Help between recommendations from CGDirector

[BitterMelon]

Hello! So, I'm a COMPLETE NOOB when it comes to building a computer and just overall hardware in general, but I'm taking the plunge and deciding to build my own PC!

I'm a recent graduate breaking into the animation industry, and my focus is on 2D animation (ToonBoom Harmony, TV paint), but I also like to model and do occasional 3D animation (Zbrush, Blender, Maya)
(I also used after effects for compositing)

My budget is $1500, but of course, if I can get away with spending less without compromising too much quality, I would love any help is finding out where I could save a penny or two! While doing research on here, I used both the custom PC builder, but also looked through the "Best PC for 3D/2D animation at ~$1500" article, and now I can't decide between the two. The two biggest differences I noticed are the CPU and the graphics card - one has a more expensive CPU with a cheaper Graphics Card and vice-versa. When it comes to animation, which would be a better area to focus on: CPU or Graphics Card? Or does it not matter? And are there any other thoughts between the two builds that I should know about!

Thank you so much for listening to my beginner ramblings!

Build #1
CGDirector.com Parts List: https://www.cgdirector.com/pc-builder/?=6LZKh

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: AMD Wraith Stealth Cooler (Included with CPU)
Motherboard: MSI X570 Tomahawk ATX AM4
GPU: Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB - Asus Dual
Memory: 16GB (2 x 8GB) G.Skill Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600 C16
Storage PCIe-SSD: Crucial P1 1TB, M.2 Solid State Drive
Power Supply: Corsair CX Series CX550M 550W ATX 2.4 Power Supply
Case: Corsair Carbide Series Air 540

Build #2
CGDirector.com Parts List: https://www.cgdirector.com/pc-builder/?=6ObCh

CPU: Intel Core i7 13700K 3.4GHz 16-Core Processor ($370.99)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 ($52.02)
Motherboard: MSI MEG Z690 UNIFY ATX LGA1700 ($199.99)
GPU: Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB - MSI Gaming X Trio ($367.17)
Memory: 32GB (2x16GB) G.Skill Flare X5 Series DDR5-6400 CL32 ($115.99)
Storage PCIe-SSD: WD Black SN850X 1TB NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive ($84.99)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx Series RM750x 750W Power Supply ($169.98)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($109.99)
Total: $1471.12

 

[Alex Glawion]

That Build #2 will certainly be the faster of the two for the kinds of workloads you listed. The first build is a bit outdated (will have to update the article you got it from) especially because the Case is horrendously expensive and hard to get which skews the overall budget distribution in that build.

Build #2, though is the one you want right now, it'll give you great single core / active work performance and decent GPU Rendering performance if you're using any gpu render engines.