New System Build — What Do You Think?

Okay, so I have a mid 2012 Macbook Pro which is my primary machine. No desktops and no Windows/Linux machines currently. I’m seriously considering selling my Macbook towards the purchase of either an updated (soon to be released) Mac Pro with dual processors 16gb+ ram, etc., (which no one really knows the specs for yet), or a desktop PC with either Windows 7/8 or Linux, whichever is best according to replies.

My question is what is the most preforming/stable/compatible setup for running Blender, and possibly Unity 3D?

I’ve always been a Mac user (not much on Windows - but I do enjoying building machines) and have been researching the best system. I’ve read a lot of stuff so far. What I have is (unless I have some incorrect information), that OSX/Linux might be the most stable, workstation processors/graphics cards don’t really provide the performance in the way which Blender utilizes resources, and some faster video cards (Titan for instance) might have some compatibility issues, but is also being resolved.

They also say the workstation graphics cards (Quadro 2000 for instance) might be slower in performance, but image quality and rendering quality would be better over gaming cards.

My budget is (for a Mac Pro at least) of course around the $3700 range, but for a PC I’d like to keep it no more than $2500.

I’ve heard that Windows 8 is considerably better on resources than Windows 7, but I’m wondering does Blender function best on it, or would Windows 7 be more compatible. Maybe that’s a silly question, as the system requirements state both OS’s are compatible, however, I’m curious of the experience of users.

I would really put an effort in to switch to a Windows 7/8 system again if that what was best for running Blender, but I would also be willing to spend the money for a Mac Pro if it’s best, as OSX is what I use mainly for design work and everyday things.

Thanks for the help!

I’m thinking about selling my Macbook and building a PC for running Blender and possibly a few games. Wanted to get some opinions on these specs. Any experience with these parts? Thanks!

Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core
Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid
Asus SABERTOOTH Z87 ATX LGA1150
Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600
Corsair Force Series GT 240GB 2.5" SSD
EVGA GeForce GTX Titan 6GB
Rosewill RNX-N250PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1
Cooler Master Storm Trooper ATX Full Tower
Antec 850W ATX12V / EPS12V
Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (OEM) (64-bit)
Corsair Vengeance K70
Corsair Vengeance M65 Wired Laser

I’ve since change to specs to be a tad cheaper.

Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (BX80646I74770K)
Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler
Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10)
Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (MZ-7PD256BW) EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (03G-P4-2784-KR) Cooler Master Storm Trooper ATX Full Tower Case (SGC-5000-KKN1)
Antec HCG M 850W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (OEM) (64-bit)

I recently did a new build too, so am fresh off an information glut :slight_smile:

I ultimately went with a Seasonic g-series 650w power supply over an Antec.
Since my ODD is usually idle, I chose an Asus F1ST because it is more power efficient than the B1ST

I liked the Noctua D14 cooler but that’s my personal preference for airflow over the RAM and VRMs because I heard good things about the h100i. FWIW, I idle under 30C and am under 50C fully loaded at 1.175Volts.

The Plextor M5 Pro SSD might be worth considering as it has a 5 year warranty and supports Linux (if you go that route).

Also the 3LUE Cobra mouse off Amazon might be worth a glance, IMO it was a steal for <$10

FWIW I am very happy with Arch Linux with xfce4. If you go Linux, Arch will keep you on the newest kernels which is important for getting the most out of Haswell.

I had good luck buying parts from newegg, putting in several orders and using coupons for everything. They have pretty good promo codes quite frequently, check retailmenot.

Just my .02, your build sounds sweet!

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Looks like you beat me to the NH-D14 :wink: My posts are still being modded so excuse the delay
You may want to check Noctua’s website for compatability with your Ram and Mobo, just for piece of mind.

FWIW I found Crucial Ballistix Sport 1600 9-9-9-9 1.35v Ram to be a pretty sweet spot, with coupons it was $100 for 2x8GB.
http://www.pureoverclock.com/Review-detail/crucial-ballistix-sport-series-8gb-kit-4gbx2-ddr3-pc3-12800-1600mhz/11/

Check out those Seasonic g-series PSUs, they are Gold Certified! With coupons, rebate etc, I got the 650w for $60!

Your specs are very similar to a computer I will be building soon! Main differences are:

  • CPU: intel i7 3770 3.4GHz(cheaper processor, no need for an overclockable CPU, mine won’t be a gaming machine)

  • CPU cooler: Phanteks 78.1 CFM

  • Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX 1155( cheaper, but with no overclock ability)

-Ram: Patriot Viper 3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866

-GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 580 3GB

Hard-Drive: Same + Western Digital Caviar Blue 750GB 3.5" 7200RPM External

Case: Antec “Nine Hundred” MID tower

Power: Corsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V 80 Bronze Certified

Microsoft Windows 7 Pro(just personal preference)

It looks to me like you’ll have a pretty powerful and affordable build for gaming. Whats does you total come out to be?

Mine will be around $1600 after shipping and rebates. I dont know if thats a bargain or im overpaying, but Im always on the lookout for better deals. :eyebrowlift:

Definitely a clearance problem with the NH-D14. I’m using one here and needed lowprofile RAM to fit under it. It does do a terrific job of keeping a mildly overclocked i7-3930 running at a max of around 70C under heavy loads.

joe

Thanks, Guys! I was even thinking about going with something slightly different to same some money. I’ll have to look into the Seasonic PSU. I usually go with Antec because of their track record. Here’s my latest build. The website that helped with the configuration states that everything should be compatible. I’m hoping the heatsink will work.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($325.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($212.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Antec HCG M 850W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($126.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (OEM) (64-bit) ($129.98 @ Outlet PC)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M65 Wired Laser Mouse ($62.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1895.86
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-30 10:57 EDT-0400)

Thanks for the info. I put a budget system together just for fun.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($99.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($66.98 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($68.98 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($255.66 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N250PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Tempest 210 ATX Mid Tower Case ($52.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($37.98 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer ($26.98 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M65 Wired Laser Mouse ($62.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $942.48
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-30 11:07 EDT-0400)

Found that compatibility chart for you. Corsair vengeance will NOT fit under the D14

http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=compatibility_ram_gen&products_id=34&lng=en

and just so you have it, this is the chart for mobo compatibility.

http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=compatibility_gen&products_id=34&lng=en

Oh awesome, thank you!