Seriously thinking on buying a new computer, need you advice!
My current computer has been with me for more then 6 years, and honestly it is showing its age. I have zero memory left on it no matter how often I "clean" it from useless data, the memory has turned into such an annoying issue that I can't even open my Steam folder because of my low memory space. Also, the computer has been making a lot of noises when I start it up ,and yes I have tried to clean the interior, and I am pretty sure I just saw a pop-up window when I opened my computer now that said "Your computer is at risk."
God that sounded like a rant.....
Anyway, I think it would be better for me to buy a new computer instead of trying to upgrade it all the time. I need something that could handle both video games and Maya projects, so what I am looking for is something with a good graphic card, and a big memory space (and lots of it!).
I don't want to say that money isn't an issue, but I will say that I don't want to cut corners or buy any cheap alternatives.
So that is my rant/request, what hardware do you recommend? What type of Windows should I buy, 7, Vista, or something else? (because I remember reading that Maya has a few issues with Vista). And do you think that I need more then just memory and processing power?
Thanks in advance guys!
P.S.: My Maya has been acting weird lately as well, so I am also thinking on buying a 2011 edition.
Should this be at the Technical Talk forum or here? I am uncertain.
God that sounded like a rant.....
Anyway, I think it would be better for me to buy a new computer instead of trying to upgrade it all the time. I need something that could handle both video games and Maya projects, so what I am looking for is something with a good graphic card, and a big memory space (and lots of it!).
I don't want to say that money isn't an issue, but I will say that I don't want to cut corners or buy any cheap alternatives.
So that is my rant/request, what hardware do you recommend? What type of Windows should I buy, 7, Vista, or something else? (because I remember reading that Maya has a few issues with Vista). And do you think that I need more then just memory and processing power?
Thanks in advance guys!
P.S.: My Maya has been acting weird lately as well, so I am also thinking on buying a 2011 edition.
Should this be at the Technical Talk forum or here? I am uncertain.
Replies
I've ordered myself a new system a couple of days ago too (tho i still have to wait for most of the parts to even ship :poly127: ) so i looked up stuff.
In short, chances are you want an SSD (ocz vertex 3 seems to be among the best, it's a bit more expensive than most others tho), a GTX 460 or GTX 560 ti, i5 2500k or i7 2600k if you're friends with intel/nvidia systems.
http://www.tomshardware.com has charts and detailed reviews/benchmarks on them, it's great for comparing stuff and making your choice.
This chart has been posted in another topic and gives a pretty nice overview:
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1318770&postcount=126
It's aimed at just gaming tho, so you'll probably want to add ram(chart might also be a bit overkill on GPU, AFAIK having SLI/Crossfire will only help for gaming but not for 3D apps, or so I've read. I'd rather put more money into SSD/Ram/CPU instead)! I went for 16gb ram since it's cheap anyhow and I'm pretty sure I'll make use of it. There's been a topic about how much ram Polycounters really need/actually use too, shouldnt be too hard to find.
I went with i7 2600k, MSI GTX 560 Ti Twin FrSomething, 16gb RipjawsX Ram 1600mhz/CL9, Corsair 750 HX for power, Scythe Mugen 2 for cooling, Asus P8P67 Pro p67 rev 3 mobo, vertex 3 ocz SSD 120gb. And I'll stuff it all into a lovely looking in win Dragon Rider case
Could have cut quite a bit of the price by going for i5, GTX460, a different/smaller ssd and less ram but i felt the stuff was well worth it... And seeing how i spend all day in front of my comp I don't see how there's anything else i'd rather spend my euros on
And go with a 64 bit version of Win7 by all means!
I'm not a Maya user though so I wouldn't know if there's anything Maya wouldn't like about this.
I hope the info i posted is correct and helpful ^^
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81173
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83549
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81833
Are all recent discussions on building new systems. You'll find most of what you need to know in there.
The short form is:
More than 4 gigs of ram (6 or 8 usually, depending on whether the motherboard you go with is dual or triple channel)
Best CPU that fits your budget, along with supporting mobo with the features you want (Intel i5 seems to be the sweet spot right now)
Just about any GPU that isn't integrated will work. People are still using 8800gts to great effect. For modern cards, nVidia seems to be best for 3D work, look into the 460/480 line for best bang for your $$$
SSD drives are considered to be completely awesome and should be budgeted into your build if you can. They speed up everything you do on the computer.
Win7 has proven itself stable and useful. Go with it and prosper.
On a related note: Admins, could we have a hardware sticky, maybe in the Tech Talk board? It seems like these 'new system' posts are popping up at the rate of 1-2/wk, and the answers tend to be the same for everybody. I agree with the majority of people here that a sub-board is overkill and tech changes too fast for a wiki entry, but a lone sticky, similar to the WAYWO/UDK Master/model them shapes/etc threads would probably prove a useful resource and discussion and remove some clutter.
What do you mean to imply by saying you'd prefer buying new rather than upgrade? Are you looking for a pre-built PC or just getting all new components? If you want to build a new machine, I'd inventory what you have that can be kept, like the case and display for example, and build out from there.
As much as it pains my AMD loving heart, I'd suggest you get yourself an i7 SandyBridge. The 2600K is very popular amongst the majority of artists here. Or if you can wait for AMD to release Bulldozer, it might be worth making the comparison and Intel might knock down the price of SandyBridge to compete. Put a nice air cooler on it like a Zalman or a Noctua. Don't do water cooling unless you're a dedicated overclocker. It doesn't serve average users that much and is more work to maintain. It's also more failure prone than air cooling and a bigger hassle when it does fail.
The GPU important, but no as much as RAM. Get yourself a GTX 480 from Nvidia or a 6790 from AMD if you don't want to pay for bleeding edge performance. Both are good cards. More RAM on the card means bigger textures and more detail in your games. MSI makes good Radeon cards with good coolers.
RAM is most important for 3D artists. Get as much as you can afford, but get them in pairs or triplets as your motherboard needs. Dual and Triple channel configurations are faster than single RAM sticks. Get the fastest RAM your motherboard can support or faster if you plan to overclock your CPU.
Hard disk storage is important almost as much as RAM and the GPU. You need lots of storage. A 1 TB drive is good for storage where speed isn't important, whereas you'll want your projects stored on a fast SSD.
If you have a DVD burner, you'll probably not need to replace that. They haven't changed much in the past few years.
Power supply is also important. A bad PSU will shorten the life of your components, especially if it doesn't put out enough power for your system. Anything over 500W with a single GPU will likely be good, but try to find an 80PLUS certified PSU. Also, be sure that the PSU supports PCIE cards, they need their own power source these days. They usually have a 6 pin or a 6 + 2 pin cable for this.
If you absolutely must get a new case, I suggest the Antec nine-hundred. It's a good case with plenty of fans for good cooling. They also have dust filters that you can clean periodically to keep your machine cool and dust free.
And to answer your question regarding the buying new stuff, yes I want to get new components, and I want to do it from the ground up rather then one step at a time (which I have been doing for the last few years). Also, true I was referring to hard drive space, however considering the fact that I started to model a year ago, it safe to say that my 6 year old computer isn't going to last long RAM wish, seeing as it was not made for 3D works.
(Note prices do not include win7)
$600 is about enough to build a nice HTPC, more specifically, a computer than can do some average gaming, HD videos, and general purpose 3d work, nothing too heavy and wont likely play the latest games
$800 is enough to build a pretty capable system that should do everything you want, high end 3d modeling and play the newest games at decent quality settings
$1000 is enough to build a nice beefcake of a system that will excel at pretty much everything, and play the newest games for a couple years
$1200 is point where you're probably paying a hair too much, but you'll get a very nice computer out of it that should easily last the next 3-4 years.
$1500 or over is just overkill, you'll pay a premium for high end stuff that simply isnt good value for the money.
My personal recommendation:
$200-300, CPU I5 2500 or I7 2600
$150-175, motherboard
$200-250, SSD 120 GB OCZ Vertex 2?
$60-80, Large data drive(640gb, 1TB, etc) Western Digital Black or Blue
$100-150, ram 8 gigs
$150-175, video card Nvidia 460 is a good bet
$50-75, case
$50-75, power supply
$30, DVD drive
$960-1310 range, you can skip the SSD to save some money, but I wouldn't recommend it.
Do not listen to anyone who recommends spending extra cash on fancy cooling/cpu fans/watercooling etc. ONLY EVER buy an aftermarket CPU cooler if:
A. The stock fan is too loud
B. The stock fan doesn't cool well enough.
C. You have a strange/small case and need a low profile cooler.
For most people, the stock fans that come with Intel cpus are perfectly acceptable.
Avoid cases that have flashing lights, side panel windows, and that generally look like a shity riced out car. Instead, buy a case that has good quality materials with a simple design, and try not to buy something huge with 7 drive bays, as most computers can fit into a MicroATX case these days.