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Need a new computer system - suggestions?

dbdonovandbdonovan Posts: 3
in New Users

Seems my old Mac is too old to run Daz Studio, so I need an upgrade. I had Apple put together a system for me and it costs more than $4000, before I make that big investment I would like to hear the options which are available on the PC side; any recommendations. System can be laptop or desktop; needs to be able to run Daz Studio, Poser, Maya, the Adobe Master Collection...have maximum ram, a terabyte of storage and a very quick video card. Please advise. Thank you.

Comments

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,758

    Too old how? No Mac system will give GPU rendering with the current Iray version.

  • GordigGordig Posts: 10,047
    edited July 2022

    Maybe the most important question is which rendering engines do you use? If you use Iray and other GPU-accelerated renderers, then Windows PC is definitely the way to go, especially with GPU prices just now plummeting back to reality.

    Post edited by Gordig on
  • TynkereTynkere Posts: 834

    Just a suggestion, but might move topic to commons.  That's where forum members who follow tech seem to post.

    If Windows based, Intel i-9 or AMD Ryzen based mobo?  If iRay, look into the ones marketed "Studio" RTX.  Think that's what used to be marketed as "Quadro."  They have more memory and draw much less power and less stress on system than faster cards meant for gaming.  They're also *very* expensive so cost/benefit would likely come into play.

    Best wishes on it.  Not an easy choice.  I'll be facing the same problem when replace an aging i-7 machine that doesn't support Win-11.  : )

  • PerttiAPerttiA Posts: 10,024

    One terabyte of storage is just an appetizer, start with 4 terabytes in addition to the drive that holds the operating system.

    "Quadro" cards don't necessarily have what it takes, they start at 2GB's of VRAM which is nowhere near enough, minimum amount of VRAM for DS and Iray would be 8GB's

  • GordigGordig Posts: 10,047

    PerttiA said:

    "Quadro" cards don't necessarily have what it takes, they start at 2GB's of VRAM

    And go up to 48GB.

  • HylasHylas Posts: 4,982

    For rendering with IRAY you absolutely should get a PC, not a mac. It's night and day.

  • PerttiAPerttiA Posts: 10,024

    Hylas said:

    For rendering with IRAY you absolutely should get a PC, not a mac. It's night and day.

    Agreed, Iray is nVidia's product and Apple and nVidia are not friends anymore, so no playing together. 

  • Halcon BlueskyHalcon Bluesky Posts: 436

    @3Dimensional, it will depend on your budget.

    A PC with with these configurations may get you started:

    Intel Core i9-12900K 16 Core LGA 1700 Unlocked CPU Processor, is really good, if there are budget constraints, then go for a lower spec processor, by far Intel has a better reputation and quality.

    A Z690 Motherboard, you can decide wich brand you like, ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI and other.

    Same goes for the memory, these boards have the latest type DDDR5, these memory modules are really good, 8GB is a bit small amount, you may opt for 16GB or 32GB and more, the maximum amount in most modern motherboards will be 128GB, which is a dream if I could have that amount of memory in my computer system, (I have 32GB of memory on my PC).

    An internal Hard Drive with good amount of storage, you may opt for an 8 Terabytes Drive, there is no much you can choose, Either Western Digital or Seagate.

    A Video Card is a must, there are several brands to chose from: GIGABYTE, ASUS, MSI and other brands; it depends which model you want starting with RTX 3050 to the the expensive RTX 3090.

    Also, the system needs cooling, a liquid cooling solution from many brands are available, Corsair, Cooler Master, Deep Cool and others.

    On top of this list, you need to buy a Microsoft Windows Operating System, (Windows 11) This one is the 64-bit OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) edition.

    Last, but not least, you need to choose a Computer Case, one of your liking.

    A monitor, only if yours is not adequate, ssame goes for the keyboard and mouse.

    You can browse for these components in computer stores, these people can assemble yours, just look for a good store.

    Now, I do not reccomend you to buy a brand name computer, as most of these brands cannot be upgraded later with after market components, I had one long time ago, the specs were horrible, I am very happy with the system I have, customized to my needs and assembled by a good computer store.

    So its up to you, its not so complicated, but is something you can use everyday, I wish you good luck with your choice.

  • nakamuram002nakamuram002 Posts: 788

    3Dimensional,

    Since you are coming from the Mac world, I will assume that you do not want to get in to the "nuts and bolts" of PC hardware and are looking for a pre-built PC.  This Alienware system looks like a excellent deal today:

    https://deals.dell.com/en-us/productdetail/f482

    It has:

    Ryzen 5800 CPU (not as fast as the equivalent 12th gen Intel CPUs, but less power hungry and heat generating.)

    NVidia RTX3060 12GB GPU

    Liquid CPU Cooling

    1000W Power Supply (good for future GPU upgrades)

    An affordable $$$

  • Halcon BlueskyHalcon Bluesky Posts: 436

    @3Dimensional, head to this site and get some more info:

    https://www.myus.com/blog/best-usa-sites-to-buy-computers-laptops/

    https://www.creativebloq.com/features/best-computers-for-graphic-design

    Hope this helps.

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