Computer Advice...

[Lekti]

Hey there! I'm after some advice on computers.

 

I recently got accepted into unversity to study 3D game design, and Movie special effects.

 

Now i am after a new high spec computer, that can handle 3D editing software such as "3D Studio Max", Maya, Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, etc etc. But i would still like to have the ability to play games like Crysis 2 or Battlefield2 on high settings if i want to.

 

i'm not completely new to the computer world, but this will be my first high end computer. And i'm really looking forward to having a good computer. I am just very unsure if i should buy a pre made one or get a custom computer built for my needs.

 

I have a Price range of 1-2000 pounds, and was looking at getting something like this:

 

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/medion-erazer-x5312-d-desktop-pc-10452253-pdt.html

 

 

Also is there any difference putting two graphics cards in one computer? As with my price budget i want to treat myself and just go all out.^^/

 

Any advice on the subject would be very welcome^^

[Guy]

For that high of a budget I would unreservedly recommend building a computer yourself. A quick 5 minute look suggests you can get the same computer that you linked to for 400 quid less. And you don't end up sticking tri-channel RAM in with a 2600k >.>

 

Two graphics cards basically mean more graphics processing power, so that is good for your needs.

 

Your budget allows you to have a very good setup - I'll stick one together in the morning.

[jasignhagj]

We can help you with builds and such here. It really isn't difficult to do, just grab a book on assembling a computer and search for a couple online tutorials, and you should be able to figure it out.

 

Ask your professor if you need a workstation graphics card or if a normal one will do, and what kind of specs your computer should have before you buy anything though.

 

EDIT: Yes, I face palm every time I see a computer being sold with any multiple of 3gb RAM. (Excluding socket 1366 i7s, but I've never seen retail machines with them anyways)

[Methud]

2600k has hyper threading which will come in extremely useful for ur needs. Its extremely easy to OC this bad boy to 4.8 with this heatsink. U got 16GB of ram there.CL6. Not sure if u will use it all but looks like you might come close. Its I picked the 800d because its a pig case for that e-atx mobo and u might want to go watercooled for the future. you still need monitor and mouse and such but u can pick that on ur own. this came out to like 1400 GBP.

 

 

[Guy]

That's what I've come up with as a general idea. For some reason Ebuyer have taken all of their 6970's and most of their 6950's off their website, so just pretend there are 2 6970's there. They're ~270 quid each, so add another 540ish onto that total in the image. Benchmarks and game plays suggest the dual 6970's are better than a single 6990, and quieter. I normally wouldn't suggest CF at the absolute beginning of a build but in this case its probably best. You can overclock both GFX cards and the CPU cooler here allows for some nice OC'ing on that SB chip.

 

As spork suggested you should find out if you need workstation graphics cards.

[DatBooty]

2600k has hyper threading which will come in extremely useful for ur needs. Its extremely easy to OC this bad boy to 4.8 with this heatsink. U got 16GB of ram there.CL6. Not sure if u will use it all but looks like you might come close. Its I picked the 800d because its a pig case for that e-atx mobo and u might want to go watercooled for the future. you still need monitor and mouse and such but u can pick that on ur own. this came out to like 1400 GBP.

 

 

 

 

 

All that and you suggest a 650W PSU? :ohnoes:.

 

Here's what I recommend: Tony's Build

 

1- You don't need to get two video cards right now. Try the software with a single GPU, and add a second if you need it. Just make sure the second GPU is identical to the first.

 

2- Get as many HDDs as you need. The Spinpoint F3 is benchmarked as the fastest 7200 RPM HDD on the market today.

 

3- Wasn't sure about the case. Don't need something spectacular.

 

4- 16GB of memory is overkill, but it's cheap so I would get it anyway :rolleyes:.

 

5- Make sure to get a 64-bit version of Windows.

[Lekti]

Thanks everyone, looks like i'll be building one myself then :D

 

Also i should not i was not including Monitors in that price, as i'm planning on getting 2/3 large HDTV's to go with it. :P

[Guy]

Thanks everyone, looks like i'll be building one myself then :D

 

Also i should not i was not including Monitors in that price, as i'm planning on getting 2/3 large HDTV's to go with it. :P

I was just including them to demonstrate that the budget allowed them :P

[DatBooty]

Building your own PC is always the best option, and it's not as hard as it looks. Let us know what the end result is :smile:.

[jasignhagj]

Yeah, 2 580's on a 650w psu is really testing your luck, I'd go with a 850w or even a 1000w just to be on the safe side.

 

Just to add to what acdc posted, you don't need the two cards to be identical, just the same model (You can mix an ASUS and an EVGA card, but you can't SLI a 580 with a 570 afaik). They both will run at the clock speed of the slowest one though, so no point buying an overclocked one if your first one is only stock.