Computer for 3D animation?

finkgab

New Member
Hello,
I'm going to begin my 3D animation studies in a month or so, and I need to build a nice computer that is able to handle 'heavy duty' (while still amateur) projects.

The parts I'll be getting are these:
- XMS2 DDR2 4Gb (2x2Gb) Twin2x4096
- Intel CPU Core 2 Quad Q8400 2.66 GHz Box (775)
- HDD Sata2 500Gb 7200 rpm
- Video PCIE GF9600 GT 1024mb DDR2
- M/B: INTEL DP45DP

What I have in mind is a good, fast and efficient computer, while still trying not to spend much money, for my studies.
But it has to be 'improvable', for when I begin to do payed jobs, and I need more power.

It's important to mention I'll be using Linux, but I dont know if these pieces are compatible with it.

I'll be using a lot of different programs: Maya, ZBrush, RealFlow, Photoshop, Combustion, etc.

Thanks for reading :)
 
^ +1, we need your budget to correctly answer your question


I think you'd get more power and life from it if you spent that much on an AMD rig instead.

That processor uses the old LGA 775 socket, so you won't be able to upgrade your processor. New Intel quad core rigs are pretty expensive, but pretty awesome as well.
 
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I suggest go for Phenom IIx4 955.
I am not sure if 9600GT sufficient. I would recommend you at least get GTS 250.
 
I suggest go for Phenom IIx4 955.
I am not sure if 9600GT sufficient. I would recommend you at least get GTS 250.

Please :P The 9600 would be PLENTY of power. The only reason I'd say to upgrade would be to have some support for later versions of OpenGL and such. A good majority of the processing will be done by the CPU so most any low to middle range GPU should suffice.
 
Thanks for the replies :)
About budget, it's not very large, this computer is intended to be for learning, and once I get into serious and bigger projects I'd be upgrading it.
I understand that the projects I'll be making for studying will be pretty much the same than the ones for work, but for studying I won't be tied to a production timeline, so it doesnt have to be a beast.

So there's not much of a 'limit', but I have to build a computer on those lines. It has to be good, fast and efficient, while still not spending much.

I'm from Chile, so actual numbers are hard to put here, as I'm not sure how much these pieces cost there.
But, it's aprox 330,000 Chilean pesos, which are ~660 dollars


I think you'd get more power and life from it if you spent that much on an AMD rig instead.

That processor uses the old LGA 775 socket, so you won't be able to upgrade your processor. New Intel quad core rigs are pretty expensive, but pretty awesome as well.

That's very interesting.. Could you point me what pieces I should change?
 
That's very interesting.. Could you point me what pieces I should change?
With that budget, I would go for an AMD setup on the AM3 platform. For Intel, LGA 1156 is the newest one, but their processors are pretty expensive compared to AMD. They're also more powerful, but the cheapest one they have is roughly $120. You can get a decent AMD quad core for $100, a triple core for $70, and a dual core for ~$60

Is there anywhere in Chile or a nearby country that you can buy the parts from? It's hard to give accurate advice using USD because the individual parts will likely be priced differently over there, if they're even available.
 
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Thanks :)
Yes, there are several parts. As far as I know, this one is the biggest one: www.pcfactory.cl
You could check there, but it's in spanish, but I bet you can understand most of it.

Just checked on the 'Intel LGA 1156', and the I5 CPU (link) is just 40 dollars more than the one I had checked, and they have the same characteristics.
What's the advantage of this one?

And I guess that means I got to change the M/B too?
Could you point me to the one I'd need? (link) :P
Sorry, but I'm extremely ignorant when it comes to this. (M/B specially)
 
Hey, I'm considering on purchasing this:
It was an animator's computer, who moved to the US and has it lying around here. I think it has 2 years of use.

- Processor: Core2Quad Q6600 2.4 GHZ, 1066MHZ, L2 8M
- M/B: Intel DP35DPM PCIEX2p S/LG DDR2 ATX
- HDD: Seagate 7.2 RPM 16 Sata2 160GB Sata
- RAM: KVR 3GB DDR2 667 5300 ValueRAM
- Graphics Card: Matrox-Pro 128MB Dual Port
-OS: Win7 Ultimate

I'm not sure about the graphics card, I couldn't find it on google, so I couldn't read any reviews or specifications.

It's a bit more expensive than the first computer mentioned.
What do you think? Would it work better than the first one?
 
I'm not sure about the graphics card, I couldn't find it on google, so I couldn't read any reviews or specifications.

I couldn't find the exact specifications of that card but the other models that I found were workstation graphic cards, so they are designed for exactly what you are building the computer for.

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/graphics_cards/

I would recommend the original build that you mentioned. even without a workstation card you should be able to render your 3D images without a problem. I would get something around gtx260 or higher.
 
3D computer graphics (in contrast to 2D computer graphics) are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images. Such images may be stored for viewing later or displayed in real-time.

Despite these differences, 3D computer graphics rely on many of the same algorithms as 2D computer vector graphics in the wire-frame model and 2D computer raster graphics in the final rendered display. In computer graphics software, the distinction between 2D and 3D is occasionally blurred; 2D applications may use 3D techniques to achieve effects such as lighting, and 3D may use 2D rendering techniques.
 
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