High end machines

solo · 20 Apr 2009, 18:11

Guys, I have been looking online for a price and specs of a high end rig that can handle everything 3D I can throw at it.

I do not have the cash for one but I need to know what sort of price such a monster would cost and what I'd get for the price.
One needs to set a goal before undertaking to achieve it.

Anyway I was looking at the i7 extreme, I understand it's only a quad but has real multithreading which performs better that current 8 core machines, the down and upside is the DDR3 memory, which is fast as hell but also pricey.

Here is the specs of a machine that got high praise on the XSI forums.

Processor Intel Core i7 Extreme 965(3.2GHz)
Memory 12GB DDR3 1333
Hard Drive 2 x 1TB SATAII
Optical Drive 1 Blu-Ray High Definition DVDRW Combo Drive
Optical Drive 2 22X DL DVD+/-RW Drive
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 1792MB Video Card
Audio Realtek High Definition Audio, 8-channel audio
Ethernet Gigabit LAN
Power Supply 800W
Operating System Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit
Special Features Coolermaster HAF Gaming Tower+ Red Lighting
Motherboard
Chipset Intel X58
CPU
CPU Type Core i7 Extreme
Installed Qty 1
CPU Speed 965(3.20GHz)
L2 Cache Per CPU 4 x 256KB
L3 Cache Per CPU 8MB
CPU Socket Type LGA 1366
Graphics
GPU/VPU Type NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295
Graphics Interface PCI Express x16
Memory
Memory Capacity 12GB DDR3
Memory Speed DDR3 1333
Memory Spec 2GB x 6
Memory Slots (Available/Total) 0/6
Maximum Memory Supported 24GB
Hard Drive
HDD Capacity 2TB
HDD Interface SATA II
HDD Spec 2 x 1TB
Optical Drive
Optical Drive Type BD Combo
Optical Drive Spec Blu-Ray High Definition DVDRW Combo Drive
Optical Drive 2
Optical Drive 2 Type DVD±RW
Optical Drive 2 Spec 22X DL DVD+/-RW Drive
Audio
Audio Chipset Integrated
Audio Channels 8 channels
Communications
LAN Chipset Integrated
LAN Speed 10/100/1000Mbps
Front Panel Ports
Front USB 4
Front IEEE 1394 1 x IEEE 1394 (based on motherboard availability)
Front eSATA 1 x e-SATA (based on motherboard availability)
Front Audio Ports 2
Card Reader 12-in-1 Media Card Reader/Writer
Back Panel Ports
PS/2 2
Rear USB 6
Rear IEEE 1394 1
eSATA 1
RJ45 1 port
Rear Audio Ports 6 ports
S/P DIF 2 x S/PDIF Out ( 1xCoaxial & 1xOptical)
Expansion
External Bays 6 x external 5.25" drive bays
1 x external 3.5" drive bay
Internal Bays 5 x internal 3.5" drive bays
PCI Slots (Available/Total) 3 x PCI-Express x16
1 x PCI-Express x1
2 x PCI
Physical Spec
Dimensions 22.7" x 21.5" x 9.0"
Weight 54 lbs.

BUT!!! it costs $3000.00

Frederik · 20 Apr 2009, 18:29

@solo said:

BUT!!! it costs $3000.00

Sounds like a good bargain...
Remember the USD/EUR rate is quite favourable at the moment...
Such a rig would be at least twice the price a couple of years ago only...

solo · 20 Apr 2009, 18:38

looking for smiley with moth flying from wallet *

Stinkie · 20 Apr 2009, 19:35

3000? My Mac Pro - which according to you is slower - cost me (well, not me - phew!) more than that. Hmm, computers are cheaper on your side of the Atlantic?

Interesting.

Edit: I kinda forgot we got pretty high VAT over here. 21 %!

remus · 20 Apr 2009, 20:05

Personally i wouldnt bother with the i7 extreme. Youll save a wad of cash buying the 'slower' version (the 925 i think) and overclocking it. From what ive heard getting it to 3.4Ghz is very easy, no special cooling needed

I'd also swap one of the hard drives for an SSD. your boot times will be much faster as will the startup times for big apps (that you install on the SSD.) If you need more space you can always buy an external drive.

edit: didnt spot it in your original post, but i see the motherboard has an esata port, so you could plug in an external hard drive with very little performance penalty

Other than that you potentially have a very nice setup there lust

jeff hammond · 20 Apr 2009, 20:12

@unknownuser said:

Edit: I kinda forgot we got pretty high VAT over here. 21 %!

over here, we don't even pay sales tax if we order from a company in a different state.. unfortunately for me, most of the good stuff is in my city so i'm stuck with paying the 9%... i order computers from california though so i at least get them tax free..
(apple will charge sales tax if you buy directly from them no matter where you're at.. i buy through an authorized reseller)

notareal · 20 Apr 2009, 20:37

Why not to start building from something like this:


Quantity Product Name  	         Each    Total  	
2	    Intel Xeon Quad-Core E5520 $368.00 $736.00	
1	    Asus Z8NA-D6C Dual LGA1366 $249.99 $249.99	
1	    STT DDR3-1333 6GB (3x 2GB) $79.99  $79.99	
	
                                           Sub Total
                                           $1,065.98
+ tax

16 cores with hyper threading....

solo · 20 Apr 2009, 20:44

@unknownuser said:

16 cores with hyper threading....

How you figure that?

Only the i7's have true hyperthreading that creates virtual cores.

notareal · 20 Apr 2009, 20:56

Go figure http://ark.intel.com/cpu.aspx?groupId=40200
Intel states that it has hyper threading... but perhaps it different. Never seen one of these new zeons in real... yet.

edit:
"Technical compute platforms based on the Intel Xeon processor 5500 series support up to 16 simultaneous threads"
http://download.intel.com/products/processor/xeon/dc55kprodbrief.pdf
They do not advertise it like they have done with i7, but for my understanding it's the same.

edit2: looks like 5500 series only support 1066, 800 DDR3 memory. But That not a huge trade off. One have to look on X5550 if he likes to use 1333 DDR3.

jeff hammond · 20 Apr 2009, 21:05

i'm curious about the new Nehalem processors..

8MB of fully shared L3 cache per processor, which boosts performance by keeping data and instructions in a fast-access cache that is available to all four processor cores.
An integrated memory controller, which allows faster access to data stored in memory by significantly increasing memory bandwidth and reducing memory latency by up to 40%.
Turbo Boost, a dynamic performance technology that automatically speeds up the cores in use when other cores aren’t needed.
Hyper-Threading technology allows two threads to run simultaneously on each processor core, providing eight virtual cores for increased performance.

price wise though, the towers are $3300 for the base configuration (2.26 GHz 8core... add $2600 for 2.93GHz)
[edit] as a quad core 2.66, the prices start at $2500

i know you're not looking at macs pete but i'm just wondering if these processors are similar to the ones you're talking about in the i7.

[EDIT.. ah, nevermind.. they're the same thing:]
The 'Nehalem' architecture behind the Intel Xeon 3500 and 5500 series processors used by the Mac Pro is the same as the chip-maker's Core i7 chips for single processor PC workstations and gaming rigs. This redesigns the system architecture, replacing the front-side bus with the much faster QPI (Quick Path Interconnect), and creating a three-channel pathway between each processor and the RAM that will see the norm being RAM modules used in threes rather than two.
via

solo · 20 Apr 2009, 21:36

Found a better deal:

CAS: Thermaltake Spedo Full Tower 420W Case w/ Side-panel Window
CS_FAN: Default case fans
POWERSUPPLY: 800 Watts Power Supplies (CyberPowerPC XF800S Performance ATX 2.0 Power - Quad SLI Ready)
CPU: Intel� Core� i7-940 2.93 GHz 8M L3 Cache LGA1366
FAN: Asetek Liquid CPU Cooling System (Extreme Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA)
MOTHERBOARD: (3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio
MEMORY: 12GB (2GBx6) PC1333 DDR3 PC3 10666 Triple Channel Memory [+150] (Corsair Dominator
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX280 1GB 16X PCI Express [+124] (EVGA Powered by NVIDIA
MULTIVIEW: Non-SLI/CrossFireX Mode Supports Multiple Monitors
HDD: Single Hard Drive (1TB (1TBx1) SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)
CD: Lite-On DH-401S 4X Blu-Ray Player
CD2: (Special Price) LG 22X DVD�R/�RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (Black Color)
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
KEYBOARD: Logitech Deluxe 250 USB Keyboard (Black Color)
MOUSE: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT

$2017.00

remus · 20 Apr 2009, 21:52

Thats an absolute bargain

notareal · 20 Apr 2009, 22:30

Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price
1

LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30

LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30 - OEM 
Item #: N82E16827136152
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy




$24.99

1

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive - OEM 
Item #: N82E16822152102
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy




$79.99

1

ASUS ENGTX275/HTDI/896MD3 GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

ASUS ENGTX275/HTDI/896MD3 GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail 
Item #: N82E16814121313
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

-$49.99 Saving



$259.99
$210.00

1

Nvidia Gift Call of duty - World at war

Nvidia Gift Call of duty - World at war - OEM 
Item #: N82E16800999088
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy




$49.99

1

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail 
Item #: N82E16829102006
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy




$94.99

1

Antec Signature SG650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Antec Signature SG650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail 
Item #: N82E16817371017
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy

-$20.00 Instant



$199.99
$179.99

1

Logitech Deluxe 250 Black USB Standard Keyboard

Logitech Deluxe 250 Black USB Standard Keyboard - OEM 
Item #: N82E16823126013
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy




$8.99

1

Logitech RX1500 Black 3 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser Mouse

Logitech RX1500 Black 3 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser Mouse - OEM 
Item #: N82E16826104242
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$12.00 Instant



$39.99
$27.99

1

Crucial 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT3KIT25664BA1067

Crucial 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT3KIT25664BA1067 - Retail 
Item #: N82E16820148246
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

-$10.00 Instant



$83.99
$73.99

1

LITE-ON Black Blu-ray Drive - Bulk with Software SATA Model DH-4O1S-61

LITE-ON Black Blu-ray Drive - Bulk with Software SATA Model DH-4O1S-61 - OEM 
Item #: N82E16827106294
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy




$89.99

2

Intel Xeon E5520 Nehalem 2.26GHz LGA 1366 80W Quad-Core Server Processor Model BX80602E5520

Intel Xeon E5520 Nehalem 2.26GHz LGA 1366 80W Quad-Core Server Processor Model BX80602E5520 - Retail 
Item #: N82E16819117185
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy




$759.98
($379.99 each)

1

ASUS Z8NA-D6C Dual LGA 1366 Intel 5500 ATX Server Motherboard
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

*

      ASUS Z8NA-D6C Dual LGA 1366 Intel 5500 ATX Server Motherboard - Retail 
      Item #: N82E16813131378
      Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

*

      Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail 
      Item #: N82E16811129021
      Return Policy: Manufacturer Warranty

-$30.00 Instant

-$50.00 Combo

$409.98
$329.98

Subtotal: $1,930.87

(newegg)

solo · 20 Apr 2009, 22:49

For $100 more you can double the ram and almost double the speed, the i7 overclocks like a sonofabitch...they say.

solo · 20 Apr 2009, 22:54

I have decided...

Once my ship comes in....unfortunately it has to pass Somalia to get here.

I'm going for the i7, definately, even the new Mac pro will have i7's in them, and I will go for at least 12 GB DDR3 ram, maybe even more.
I will not bother with a Quadro card as the difference in performance between it and the new gtx's is not even noticable in 3D apps to justify the difference in price.

Okay now I need a few quick paying projects to afford it.

Pixero · 21 Apr 2009, 05:44

Have you thought of building your PC yourself?
That way you usually get a lower price and can choose exactly the parts you want.
I've built two PCs and its really not that difficult.
I googled the different motherboards to see peoples reviews of them before deciding.
The only reason for buying a off the shelf PC would be if it comes with on site next day support.
IMHO.

honoluludesktop · 21 Apr 2009, 07:11

As long as financial consideration is a factor, I too opt for 80-90 max. at a savings of 50%, then upgrade twice as often. I don't know about graphic processors, but it takes 4 times as much CPU power to go twice as fast. The difference between 3 and 3.4 ghz is about 10%, and may not be noticeable.

I work with virtual servers, and because the way drive request are made, the rule of thumb is to add a drive to separate the app, and OS from the data. Anyone know if this might apply to SU, and its data?

notareal · 21 Apr 2009, 07:14

@pixero said:

The only reason for buying a off the shelf PC would be if it comes with on site next day support.
IMHO.

Agree 100%

notareal · 21 Apr 2009, 07:30

@solo said:

I'm going for the i7, definately, even the new Mac pro will have i7's in them, and I will go for at least 12 GB DDR3 ram, maybe even more.
I will not bother with a Quadro card as the difference in performance between it and the new gtx's is not even noticable in 3D apps to justify the difference in price.

Okay now I need a few quick paying projects to afford it.

I was in a impression that new mac pro has Quad-Core Intel Xeon “Nehalem” ... same as I suggested ealier... 2 x E5520 I can understand going in a single i7 with high clock, if you run mainly programs that do not support multi threading, like SU. Quadro is a good option if you really need excellent driver support - I have hear that in some problem cases they even have compiled a custom driver to solve a time critical problem - but usually not worth of the premium prize. GTX 275 sounds fairly impressive card. More memory is good, 12 GB sounds reasonable - just keep in mind that when running 32bit app in a 64bit win, they have only marginally more ram in use, if comparing to 32bit win.

brodie · 21 Apr 2009, 17:09

If you hit the local lotto take a look at Benchwell.com (Maxwell Renders benchmarking website). Top on the list is a guy with 4 Intel Xeon X7350's (16 threads total) & 32 GB of RAM. Not a bad way to spend $20,000-$25,000 if you've got it.

You'll also find a lot of i7's towards the top of that list as well, though. Might give you an idea where your computer would rank in renderland.

-Brodie