Spec Me a New Computer Please

Jock

Jock

Jock

Associate
Joined
27 Mar 2008
Posts
967
Location
Darlington
Hi there,

I was wondering if you guys could help me out with getting a spec for a new computer. I’ve never built a computer before and my knowledge of computers is poor so please bear with me.

Basically the new computer is for 3D Visualisation, so using stuff like 3D Max, Photoshop and After Effects. If it can play the latest games then great but not a necessity. The only thing I know I need for a fact is 8 cores. The cores have a big effect when rendering and my work computer has 8, so any less would be disappointing.

Ive been chatting with a pal, and came up with the following spec, but nothings cast in stone, so is there any chance you could have a look over what I have to see if anything needs changing or not. One thing which is an issue is RAM as the last stuff I chose someone told me isn’t compatible with the board so can anyone recommend any that is?

Also someone else pointed out that the case may not be big enough for the board, how will I know if this is the case or not?

Any help is greatly appreciated. I’m already sweating buckets about the prospect of building a computer from scratch but hopefully this thread might allay some of my fears.

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Welcome to the forums. Your friend is correct, you need special FBDimms for that motherboard as it is designed for servers, Intel have a limited list of companies making compatible Ram.

The motherboard is eATX and happily by picking one of the bigger cases it supports eATX.

PCs generally aren't that hard to build, you just need to take your time and make sure that you've got everything in the right place. :)
 
http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukBusiness?type=bizukPRO&qprm=67752&family=MacPro

Don't bother building a PC for After Effects, 3DS Max use. You want something totally stable that, if it breaks down, you don't have to resort to RMAing individual components. You could also add an 8800GT to the Mac Pro and install Windows via bootcamp if you really wanted to run games.

But honestly, self-build PC's for the sort of tasks that you want to do = fail in my opinion. A Mac Pro costs about the same and will be hassle and worry-free and will be totally stable.
 
Cheers for the advice.

Can i ask though does it mean i would need new programmes, or could i use existing ones i have for my current PC using that bootcamp you mention?
 
Yes, you could install them in the Windows that's been installed by bootcamp. Bootcamp's a legal application too, so it's all perfectly fine. However, of course, if you want to install programmes on OSX, then you'd need new versions obviously.
 
You'll need a licence of windows for bootcamp, ie win xp oem. It works like dual boot on a pc, you just switch the machine on & choose which operating system to run. You will need to do this as 3DS max is a windows only application.
I don't agree with chimerical that it's a bad idea to build this sort of machine yourself, so long as you know what you're doing & use workstation grade parts. However, the Mac pro is certainly a good workstation, so I wouldn't advise against that route either. Another company to check out are Boxx, they are very focused on digital content creation, especially 3D & make very fast, reliable wokstations.
 
Yeah i got quotes from the first off, but the cheapest was still £1k more expensive than both the one i'd build myself and the MacPro, the most expensive quote was £2k more. I know its quality stuff, but couldnt in the end justify the extra cost for what i was after. Cheers for the help though.
 
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