So…I know NOTHING about how to build a computer, and quite honestly, it doesn’t interests me at this current time. It would be much more convenient for me to simply buy a tower that already has everything inside of it.
With that said, prepare for very newb things to be said here. I don’t really know the terms or named for different quad cores or whatever. If you wanna explain it to me, then be my guest. Just know ahead of time that it might all go over my head. I also hope this is the right place to be asking this.
I’m looking for any kind of computer that can run and render Blender faster. I know about render farms and all that, but as of right this moment, I’m not interested in that. My workflow has been very slow, and my current computer can barely render and run Blender Internal, let alone Cycles. I REALLY would love to get a computer that can run cycles smoothly with very little lag or playback delay. I always have to playblast my scenes in Internal just to see if I’ve animated something correctly. The absolute maximum I’ve accomplished with playbacks is ten frames per second, and I would very much like to change that.
So, yeah, any recommendations regarding anything that can run and render Blender Cycles much more quickly would be fantastic. I know it will be expensive, but anything you’d like to suggest would be great (but the cheaper, the better =P).
Hi, first you have to decide if you go the GPU render way or the CPU one.
If you go for GPU you are limited with VRAM to max. 12 GB with TitanX or 8 GB with GTX 1080 from Nvidia.
This is may to low for heavy scenes, depends on your work area.
You can buy a cheap PC with Intel i5 and 16 GB RAM and a good power supply and such a card or two.
If you go the CPU way you need a 6 or 8 core Intel i7 and 64 GB of RAM.
Such a CPU can cost 1000$ alone but you need only a cheap GPU like GTX 950 or so.
You profit in all areas use multi threading like render, fluid/smoke simulations and so forth.
You are not limited with memory and can work on Pixar like scenes.
You need a good computer shop in your town, they can build a system for your needs and your budget.
Before you decide CPU vs GPU, you should really decide where your price point is and define clearly to us what your needs are (fast rendering all the time, or mostly animation and occasional rendering?), and what else you will be using this computer for (gaming?).
The truth is, building your own computer, or ordering parts and having a shop build it for you, will cost significantly cheaper, especially the higher you go in terms of price and performance.
Additionally, Cycles is NOT a real-time renderer. It works differently from Blender Internal or game engines like Unity and Unreal.
So let’s break this down by objectives:
Moderate cost, smooth playback while animating simple animations (simple as in armature animations of multiple characters with IK and drivers and shape keys) - i5 6600K (really any new quad core desktop i5 should do the trick) CPU, 16 GB RAM, GTX 970 or RX 480 (when it comes out) GPU. If you want GPU rendering support in Cycles get a GTX 1070 as they role out.
Larger Cost $1200-$1800, smooth playback while animating complex animations (Some physics simulations and softbody rigs), and option for decent CPU rendering or fast GPU rendering - CPU: Most people will say i7 6700k, but the truth is that you can find the low end 6 core i7s for roughly the same price. My i7 5820k was actually cheaper than the i7 6700k when I bought it. RAM: 16 GB or 32 GB. GPU: GTX 1070 or 1080. Grab an extra RX 460 or RX480 if you want to browse the internet or work on another scene while GPU rendering.
Heavy cost, Massive scenes - Get a 3+ GHz Xeon with 8 or more cores and s GTX 1080 or two. Get 64 or 128 GB of RAM too.
Conclusion: We can tell you which components will perform good/bad for Blender given a use case and price point. An example scene or video would help too. But we probably are not the best to ask regarding pre-built computers, so I recommend taking our spec suggestions to other forums.
