PC for 3ds max Rendering

[SDME]

Hello
I need to buy a PC for extensive 3ds max 'ies; photometric night time rendering purposes for large scale projects for lighting.
Currently we do not know how to use GPU, however in future we could. We need significant reduction in rendering times, and also we use 3ds max for light placements etc. So it is both passive and active use. Rendering engine is mostly v-ray.
I am currently budgeting around USD 2,500.00 to USD 3,000.00.
Please suggest suitable specifications for all components. RAM maybe we can go up-to 256.
Look forward to the advise.
Thanks
MJ

 

[SDME]

As a follow up will a Intel Xeon E5-2680 V4 be a good choice for above works. Is there higher version of it which can be even better.

 

[Jerry James]

As a follow up will a Intel Xeon E5-2680 V4 be a good choice for above works. Is there higher version of it which can be even better.

Since you're mostly CPU rendering, I'd go with something like a Ryzen 9 7950X instead of a Xeon unless you need something very specific out of a server motherboard.
You'll get much better responsiveness in viewports while also gaining rendering speed. Here's a baseline build you can tweak:


CGDirector.com Parts List: https://www.cgdirector.com/pc-builder/?=6O529

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 4.5GHz 16-Core Processor ($536.60)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 ($89.90)
Motherboard: Asus ProArt X670E-CREATOR WIFI ATX AM5 ($459.99)
GPU: Nvidia RTX 3080TI 12GB - MSI Gaming ($569.05)
Memory: 64GB (2x32GB) G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-6000 CL30 ($209.99)
Storage PCIe-SSD: WD Black SN850X 2TB NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive ($129.99)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx Series RM750x 750W Power Supply ($175.99)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($142.50)
Total: $2314.01

Note - Up the power supply to 1000W, and the RAM to the max the board can support (should be 192 GB).