Hi forum.
Anyone recently build a PC and would like to share their specs. I’m currently looking to build a new PC and would like some insight regarding what works good with Blender software.
Thank you.
Hi,
My main PC specs are:
Windows 10
Intel Core i7-9700K CPU 3.60-4.50 GHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080
256GB SSD & 500GB HDD
16 GB DDR4 RAM
The total cost of my machine was about $2,100 USD, and honestly worth every penny. I decided to go with pre-built from “CyberPower PC” this time around, and I have plenty of room for additions later on.
I’ve heard excellent things about AMD Ryzen Processors as well, with regards to both Simulation Baking & Rendering. (BlenderGuru has been running a poll with Benchmarks regarding this topic recently) - https://twitter.com/andrewpprice/status/1237176754935984129?s=20
Examples
As an example, the still image below, rendered in Cycles with 256 Samples at 1920x1080, took only 48 seconds to render, using only my GPU. Project Breakdown on my Portfolio.
The following animation, rendered in Eevee with 256 Samples, 1200 Frames (30 fps), all at 2560x1440 took about 2.5 hours. Project Breakdown on my Portfolio.
That all being said, if you plan on running a lot of Physics Simulations, I would recommend no less than 16GB of RAM, (I plan to purchase another 16GB soon, but I have barely used more than 10GB so far at any one time). The biggest factors will be your GPU & CPU. Blender has become far more efficient at balancing/distributing workload, and has simple Preference settings for utilizing what you have on deck.
For CPU I would recommend either an Intel 9700K+ (just remember that Intel CPU’s tend to run pretty hot). I use Corsair Hydro Series Cooling as well as 5 other fans.
If you decide to go for an AMD chip, I would recommend the Ryzen 7/9 as I’ve heard almost nothing but good things. I haven’t used AMD myself, so I wouldn’t be much help regarding their day-to-day use.
All in all, I absolutely love my PC, and haven’t had any issues with Blender usage and rendering.
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Hey thanks for the reply
If you don’t mind me asking, what speeds are your RAM? These are a few PC builds I’m considering, taking in mind, I also use other software as Adobe which is RAM hungry, and CPU dependent.
Hey, not a problem at all, I’m happy to share.
That’s a smart move with regards to RAM. My 16GB runs at 2400 MHz, normally.
With regards to the builds you posted, if I were to choose one myself, I would recommend the “i7 9800 4K Build”. I’ve been using both After Effects and Premiere Pro in an increasing amount lately, which is why I’ll need 2 or 3 times as much as my current 16GB as time goes on. I think the CPU is a good choice as well, and I see that it has the Kraken Liquid Cooling option in there, and cooling will definitely be important for it. All in all, your budget is what it comes down to. For using Blender and Adobe CC without feeling limited, the first build seems to be the most economical option with excellent results.
Getting a good-sized case with free space to build as time goes on will help you be more attentive to understanding exactly how much it is you’ll need when designing/rendering.
I checked some requirements of the: https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/186604/intel-core-i7-9700k-processor-12m-cache-up-to-4-90-ghz.html
It states that the preferred RAM speed should be 2600, but you’re running with 2400, so has it affecting in anyway the performance?
wow, the landscape is impressive!!!
how did you do that?
Any resource to learn this?
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I haven’t noticed anything that would cause concern. I haven’t used anything over 10GB at any one time, and have only experienced occasional lag (with little to no crashes) whilst working with large After Effects/Premiere projects, or when running Physics Simulations.
Basically, the frequency/speed of my current RAM hasn’t caused any noticeable problems, and I’ve been using the PC just about everyday (pretty much exclusively for Video Editing, 3D Modeling, Rendering, etc.) for about a year now. I noticed the speed mistake after getting my system, but honestly didn’t think much of it as it’s a very small difference which hasn’t had noticeable effect. That being said, you make a good point, and I’ve already considered this fact for my search for RAM as I upgrade my system. I’d likely go with 2600-3200 next time around.
Thank you! I can’t take full credit. I created the animated scene using 2D VFX Elements (as animated Image Planes), an HDRI and Sun Lamp for lighting, and then I animated a Camera (with Depth of Field paired to the movement of an Empty Object) and set the scene up to render in Cycles. The full details are here on the project’s page.
This specific landscape was created by artfromheath using World Machine, which is a free tool that allows you to develop procedural landscapes by use of a node-based system.
I’ve created some landscapes right within Blender by using a simple-to-use add-on which comes packed with Blender, called A.N.T. Landscape After using it, it’s simply a matter of creating a new material and utilizing Gradient Textures and Color Ramps (to put it simply). Here’s a tutorial from BlenderBinge which I used to get started with understanding the process of texturing landscapes.
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Does anyone use dual GPU processors with Blender?
I would be interested in hearing about when it becomes worth while?
I haven’t, but I would imagine it could yield some great results. Blender makes it very simple to select GPUs for rendering. I would love to have dual-NVIDIA 2080’s or something, my renders would be finished in the blink of an eye 
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Hi Lawrence.
Maybe you can read this thread here in Blender Stack Exchange which might be able to help your quicker render times. Since you got a good CPU and killer GPU it could possibly benefit you trying this method.