$2500 Animation + CAD Workstation Build

[potsked]

Building a CPU heavy machine now with expandability for GPU-based CUDA Rendering and animation support down the road. Working off the Build your own Tesla Supercomputer template. I'm looking for people to shoot holes in this setup as far as component compatibility and flexibility for the occasional gaming (fully aware there's no SLI on the mobo).

Purchase Date: This Week (hopefully with some Black Friday deals)
Budget: 2500+
Usage: Animation rendering and CAD (Vray, Solidworks, Alias, 3ds Max, Adobe)
Parts not req'd: Monitor, KeyB, Mouse, speakers, Hard Disk
Part Preferences: complying with Nvidia Tesla Build
Overclocking: hopefully
Monitors: at least a dual setup, looking at options for third monitor


____The Build____
Mobo: Tyan s7025
CPUs: 2x Xeon E5520
Video: Gigabyte GTX 260 Super Overclocked
Memory: 6x2GB DDR3 1066mhz ECC Registered Kingston Memory (two for each channel)
Case: HEC 98 Series (need 8+ slots with EATX/SSI EEB)
CPU Fans: 2x Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 (couldn't find anything else that's compatible)
Power Supply: Coolermaster 1250w
DVD Drive: LITE-ON 4x BD-ROM
SSD : Crucial CT64M225 64GB

est. Total: $2609

 

[mpilchfamily]

Why the super overclocked version of the 260? I would think you would want more stability. If you want more power for CUDA then get a pair of the 260's.

 

[potsked]

CUDA is only for down the road, nothing works for it now. i just need a video card to get me by until Teslas get cheap and Vray makes CUDA rendering possible (at least a year away)

 

[mpilchfamily]

Last i heard CUDA was just about dead and Nvidia was going to be dropping it or replacing it soon.

 

[potsked]

That is not true

 

[somethingsketchy]

Last i heard CUDA was just about dead and Nvidia was going to be dropping it or replacing it soon.

Agreed with potsked, what is the source of this information? That would be quite the mistake to have these kinds of cards and no programming language to use them...

Anyways back to the OP, judging by the "spec" of such a build, you're on the right track. The only questions/comments I would have are:

1. How many Tesla cards do you plan to purchase/use with this rig?
2. Have sufficient cooling in the case, as I can only imagine the thermals these kinds of cards put out (especially if they are coded properly to use 100% of the card's resources).

3. You may have to look for a different heatsink (besides the Arctic Cooling Freezers) as you may run into a clearence issue with the motherboard. From personal experience this heatsink was alright with some boards, but with any board that has a tall northbridge heatsink, the "bottom" fin of the CPU heatsink will not allow the heatsink to seat properly.

Just a thought.