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07-10-2011, 03:20 PM
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#1 |
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Member (3 bit)
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 7
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Help, $1500 workstation
My current mac laptop has had some issues lately and I'm questioning it's longevity. So I want to have a build already planned just in case, since I'm on time sensitive projects the faster I can get a new system up and running the better.
I work in 3D with Maya, Zbrush, Photoshop, 3D coat, and many other apps. I want to dual boot windows and Linux, but I have absolutely no experiencing working with Linux, all I know is that Maya in linux is FAST, and windows left a nasty taste in my mouth. So any information in Linux would be greatly appreciated  The machine needs to be fast and VERY stable, I will not be overclocking and cooling is very important once rendering time comes. It will be running at 100% load for hours or days. So I question using SSD's since they have a life time based on how many times you write to it. I'm really not sure if I should get a workstation card or a mainstream card, the 570 provides much more punch per dollar and people I know don't seem to have a problem using mainstream cards with 3d apps. But I would like to stick with Nvidia since the CUDA cores seem to be catching some traction with the industry. Here's what I've got picked out so far. CPU - i7 2600 Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-2600 Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600 Mobo - GIGABYTE GA-P67X-UD3-B3 Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-P67X-UD3-B3 LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard or Intel BOXDP67BGB3 LGA 1155 Newegg.com - Intel BOXDP67BGB3 LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard Ram - CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B HD - WD Cavier Blue 500gb, can always get more then 1 Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive GPU - PNY VCGGTX570XPB GeForce GTX 570 Newegg.com - PNY VCGGTX570XPB GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card or PNY Quadro 2000D 1gb Newegg.com - PNY VCQ2000D-PB Quadro 2000D 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Workstation Video Card Drive - SAMSUNG Black blu-ray Newegg.com - SAMSUNG Black 12X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Drive Model SH-B123L LightScribe Support - Blu-Ray Drives PSU - CORSAIR Professional Series HX750 Newegg.com - CORSAIR Professional Series HX750 (CMPSU-750HX) 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply Case - Undecided... I like the idea of having something flashy with metal mesh in front for better airflow and top exhaust fans. So something like an Antec 900 2, or an Azza Solano 1000, Antec DF 85, so many to choose from. |
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07-10-2011, 03:48 PM
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#2 |
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Location: Joplin MO
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The only changes I'd recommend is change the motherboard to a Z68 board from Asus, Gigabyte, or MSI - and replace the WD Blue drive with a 64mb cache SATA 6.0 WD Black.
With the Z68 chipset, you can use SSD Caching with a small SSD to improve performance without total reliance on the SSD. If you need to cut costs, you can get a different PSU without compromising quality - such as a Corsair TX or HX - and you don't need 750 watts to run either one of those video cards. Look at Coolermaster cases - especially the HAF series. |
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07-10-2011, 03:55 PM
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#3 |
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Change the hard drive to a WD Caviar Black, better warranty and faster.
I would go with the Workstation card but don't plan on gaming with it. Great drivers for Linux. BR drive, I do not buy anything Samsung unless it is a TV. Asus, Liteon are good. Your power supply is over kill for the Workstation card Newegg.com - Seasonic SS-560KM Active PFC F3, 560W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91, 80Plus Gold Certified, Modular Power Supply Case Newegg.com - LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58W Black 0.8 mm SECC, Plastic + Mesh ATX Mid Tower Computer Case |
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07-10-2011, 06:42 PM
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#4 |
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Member (3 bit)
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 7
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awesome, thanks for the REALLY fast replies lol. Great suggestions to. I had no idea the blacks had a better warranty.
on the topic of switching to Z68, I don't really know about it, the ability to use an SSD as a catche, and the ability of having it dictate whether the GPU or the IGPU powers the app, are great ideas, but for my purposes I feel like they may end up causing more hassle then convenience, and as it being fairly new tech it's reliability is unknown to me. and reliability is my top concern. But here's my new list cpu - i7 2600 Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-2600 Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600 Mobo - GIGABYTE GA-P67X-UD3-B3 Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-P67X-UD3-B3 LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard RAM - CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B GPU - PNY Quadro 2000D 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Newegg.com - PNY VCQ2000D-PB Quadro 2000D 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Workstation Video Card HD - WD Cavier BLK 500gb Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD5002AALX 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive Drive - Asus blu-ray Newegg.com - ASUS Black 12X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Drive Model BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS PSU - Seasonic SS-560KM, 80Plus Gold Certified, Modular Power Supply Newegg.com - Seasonic SS-560KM Active PFC F3, 560W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91, 80Plus Gold Certified, Modular Power Supply or CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 80 PLUS BRONZE Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply Case - Antec 902 V3 Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Two V3 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Gaming Case The Corsair is cheaper and provides the ability for GPU upgrades in the future, while the Seasonic is more efficient and modular. And I settled on the Antec902, it provides excellent airflow, and it's simpler in terms of design to the HAF. total price a little over 1500$ including a copy of windows lol. |
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07-10-2011, 07:14 PM
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#5 |
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The Z68 also seems to have the reliability issues that have been plaguing the P67 solved. It's what the P67 *should* have been. I'm no longer recommending P67 at all. You don't have to use the new toys if you don't want to.
If for any reason you might want a stronger internal graphics circuit, get the i7-2600K. Price difference is negligible. If you want modular, also look at the Corsair HX. I'd recommend you go bigger on the Black to get 64mb cache. The 750 is only 10 bucks more. |
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07-10-2011, 09:10 PM
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#6 |
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Member (3 bit)
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 7
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hmmm, if there's reliability issues with the P67 then that won't due. Are you sure those features can be turned off completely in the BIOS? I'm not sure where I heard it from but I thought you couldn't, and could they cause problems if I run Linux? I really don't think I'll be using those features, so I rather not have it, that's less stuff that can cause possible problems lol.
What about the H chipsets, they only allow the ability to use the iGPU, and disable CPU overclocking right? Are they more stable, and would they fit my needs better then the P67? |
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07-10-2011, 10:15 PM
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#7 |
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07-10-2011, 10:51 PM
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#8 |
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Member (3 bit)
Join Date: Jul 2011
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If I downgrade to the i7 870, then I could opt for the even cheaper AMD 6 core and get better performance.
But I did some more research, and that P67 and H67 bug apparently affects the SATAII ports due to a power issue with the ports. So what if I don't use the SATAII ports? I was planning on sticking to SATAIII and having 4 available ports is more then enough. Would I still have stability issues? |
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07-11-2011, 11:58 AM
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#9 |
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The P67/H67 has other issues too. The SATA issue was fixed with the B3 boards.
I can't comment on AMD stability as I don't do AMD builds. I really think that you will be fine with a good Z68 board. The Asus P8Z68-V and Pro are getting excellent reviews. For the best performance available, the Z68/Sandy Bridge is where it's at right now. The Pro has 4 SATA 6.0 ports, the regular -V has 2. Asus boards have a 3 year warranty. |
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07-11-2011, 01:43 PM
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#10 |
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Member (3 bit)
Join Date: Jul 2011
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I guess I'll take a look at some of those Z68 boards then, I was reading through the reviews on that Asus V pro, and it seems like everyone is going through some bad bugs with it, even the people who give it a high rating. I think it might be a case of having too many features lol.
I was looking at this mobo to, Gigabyte GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD3-B3 Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD3-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard not as many reviews as the Asus, but no real bad reviews. But I read elsewhere that Gigabyte boards usually have bad support for case fans, so getting a 6 or 8 channel fan controller might be a good idea. Also I really want to say thanks for all your help and putting up with me, it's really greatly appreciated. |
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07-11-2011, 02:12 PM
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#11 |
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Member (3 bit)
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 7
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ahh wait... the antec 902 has it's own built in fan controllers... so instead of running the fans to the motherboard, you'd run them directly to the PSU right?
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07-11-2011, 03:06 PM
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#12 |
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You honestly won't need a crapload of fans. All they do is make noise.
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07-11-2011, 03:20 PM
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#13 |
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Techphile.
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: San Francisco Bay
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A 650 watt PSU can't fill up a case with a whole lot of waste heat. Two inlet fans and one outlet would be plenty. The computer in my signature has the same fan configuration.
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Asus P8P67 WS Revolution | Intel 2600K @ 4.7 GHz | Win 7 Pro 64 |8 gigs Corsair 1600 | Two Diamond 6990's in Crossfire| Corsair AX1200 | Thermalright Silver Arrow | Western Digital Black 2TB 64 meg cache | Lian-Li PC-A71B | Logitec Z-5500 | Three Asus 26" VW266H monitors running under Eyefinity | |
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07-11-2011, 11:38 PM
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#14 |
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Member (3 bit)
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 7
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Ya, it definitely is overkill, and I don't mind fan noise as it can be set to low. but if it fits within budget so I don't see why not. I just see it as a dam good insurance my PC will be kept cool during render, even if one of the fans happen to fail. It's also insurance that I won't have to worry about heat if I decide to upgrade or add components.
With that said, I think this build is complete, thank you all greatly for your input and time 
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