PC upgrade time!
polycounter lvl 18
So it's been about 5+ years and I got a dell 9100 with an added 2GB's of ram, I was going to by one or two additional graphics cards I forget which, had to return it because it was fried I guess.(not by me)
So I got about $650.00 or more to spend what can or what would you do with it for a new PC?
I keep hearing that custom PC's are better I.E. you make yourself ( how true is this?) I got some knowledge under my belt but I am sure there are more knowledgeable PC guru's lurking the boards, help a fellow gamer out!
Want it for 3D Gaming, Artistic works ZBrush ect... and video encoding. I got 9 Hard drives so that isn't important.
Also would a laptop be better?
So I got about $650.00 or more to spend what can or what would you do with it for a new PC?
I keep hearing that custom PC's are better I.E. you make yourself ( how true is this?) I got some knowledge under my belt but I am sure there are more knowledgeable PC guru's lurking the boards, help a fellow gamer out!
Want it for 3D Gaming, Artistic works ZBrush ect... and video encoding. I got 9 Hard drives so that isn't important.
Also would a laptop be better?
Replies
Another thing to keep in mind is the solid state drive revolution is just around the corner, you may want to wait for that, it's going to have a huge impact on all aspects of modern day computing.
GIGABYTE GA-H55M-S2H ($99.98, or $125 without rebate)
Intel i5 750 ($200)
ASUS EAH5770 CuC/2DI/1GD5 (or a 1GB 5700 to you and me, ($160)
OCZ 4GB RAM ($85)
GIGABYTE gz-ph1a3 ($20)
OCZ ModXStream Pro 500W ($70)
Total cost: $630
I'm also assuming that you're keeping your old DVD-RW drive as well, although a new one would probs cost about another $20, so well in budget.
I suggest Lian-Li, but it would add another $60-$80 to the cost of Roffotron's build. I do have to give credit though, the i5-750 proc and Gigabyte mobo are great picks.
Edit: Oh and if you're wanting to upgrade in the future, go with a P55 standard ATX for the i5-750, as its a Lynnfield so there's no point in getting an H55 chipset, especially since the H55 is a MicroATX.
(CPU) Intel i5-750 ... $200
(CASE) Antec Sonata III ATX ... $110
(MOBO) Gigabyte P55A-UD3 ... $135
(RAM) Corsair 2x2GB DDR3 1333 ... $105
Total is $550 plus shipping, but you'll probably want to throw in a new video card so you may be looking at $700-750. The case comes with an Antec Earthwatts 500w power supply which should be more than enough to power your system. Note that the Gigabyte board supports USB3 but does not have two 16x PCI-E slots, so if you want to go SLI (doubtful on your budget), you'll have to get something more expensive.
Obviously you'll have to spend more if you need a new OS and DVD-R/RW drive. You can also save money by getting a cheaper case, as Roffotron recommended, but I'm pretty happy with the Sonata III.
Crazyfingers:
I read up on those SSD's very interesting and very helpful on my future purchases that was a platinum critic thanks!
PfhorRunner:
I also checked out those lian-li cases they seem pretty kick ass especially that red and black one.... ooo baby that looks nice
Everyone:
Damn this seems to be more difficult then I first thought, on one hand I don't want to spend to much but on the other it's like you sort of have to just to feel comfortable enough not to upgrade after a year or 2.
With all your help gents I compiled this setup it's a little over double the price range I originally wanted to go with but I think it would be best cause I don't like upgrading PC's often, hardly any money to be spending on this but if it's worth it in the end for another 5+ years I think it's probably the better choice.
So anyway here is what I want to buy tell me what you all think:
(CPU) Intel Core i7 Processor i7-920 2.66GHz 8 MB LGA1366 CPU BX80601920 - Intel
(MOBO) Asus P6T Core i7 / Intel X58/ DDR3/ CrossFireX & SLI/ A&GbE/ ATX Motherboard - ASUS
(RAM) Corsair HX3X12G1600C9 XMS3 12 GB PC3-12800 1600Mhz 240-pin Triple Channel Core i7 DDR3 Memory Kit - Corsair
(GFX) PNY VCQFX1800-PCIE-PB NVIDIA Quadro FX 1800 768MB GDDR3 Graphics Card - PNY
(CASE) Cooler Master HAF 932 High Air Flow ATX Full Tower Case Black - (RC-932-KKN1-GP) - Coolermaster
(PSU) Corsair CMPSU-750TX 750-Watt TX Series 80 Plus Certified Power Supply compatible with Intel Core i7 and Core i5 - CORSAIR VALUE SELECT
subtotal = $1,532.95
WAY OVER!!
I would rather have a custom pc anyway hopefully I can change parts and upgrade in the future if I purchase the above selections.
Go easy on me I am a difficult person to shop for, so I have heard.
Firstly, the QuadroFX cards are aimed at people who work in VFX or offline rendering and it seems the general consensus for game art go for a gaming GPU like the GTX. I'm not really up on the technicalities of this but I think it's to do with the way real time rendering calls different aspects of GPU/processor usage than offline rendering.
Secondly, as I'm sure you know, NVidia will (hopefully) soon be releasing their DX11 cards and it would be a shame to get a high end GPU now which might be outdated all too soon. It might be worth holding out for a bit or getting s cheaper card for now (GTX260 or similar) and upgrading whenever the new cards are out.
I thought I'd wait til I had something better to say rather than "OH HAI, LOOK AT MAI POR 3DZ! RATE NAO"
Creation22 does have a point, if you plan to do gaming artwork (for mods and the like) then a consumer card would suit you best; although it should be noted that mid-end Quadro cards have plenty of grunt in 3D modelling applications, especially if they're compared to a high-end consumer card. That said, if you want your PC to be multi-purpose as you've said then a consumer card is the way to go.
I think you can spend less on the case, unless you're doing mad overclocking, there really is never a reason to spend over $100 on a case imo.
I've personally used both of these, and they are absolutely fantastic for the price:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119077
you can save about $20 on ram if you get 2x this instead
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227365
750w is much more than you will need, you can get a basic 650w(still overpowered unless you're running 2 high end SLI cards) antec 80+ power supply for $75
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371015
So there, cutting out shit that you really dont need, and wont make any performance difference, can save you oh like $400?
I hate my quadro card and it was to expensive to just replace and put it away. You can pretty much forget getting it sold 2nd hand.
:poly127::poly127::poly127::poly127::poly127:
This.
I used to be an nvidia guy, and I probably will be in the future, but now I've been on a 5850 in windows 7, 64bit, and I've had no stability issues with work-apps.
Just so much cheaper for the same power you're getting.
I am also planning on buying a laptop capable of studio specs (XPS 9k or equivalent) That can run 3ds max, mudbox or zbrush, Ps4 or Gimp smoothly with Win7 Pro, VisualStudio.NET08 and MS-SQL installed. (and one external TB) I am still surfing through the newegg site and dell custom system, but if anyone would be able to suggest anything, that would be really appreciated.
Thanks.
*EDIT: I really thought 10 times before posting this here*
Ya I realized that when I bought the warranty for 710. I will be giving that one to my parents once I have a firm grip on game development. Will buy the Custom Spec PC once I am done with my studies and everything.
For now I am looking to buy the laptop....any suggestions?
http://techreport.com/articles.x/18042/2