OK, I’m not sure if this is in the right place, so if it isn’t could a mod plz move it…
Anyways, I am planning on getting a new PC because I have grown weary of continually upgrading my old piece of crap. Now, I am not exactly a computer guy, I know more than most, but not enough. Pretty much I just need some help figuring out which components I need/which are most important to rendering. I’m not sure if rendering goes on in the CPU/RAM/GPU so I’m not sure which part needs to be the best. I’m also looking for a PC that would be good for multi-tasking, like one that doesn’t freeze when I try to IM and use blender at the same time :mad: lol…
It doesn’t need to be a top of the line gaming PC, pretty much I only play MMOs, which aren’t too demanding on PC hardware, so I really just need something that would work well for rendering.
Also, if there’s a good website that explains this stuff that would be very helpful too :D… thanks all
CPU/ The most important thing for rendering. Cpu calculates the lights, materials, and those, how they turn out in the final picture.
RAM/ It is memory, so if you’ve got big files, like with huge meshes (high poly), then ram is what you need to actually handle much data, and also, when the data from blender is transferred to the renderer, you need ram for that too, so that it doesn’t totally freeze the whole computer if the file has a lot of “3d-data”.
GPU/ This you need for editing the 3d-models, and viewing them. The faster the GPU, the more complex models you can view without the “computer” slowing down.
So, for multitasking I would recommend you to get either a dual-core processored system, or a dual processor system. Or just a very fast cpu. But the new amd’s with two chips would do fine.
For the GPU, I would recommend an nvidia card, if you’re using blender (it’s OpenGL based). Right now a geforce 6800 GS is good for performance/price.
And ram, get 2 gigabytes. Also you probably need a new motherboard, powersupply unit, and… hmm I think that’s about it. A case of course.
get a good processor, it will help you the most.
ram you will need at least 2gb, if your really really high poly, get 4.
you can get by with valu ram because you dont play hardcore games.
id say at least a x2 3800+, go with a higher proc if you want more power.
the 6800gs will be the best card for what your dfoing with it.
Oh come on!
“You need at least 2 gb” of RAM?? You know that’s not true.
You must be a pretty hardcore modeler to really make use of 1 GB. I’m pretty happy with my 512 MB.
Of course, the more RAM, the better (mostly), but you can do great 3d-work even with 512 MB. Come on, you know that, hydravien. Not everyone’s willing to shell out a shitload of money. He can easily upgrade when he wants to do a really demanding project.
I’d recommend getting a good CPU, 1 GB of RAM and a GeForce 6xxx. This should do the job.
1GB and a GeForce 6600 or up (I wouldn’t go with 6150, or 6200, as the first is onboard and thus uses System Memory, and the second uses shared memory as well) are fairly enough
A Dual Core PC would of course be wise, while I’d head for AMD, yet, or for Intel’s Core Duo processors…
The Disadvantages of Core Duo’s are that they don’t support 64bit processing…
I think the best thing you can do is wait one or two months until Intel releases it’s Conroe processors, or AMD switches to Socket AM2 for DDR2 support…
I wouldn’t want to run anything with 64mb of RAM. except maybe DOS.
I used to use blender on 32, and it ran fine. High poly stuff would be difficult, but I think people over estimate how important RAM is. I think with people having so much ram, developers (in general, not talking about blender here) are less worried about the usage.
I wouldn’t be surpised if a few people here still have 32 or 64 mb ram, and I bet blender runs fine for them. Blender is currently using only 30 megs of ram, and I’ve got about 40,000 faces.
So anyway, saying you need at least 2 gigs is absurd. 512 will do fine, absolutely fine, but considering the cost of ram these days, get a gig.
id like to point out that i have 1gb of ram and find it to be not enough. games now are using more and more ram and so is everything else. vistas requirements are higher, maybe not up to 1gb, but they are higher.
the point is, ram for rendering is cheap. you can get by with valu ram. i paid 220 for my gb of ram. that should get you easy 2gb of value ram. im not saying you need the 2gb, it just future proofs your computer some more.
ram helps m,ulti tasking a lot as well, and having more ram allows you to take better advantage of the dual core, because when you alt tab a program, you minimize it. depending on what else you are doing, it goes to the hdd. for using blender alone, yes 1gb will be more than enough, but when i have photoshop running with 6 different textures, then i start to see a slowdown.
just my personal opinion. i know most people wont use it all, but the point is you have it if you need it.
this computer is only about 4 months old, the proc just got upgraded to dual core a month ago. before that i had a 2800+ xp with 384mb of ram. maybe the at least 2gb part was high, but if i was building a computer right now, id throw in 2gb.
its probably because i like to set a render on one core and play something other than minesweeper;)
It was not intended as critique on you, hydravien. It all depends on what you want to do on your PC.
I just thought that way2lazy2ca might get a wrong impression when you said that he would need at least 2 GB.
wow you guys…
you really only need 512 mb of ram minimum sheesh, i have one gig, but i wouldnt call that a small ammount :eek:
so anyway, what os are you planning to use, i assume its not osx, because otherwise you probably would have said so, since any old pc hardway cannot run osx (only apple computers can)
so anyways, i hear a lot of people are really happy with amd athlon proscessors, and the intel core duos are supposed to be great, especially in osx
