CAD machine

[dathai]

Hi,

I had posted here before and got a lot of great advice on building my first rig.

The backstory is I'm an architect looking for a system that will handle CS5 Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat Pro X (often with very large CPU workloads from big Illustrator files), AutoCad, 3dsMax (relativity small render resolutions,all still), SketchUp with the occasional bit of Premier Pro. Windows 7 is only option for OS although I have tried to keep the Hackintosh option open. A wide range of software, I know, but this is the nature of my job.

Going on the advice I've gotten here and elsewhere I'm looking at this build

Intel Core i5-2500k 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-368-IN

Asrock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-054-AK

Corsair Force Series 3 120GB SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-021-CS

Asus GeForce GTX 550Ti 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-265-AS

Corsair Builder Series CX 600W V2 '80 Plus' Power Supply (CMPSU-600CXUKV2)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-048-CS

Antec 300 Three Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-101-AN

Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-094-KS

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev 2 CPU Cooler
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-035-AR

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound (3.5g)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=AC-000-AC

I have my own monitors and HDDs lying around for storage so they are not.

The system will never be used for gaming but I do plan on overclocking the 2500k.

If anybody could offer advice if I've got overkill, leaving aspects out etc, I would really appreciate it?

May not buy it all from overclockersUK but I can do a bit more shopping around once I have a final shopping list.

 

[DanishDevil]

What I would recommend you do differently simply for ease of use is get an SSD smaller than 64GB and utilize Intel SRT to automatically cache your most-used data to your SSD. You'll never have to worry about running out of SSD space, and your most used files will be fastest. Overall performance will be a bit lower because you'll only have half the space on the SSD side of things, but it will be completely automated after you set it up.

Also, the CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ is a great bang/buck cooler that comes with enough of its own TIM to not need to purchase any separately. Looks like they only have the Evo, virtually the same cooler. Arctic Silver 5 is ancient per today's standards, too.

You might want to bump up from a Corsair CX to a TXv2 or HX model. Longer warranty and better reliability if you spend more than the CX series.

Overall, looks like a very solid build for CAD/content creation!

 

[Jetster]

Agree. Switch to the CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO or + if you can find one. (The EVO copper tubing is tighter so better cooling) But both are way better then the AC 7. A TX650 Corsair or HX if you want modular (there are a lot of wires with the TX)

 

[Wrigleyvillain]

Generally, CS5 can benefit from HT as will some of your other production apps and plug-ins surely so you may want to go with a 2600K. Has 2MB more cache too.

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/806048

 

[happy]

I just built a CAD machine, but I think I paid almost half the price you would be paying. I think you are building a gaming pc rather than a CAD pc.

 

[Wrigleyvillain]

I just built a CAD machine, but I think I paid almost half the price you would be paying. I think you are building a gaming pc rather than a CAD pc.

Well share the specs.

 

[DanishDevil]

CAD is similar to a gaming PC, except for a CAD machine, you just want a mid-range nvidia GPU, and more RAM rather than faster RAM. Otherwise, they're fairly similar.

A bump to a 2600K wouldn't be a terrible idea either, but not a priority in my eyes, as it's easily upgradeable later.

 

[Jetster]

You should go with a Cad design video card. Gaming cards are for gaming there faster. Cad design cards are more accurate but slower

 

[happy]

Mobo: Gigabyte P55 USB3
GPU: Sapphire 5670
Memory: Kingston 4GB x2 1600mhz
CPU: i5 750 (Surely slower than the 2500 but will definitely do the job for CAD)
PSU: Corsair CX430w
HDD: 640GB Caviar Blue

 

[DanishDevil]

You should go with a Cad design video card. Gaming cards are for gaming there faster. Cad design cards are more accurate but slower

Workstation cards are incredibly expensive, and since some Adobe programs are now CUDA accelerated, he'll get more bang/buck by going with a midrange nvidia GPU. A mid-low end would probably be fine, too.

 

[Jetster]

Understand

@ Happy. Go to the top of the page and click "User CP" on the lift is where your specs go

 

[n-ster]

I would say to go for a GT 240, a different cooler, and a MUCH MUCH cheaper motherboard. Much smaller SSD. If you want to go with such a motherboard your better off with an i7 3820 (LGA 2011). Maybe a smaller PSU. A 2600K is going to last you long but won't bring you the bang/buck the the 2500K will.

RAM can be cheaper http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-299-CS

CPU Cooler --> http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-041-ZA&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=1395 is better

Thermal paste --> http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=TH-004-AR&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=27 or MX-4

You are going to Overclock though right?

 

[Wrigleyvillain]

Yes he plans to OC.

 

[n-ster]

In that case follow my advice xD

 

[Wrigleyvillain]

Yeah that is a pretty pricey board...not counting the fact I can get a Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H-B3 for $100 with a CPU at Microcenter (granted that deal not open to all and diff markets too but just sayin').

 

[n-ster]

If he wants he can go i7 3820 and get some nice 8x4GB RAM. He'll get a sweet motherboard and awesome computing power (basically better than any Z68 mobo and better than any SB CPU)

 

[dathai]

Thanks guy. I'm in the process of recompiling my shopping list, taking account of your advice.

@Wrigleyvillain unfortunately there are lots of great stores that only ship to the US or Canada. I'm in Ireland and so am pretty limited.

Just wondering, why does everyone seem to agree that a smaller SSD is better?
The programs I use, Adobe CS5, AutoCAD, 3DS Max etc, are all pretty large and I tend to want to switch between them in pretty rapid fire. Would this not be compromised by using smaller SSD and Intel SRT?

As for upping the CPU to a 2600k, it would cost me nearly Euro 110 for what seems to be a pretty small advantage for my uses.

@n-ster I do plan on overclocking the 2500k.

The updated list is:


Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - OEM
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-368-IN

Corsair Force Series 3 120GB SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive (CSSD-F120GB3-BK)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-021-CS

Asus GeForce GTX 550Ti DirectCU 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-265-AS

MSI Z68A-G43-G3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-198-MS

Corsair Builder Series CX 600W V2 '80 Plus' Power Supply (CMPSU-600CXUKV2)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-048-CS

Antec 300 Three Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-101-AN

Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-299-CS

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo CPU Cooler (Socket Intel® Socket LGA1366/1156/1155/775/AMD Socket FM1/AM3+/AM3/AM2+/AM2)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-035-CM

Arctic Cooling MX-4 Thermal Compound (4g)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=TH-003-AR



I am a little concerned about the Cooler Master Hyper 212 fitting both with the RAM and in the case. Does anybody have any experience of using it?

Thanks again

 

[n-ster]

You can always get lower profile RAM (ie the cheap Crucials 1600 cl10) ... I still stand on the 550Ti being too much, and if your paying that much, why not go for the 560 (not Ti). The motherboard still seems very expensive considering that it is pounds. If you want the 120GB SSD go for it.

But the video card definitively needs changing IMO

 

[Shou Miko]

does CAD only use Memory or also the memory on the GFX?

 

[dathai]

@n-ster I think you may be right about the gpu, but i've left it in until I can research a little more the support given by Autodesk and Adobe for GPU and Cuda, dependence on processing cores etc.
Regarding the motherboards, the cheapest I can z68 I can come across with usb3 support are all in and around the £80 mark so I can get it down to about that eg Z68Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 Intel

@puma99dk|that is still kind of a mystery. 3ds max uses gpu for view-ports, Photoshop uses Cuda as of cs5 with predictions of increasing support but I haven't figured out the rest yet. If anyone could shed some light on that part, it would be great.

 

[DanishDevil]

I'm not as familiar with it as it might seem, but all that I was told on here was to ensure that I stuffed the system to the teeth with RAM. The build that I did used workstation cards, though. He opted for much older generation workstation cards over current nVidia consumer cards, but I can't find anybody selling anything similar anymore.

 

[Wrigleyvillain]

You can get a Quadro 2000 for around $400.

 

[n-ster]

You can get a Quadro 2000 for around $400.

I bet in the UK that translates to 350~400 pounds, which is not worth it for him.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-132-MS

has 336 CUDA cores instead of 192 the 550 Ti has and for only 30ish pounds more

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-140-OK

isn't that bad either for 96 pounds

 

[Shou Miko]

I bet in the UK that translates to 350~400 pounds, which is not worth it for him.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-132-MS

has 336 CUDA cores instead of 192 the 550 Ti has and for only 30ish pounds more

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-140-OK

isn't that bad either for 96 pounds

or he can find a used one, or a demo or something at a store to get a cheaper gfx.

 

[dathai]

You can get a Quadro 2000 for around $400.

Having had a pretty good look into the cost-benefits of that level of GPU, that is way out of my price range. The Quadros seem to be just the consumer level bits with different clocking and drivers to slow them down. I guess if you're drilling for oil or whatever, absolute accuracy is worth it. To be honest for my purposes speed is more important than absolute accuracy.

I bet in the UK that translates to 350~400 pounds, which is not worth it for him.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-132-MS

has 336 CUDA cores instead of 192 the 550 Ti has and for only 30ish pounds more

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-140-OK

isn't that bad either for 96 pounds

Pretty much decided on the 460 now. Thanks for the advice.

Anyway, here is what I hope is the final list:

Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - OEM

Corsair Force Series 3 120GB SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive (CSSD-F120GB3-BK)

OcUK GeForce GTX 460 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card

Gigabyte Z68AP-D3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard

Antec 300 Three Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black

Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9)

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo CPU Cooler (Socket Intel® Socket LGA1366/1156/1155/775/AMD Socket FM1/AM3+/AM3/AM2+/AM2)

Arctic Cooling MX-4 Thermal Compound (4g)

I've found a motherboard that's about half the price of the one I was looking at first, but still has the Usb3, firewire, overclocking options I want.

Coming in at Euro825, I'm pretty happy but if anyone spots any place to shave another bit off, I would certainly appreciate it.

A little concerned about the Hyper 212 fitting in the case and with the RAM, but there seems to be a consensus that it fits in the Antec 300 and I can always move/flip the fan if it covers a RAM slot. Cross that bridge when I come to it!

So, what do you guys think?