New Build

[him61]

Hello Anandtech, I want to build a computer. Up until a couple years ago, I knew what a lot of the best parts were, but I've gotten away from the hardware scene since then. I have a maximum budget of $3000, and I already have a case, hard drives, an OS, and peripherals, minus two monitors and speakers + sound card.

I do not do a lot of gaming, but I do like being able to play games with high graphic settings if I can. I do a lot of 3D rendering and graphics related computation (3DS Max, Pov-Ray, and various fractal generators), as well as music mixing/sound design.

Edit: I will be buying my parts in the US, and I have no particular preference with any companies besides ATI (but I wouldn't turn down a better card at a cheaper price if Nvidia had one)

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[paperwastage]

best parts-
SB-E 3930k or 3960X (if you really want to spend 3k) $700-1k
128-256GB SSD (kingston hyperx, crucial m4? for speed, Intel for reliability) $200-$400
add in a workstation GPU

 

[mfenn]

What exactly does this mean, "I already have a case, hard drives, an OS, and peripherals, minus two monitors and speakers + sound card." Do you need monitors, speakers, and a sound card or not?

 

[him61]

I need monitors, speakers, and a sound card.

 

[fralexandr]

if you're going to be doing music stuff, the m-audio av30 or av40 speakers would be good for a 2.0 setup
the ASUS xonar would be the best dual purpose music/gaming sound card
although with such a high budget, if you want 5.1 you might want to just skip the sound card and get a receiver or dac + amp and some relatively neutral sounding home theater speakers

how many monitors do you plan on getting?

 

[him61]

Two I don't have a really large amount of desk space, so I was thinking of getting a couple 22-24" screens.

 

[fralexandr]

since you're not a heavy gamer, an IPS panel monitor should work for you

there are several 22"-23" e-ips monitors available in the $150-$300 price range
if you want a nice looking 2 monitor stand, dell sells the u2312hm and u2212hm with them
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...e_bnrank=2&baynote_irrank=0&~ck=baynoteSearch

although, amazon currently sells the dell u2312hm, u2212hm, and u2412hm monitors much cheaper if you don't want the stand or wish to buy one seperately (2 monitor stands only cost about $50-$100)
http://www.amazon.com/UltraSharp-U2...JXVC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328655246&sr=8-1

Asus has been making some extremely well priced e-ips lately
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...17145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B005S0XYKK
there are a lot of users claiming backlight issues, but i'm guessing most of them would be less or unnoticeable if the monitor was set to a more normal brightness level (usually 30-50) on a non black screen

the hp zr22w & zr24w use s-ips panels (uh-ips and h2-ips respectively) if you're into photo work as well, or need color accuracy

what's nice about the hp zr24w and dell u2412hm is that they use 1920x1200 screens

-----
if you don't want to spend for a 6 core sandybridge-e cpu, the core i7 2600k is your next best bet
from what i've seen, workstation GPUs can't game very well (for their price), so you'd likely have to buy 1 workstation card and 1 gaming card, or just use a gaming card and suffer a bit through the 3d rendering
i'm not quite sure if a workstation card is actually worth it :S $ for $ if you plan to game at all
what rendering programs are you using?
i'm not sure if things changed, but in the past it was possible to flash consumer GPUs into their workstation counterparts

 

[mfenn]

I need monitors, speakers, and a sound card.

OK, thanks.

Now the most important question: is the PC primarily for work or for play? What I recommend will be quite a bit different depending on your answer.

Work: i7 2600 or i7 3930, Quadro, 1-2x IPS
Play: i5 2500K, 6950 2GB CFX, 120Hz TN

 

[him61]

This computer would hopefully be for both work and play, but I would prioritize work over play.

 

[fralexandr]

heh the reason i asked what rendering programs you were using is that gaming cards like the amd 6950/70/7970 are capable of most consumer rendering, albeit at a slower rate, but some higher end programs require the drivers/precision of workstation graphics cards

workstation cards like the firepro v5800 ($300) perform somewhat worse than there correlating consumer graphics card, in this case the 5770 ($100) in gaming
thus gaming at 1920x1080 at high settings in recent games won't be that smooth
i.e.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1004&message=37726220
the v5800 vs the 5770 rendering

which is why you'd probably want a workstation card + consumer/gaming GPU
also it's ridiculously hard to find comparisons for workstation vs gaming uses of graphics cards (almost of them are old tech), especially of using a workstation card for gaming

 

[mfenn]

which is why you'd probably want a workstation card + consumer/gaming GPU
also it's ridiculously hard to find comparisons for workstation vs gaming uses of graphics cards (almost of them are old tech), especially of using a workstation card for gaming

Workstation cards typically use validated driver packages that don't include the most current game optimizations (if any). Trying to install two sets of graphics drivers at the same time is also a recipe for disaster, so really having both installed at once is not a viable solution.

 

[mfenn]

This computer would hopefully be for both work and play, but I would prioritize work over play.

Hmm, I was just checking availability on the 3930K, and it seems to have completely dried up, leaving the $1000 3960X. So, LGA 2011 is pretty much completely out of the picture. Also, the applications you listed do OK with consumer level cards, so let's start there.

i7 2600 $300 - I hope to God that you don't OC a machine that you use for work
P8Z68-V LE $133
Crucial DDR3 1333 8GB x2 $70 - 16GB can be useful for large models and such
7950 $450 - "best" (relatively speaking) bang for the buck at the high end
Crucial M4 128GB $175
Existing HDDs $0
Seasonic S12II 620W $55
Existing case $0
Total: $1183

That leaves you a healthy chunk of change for the monitor and sound hardware. I would seriously consider a U3011 or ZR30w over two 24" monitors. It'll actually use less desk space than two 24"-ers side-by-side unless you have a vertical constraint. I can see how people would prefer two monitors for programming and such because those workflows typically involve looking at multiple documents, but a single large canvas is the absolute king IMHO for 3D modeling. Once you get one, you will wonder how you got by on such tiny screens. Either one of those will run you about $1200.

That leaves around $800 for speakers, which puts you well above the range for "computer speakers". I'd get a dedicated outboard amp/DAC like the NuForce Dia and a couple of decent $300-400/pair bookshelf speakers.

 

[fralexandr]

if looking at 1 big screen, a 27" might be better for you during gaming depending on how far you sit
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3946/apple-27inch-led-cinema-display-review/2
anand talking about 30" vs 27" size

also, i hate how driver support for multiple different gpus are so underdeveloped atm T.T
queue farnsworth:"<sigh> a man can dream though, a man can dream"

 

[mfenn]

if looking at 1 big screen, a 27" might be better for you during gaming depending on how far you sit
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3946/apple-27inch-led-cinema-display-review/2
anand talking about 30" vs 27" size

also, i hate how driver support for multiple different gpus are so underdeveloped atm T.T
queue farnsworth:"<sigh> a man can dream though, a man can dream"

I can somewhat see that argument, however I'd still rather have the 30". I sit approximately 2' away from my 30" at work and it works perfectly for me with no head strain. Obviously you want to adjust the monitor so that you are looking right at the middle when your head is in a neutral position.