOXX (much like any workstation boutique / factory) are great "turn-key" solutions, but at a hefty price.

　

Yes, they make the fastest pre-assembled PC "workstations" that do great in CG/CAD/CC etc, but other than packing Quadros – and having the BOXX box – those workstations are not unique in any way other than customer support. Something that outside the US might be irrelevant.

 

CPUs/Board/Cooling/RAM/GPU/HDD/SSD – anything used in a BOXX (but the Boxes/cases, which are nothing special really - despite different and cool) is available off-the-shelf to anyone, most of the times for 1/2 or even 1/3 the price.

 

Anyone that can assemble a PC (and its far easier and faster than most who never done it before think), can build a system that matches or surpasses the equivalent BOXX for half the price or less - if we are talking overclocked versions.

[numerobis]

BOXX is incredibly overprized... this "4920 extreme" @4,5GHz watercooled with 32GB, a GTX770, 240GBSSD and 480GB SSD costs $8689.00 without tax!!! You can build 3 of them for this amount of money! (one of them for ~$2500) This means more than $6100 for the overclock and one year premium support! This is just insane...

[virgilioorallo]

Hi Phil. I was totally amazed with your suggestion. Boxx looks amazing. How much did you spend for 4920 extreme. I'm in the middle east, do you think that 'beast' is available here? Are the design software like 3DsMax, Maya etc pre-installed? I'll hang around for your reply. Again, thank you!

[RyderSK]

This means more than $6100 for the overclock and one year premium support! This is just insane...

 

Insane business huh :- ) Can't really see how their support can be any different and special. Anytime any of my components "break", I walk in/send where I bought it and usually get replacement the very next day for something stupid like additional 10 euros on top of original price when I ordered it instead of waiting within 30 days by law. Building computers up takes around 2-3 hours if I try to be super precise/cautious and overclocking 2011/1150/1155 on UEFI (atleast on my Asus boards) is again something within 10min for automatic, 30min for manual without stability testing). Etc.

 

I perfectly understand the need for out-of-the box solutions, and support if you're big company and need 50 of these machines, but what freelancer would waste money like this ? And if support is super-crucial, wouldn't one want atleast somethink like HP/Dell/etc.. 24 hours instead ?

 

outside their BOXX case (i.e. BOXX is a box lol)

 

Which is also quite ugly in my opinion and doesn't seem like such engineering marvel either.

 

I really don't get people bashing Apple where you pay for certain "luxury" but on other hand praising uber-margins like Boxx.

 

On business level, I kind of admire what they built though :- ) Very smart niche.

[AJLynn]

While there is an advantage to buying a bit better computer that comes with good service - e.g., my 3.5 year old Macbook Pro got a free overhaul at 2.5 years and then an SSD upgrade and is basically the same as a new computer, and my boss's 4.5 year old one died and is getting saved out of warranty for $300 and then will be as good as a new computer - if that Boxx costs that much, that's crazy. Do include Boxx in your comparison shopping because often they do make sense, but don't spend $8000 on a PC.