Chris Potts

I’m excited looking forward buys first time for build my own PC this weekend hopefully.

Here my wish choice list kit search after most CG Architect forum popular choice

CPU: -Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 - 65mm, 775, 2.4 GHz, 1066MHz, 8MB Cache

CPU Cooler:-Big fin heat sink i.e. Cool Master

Motherboard: -Unknown, Hard to choice which – Maybe Intel P4 - nForce 780i SLI or Abit IP35. It took me long time decides which one.

Note:- I’m not sure which latest motherboard is best one. Can you help me point it out correct one, Please see list on website: - www.scan.co.uk or www.cclonline.co.uk

Graphic Card: -512MB NVidia Geforce 8800 GT

RAM:- 4GB Ram DDR2 ( 2 x 2MB Ram slot ) with copper heat sink plate.
Maybe possible get maximum 8GB if I find cheap one.

PSU - 550W

Drive: -DVD-RW and DVD Rom and 3.5 Inch floppy Disk Drive - Do we need it or not

HHD: - 120GB for Master drive & 250GB for Slave Drive

Soundcard: -Unimportant & not care – Any crap cheap one good enough for me

Software: -OEM XP Professional X64 Edition SP 2 – If I can find one


Do you think it good enough for high model 3D Max and Photoshop?


Few other questions (slightly off my record):-

1) Is SLI motherboard and SLI Graphic Card is waste of money and not worth? After I find other website forum suggest it is for gamer hardcore only. Not good for 3D render? Is that true.

2) Do you think should I wait for few months until new CPU Yorkfield / Penyrn come out and Core 2 Extreme or Quad price will drop down?

toxic_box

my only advice is to buy an OPENGL 3D Accelerator (quadro fx)instead of geforce coz you need this for 3d.

Congradulations about the PC and Happy Weekend

upshot

Hmmm what about the bang for the buck factor... You can get a screaming 1gb 8800GT for under $300.. whereas the 512mb quadro FX1700 starts around $450 and the newer 256mb FX 3500 starts around $800. Anyone want to comment on the pros/cons of these two GPUs?

AJLynn

Depends on which software you use. You don't "need this for 3d".

-A Geforce will run OpenGL but a Quadro will do a better job of it and will use features that a Geforce won't.
-A Geforce and a Quadro are about equally good at running Direct3D, assuming they're the same speed chips. A Quadro therefore costs more to get the same Direct3D performance as a Geforce.

Max and Viz use Direct3D - it's the default as of Max9/Viz08 and with older versions you can still use it, but the shift was that now the advanced viewport options are for Direct3D.

Most other 3D software uses OpenGL but most of it doesn't use the features that require a Quadro. For example, Sketchup and Cinema4D will run quite well on a Geforce.

Some very advanced software requires a Quadro (or FireGL) - for example, the high quality hardware shading modes in AliasStudio won't run on a Geforce. But I've never seen anybody on this board trying to run that anyway.

For most uses a Geforce 8800GT is excellent and will cost maybe $250.

Bewdy

Hi Chris, good luck with your first build, it's pretty simple really, and once you've done it you'll never look back!

My only advice would be to maybe consider the AMD chip. I can't comment on the Intel quadro, but in my experience every AMD chip I've purchased recently has been pound for pound far better than the intels. To be fair I've been comparing the dual core pentiums with the dual core AM2 chips, and the AMDs have been a LOT faster.

I'm building two more render nodes this week, and I'm going to be putting AMD quads in them both, as the quad chips are only £120 each, for 9500. A bargain I'd say. The other thing I might add is, I've been using a none quadro 7800GTX for two years now and it has taken a serious amount of poly's to make it chug. I'm not convinced the quadro's can justify their extra £££s for a small operation, as the consumer GFX cards are getting so quick now.

with regard to you mobo, make sure it has giga lan.

Just my two pences worth.

__________________
Matt Sugden
Business http://www.virtual-living.co.uk
Pleasure http://www.icompositions.com/artists/OnIt

toxic_box

Congratulations upshots....You won
for me I prefer OpenGL for Autocad Purposes requires hardware acceleration.

AJLynn

Matt: I'd suggest you try the Core 2 series chips instead of the Pentium D. The Core 2 is far faster, using less power, and in all the tests I've seen it a Core 2 Quad Q6600 outperforms all of the AMD quad line.

Tay: OpenGL is faster for AutoCAD versions previous to 2008, when they added Direct3D support. Now it's just a price-per-performance issue and unless you need the extremely high end support the Quadro is too expensive to make sense.

Bewdy

Hi AJLynn, unfortunately I've had three of the D chips now for about 12 months, and I would gladly swap them for core 2s or AMDs, I've very disappointed with their performance.

As for the quads, the AMDs Am2+ chips seem very good value for money, I was going to go for the AM2 but I'm splashing out a little more, but the intels would cost me yet another £60 or so for a pair, which is beyond my budget at the mo.

I'm surprised that I've managed to build a fairly respectable 18 processor render farm of 6 PCs, for under £2K in 12 months!!

__________________
Matt Sugden
Business http://www.virtual-living.co.uk
Pleasure http://www.icompositions.com/artists/OnIt

Chris Potts

I have been look up your suggest about Video Graphic - I would love to get Quadro Card but it out of my range of price. Quadro is expensive one. So I decide stick on 8800GT series as they still popular here.

I was shocked top of range1.5GB Quadro FX4500 cost around £2,000 -.That bloody expensive.

Also I still stick to Intel Core to Quad rather than AMD. Sorry AMD guy - Im Intel fan.

Graphic Card : 1GB Gainward 8800GT Bliss , PCI-E 2.0x16, 1800MHz, GDDR3, GPU 600MHz, 2 x Dual Link DVI
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Compa...586&CPID=23256

Motherborad:- Asus P5N-T Deluxe, NF780i SLI, 3-Way SLi, 775, PCI-E 2.0 (x16), DDR2, SATA II, SATA RAID, ATX
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=729915

Is that good or crap? I did spend 5 hour to get my head around this complication mobo and try void DDR3 Ram. I try keep homework tonight as other forum suggest about RAM + GPU recently

Thank for advice and Please keep more suggest coming in until this friday night before my final decide

Bewdy

Hi Chris, well I went for a Core 2 Quad Q6600 aswell actually in the end, I did some reading up, and it seems that it is fairly accepted that the new Intels are better.

It's a shame, as I've stuck AMDs in the past because of their value for money, but it seems like that has changed, let's hope it was worth the extra pennies!

__________________
Matt Sugden
Business http://www.virtual-living.co.uk
Pleasure http://www.icompositions.com/artists/OnIt