Installation & Licensing
Welcome to Autodesk’s Installation and Licensing Forums. Share your knowledge, ask questions, and explore popular Download, Installation, and Licensing topics.
cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

New work computer - Dell

13 REPLIES 13
Reply
Message 1 of 14
Anonymous
108 Views, 13 Replies

New work computer - Dell

Hi,

I was looking for suggestions for a Dell computer that will run MAX 2010 with ease.
Work asked me to buy one and was wonderig what others with more knowledge of Hardware might suggest.

Thanks,

Markus
13 REPLIES 13
Message 2 of 14
DarrenP
in reply to: Anonymous

how much are going you to spend?
laptop or desktop?

DarrenP
Did you find this post helpful? Feel free to Like this post.
Did your question get successfully answered? Then click on the ACCEPT SOLUTION button.

EESignature

Message 3 of 14
duttyfoot
in reply to: Anonymous

you can try these workstations from dell and see what fits your budget

http://www.dell.com/business/workstations#subcats=precndt&navla=55103~0~925610&navidc=Processor&navV...
Message 4 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

My budget is between 4000-7000
I dont want to spend the whole amount unless my boss can see a hugh advantage. I mostly use 3d MAx 2010 - for Architect design. So no intense animation.

Thanks so far for the help.

Markus
Message 5 of 14
DarrenP
in reply to: Anonymous

since your probaly going to be rendering
get dual quad cores
16 gigs of ram or more
look at the precision T7400

DarrenP
Did you find this post helpful? Feel free to Like this post.
Did your question get successfully answered? Then click on the ACCEPT SOLUTION button.

EESignature

Message 6 of 14
DarrenP
in reply to: Anonymous

or the precision 6400 laptop

DarrenP
Did you find this post helpful? Feel free to Like this post.
Did your question get successfully answered? Then click on the ACCEPT SOLUTION button.

EESignature

Message 7 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

So i am looking at the Dell T7400 64bit
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=bwcwlz6&c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&kc=productdetail...

How would you suggest to set this up?
Within my budget 4000-7000 (trying to stay around 5000 i think)

I am also thinking of useing my current computer as a render station, so that will take some of my render load.

Thanks
MArkus
Message 8 of 14
DarrenP
in reply to: Anonymous

64 bit dual processor
16 gigs of ram

DarrenP
Did you find this post helpful? Feel free to Like this post.
Did your question get successfully answered? Then click on the ACCEPT SOLUTION button.

EESignature

Message 9 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

So something like this?


Dell Prec T7400

OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Business Bonus 64 -Windows XP Professional downgrade

PROCESSOR Dual Core Intel® Xeon® Processor L5240 (3.0GHz,6M L2,1333)
2ND PROCESSOR Dual Core Intel® Xeon® Processor L5240 (3.0GHz,6M L2,1333)
VIDEO CARD Dual 512MB PCIe x16 nVidia Quadro FX3700, Quad Monitor DVI Cable
mEMORY 16GB, DDR2 SDRAM FBD MemoMy, 667MHz, ECC (4 DIMMS)

Is this over kill?
Is the T7500 better?

how would you build it?

Thanks
Markus
Message 10 of 14
DarrenP
in reply to: Anonymous

i would get dual quad cores
16 gigs of ram
vista ultimate 64 bit
same video card

DarrenP
Did you find this post helpful? Feel free to Like this post.
Did your question get successfully answered? Then click on the ACCEPT SOLUTION button.

EESignature

Message 11 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

So something like this?


Dell Prec T7400

OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Business Bonus 64 -Windows XP Professional downgrade

PROCESSOR Dual Core Intel® Xeon® Processor L5240 (3.0GHz,6M L2,1333)
2ND PROCESSOR Dual Core Intel® Xeon® Processor L5240 (3.0GHz,6M L2,1333)
VIDEO CARD Dual 512MB PCIe x16 nVidia Quadro FX3700, Quad Monitor DVI Cable
mEMORY 16GB, DDR2 SDRAM FBD MemoMy, 667MHz, ECC (4 DIMMS)

Is this over kill?
Is the T7500 better?

how would you build it?

Thanks
Markus


No such thing as "overkill" when it comes to computing power and 3DS Max! The faster your setup, the more time you spend working, and the less time you spend waiting for the machine, makes your investment worthwhile in the long-run.

Regarding setup, I have to (respectfully) completely disagree with Vista 64bit (as posted above). It is well known that in XP-64bit, your video card will run at a much closer to it's full potential. Vista just bogs down viewport performance in Max. Dell does not offer the "XP downgrade" just for the heck of it. Eodeo (sp?) has many, many posts here on this subject if you do a search of this forum for "video card".

For your card itself, you probably don't have the option on Dell's website to not buy some sort of Quadro/FireGL card, but you are paying a grand (or whatever they are charging for them these days) just for the Quadro name (in my opinion) and some over-hyped drivers. You can buy a 4870 2GB for $240 (or a 1GB 4890 for about the same price) or a 1GB GTX285 for $330 and in the end, your performance will be the same. I would avoid Quadro like the plague, just so you don't waste your money. Others might chime in and tell you that the Quadro is a workstation card, blah, blah, but it is fairly well accepted that the gaming cards run just as well, or better for Max. But, there may be a reason for you to get the Quadro if you are running AutoCad/Inventor/etc (but I doubt it).

Regarding Memory - maybe a slightly faster memory option at 12GB (see i7 below) would be a better choice in the long run!

For processors, this is a tough one. You have a dual-quad core listed, which will give you 8-buckets in MR. But I do wonder how much longer Intel will push the 775 socket processor development (so you are future proofed), versus the newer Intel i7's (socket 1366) that by themselves will give you 8-buckets in MR (no dual processor needed). If you have the $$$ to spend, I would get an i7 Extreme versus dual quad cores. Especially if you can save $$$ by dropping the Quadro.

Either way, best of luck, and have fun with that new machine! Oh yeah, and remember, opinions here are only worth what you paid for them...

; )

Andrew

ETA: It is possible some of the newer Intel Quad-cores hyper-thread per core (similar to the i7) giving you 8-buckets in MR per processor, so the dual-quad setup could give you 16 buckets in mr in max 2010 (didn't 2010 open up unlimited processor cores in MR)? But I am not aware of this specifically, just saying you should double check this, as 16 buckets is always preferable to eight! Just calling out here that their might be updates I am unaware of...
Message 12 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

so maynbe somethnig like this?


dell xps 435

PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ i7-965 processor Extreme Edition(8MB L3 Cache, 3.20GHz)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-Bit
MEMORY 12GB Tri-Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz - 6 DIMMs
VIDEO CARD ATI Radeon HD 4870 GDDR5 1024MB

It wouldnt let me downgrade to xp thou.


thanks,
MArkus
Message 13 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

so maynbe somethnig like this?


dell xps 435

PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ i7-965 processor Extreme Edition(8MB L3 Cache, 3.20GHz)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-Bit
MEMORY 12GB Tri-Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz - 6 DIMMs
VIDEO CARD ATI Radeon HD 4870 GDDR5 1024MB

It wouldnt let me downgrade to xp thou.


thanks,
MArkus



That would rock (except Vista)! If you have to order from Dell, you could always order the above, then order XP64bit from NewEgg and install the XP64 OS on your brand new computer (and eat the small cost of Vista), then load all your programs (I am making the assumption you are not ordering software from Dell here, of course). Alternatively, you could live with Vista until you felt comfortable with Windows 7, and upgrade your OS then - just a bigger pain after the fact.

Your processor would be screaming if you overclocked to 4.0!

Andrew

ETA: Not that it is not already the most powerful processor on the market, and is screaming fast already!
Message 14 of 14
nicole.jones
in reply to: Anonymous

I've been very happy with my Dell that I bought a year ago with some similiar specs. I would advise against buying the cheap default monitor. My 22" Dell monitor has been a big disappointment. I was trying to save a few dollars and regretted it ever since.

Can't find what you're looking for? Ask the community or share your knowledge.

Post to forums  

Administrator Productivity


Autodesk Design & Make Report