Pragmatic questions for amateur/light 3D modeling/graphic design build

[Schadenfreude]

I'm looking around the boards as I'm possibly looking at building a new system - and reading this (outside link) article it makes me curious:

• As a PC gamer, I know that there's a certain performance "score" we can strive for with ever-evolving game engine requirements.
• And I also know that largely PC-gaming depends more on the GPU than the CPU for performance.
  
• But,
  
• Dabbling in graphic design, I could run Illustrator CS2 on my 2005 P4 desktop and while it may have chugged . . . a bit, I could get the job done.
• Reading up on suggestions for 3D modeling, current general rule of consensus that I see is "get an i7 CPU".
• so . . ..
  1. Are the suggestions for a 3D modeler's setup analogous to a gamers's setup - e.g. there's a barrier to entry outside of simple performance (Gamer example: you can't play Crysis unless you have a certain level GPU or better)?
  2. To be more specific, is it unrealistic to expect, or even possible, to run 3DS Max/Maya on a i3 core w/ 4 gigs? Or run Illustrator w/ 4 gigs?
  3. Now I guess this is a question more directed at the posters who put up suggestions on builds, but if it's a simple performance issue, what justifies the suggestion for the i7? Is the performance gap in the CPUs that large?
  4. Dabbling in graphic arts, is it truly necessary to shell out more money to get more RAM than 4 gigs? If so - again - where is the justification if you are not a professional?

 

[3DVagabond]

With Max/Maya/etc. It's the GPU for the editing window and it's the CPU for the renderer. The 1st is usually very dependent on your cards OGL prowess and the latter on the number of threads and speed of your CPU. i7, without a doubt was the CPU of choice until Thuban cam along. At $200 the 1055T is pretty hard to beat. It'll save you some cash on the rest of the system too, when compared to X58-i7 setups.

4Gig RAM (or 6Gig w/X58) should suffice unless you are doing something pretty advanced or a lot (and I do mean a lot) of multitasking.

 

[aigomorla]

[*]so . . ..

1. Are the suggestions for a 3D modeler's setup analogous to a gamers's setup - e.g. there's a barrier to entry outside of simple performance (Gamer example: you can't play Crysis unless you have a certain level GPU or better)?
2. To be more specific, is it unrealistic to expect, or even possible, to run 3DS Max/Maya on a i3 core w/ 4 gigs? Or run Illustrator w/ 4 gigs?
3. Now I guess this is a question more directed at the posters who put up suggestions on builds, but if it's a simple performance issue, what justifies the suggestion for the i7? Is the performance gap in the CPUs that large?
4. Dabbling in graphic arts, is it truly necessary to shell out more money to get more RAM than 4 gigs? If so - again - where is the justification if you are not a professional?

[/list]

1. usually the gamer build is the "generic" build for the medium tier spec'd system. Gamer builds consist usually of mid tier parts, unless your a constant upgrader.
Most bench marks we use right now tests the system ability to play in games... ie. vantage... 3dmark...

2. no its not unrealistic. Its just a matter of work time. If you dont mind sitting in front of your computer a tad bit longer, an i3 system will work in 3ds max.. but it would take longer renders time then vs. an i7.

3. Work/Time is the main factor. Are you impatient like i am? Are you a IO speed demon like ruby? Are you a cpu whore like me? There is no justification once u get to upper tier... upper tier is 80-90% GREED unless ur in enterprise sector.

4. how big are your project files in the rendering programs? Some renders can eat up as much as 2gigs. Then windows OS allocates around 1.5-2 gigs.

So theorietical ram overhead would be 4.5gigs in such scenario, so you would need a 500meg phsyical swap drive.... *boo*

I tell renders and encoders go with i7, grab 12GB's and dont look back. :T