Budget workstation (Inventor, Solidworks, video editing)

[Hammi]

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Video editing, 3D modeling/FEA in Inventor and Solidworks, and a media center to watch movies/tv shows on.


2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
Want to stay around $800ish

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
Whatever offers the best value.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
monitor, mouse, keyboard,

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.

This thread is similar, but I'd like it to be a small form factor.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Overclocking will definitely happen at some point.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.

No gaming, but my monitor is 1680x1050 resolution, and I'd like to get a second with at least a 1080p resolution.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

Sometime this fall.

10. Don't ask for a build configuration critique or rating if you are thin skinned.
For sure.





Priorities
reliable (easy to find, non-buggy drivers)
Small (smaller than ATX, not much experience with those set ups)
quiet
future proof


Current Plan
i5 2500k
z68 mobo
8gb ram
workstation graphics card

Thanks! 😀

 

[mnewsham]

If you are getting a work station GPU anything with any real power will be most of your budget, the decent ones start around $600

 

[Hammi]

I was looking more at the budget (<$200) workstation cards.

I've heard that you have to use those certified cards to use the hardware acceleration in Inventor and Solidworks. Can anyone confirm or deny that here?

 

[mfenn]

The only workstation GPUs that are even remotely reasonable at your budget are the Quadro 600 or a low-end FirePro.

Also, what you say "small form factor", do you mean MicroATX, or true small form factor? I ask because overclocking ain't gonna happen on your budget with a true SFF machine.