3D Lead looking for WFH set-up

[reecevfx]

Hey guys,

As a lot of people here in the UK, I'm currently working from home because of the coronavirus, however for too long I've been having to cope with an outdated Levono laptop from about 5 years ago. I'm a 3D Lead at my current studio in London so I desperately need a set up that can handle an industry standard 3D Pipeline.

Maya, Houdini and Substance are probably my top 3 most used programmes but of course I need a set up that's a good 50/50 generosity between CPU and GPU to handle all the most common applications in a typical 3D pipe. (As a side note, I'm looking to dive into Unreal 5 rendering in my free time)

I should mention now that is my first time building a PC so any advice would be greatly appreciated. My budget is around the £1250 mark but I'm somewhat flexible if it's really worth the extra.

Thank you so much all!

 

[Alex Glawion]

Hey and thanks for asking!

Take a look at the following build that you could use as a base:

CGDirector.com Parts List: https://www.cgdirector.com/pc-builder/?=yb1Dg0l0lif

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8GHz 12-Core Processor ($413.00)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 ($61.99)
Motherboard: ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus ATX AM4 ($204.93)
GPU: Nvidia RTX 2060 SUPER 8GB - MSI Gaming X ($481.99)
Memory: 32GB (2 x 16GB) Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200 C16 ($124.99)
Storage PCIe-SSD: Crucial P1 1TB, M.2 Solid State Drive ($104.99)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx Series RM650x 650W ATX 2.4 Power Supply ($125.00)
Case: Fractal Design Define XL R2 Titanium Big Tower Case ($124.71)
Total: $1641.60

It's just slightly over your 1550$ Budget (1250£) but brings some excellent components with it.

You are getting the 12-Core 3900X for cpu rendering (what render engines are you using?) and a 2060 super for gpu rendering and other gpu-demanding tasks.

Depending on your render engines, this could be balanced differently of course, e.g. you can get an 8-core Ryzen 3700X and spend the extra money on a better GPU (2070 Super, 2080 ..). This really only makes sense if you use GPU Engines such as Redhisft, Octane, Vray Next and some others (https://www.cgdirector.com/render-engine-hardware-compatibility-cpu-gpu-hybrid/)

That said, there is of course the option to go the Intel route, which recently released new CPUs that are quite strong in single-core performance, meaning a (very) slightly more snappy/smooth active work experience compared to the current gen ryzen cpus.

If you'd rather go intel, the i7 10700k CPU would be an option. These are quite hard to find though currently, and hardly in stock anywhere. You'll need a different Motherboard too if you decide to go the Intel route. Some good options fo 10th gen intel cpus (lga1200 socket) are some of the following:

- Asus Z490-E
- MSI Z490 Unify
- Gigabyte Z490 Vision D
- ASUS ROG Strix Z490-A Pro
- MSI Z490 Tomahawk

Also check our z490 Motherboard Guide, if this is of interest to you (https://www.cgdirector.com/best-z490-motherboards-intel-10th-gen-cpus/)

As for the case, the build list above has the Fractal Design Define XL R2 Titanium Big Tower Case, which is quite a big case, for being able to add more parts and upgrade later-on. If this is too big for you and you'd rather have something more compact, take a look at some of the following ATX cases:

- Lian Li LANCOOL 205
- NZXT H510
- Fractal Design Focus G
- beQuiet! Pure Base 600
- Corsair Carbide Air 540

Let me know if there are any other questions

Hope this helps!
Alex