Need advice on buying a new computer - Student

[Anonymous]

Hello everyone. I am an architecture student looking to buy a new computer in the less than $2000 range. I currently use a 2 year old laptop for modelling and rendering with:

Core duo 2.0Ghz
2gb ram (am using 3gb switch)
256mb nvidia geforce go 7800 series.

Using 3ds max 9- 32bit.


Last semester I started using Revit to model a 12 story midrise building. By the end of the project, my computer was pretty slow in revit but was still manageble. Importing it into 3dmax for rendering ended up being a disaster. Even in wireframe mode the framerate was around 2fps and the complicated areas I just couldnt view because of the lag. Just using a basic material, the scanline and mental ray renderers crashed everytime I took shots over 640 x 480. Memory was always the problem it seemed. I still call myself a noob when it comes to 3d graphics just having 1 years worth of experience but I have a feeling my computer is very outdated with what I am trying to do with it. I could also be just missing alot of shortcuts and knowledge.

Just some general questions:

My final building/scene in Max ended up having a little less than 1million polygons in it. Is this a ridiculously large amount of polygons? or is it a combo of alot of polys with my low end machine.

Looking at new comps, it seems that custom built computers are alot cheaper and I can get alot more computing power for the amount of money I can spend. Are there any problems with custom built computers that I should be aware of before I buy one, or should I stick to a name brand computer.

Things I'm looking to buy in a new computer:
at least 2.66 Ghz quad core.
8gb ram
64bit OS Vista? or XP?
756 mb or more vid card.

Any other recommedations? Brands, series, etc.?

Thanks for reading 🙂

[Anonymous]

Yeah buy the most expensive one on the market and you should be right.......

[own1221]

Yeah buy the most expensive one on the market and you should be right.......

lol

I only have a single core computer and 1gb of ram and am able to model scenes of large scale, i think its the modelling e.g. too many subdivisions and maybe because its a laptop which generally has lesss processing power than pcs. I recommend Dell for decent priced laptops or pcs.

[nils_p]

Go for 64bit XP

8GB could be a bit much but if you can afford it, go for it.
I suggest 4GB first

[Anonymous]

Nils,

What kind of computer stats did you use for those screens in your portfolio? They look pretty nice.

[Anonymous]

Yeah buy the most expensive one on the market and you should be right.......

lol

I only have a single core computer and 1gb of ram and am able to model scenes of large scale, i think its the modelling e.g. too many subdivisions and maybe because its a laptop which generally has lesss processing power than pcs. I recommend Dell for decent priced laptops or pcs.

Do you have any examples of your renders on that machine? Part of my problem is that I am obsessed with modelling the details, and it is kind of hard to get around that fact in this project because that was part of the style, mapping details wouldn't have had the same affect I dont think.

So maybe the question I should be asking: what kind of stats do I need on a computer to easily handle 1 million polys and have a reasonable amount of stability(not crashing) in rendering and modelling? The rendering time is not so crucial of a factor because I can plan in advance for that. What I cant plan for during a project is my machine being inadequate.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

[RyanGalliford]

As Im sure you know, the graphics adapter in laptops are far slower than desktop pcs. This is the biggest reason your refresh rates are slow.

Im an architecture student as well, and have been very happy with my Q6600 8gb and Xp x64, and a Geforce 8500 using Quadro NVS 290 drivers. I started with 4gb ram, but once I started working with larger scenes, had to make the move to 8gb(when rendering final images, 4gb goes fast). Probably one of the biggest performance increases I saw when using 3ds was when I added a second HD in raid 0,1.

I would suggest getting into a medium grade Quadro FX card, or a higher end GeForce, maybe 8800 or higher. While the 8500 has been sufficient, I do wish refresh rates were a little better in large scenes.

Also take into consideration what you are planning to do with the rig. Do you want to freelance vis when you have free time(as if you can ever leave the studio)? You can easily find a small cluster/render farm using ebay for <$400, which will GREATLY improve your render times.

So, my suggestion for a rig would be: Core2Quad, 6+ GB RAM, XP x64, Quadro FX or 8800+, dual SATAII HD's in RAID. When you're moving between Revit and 3ds, you will be very happy with the performance of quad core(bim can become very processor intensive as well as 3ds). My rig cost me ~$500. I already had the case, monitors, keyboard and mouse.

Hope this helps. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. ryangalliford@cox.net

oh yeah, as far as too many polygons in your scene: there are never too many if all of them are necessary.
and build your own pc.

[Anonymous]

Thank you Ryan,

Your post was extremely informative and relevant. And actually I didnt know that the video cards run slower on laptops. I knew that the equivalent stats on a desktop always ran faster but I did not know the reason.

I would like to build my own computer, but unfortunately I dont believe I know enough about the right parts and compatibilities to get a machine working right. $500 for what you quoted is an amazing price though!

Thank you for the reply 🙂

[RyanGalliford]

No problem.

Most laptops are created with a balance of performance and portability in mind, the exceptions are sometimes portable workstations(such as the IBM TxxP series); most laptops are built using mobile graphics cards that use lower voltages, among other techniques, which draw less amperage than their desktop counterparts, and thus longer battery life for the average user. Most are not geared toward productivity suites.

If you like the portability, look into an IBM T61P, or equivalent. It uses the Core 2 series processor, can be upgraded to 4gb ram, and can use a Quadro series graphics card with dedicated video RAM. Dedicated RAM in a laptop makes all the difference in the world. Possibly upgrading your current laptop to 4gb and using an x64 operating system may also give you improved multi-tasking results, as well as more ram to share with the video card, but video performance will still be relatively slow in 3ds.

I understand your uncertaintity in building your own pc, but there is A LOT of information on the internet regarding this.

I dont know why The Area censored my internet provider from the email, but my email should also be in my profile somewhere. Send me an email and I will do what I can to help guide you in the right direction on components.

Have a killer weekend!

[Anonymous]

I work in an IT department and I think you should buy a machine with decent stats then find several older computers and put together a Render Farm. Also a custom built machine is a way to save some money. Send me a message and I can show you some good links and good buys.

[RyanGalliford]

Keep in mind that if you are planning on becoming a licensed practising architect, you probably will never use a render farm. If you want to get into architectural visualisation and animation, however, it would be a good investment to learn how to use it early on.

A lot of firms are picking up BIM software with no previous knowledge of it what-so-ever. Learning Revit will give you the biggest foot in the door you could ever want. While importing into 3ds, and understanding how to setup lighting/camera/renderer, will help you tremendously, dont anticipate that a firm will use 3ds, or want to invest the money. I live in Pensacola, and know of only one firm efficiently using BIM on 90%+/- of their projects. Some of the others have it, but dont want to invest the time to train their staff, even though they know the results, and some are still using ::cough::AutoCAD 2004. I realize Pensacola is not a good example for the tech savviness of the rest of the world.

Also keep in mind the space and electricity consumption render farms need. Unless you plan on building a custom case, such as one animator put a 24 core system in an IKEA filing cabinet, think about how much room a few computers will take(I know because my render farm is in my closet, and my girlfriend hits me every time she opens the door). Then there's making sure there is enough amperage to not start a fire when you are running them all at full load. Not to mention, older computers are really good at converting electricity to heat.

Anyway, I could probably complain about everything anyone writes, it isnt deliberate. I do like the idea of a decent spec system, but dont worry about the farm, spend your time learning Revit. Then.. when you feel you know it like the back of your hand.. they'll release a new one.

Rinse and repeat.

By the way, have you used the "new" Architecture Handbook in a class yet?

[eodeo]

in my oppinion, the best cost effective computer for 3ds max woud be: area.autodesk.com/forum/Autodesk-3ds-Max/installation---hardware---os/rendering-super-computer---help-and-advice-needed/#70544

as a side note- forget vista for serious work for now. get xp x64. good luck.