what hardware? PC Built from scratch or Pricey MAC Book Pro

[Player22]

. I'm just getting in to architectural visualisation and have just found corona about a week ago. I've used vray  in 3ds max for a while ,but corona is far simpler a process for getting to decent images.

I would  like to build or buy a new computer, what in your opinion is  the best way to go multi CPU's or a single unit  with very large amount of ram. Should I buy a decent video card ? I use a PC set up i3 laptop with 3 Gig ram and have a Itel duo core desktop with 4 gig ram which is DDR2 ( bit dated  I know )

I know buying a Ferrari doesn't make you a better driver,  I would just like to build or buy something  most suited to the job. I,ve looked at BOXX (not cheep in the UK )it's an investment I need to make but in what direction. While developing my skills I think  you need speed  so review  result to changes in scene settings.

your  thoughts would be greatly apprciated

thanks

[Ondra]

Don't buy mac and you will be fine ;)

[Captain Obvious]

Don't buy BOXX. They make Apple seem like the low-budget option. Horrendously over-priced.

Don't buy a laptop unless you need a portable workstation! Laptops have weaker performance and higher price, and the built-in display is usually a bit pants.

If you need a high-performance portable laptop (as opposed to luggable), the Macbook Pro is a decent but somewhat expensive option. I have a Thinkpad W520, and it's a very good machine and very inexpensive for what you get, but the screen isn't great. It's problematic for colour work. The Macbook Pros have the best displays out of all the laptops I've tried, but Dell have one with an IPS display as a build-to-order option. That should be even better, but I've never actually used it. I think it's pretty pricey though, even compared to the Apple machines.

Best value for money is building your own workstation, but that obviously requires a certain degree of computer expertise. If you are able, this is definitely the best route.

If you need a high-performance workstation for a reasonable* amount of money, you can get a Dell T7610 with dual 10-core Xeons for about £5500. That's probably currently the best multi-core workstation deal on the market right now.


*reasonable as far as high-end multi-CPU workstations go

[Ondra]

You can also try somebody like Destiny. He is a professional gaming streamer who also build custom rigs for his viewers: http://blog.destiny.gg/1600-streaminggaming-rig/

[mrsacan]

Don't buy mac and you will be fine ;)

Let's say I decided to use a macbook pro (with bootcamp ofc), what are cons (biggest one cpu heat problem probably) and pros? For future forum searches/threads your answer would be a good reference.

[Tanakov]

Id say that is stupid, you Get lower performance, It cuts Memory and the hdd sucks afaik.

Dont go mac, just dont..

[borisquezadaa]

I second the NO MAC motion. Really.
I can get pretty decent results with an AMD eigth core and 8GB ram, Corona makes good use of multicore processors.
I suspect no one could get lower quality/cost ratio than that.
The graphic card is almost no use for rendering with corona and you can get a decent fps under max with the most cheapest nvidia or ATI card.
No need to waste money more that that.
My grain of sand.

[drado226]

i have 8350 black edition 16 gb ram, test scene time is 8,31 slower result than others
and not cheap at all, 4770 or higher cpu is better, simply dont go AMD

[Fibonacci]

Hi,

My offer if you lookin' something refurbished stuff from the ebay you'll be very fine...

For example I have ordered from USA my Dell Precision m4700 with half price an I got 3 years warranty with it. If I would to order this stuff from the DELL.Co.UK than tha price should be 2500 pound...From USA it was with VAT and shipping only 1200 pounds.

Great buying and I have an Quadro M2000 card in it and I dont have a problem with 12 million or more polys...16gb ram, SSD, Full Hd...etc., etc...
If you want to buy desktop workstation, then the best is same something DELL stuff.

The DELL is the best buy now.   

[casparagus]

I'd second the Dell Secondhand/refurbished option.

When first starting out in 3D, I got a Dell Precision T5400 on Dell Outlet for 700GBP - never had a single problem with it.

Then, expanding my studio, I bought refurbished Dell Precisions (from 3rd party seller), again never had a single problem with them. The fact that they had no or shorter warranty didn't bother me as they never broke.

Also, I bought last generation equipment. It's SO much cheaper (especially refurbished) that you can afford a much higher spec.

On the equipment I bought, I would usually save 50 - 75% compared to buying the equivalent spec new. I paid 700GBP each for four rack servers, which would normally cost just under 3000GBP each new.

If you are in the UK, Mo at la-micro.co.uk is very helpful with refurbished computers (they do HP and others as well). Unfortunately I'm in the US now so I have to shop around to find a new supplier.

Anyway I saved a bunch of money going that route. I've had a couple of problems with several different Dell laptops, but I've had no problems with Dell workstations or servers at all.

caspar

PS. for price/performance, I definitely recommend PC, not mac. I have a MacBook Pro (which was expensive) but that is just to have something nice when I am on the move. I do all my real work on my Dell Precision.

[casparagus]

Sorry I'm babbling now -

The other reason I'd recommend getting a 'professional' range workstation (Dell Precision or HP's equivalent) is that they are very easy to upgrade. I have, over time, upgraded memory, CPU and graphics cards of all my machines. It means that machines I purchased years ago are still performing well, with the upgrades.

I know it's tough starting out and I hate to see someone waste their hard earned cash! Or talk to a sales rep and get 'inspired' to spend a bunch of money that you don't have on something you don't need and could get for a quarter of the price.

[CiroC]

From my experience, your best solution is built your own pc. DELL, HP and Lenovo are great workstations without doubt, but the problem starts when you need to upgrade the workstation because components are more expensive. Besides you can build a mix between workstation and gaming pc.

Even if you buy a refurbished workstation, with that money you can build a much better in a long term. I work with both and workstations are great because they are robust and they are prepared for heavy processing, but  the same can be achieved with "normal" computer, you just need some basic technical skills.

And stay away from MAC.

[casparagus]

Thats interesting!

When building your own, how do you go about it? Research which parts  you want and ensure they will work together, then buy all parts cheapest online, then whip it together?

And what brands would you recommend or avoid?

[Ondra]

buy brands you or your colleagues had good experiences in past, or just seach through online forum, be generous when buying coolers/cases, and then put it together. Takes 1-2 hours and anyone can do it.

[davius]

I'd go a little far and say be generous in your PSU. A bad PSU has the potential to fry even the best components you carefully chose. Regarding brands, there's really no mystery - just avoid the obviously cheap chinese generic brands. Even manufacturers considered mainstream (like Gigabyte) make pretty decent hardware that will last long enough. Asus, Corsair, Samsung, SuperMicro, Intel, AMD, Hitachi, XFX, G.Skill, EVGA, all are pretty good brands which provide more than enough of a good support.

That's really easy to buy parts and build a PC, but if you don't have enough confidence/knowledge to do it, you can buy a Dell or Lenovo. You're just paying a little more for the same-ish performance.