i7 build for work - 3D animation / rendering.

[leahzero]

I'm looking for advice on a Core i7 build for my job, which consists of animation and rendering in both 3D programs and After Effects, as well as video encoding.

The budget is about $2500, flexible. I've already set aside $700 of that for a Dell 30" 3007WFP-HC refurb.

The video card is unimportant, just need Dual Link DVI. Not going to have a RAID; disk IO will be pretty normal. It's really the CPU and RAM that will be stressed. I'm open to mild OCing, but need advice on cooling for that. We're building a render farm later this year, so this machine doesn't need to be pushed to the limit. Stability takes precedence.

Also, one consideration I have is that the case should dampen sound relatively well (and look professional), since this will be in an open office environment.

Our location is Chicago. I'd prefer to order everything from Newegg, unless there's a great deal somewhere else.

Here's my build so far. Any suggestions or critiques would be appreciated.

1 LITE-ON 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with Smart Erase Black IDE Model iHAP322-08 - $26.99
1 LINKSYS WMP54G 32bit PCI2.2 Wireless-G Adapter - $39.99
1 COOLER MASTER COSMOS 1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP Black/ Silver Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - $194.99
1 EVGA 512-P2-N756-TR GeForce 8600 GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - $59.99
1 EVGA 132-BL-E758-A1 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - $299.99
2 G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ - $369.98
1 OCZ GameXStream OCZ700GXSSLI 700W ATX12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - $109.99
1 Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - $294.99
1 Western Digital Raptor WD740ADFD 74GB 10000 RPM SATA 1.5Gb/s Hard Drive - $109.99
1 Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000333AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $109.99
1 Logitech UltraX Silver/Black USB Wired Standard Media Keyboard - $18.99
1 Logitech G5 2-Tone 7 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Laser Mouse - $49.99

Total: $1,685.87

Comments?

 

[tiraides]

I recommend the following changes:

- Get the Samsung SH-S223F instead of the Lite-On iHAP322-08, as it will run quieter than the Lite-On drive.
- If you're not planning a major overclock, if any (within the near future), you could go with the G.Skill DDR3 1333 kit.
- Get the WD Caviar Blue or Black 640GB hard drive instead. It will perform as well as, if not better than the 74GB Raptor, and you'll obtain much more available storage for less. (You can keep your 1TB secondary drive.)

I recommend a more reliable power supply, like one of the Corsair HX/TX/VX models or one from OCZ's PC Power & Cooling line. You don't really need 700 watts for your build; a good 550-650 watt system with at least 40A through its 12V rails would suffice. For example, the Corsair 650TX would fit the bill for your needs.

Since stability is your primary focus, hold off on getting an aftermarket CPU cooler and/or trying to overclock the processor just yet. The CPU coolers that we would normally recommend cost at least $60 -- you may want to use that money more on the monitor instead.

 

[leahzero]

Thanks for the suggestions, tiraides.

 

[tiraides]

Though this may be contradictory advice, for your job, you may want to look at getting a professional graphics card... especially if you plan on using mostly professional 3D editing/encoding software.