Computer specs for 3d rendering!!!

[SgtHK]

I need help on this subject matter. I'm getting a new computer next month and I want it to be fully equipped for 3d rendering. Right now, my current comp's specs are:

RAM: 512 mb
Video Card: GeForce FX 5200 256 mb
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 (3.0 Ghz)

And the new comp's specs, according to the list the retailer gave to me, are the following.

RAM: 1 Gig
Video Card: 7100 PCIE Video Card
Processor: Intel Pentium D 2.8 Ghz

I'm asking for help on this one 'cause I don't wanna be fooled by the retailer who may sometimes put in cheap components into computers in order to save money. I wanna be in total control of what's being put into my new computer.

[TimP]

I'm asking for help on this one 'cause I don't wanna be fooled by the retailer who may sometimes put in cheap components into computers in order to save money. I wanna be in total control of what's being put into my new computer.


And they've done exactly that. Pentium D processors are woefully out of date and 1 gig of RAM is enough to run a useful Windows box, but it's way too little for any serious 3D rendering. The video card is subpar, too. If they're quoting you a price over $500 for that computer you're being had.

[bluemicrobyte]

RAM is easy to upgrade -- check and see how many empty RAM slots are in the computer, then you can add more at a later date (buy from www.crucial.com for the best quality).

A Pentium 4 isn't that bad either -- I have the same processor and it works very well for all my 3D needs.

The video card is going to be the important component here. I'm no video card specialist, but neither of the cards you listed look super impressive. From experience, most computers don't come with top-of-the-line or even "halfway up the line" video cards -- you might need to buy and install an upgrade yourself (that's what I always do). Just make sure the computer has a PCI-E slot that you can use.

But anyways, I wouldn't be surprised if TimP is right. Retailers will build the cheapest models that look powerful to the casual home user.

[SgtHK]

Tnx for the advice. Do you think an Athlon processor is better? I've heard from a friend that it is.

Can someone tell me what brand of video card is best for 3d rendering?

[U-238]

Intel Core2 E6600 for the proc.

4 Gig of ram (at least 2 but complex rendering may be really slow)

If you can get at least a 1 gig video card. (You CAN get by with a 512 though)

at least a 300 gig hd. (If you're rendering video you'll need that much space for your files and any extra free space will be used for memory swapping.

You'd also best get a good cooling system for it as well since all that "power" will produce alota heat.

And if you're getting a new monitor get a CRT not an LCD (CRT displays color better/truer to the actual color than LCD)

That's fairly good for a single rendering machine. Render farms can afford to go a little lower since they'll have more machines.

[SgtHK]

And if you're getting a new monitor get a CRT not an LCD (CRT displays color better/truer to the actual color than LCD)

But CRTs make my head dizzy because of all that radiation and flicker and I'm gonna be staring at the screen for a pretty long time. I'll just stick to LCD monitors, tnx.

You'd also best get a good cooling system for it as well since all that "power" will produce alota heat.

A cooling system? Is a small air conditioned room enough?

[U-238]

A cooling system? Is a small air conditioned room enough?

No, but a nice set of proc, video card, and case fans should.

[Neo]

...the radiation from a CRT won't effect you unless you've sat in front of one for like a couple thousand years.

Probably getting a headache because of a low refresh rate =P You'd want to get a really good CRT rather then a cheap one. Then again, the same could be said for an LCD.

-Neo