I am very new to Blender, but I think I have learned allot in the last 2 months. Anyway, my wife has given me the okay to get a new computer to Blender on. I have been trying to sort through all the spreadsheets but I am beginning to think it might just be easier to flat out ask the people who have allot more experience the me what the latest recommendations are.
What is the recommended GPU? Is it still the GTX 580 3gig (x2)?
What is the recommended CPU? Is it the i7 2600k?
Is the recommended RAM still 16gig, or would 24gig be more advantageous?
I truly appreciate any insight the community can give me. I was hoping to narrow down a list by Black Friday.
If you going to use Cycles renderer only on GPU mode, you must know that it have limits, as not all features work and you must fit all textures, accelerated data, etc in GPU RAM . For some scenes you hit that, and get black screen or error or even worse atrifacts. So, it is big question. If you have enough money, try multi-CPU, like 2 CPU MB with high end Xeons, it will render any scene, and accelerate simulation, baking, other software, not only Cycles.
In any case, you need top grade GPU/CPU, and RAM size depend on your scene, some use 100Gb textures per frame and render it days.
Hi, i7, 16 GB RAM and a GTX 770 4GB.
Buy a motherboard and a power supply prepared for a second GPU.
The 4 GB cards are a compromise between the faster GTX 5/6/780 3 GB and the very expensive Titan.
The GTX 580 3 GB is still a very good card for Cycles, if it is enough memory for your need buy them.
It is hard to get some 3 GB GTX 580 today.
You could also mix 770 4 GB and 580 3 GB and use the 4 GB card for the display.
Display and system need 3-400 MB and you could use full 3 GB for Cycles. (GPU RAM is not added if you have 2 or more cards)
Mib,
thank you for the response. I was curious the second GPU, if I can not find a GTX 580, what would you recommend as second card? Would it be another GTX 770 4gig?
as far as the CPU goes, is any i7 good, or is there one thats better than the others, but clearly the xeon is to pricey.
again, thank you very much for response, I truly do appreciate it, this computer will have to last for some time.
Hi, I would take a second 770 or 760 4 GB, depends on budget.
i7-4770 is available with different clockspeed, take the highest you can effort.
Here is a chart with Cycles CPU:
There are also cheap Xeons, cheaper than i7 but you cant overclock them and they have not a integrated Intel graphics chip.
It is really hard if you don´t have a seller next corner help you to decide.