Workstation for Maya 2009, 3DS Max....

[Gilahd]

hello, i am building a workstation to run Maya 2009, 3Ds Max and some other graphics intensive programs on. This is my first build so i just want to make sure i am not missing anything and that this system will run smooth with the parts i picked. My budget is around $3000.

Also, i am going to be doing some video editing so i need a Firewire port. I checked the motherboard and i dont see one built right in, but if you look at the pictures on newegg it has one that has some kind of firewire extension wire. I have no idea what it is. If anything i have a firewire PCI card that i could plug in, but i would rather keep the slots free for other things if i could.
Thank you so much!

parts list:


SUPERMICRO MBD-X8DAi-O Dual LGA 1366 Intel 5520 Extended ATX Dual Intel Xeon Processor 5500 sequence (Nehalem-EP processor) Server Motherboard - $399

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813182186



x2 Intel Xeon E5520 Nehalem 2.26GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 80W Quad-Core Server Processor - $768

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819117185



x2 Kingston 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - $180

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820134854



PNY VCQFX3800-PCIE-PB Quadro FX3800 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Workstation Video Card - $829

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...ro%20FX%203800



x2 Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - $150

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136319




x2 SNK-P0040AP4 4U+ Active-CPU Heatsink Lga 1366 - $75

http://www.provantage.com/supermicro...4~7SUP9156.htm



LITE-ON Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD Burner with LightScribe - $30

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106280



Superchassis 748TQ-R1000 Black - $368.06

http://www.provantage.com/supermicro...q~7SUPM2FV.htm <---no fans specified

http://www.pcsforeveryone.com/Produc...-743TQ-865B-SQ <---says it comes with fans



Total = about $2800

[jdeb]

what a machine

double check your memory, I would stick by their list for sure.
http://www.supermicro.com/products/m...5500/X8DAi.cfm

[Gilahd]

thanks for replying to me

why wouldnt that memory be a good idea. is it because the brand? the capacity and speed match up. I want to fill up the memory as much as i can, but if it will be expensive i can always fill half and then add more later when im not broke from this

would one of these be sufficient?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148278

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820609361

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231230

[Khalil]

Those hard drives are good for storage on a machine like this, what you need is SAS 15k for system drive(s). Kingston is excellent memory with superb customer support and RMA service.
This is not a system for a first time builder. I highly recommend you get local professional help. I can advise you on what to buy but I personally don't feel comfortable advising a first time builder on how to build a machine like this on a forum.
What OS were you planning on using?
Since your budget is limited I would go with a 1 quad system and spend the money on SAS drives and a professional controller with memory.
I just built a machine for Maya 2009 it cost nearly $6000

[Gilahd]

i was planning on using Windows Vista 64-bit.
Im pretty confident in that ill be able to build this system, so im not too worried about that. I have a friend who has built computers for years so he can help me out with building it as well.
SAS is nice, but i think the CPU is more important at the moment because i could always add more or replace the drives later.
What RAID configuration do you think would be best? and should i probably get another drive for the OS or is what i have enough for that and substantial storage?

thanks guys

[jdeb]

check the manual out

The X8DA3/X8DAi supports up to 96 GB Registered ECC DDR3 1333 MHz/1066
MHz/800 MHz in 12 DIMMs. Memory speed support is dependent on the type of
CPU used on the board.
DIMM Module Population Confi guration
For memory to work properly, follow the tables below for memory installation:
DIMM Population Table
DIMM
Slots per
Channel
DIMMs
Populated
per Channel
DIMM Type (Reg.=
Registered)
Speeds (in MHz) Ranks per DIMM
(any combination;
SR=Single Rank,
DR=Dual Rank,
QR=Quad Rank)
2 1 Reg. DDR3 ECC 800,1066,1333 SR or DR
2 1 Reg. DDR3 ECC 800,1066 QR
2 2 Reg. DDR3 ECC 800,1066 Mixing SR, DR
2 2 Reg. DDR3 ECC 800 Mixing SR, DR,QR
Note 1: Due to OS limitations, some operating systems may not sh

[Gilahd]

ok, i read the manual and i have a bit of a clearer view on the memory i need. But i am still a little confused as to exactly which one i need.

Supermicro says the drive supports unbuffered memory and registered memory. I know the registered memory is better, but its really expensive. My question is how much RAM will i need to run this machine as fast as possible on a Windows Vista 64-bit OS with Registered memory? with unregistered memory?
I know that Windows Vista Home Basic allows for 8GB
and Windows Vista Home Premium allows for 16GB


thanks for helping me out!

[jdeb]

http://www.crucial.com/store/listpar...=SUPER%20X8DAi

http://www.ec.kingston.com/ecom/conf...submit1=Search

[Gilahd]

thank you so much! thats exactly what i needed. Ill let you know how my build goes and ill take some pics

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by Gilahd i was planning on using Windows Vista 64-bit. Im pretty confident in that ill be able to build this system, so im not too worried about that. I have a friend who has built computers for years so he can help me out with building it as well. SAS is nice, but i think the CPU is more important at the moment because i could always add more or replace the drives later. What RAID configuration do you think would be best? and should i probably get another drive for the OS or is what i have enough for that and substantial storage? thanks guys

read this in regards to raid

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2249572,00.asp