Rig for CG/3D

[Michael_R.]

Hey folks,

as the headline says, I am mainly looking for a rig which works best for computer graphics but also a little bit of gaming.

However I not 100% sure, if I should go with Phenom II or Core I7

Phenom Pros:
-fast
-cheap
-easy to OC
-cheap RAM, MB
Phenom Cons:
-no octa core in near future
-no AM3 MB yet

Core I7 Pros:
-faster (8 virtual cores)
-OC
-future-proof
Core I7 Cons:
-expensive DDR3 RAM and ever more expensive MBs


At the moment I actually tend to the Intel, as it is simply a whole lot faster in multithreaded apps.

Which one would you pick, if you were me?

-Michael

 

[veg1992]

Core i7 if you can really afford it...

PII and Core i7 aren't even in the same category, PII and Core 2 Quad are however

 

[Michael_R.]

yes, I do know, but basically I am just wondering if the i7 is worth the money, especially important to me would be, if it is one could possibly upgrade to an octa core without changing the MB

 

[meat_helmet]

yes, I do know, but basically I am just wondering if the i7 is worth the money, especially important to me would be, if it is one could possibly upgrade to an octa core without changing the MB

I cant quite remember, but im not sure if there are any octo i7s due out. There arent at least for a couple of years im pretty sure (someone correct me if im wrong). There are however 8 core server cpus coming out in the near future, but they will cost alot.

As for 3D work, im assuming you will be rendering alot, which is cpu dependant and in i7 benchmarks ive seen 3Ds max and Maya render around 30% faster, sometimes more, than comparable q9450s. And im sure a Phenom II would stack up about the same.

So, they are 30% more powerful for 3D rendering, but they do cost a fair bit more when you factor in the more pricey mobo and ram. And if you are doing graphics work, i would suggest at least 4GB of ram anyway.

 

[Pinscher]

I would definitely go with the i7 if you are doing 3D work. I do 3D work too and it renders so much faster that my old qx6700. If you are getting a computer for that kind of stuff, it is definitely worth it to shell out the extra money for the top of the line... especially with the proven huge performance boost.

 

[xzxremixxzx]

yea i just build a i7 last friday and i love it you can do a good build for may around 1,700

mine cost 1,616

 

[Michael_R.]

well my rig would cost 1250€ after all.

Including:
-Core i7 920
-ELK Alpenföhn (CPU Fan)
-12gb RAM OCZ Gold DDR 1333
-Zotac Geforce GTX 260 AMP²
-2x Samsung Spinpoint F1 1TB
-X-FiXreme Music

One more question, how strong should the PSU be?
And do I need better RAM to OC the Core I7 up to around 3,6-3,8?

Tank you for your help guys =)

 

[Baez]

I'm in 3D modeling and unless you're making scenes with more than 3,000,000 triangles you don't need 12GB of RAM, 6GB is plenty. This assuming you're using 3DS Max Design 2009. Get a Quadro instead of a GTX 260 unless you plan on gaming as well as modeling.

 

[Michael_R.]

hey Baez,
in my opinion the quadro is not worth the extra money you have to pay for it, especially as I am not a 100% 3D Artist, the 12of RAM would especially be used for Zbrush.

And I will game as well, but not that much

 

[Baez]

In small scenes the GTX is fine. It's when you create a fully animated world that you'll notice the difference. I have a GTX 260 Core 216 in my home rig. Rendering an animated scene takes maybe 3 minutes on it. My college has Quadro FX 5800's. Takes 2 seconds. Obviously a price difference though .

Anyway if you're using ZBrush that's understandable. Good luck .