Migrating from Mac to PC for 3d modeling and rendering

[creartnet]

Hello, thank you for making this amazing website. I am a long time mac user of 20+ years and am now migrating to PC based on the pricing and ability to customize. I went from zero PC knowledge to having a basic understanding just this morning based on your excellent writing.

I am using the following programs for modeling/texturing/rendering, etc.
- Maya
- Zbrush
- Blender
- Keyshot
- Substance painter/designer
- Marmoset toolbag

I will also use this setup for video editing and Photoshop.

I used your PC builder to get the list below. My #1 goal is to save time in all processes. My max budget for the computer is $3,000. I'd like to get something to use for several years without having to upgrade.

Could you possibly rewrite and substitute any items in the list below of what you think is best? I'm not attached to any brand name.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 3.5GHz 16-Core Processor ($698.99)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 ($77.13)
Motherboard: ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus ATX AM4 ($259.00)
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5700XT - Gigabyte Gaming OC ($377.19)
Memory: 64GB (4 x 16GB) G.Skill Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600 C16 ($364.99)
Storage PCIe-SSD: ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 2TB NVME M.2 Solid State Drive ($259.99)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx Series RM650x 650W ATX 2.4 Power Supply ($125.00)
Case: Fractal Design Define XL R2 Titanium Big Tower Case ($126.44)
Total: $2288.73

Thanks for you time!

Lukas

 

[Alex Glawion]

That's an excellent build! In fact it's almost the same build I am currently working on for my 3D projects.

I'd probably make one small change though to maximize compatibility in Content Creation Apps and that is swap the AMD GPU with an Nvidia GPU. The reason is, that NVidia is often better supported in 3D GPU Render Engines (Some ONLY support nvidia CUDA enabled gpus) and in many benchmarks of Adobe Software and other Content Creation Apps, Nvidia GPUs tend to perform slightly better than their similarly priced AMD counterparts.

I'd suggest you get a 2070 Super, which will keep you settled for a while. (https://amzn.to/3eTMsRK)

Of course, if your budget is 3k$ then yous till have some more options. You can get an even stronger GPU (like a 2080 super or 2080 Ti) or get more Storage. An additional SSD (like a Samsung 860 EVO 500gb) for example would let you split up your OS/Apps from your Project Files, which I highly recommend to minimize risk in Data loss. An additional Hard Drive for Archiving and Backups too makes a lot of sense (like a Seagate Barracuda 4TB).

Looks great otherwise! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Cheers,
Alex

 

[creartnet]

Thanks Alex! This has been a huge help. I'll keep checking in on your forum as I want to keep learning!

 

[creartnet]

I did have one followup question about monitors. Do you have an suggestions on the following?

1) which is preferable for a 3d modeling workflow, dual or panoramic monitors?
2) what brand is best for eye care from your prespective?

Thank you!

lukas

 

[Alex Glawion]

This probably comes down to personal taste a bit. I like having dual Monitors because it is easier to distribute and align windows across them, and because you can have Monitors of different size and resolution / quality. With a single ultrawide, you only have the one monitor which better have all the features you want.

For Design / visually demanding work, good brands to look out for are Dell, Asus, NEC, Eizo.. and some more, but it heavily depends on the price range and quality of the panel (IPS, 10bit, color spectrum coverage .. etc). Here's an article with some more info on this: https://www.cgdirector.com/best-monitor-graphic-design-video-editing-3d/

 

[creartnet]

Thank you, this helps a lot!