Want to build own PC for 3d maya/stuido max and gaming

[emaurer]

would like some thoughts regarding system configurations

best case for cooling and design
recomend for motherboard
how much ram 2gig?


biggest concerns are which video card???

some are built for 3d,maya,3d studiomax,combustion,digital fusion

some are built for games, warcraft,doom 3,battlefield 2

would like to buy one card for both

leaning towards a CRT basically for black detail

any thoughts

:thumbsup:

 

[bleeb]

You definitely want to get either a Dual Processor or Dual Core CPU/board. Graphic intensive programs like Maya and 3D Studio Max will greatly SLOW your computer when rendering the images.

You definitely need TONS of hard drive space.

Get a BIG FAT monitor(s).

Get BIG FAT graphic cards.

Get 4 GIGs of RAM baby or the maximum allowed for which ever board you buy.

 

[SrGuapo]

A dual core processor would definately be helpful in 3DS max and possibly Maya (is it multithreaded?). 2GB of RAM is probably plenty.

How much are you willing to spend?

 

[gonzaga1751]

its says 2.5k-3k

 

[emaurer]

trying to keep it at 2500-3000 it's for tuturiol not commercial application

 

[gsellis]

The video card is a little harder here. A workstation card may be in order. Maya likes nVidia IIRC. A 4400-4800 X2 would be goodness. Raptors are not necessary, but some 300GB drives (3) would be goodness, BUT only if you are doing feature length stuff. Animation <> Video editing. It takes some serious work (15 frames per day if it is complex) to do 1 hr of video where it has taken me 3 weeks to process 30 DV tapes.

 

[mode101wpb]

You have a seat of 3ds Max 8 = $3495.00 ??

Go with an AMD X2 4800+

 

[emaurer]

considering 3d studiomax down the road
just trying to get a handle on the hardware only
most bang for the buck....and what users experiences are

 

[mode101wpb]

Originally posted by: emaurer
considering 3d studiomax down the road
just trying to get a handle on the hardware only
most bang for the buck....and what users experiences are

I know it's not cheap unless you get the educational version of course you have to be enrolled in a program or have a friend that is.

I looked at Lightwave since it's priced reasonably.

I would check out nVidia's Quadro line for a GPU.

http://www.nvidia.com/page/quadrofx_family.html

 

[sandorski]

If you are using or planning to use Full versions(not PLE of Maya or demo of 3dsMax), then Dual core is a good idea, Athlon x2 specifically. The demo versions are single threaded only so dual core makes no direct difference. For video Nvidias Quattro line of cards are the best choice.

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: sandorski
If you are using or planning to use Full versions(not PLE of Maya or demo of 3dsMax), then Dual core is a good idea, Athlon x2 specifically. The demo versions are single threaded only so dual core makes no direct difference. For video Nvidias Quattro line of cards are the best choice.

If you want reasonable, get Hash Animation:Master

 

[ElTorrente]

I do animation for a living, and work with Maya, Motionbuilder (mainly), and work/have worked on every 3D package you can think of.

You DON'T need a special graphics card, and you DON'T need a dual processer mobo or anything like that. Get an X2 because they are great at rendering. Other than rendering and playblasting, you don't need an X2 or even the latest video card.

The most important thing - by far - for a graphics workstation nowadays is RAM. Get as much RAM as you can - 4gigs is preferable. Who cares about latency or 2T timings or whatever - just stock up on RAM. For video cards, get anything after, and including, a Ti4x00. CPU - about 2.0ghz pentium will be fine.

Games are much more demanding than Maya - believe it or not. Unless you are working with models with like a million polygons you'll be fine with any mid-range computer. Just get lots of RAM.

 

[imported_goku]

Originally posted by: bleeb
You definitely want to get either a Dual Processor or Dual Core CPU/board. Graphic intensive programs like Maya and 3D Studio Max will greatly SLOW your computer when rendering the images.

You definitely need TONS of hard drive space.

Get a BIG FAT monitor(s).

Get BIG FAT graphic cards.

Get 4 GIGs of RAM baby or the maximum allowed for which ever board you buy.

4GB of ram is useless you tard. Windows 32bit editions can only dedicate a maxiumum of 2GB per application IIRC.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: ElTorrente
I do animation for a living, and work with Maya, Motionbuilder (mainly), and work/have worked on every 3D package you can think of.

You DON'T need a special graphics card, and you DON'T need a dual processer mobo or anything like that. Get an X2 because they are great at rendering. Other than rendering and playblasting, you don't need an X2 or even the latest video card.

The most important thing - by far - for a graphics workstation nowadays is RAM. Get as much RAM as you can - 4gigs is preferable. Who cares about latency or 2T timings or whatever - just stock up on RAM. For video cards, get anything after, and including, a Ti4x00. CPU - about 2.0ghz pentium will be fine.

Games are much more demanding than Maya - believe it or not. Unless you are working with models with like a million polygons you'll be fine with any mid-range computer. Just get lots of RAM.

You may not "need" it, but it makes a big difference. Maya, for example, gets downright chunky using a Gaming vidcard with Windows open. It doesn't stop Maya from working, but it makes Maya a PITA at times.

 

[WalkingDead]

Originally posted by: goku

4GB of ram is useless you tard. Windows 32bit editions can only dedicate a maxiumum of 2GB per application IIRC.

Maybe his not running windows, my copy of XSI comes with both Win and Linux versions. Maya also available in Linux.

Btw, check out Softimage XSI. For $400 you gets either the full version if you're a student or the entry level version that you can use for anything and no restriction.

 

[Eureka]

Try a FireGl or Quadro... my friend does 3D work with Maya professionally and that's what he looks at in a video card.

Norm

 

[Dubb]

Originally posted by: sandorski

Originally posted by: ElTorrente
I do animation for a living, and work with Maya, Motionbuilder (mainly), and work/have worked on every 3D package you can think of.

You DON'T need a special graphics card, and you DON'T need a dual processer mobo or anything like that. Get an X2 because they are great at rendering. Other than rendering and playblasting, you don't need an X2 or even the latest video card.

The most important thing - by far - for a graphics workstation nowadays is RAM. Get as much RAM as you can - 4gigs is preferable. Who cares about latency or 2T timings or whatever - just stock up on RAM. For video cards, get anything after, and including, a Ti4x00. CPU - about 2.0ghz pentium will be fine.

Games are much more demanding than Maya - believe it or not. Unless you are working with models with like a million polygons you'll be fine with any mid-range computer. Just get lots of RAM.

You may not "need" it, but it makes a big difference. Maya, for example, gets downright chunky using a Gaming vidcard with Windows open. It doesn't stop Maya from working, but it makes Maya a PITA at times.

he's mostly right though, ram will make the biggest difference. especially with some of the new rendering engines in development (just yesterday I watched the maxwell beta swallow 1.9 GB on a 32 bit windows machine for the entire duration of the render)

the thing that's a nice perk about workstation level cards (or properly modded gaming cards) isn't performance, it's the ability to enable hardware AA lines in some applications (of which maya is one, I don't recall if max can or if it's in the maxtreme driver by default). it's so nice and so much easier to read complicated models/drawings that I have a tough time working in autocad without it enabled.

 

[mode101wpb]

Originally posted by: ElTorrente
I do animation for a living, and work with Maya, Motionbuilder (mainly), and work/have worked on every 3D package you can think of.

You DON'T need a special graphics card, and you DON'T need a dual processer mobo or anything like that. Get an X2 because they are great at rendering. Other than rendering and playblasting, you don't need an X2 or even the latest video card.

The most important thing - by far - for a graphics workstation nowadays is RAM. Get as much RAM as you can - 4gigs is preferable. Who cares about latency or 2T timings or whatever - just stock up on RAM. For video cards, get anything after, and including, a Ti4x00. CPU - about 2.0ghz pentium will be fine.

Games are much more demanding than Maya - believe it or not. Unless you are working with models with like a million polygons you'll be fine with any mid-range computer. Just get lots of RAM.

I don't agree, if that was the case then the likes of nVidia, ATI and 3D labs wouldn't even be in the business offering high end GPU's to professional users. Your right on the money about RAM, but not having a suitable GPU or processor will surely bog you down.

I do 3D design work for a living as well and time is money, better hardware and more powerful will save you money in the end and increase your productivity.

The "Qualified" hardware for Maya list high end GPU's, the GeForce series doesn't make the cut, does that mean they won't work probably not but performance will surely lag. The only nVidia option is the Quadro series, having used a lower end Quadro FX500 I can tell you it's the bare minimum.

The benefits of the X2 and rendering are time & money saving.