New Build for learning Blender

[Tsukimi]

Hey guys!

Long time lurker but first time poster here! I work in the Architectural Visualization field, mostly using Corona as my renderer of choice. 10 years experience in the industry so I'm defintely not a beginner, but I've always used my studio's computers and never built my own.

Recently, I've decided that I want to start teaching myself Blender, as I think it's a fantastic piece of software and I've been looking to move away from Max for the longest time! I've decided to build a new computer that will allow me to still render with Corona when needed, but mostly this PC will be to game on (nothing demanding, I mostly play DOTA2 which can run on a brick!) and to model/render with Blender.

Budget: <$3000
Main Workload: Modelling+Rendering with Blender
Secondary Workload: Gaming
Upgradable: Would be nice to be able to keep this base machine and upgrade it, but not essential.
Country: USA (San Francisco)

The base build below is what the website came up with. I'm wondering if the 3060 is enough? Or if I should go the extra mile and try and find a 3070? The other option is to just keep my eye out and get whichever one comes up first? (I think if I was using this machine as my primary workstation I'd go for something higher but I imagine either of these should be sufficient?). I also imagine I will want to add a HDD for storing old projects and my model library, and potentially another SDD to store texture maps etc.? In this case, could someone recommend a good HDD/SDD combo to go with this that would work?

Thanks so much in advance for all your help, this website truly is a lifesaver for people like me!

CGDirector.com Parts List: https://www.cgdirector.com/pc-builder/?=6MKYz

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 3.4GHz 16-Core Processor ($749.00)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 ($84.90)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro AC ATX AM4 ($194.99)
GPU: Nvidia RTX 3060 12GB -EVGA XC Gaming ($739.00)
Memory: 32GB (2 x 16GB) G.Skill Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600 C16 ($208.99)
Storage PCIe-SSD: Samsung 980 PRO 1000GB M.2 Solid State Drive ($181.03)
Power Supply: Corsair CX Series CX550M 550W ATX 2.4 Power Supply ($66.00)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($144.90)
Total: $2368.81

 

[Alex Glawion]

The build looks good overall, but a stronger GPU would come in handy especially if you're doing lots of GPU rendering in cycles or third-party GPU render engines. Because of the price-inflations on the GPUs, though, many buy a lower-tier one now and upgrade once prices come back down (if ever).

You'll probably have a better time with a stronger PSU from the get-go, especially if you're looking to add a higher-end GPU. 850W should be sufficient for any kind of endaveours.

The rest looks good to me!

 

[Tsukimi]

Thanks very much for your input! Really appreciate it, a stronger PSU is a great call, and I'll likely push for a 3070 if I can find it!

I had a bit of an 'aha' moment last night after watching some YouTube videos on the new Macbook Pro. The performance seems comparable to a desktop that would cost a similar amount (when you take into account GPU prices). Besides the obvious issue with not being able to use 3ds Max, are there any other downsides to picking up an M1 Macbook over a desktop similar to the one I linked above?

 

[Alex Glawion]

If all of the software you are thinking of using runs on OSX, then no, a MacBook won't bring any other downsides. At current prices and with chip shortages this becomes a real option. I personally just don't work as quickly on mac os compared to windows and dislike the limited upgrade options, but that's just me.