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Building a 3000$ workstation

M

munasef

n00b
Joined
Mar 31, 2013
Messages
5
Hello dear Hard Forum Users!

I´d like to build a workstation for personal and professional use. My Budget is around 3100$.

1) Figure out your budget
As mentioned above, around 3100. Because of the fact, that i live in Germany, I am calculating high shipping and taxing costs.( Nevertheless, prices are way cheaper in the US than in Europe)
I do not need any software, except you guys think something required for properly running the workstation is required. I own an Windows 7 Ultimate License

2) Figure out which components you would need for your setup

I would probably build the workstation from scratch, because there is not much to salvage from an Imac, I guess
If it fits in the budget, I would also consider buying an 27" monitor.

3)Determine what the computer is going to be used for.

Mostly 3D stuff (simulation, animating) and Motion Graphics / Video Editing
I also would like to run a dual System (Windows/Linux)
On my weekends, i´d like to play some games (i enjoy BF3)

4) Figure out which features you want on your computer.
To be honest, my experience in this high cost and high value market is limited, so I went out and googled my way through the internet.
What i found and consider fit to my needs is :

A Motherboard that has
Firewire 800
USB (preferably 3.0)
Thunderbolt (seems hard to find and is optional)
PCI express
A dual socket
Space for up to 48 +GB Ram

As well as
SATA and SAS
An Nvidia Quadro or ATI Firepro
At least a TB HDD
An SSD
An Card reader

I am not sure about the cooling.

5) Determine whether or not you are planning on overclocking any of the components.
Probably not.

6) Determine how long you want your machine to last.
It should be suitable to work on for at least around 3 years.

7) DO SOME RESEARCH.
Well, I did. I might be able to get my hands on a used HPz800 with an ATI Firepro V7900 and
2xIntel Xeon X5570. If all else fails, this might be my option to buy for around 2300$ plus taxes and shipping.
I was also given the advice to buy an Intel D5400XS board + 2 x QX9775. I am not sure what to think about, because the board only seems to support DDR2 Ram.
Also I am not sure, if I should buy an CAD Card or an gaming card. (3D Stuff usually profits from drivers and the architecture of CAD cards, but the prices are quite extreme)


All in all, i hope you guys could give me some advice on which part to use to get the most for my money.
Feel free too propose a configuration of your liking!
I apologize in advance for my bad english, and do hope I have followed the forums rules correctly.
Kind regards
Alex
 
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When do you plan on buying the PC?
Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?
What programs are you using for your 3D stuff, motion graphics, and video editing?
What's the max resolution of your current monitor?
 
Hi, I´d like to buy within in the next 2-4 weeks.
Yes, I do own an transferable Key, as mentioned for windows 7 x64
I am mostly using 3Ds Max (in combination with realflow/Fume), Maya (for animations) and Nukex.
For my motion Graphics I use After Effects, Indesign and Photoshop. For Video Editing, I own a Avid license.
My current monitor has a max resolution of 2560x1400.
 
munasef said:
Yes, I do own an transferable Key, as mentioned for windows 7 x64
Click to expand...
Which edition of Windows 7? Home Premium? Pro? Ultimate?

Also, do you know which U.S online retailers will ship to Germany? Or are you buying everything in Germany?
 
I am sorry. A windows 7 Ultimate Key.
Unfortunatly, most of US retailers only do ship inside the US or to Military bases in Germany. I was thinking about contracting an parcel forwarder.
If possible, I´d like to buy in the US, but if needed, I will also buy components in Germany or UK.
 
All right, for now I'll use U.S pricing:
$1270 - 2 x Intel Xeon E5-2630 CPU
$96 - 2 x Supermicro SNK-P0050AP4 Heatsink HSF
$471 - Supermicro X9DR3-F-O eATX dual socket 2011 Motherboard
$304 - 4 x Kingston KVR16R11D4/8HC 8GB DDR3 1600 ECC Registered RAM
$229 - Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD
$73 - Western Digital Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$135 - Seasonic X750 Gold 750W Modular PSU
$144 - Silverstone RV03B-WA ATX case
--------
Total: $2722 shipped

Notes:
- I left out the video card because I have to ask you one question: What matters more? Your work performance or your gaming performance? Do note however that the gaming card would offer the better compromise since the gaming performance of an equivalently priced Quadro would be significantly lower than the 3D rendering performance of a gaming card.

- You will have to buy add-on cards for Firewire and USB 3.0 since a lot of server class mobos don't have those features just yet.
 
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Thanks so far!
I would definitely focus on 3D performance.
A gaming card might be something i buy afterwards.
 
Allright, I´m surprised the K2000 has dropped so much.
Interesting : I found everything you mentioned on the German Amazon, and it´s roughly 1000$ more expensive.

Edit : Would the System Work properly if I only buy one CPU?
 
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