Selection method

Often the basic requirements for a PC are known initially - what capabilities a PC should provide, and, of course, the number of banknotes allocated to this computer. Recently, this is also the level of noise, it should be at an acceptably low level.
Thus, first we choose a certain configuration for this money, we look at what happened, what can be improved, what can be painlessly cut. It is also useful to draw up several configurations for the same money - this will help you determine what is still more important to you in your future assembly.
Let me remind you that any computer consists of a monitor, system unit, keyboard and mouse. I will not consider the choice of the keyboard and mouse, because these are too specific, personal items, the best method of choosing them is to “feel it live”. An inexpensive manipulator is often a better choice than a cool and sophisticated one.

System unit or monitor, or a little about the main components

Window to a parallel world

As I said above, it doesn't matter where to start configuring - so why not start with the monitor? I often start with him and choose. Because this is a window into the world, a device, the quality and size of which most often depends on your enjoyment of the game / film / work efficiency (emphasize the necessary).
There are many monitors available, but I would like to highlight just a few models that deserve attention. In my opinion, these are:

1. relatively affordable monitors on S-IPS matrices:
   • Dell 2209WA
   • NEC EA231WMi
   • Philips 240PW9ES
   • HP LP2475w
   • Dell U2410
2. tVs 32 ”FullHD on S-IPS matrices:
   • LG 32LF2510
   • LG 32LH3000
3. 23-27 ”monitors on TN matrices (there are too many of them to list, in my opinion, the main thing when choosing them is to have a digital input and the necessary adjustments).
4. Samsung F2380 on PVA for working with texts, it is not suitable for anything else, because it is slow.

Rocket under the table

Let's go back to the system unit. The minimum package includes a processor + cooler + motherboard (so-called. platform), RAM, HDD (SSD), video card, optical drive, case with power supply.

• Recently, choosing a platform has become a simple task: if there is no $ 330 for a processor + motherboard, then AMD is taken, otherwise Intel. Those. the minimum Intel processor I can recommend is the Core i5-750.
• From the AMD camp, Athlon x3 435 is now the most attractive - all four such processors I bought had a non-defective Deneb core, which means that we could easily unlock one more core and 6 MB of L3 cache. It is advisable to take the mother now on AM3 with DDR3 memory.
• RAM of both DDR2 and DDR3 standards now costs about the same (~ $ 50 for a 2 GB module). I always use standard, non-overclocker memory. For overclocking is needed only for extreme overclocking, and since you are reading this topic, you hardly need it;)
• As for the data storage subsystem - if the computer is not budgetary, I recommend taking 2 disks (or SSD + HDD) - one for the system, the other for data storage. I prefer WD, Hitachi, sometimes I use Samsung.
• Since the platters of 7200 rpm hard drives have now reached 500 GB, it is advisable to take a 500 GB screw for the system. For data - this is how much you personally need - you can take the Green version (5400 rpm)
• I personally take a regular DVD-RW from LG for 25 bucks - they last a long time and record high quality.
• Video card - either it is here, or not there :) For games it is recommended to take at least Ati 4670 / GeForce 9600GT for 19 "monitor, 4770 / GTS250 for 20-22", and GTX260 / 5770 - for FullHD. To work (with graphics), in general, the built-in is enough, but here you need to look at the specific software - whether it can load the video card and with which API. For multi-monitor modes, simple video cards with two dvi are most often taken.
• The case and the power supply unit are selected according to the number of peripheral devices / the system's power consumption / the length of video cards ...

Selection examples

Now let's explain the general reasoning with examples.

Example 1. Computer for programming

So - TK:
You need a computer for programming. Eclipse development environment. Java development language. It is quite possible to use servers like Apache Tomcat, etc. The budget is $ 1000.
The challenge is clear. Where should the money be distributed?

Option 1. We start with monitors. It will be convenient for a programmer to take 2 displays, isn't it?;) Let's say a programmer is spoiled by good quality displays, so we take two Dell 2209WA. Total $ 700.

$ 300 remains on the system unit. Not much.
We take your favorite spreadsheet and the price list of the nearest stall of a sane store. We estimate.

1. We choose a 3-core processor with the ability to unlock the cores - AMD Athlon II X3 425 BOX - 80$
2. Cooler - boxed - 0$
3. We'll choose an inexpensive motherboard, on socket AM3, with the ability to unlock (south bridges SB710 and SB750) with DDR3 support - for the future, as well as with integrated video - for real 2 monitors, it's a pity that one will have to be connected via VGA. Let it be, for example, MSI 760GM-E51 - 70$
4. For now, let's take one 2 Gb DDR3 Hynix 1333 MHz memory stick - 50$
5. Hard drive one, on one platter and 7200 rpm - Samsung HD502HJ - 55$
6. LG DVD-RW - 25$
7. Case and PSU - since we have built-in video, it is quite possible to get by with 400 watts. ASUS TA8xx series 400W - 45$

Total - 325 bucks.
The selection stage is over, now the evaluation stage is underway.

As always, we got out of the budget :) Yes, and 2 GB is not enough for today. You always have to make compromises;) Well, it's not scary, you can look for something cheaper, you can cut the percentage ... For example, install a dual-core Athlon 240. Although 4 potential cores and also an L3 cache are IMHO overpayment.

Option 2. Let's start with a sistemnik ... So, I want a normal sistemnik that won't slow down. We take 2 screws, a good processor, enough RAM ... Let's see what happens.

1. CPU - Intel Core i5-750 BX80605I5750 - 220$
2. cooler - box - 0$
3. MB - Gigabyte GA-P55-UD3 - 130$
4. RAM - 4 Gb DDR3 Hynix 1333 - 100$
5. HDD - Samsung HD502HJ 55$
6. HDD2 - WD WD10EADS 95$
7. Video card - ATI HD4350 40$
8. DVD-RW LG - 25$
9. Case ASUS TA8xx Series 400W 45$

We got 710 dollars - in principle, enough for one more Dell 2209WA, or if you are a fan of a larger diagonal to the detriment of quality, you can even take 27 ”for TN - LG W2753V.

The evaluation phase is over. Now the reevaluation and recursion stage.
After drawing up several such configurations, we take the one that is closer to our liking :) - and we are already starting to work with it - we will cut something down, add something, replace something. I think any literate person, searching with the help google.com by the name of the device, you can find information on specific pieces of iron, their tests and reviews on them. So the choice in revaluation is left to the readers.

Example 2. Computer for animator

Let's say you need a computer for an animation artist, he loves to use Maya, together with 3D Studio MAX, there is $ 2800, which you want to spend with the maximum sense. There is a lot of money, so the example is unfortunate :)
A good quality display is needed here.
I think a 30 "display on S-IPS of any brand will do - that's minus $ 1500.
Of course, you can use two 24-inch ones - $ 1200-1500. Whom it is more convenient.
For the remaining $ 1200, a Core i7 with a good cooler is taken - the processor will often be 100% loaded ...

• CPU - Intel Core i7-920 BX80601920 - 320$
• cooler - Noctua NH-U12P - 55$
• MB - MSI X58 Platinum - 250$
• RAM - 12Gb DDR3 Hynix 1333 - 300$
• HDD - 3хSamsung HD502HJ - 165$
• video card - Palit GeForce 9600GT 512 MB - 90$
• DVD - LG DVD-RW - 25$
• Case - Cooler Master Elite 33x 460W Series - 75$

Total $ 1280
Further - assessment and revision by the client.

I will not write configurations for games - there are already a lot of them :) I will say that they mainly need a powerful video card, 4 GB of memory, and also, recently, a 3-4 core processor.

When choosing, you can use the price lists of your favorite offices, or the largest sites - in them you can immediately assemble the config virtually, based on the compatibility of the components.

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Graphics programs always require highly productive hardware, and when choosing a computer for working in 3ds max, it is important to understand which of the components are the most important, and where you can reasonably save. It is clear that the more powerful the better, but we do not live in an ideal world and each visualizer has its own budget for buying a computer.

First, let's take a look at the official 3ds max system requirements for the current version (3ds max 2018) on the Autodesk website. It should be noted that the requirements are very modest:

• Processor - 64-bit CPU from Intel or AMD
• Discrete graphics card (from GTX 550 or Radeon 6670 and better)
• From 4 Gb RAM (8 Gb recommended)
• At least 6 Gb of free disk space
• Three-button mouse

An experienced 3ds Max user will only laugh at such a configuration, it is so far from reality. However, the system requirements of 3ds Max speak only of the minimum configuration that allows you to actually run 3D max, and not comfortable work with complex scenes.

When choosing a computer for 3ds max, you need to understand that 2 processes have the highest system requirements: a) work in 3ds max b) rendering. Accordingly, the task is to buy a computer that will allow you to work comfortably and quickly in max and not wait days for the render. However, working in 3d applications and rendering itself use computer resources in different ways and sometimes there is a contradiction in this.

There are 2 types of rendering in 3ds Max: 1) based on CPU (Scanline, V-ray, Corona) 2) based on GPU (Redshift, Octane Render). Let's go in order:

1. Computer for work and rendering in 3ds Max and Vray, Corona

In this case, the main focus should be on a high-performance processor. only its resources are used for rendering, a video card is needed only for normal work a high-quality monitor, which the visualizer cannot do without and support for the viewport.

When choosing a processor, the number of cores and threads is more important than the number of GHz, however, the more threads there are, the more GHz the system will have in total, for that matter.

Speaking in the realities of January 2018, the CPU i7 7700k with 4 cores and 8 threads has already become the standard. Of course, the i9 generation looks more “tasty”: for example, the i9 7900x already has 10 cores and 20 threads, but the price goes off scale - from 65,000 rubles for the i9 and 23,000 rubles for the i7.

As for the video card, a GTX 1060 or 1070 is enough for the application to work correctly. More expensive and powerful video cards will not give any speed gain and will be a waste of money in the context of rendering in 3ds max.

2. Computer for work and rendering in 3ds Max and Redshift, Octane

If you work with a GPU renderer, for example Redshift or OctaneRender, then the situation is almost completely reversed - we need a mid-range processor and the most powerful video card, or even several. The fact is that GPU renderers use the resources of the video card to the maximum, and the processor simply acts as a transfer link when loading geometry and other things onto the video card.

Here you can limit yourself to an entry-level i7 processor or even take a modern i5, but take a video card with a GTX 1070, GTX 1080 or even a GTX 1080Ti. Now the most popular and efficient bundle is 2 GTX 1070 cards. With an investment of only 70,000 rubles (35k per card), you get a productive system that can even be installed in a standard case.

3. General points of computer configuration for CPU and GPU rendering

Regardless of which render you use, the rest of the components are almost the same:
RAM - with memory as in the saying “you can't spoil porridge with butter”. The minimum amount of memory for graphics programs is now considered to be 16 Gb, the comfort level is 32Gb, and for scenes with a large number of polygons it is better to purchase 64Gb. With memory, it's easier - you can buy the minimum amount, and then just deliver the strips as needed and possible.

Power Supply - it is better to take with a margin. It has already become the 700W standard, if you have a pair of video cards, it is better to take a 1000W or even 1200W unit. In the end, security is more expensive and you can leave your computer to render when you go to the store with peace of mind and not be afraid that the render will fall or even, God forbid, the apartment will burn down.

SSD and HDD - it is important to get a good SSD with a good capacity and 1 or 2 hard drives. We install the operating system on the SSD, all software including 3ds max, and it is on it that we save the current scene and render results. The rest, slower disks are for storing assets, models and other archival files. We select SSDs with a reasonable size and good read and write performance. Compared to HDDs in medium to heavy scenes, using an SSD gives you up to 50% faster render speeds!

Motherboard - you need not to miss and take a top mother with a fast bus and support for a large amount of memory, the required processor socket. The motherboard is the last thing to save on, it is better to overpay and take it for the future with the possibility of upgrading your computer.

We've updated our builds to use Intel's next generation Skylake and Broadwell-EP processors. Each of the computers has DDR4 memory, which also accelerated the work. The assemblies have great potential and are designed for long-term use with the possibility of future updates. These configurations are ideal for working with graphics, each of them has modern nVidia cards that perform well when working with professional software, for example, from Adobe, which actively uses CUDA cores.

When compiling these assemblies, we tried to achieve the highest possible level of performance, not losing sight of the stability and prospects for PC updates in the future. Also, in addition to the main assemblies, we have compiled a list of similar components. This is so that those who have problems with the acquisition can find a replacement. Keep in mind that the assembly may vary depending on your wishes and characteristics of work. Some components, such as hard drives, are highly individual and only the user can determine the required volume. We have used average values \u200b\u200bthat may be relevant to most users.

1. VideoSmile ™ Elementary

VideoSmile ™ Elementary - basic configuration for working with graphics. It allows you to comfortably work with simple projects and is ideal for beginners, as well as for those who are looking for a stable tool for work, but have a limited budget. We chose an entry-level processor - Intel Core i3, a motherboard based on the B150 chipset, a fairly simple but quiet DEEPCOOL cooler that perfectly copes with its task of cooling an energy-efficient processor with low heat emission, the GTX 950 graphics card has high performance among cards in its class, and also has increased memory capacity compared to its predecessor - GTX 750. 2 standard DDR4 modules made by CRUCIAL act as RAM, despite the fact that the choice of case is a personal matter, we recommend using cases from Zalman, for their price they offer excellent functionality, build quality and compact size due to the use of mATX boards. A good 400 watt PSU will provide consistent power for this configuration.

Processor: INTEL Core i3 6100 - 7900 ₽
Cooling: DEEPCOOL Theta 21 - 400 ₽
Video card: MSI GeForce GTX 950 - 10720 ₽
RAM: Two CRUCIAL CT4G4DFS8213 DDR4 modules - 4 GB - 2800 ₽

Power supply: HIPRO HPE400W - 1600 ₽

Total: 33000 ₽

Possible analogues:
ASUS B150M-K - 4900 ₽

Video cards: GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 950 - 10 600 ₽
ASUS GeForce GTX 950 - 10900 ₽
RAM: HYNIX HMA451U6MFR8N-TFN0 DDR4 - 4 GB - two modules - 2600 ₽
SAMSUNG M378A5143EB1-CPBD0 DDR4 - 4 GB - two modules - 3000 ₽

Power supply: FSP ATX-400PNR - 1600 ₽

2. VideoSmile ™ Basic

VideoSmile ™ Basic is a basic computer, with its help you can take on more complex projects and work comfortably in almost any professional program. It has a 4-core Intel Core i5 processor, a surprisingly powerful GTX 1060 that has the performance of a GTX 980, 16 gigabytes of RAM, an SSD drive, the familiar case and a 500-watt Hipro power supply.

Processor: INTEL Core i5 6400 - 12600 ₽
Motherboard: MSI B150M PRO-VD - 4400 ₽
DEEPCOOL Theta 21 - 400 ₽
Video card: GIGABYTE GeForce GTX1060 WINDFORCE OC 6G - 21200 ₽
RAM: Two KINGSTON Valueram KVR21N15S8 / 8 DDR4 modules - 8 GB - 5300 ₽
Hard drive: SEAGATE Desktop ST1000DM003 - 3300 ₽
SSD drive: SILICON POWER S60 SP120GBSS3S60S25 120 GB - 3000 ₽
Case: ZALMAN ZM-T3 - 1900 ₽
Power supply: HIPRO HPA-500W - 2400 ₽

Total: 54900 ₽

Possible analogues:
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-B150M-D2V - 4400 ₽
ASUS B150M-K - 4900 ₽
Cooling: DEEPCOOL THETA 20 - 400 ₽
DEEPCOOL THETA 15 PWM - 500 ₽
GLACIATECH IceHut 1150 Silent - 500 ₽
Video cards: PALIT PA-GTX1060 JETSTREAM 6G -21200 ₽
MSI GTX 1060 ARMOR 6G OC - 22800 ₽
GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1060 - 23,200 ₽
RAM: two CRUCIAL CT8G4DFD8213 DDR4 modules - 8 GB - 5300 ₽
Hard Drive: WD Caviar Blue 1000 GB - 3300 ₽
SSD drive: SILICON POWER Velox V60 120 GB - 3000 ₽
KINGSTON SV300S37A / 120G 120 GB - 3100 ₽
Case: ZALMAN ZM -T1 - 1900 ₽
ZALMAN ZM-T2 \\ ZM-T2 PLUS \\ ZM - T4 - 1900 ₽
Power supply: FSP ATX-500PNR-I - 2300 ₽

3. VideoSmile ™ Advanced

VideoSmile ™ Advanced is a perfectly balanced configuration designed for complex projects, ideal for 4K work and can be used with multiple high-definition monitors. The Intel Xeon E3 server processor has a performance similar to the Intel Core i7, but in this generation of processors it requires a special motherboard, but the use of such a bundle has saved an impressive amount that went to other components. The gtx 1070 graphics card packs a lot of memory and delivers extremely high levels of performance. 32 GB of RAM is enough for almost all tasks, we chose the Zalman Z3 Plus as the case, it has excellent build quality and copes well with cooling, and is also easy to assemble. The Thermaltake 80 PLUS block is responsible for power supply.

Processor: Intel Xeon E3 1220v5 - 15500 ₽
Motherboard: ASRock E3V5 WS - 7900 ₽
Cooling: ZALMAN ZM-F3 - 400 ₽
DEEPCOOL Theta 21 - 400 ₽
Video card: GIGABYTE GeForce GTX1070 GV-N1070WF2OC-8GD, 8 GB - 32600 ₽
RAM: a set of 4 CRUCIAL Ballistix Sport DDR4 modules - 8 GB - 10 230 ₽
Hard drive: SEAGATE Desktop ST1000DM003 1000 GB - 3300 ₽
SSD drive: KINGSTON UV400 240 GB - 4600 ₽
Case: ZALMAN Z3 Plus - 3200 ₽
Power Supply: THERMALTAKE TR2 S TRS-550AH2NK - 3200 ₽

Total: 81700 ₽

Possible analogues:
Processor: INTEL Core i7 6700 - 22 900 ₽
Motherboard: MSI H170M PRO-VDH - 6000 ₽ (in the case of Intel Core i7)
Cooling: DEEPCOOL THETA 20 - 400 ₽
DEEPCOOL THETA 15 PWM - 500 ₽
GLACIATECH IceHut 1150 Silent - 500 ₽
Video cards: PALIT GeForce GTX1070 JETSTREAM 8G - 30500 ₽
RAM: four KINGSTON Valueram KVR21N15S8 / 8 DDR4 modules - 8 GB - 10 600 ₽
Hard Drive: WD Caviar Blue 1000 GB - 3300 ₽

ZALMAN Z9 Plus - 4000 ₽

4. VideoSmile ™ Pro

VideoSmile ™ Pro is a professional workstation capable of tackling the toughest tasks. The six-core Intel Core i7 processor on a modern 2011v3 flagship socket with 15MB L3 cache delivers extremely high performance and Hyper-Threading technology, which gives the processor 12 threads. It is cooled by a massive cooler from Deepcool, and the graphics card is one of the highest performing cards at the moment - GTX 1080. The motherboard from MSI has great amount different connection interfaces and is stable in operation, 8 slots for RAM are occupied by accelerated DDR4 memory of CRUCIAL Ballistix Sport format. The role of the case here is played by the Zalman Z3 Plus. All powered by the reliable Thermaltake 80 Bronze standard

Processor: Intel Core i7 6800K - 33 900 ₽

Video card: PALIT PA-GTX1080 Jetstream 8 GB - 47 300 ₽
RAM: Two sets of 4 DDR4 modules - CRUCIAL Ballistix Sport 4 GB - 10,700 ₽
SEAGATE Barracuda 2000 GB hard drive - RUB 5300
SSD Storage: KINGSTON UV400 240 GB - 4600 ₽
Case: ZALMAN Z3 Plus - 3300 ₽
Power supply unit: THERMALTAKE TR-650P Bronze, 650 Watt - 4800 ₽

Total: 127500 ₽

Possible analogues:
Motherboard: ASUS X99-E 17600 ₽

Video cards: MSI GeForce GTX 1080 - 51,100 ₽
GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1080 - 51200 ₽
RAM: eight CRUCIAL CT4G4DFS8213 DDR4 modules - 4 GB - 10800 ₽
four KINGSTON Valueram KVR21N15S8 / 8 DDR4 modules - 8 GB - 10600₽
4 CRUCIAL CT8G4DFD8213 DDR4 modules - 8 GB - 10 600 ₽
SSD drive: KINGSTON HyperX FURY SHFS37A / 240G 240 GB - 6000 ₽
Case: ZALMAN Z3 (and additional fans ZM-F3) 3190 ₽
ZALMAN Z9 Plus - 4000 ₽
NZXT H230 - 5300 ₽
SEASONIC SS-600ES - 5860 ₽

5. VideoSmile ™ Elite

VideoSmile ™ Elite - No compromise graphics solution, 10-core Xeon server processor, Quadro m4000 professional graphics card with 8GB of memory, 64GB of DDR4 memory and PCI-E SSD with 2200MB / s read speed ... This is the ultimate option for working with very serious projects that require maximum productivity.

Processor: INTEL Xeon E5-2630V4 - 51000 ₽
Motherboard: MSI X99A RAIDER LGA 2011-v3 - 16000 ₽
Cooling: DEEPCOOL GAMMAXX 400 - 1600 ₽
Video card: PNY Quadro M4000 - 64500 ₽
RAM: Two sets of 4 modules 8 GB - CRUCIAL Ballistix Sport 8 GB - 10 500 ₽
Hard drive: SEAGATE Barracuda 2000 GB - 5300 ₽
SSD Storage: INTEL 750 Series SSD 400 GB - 30 200 ₽
Case: ZALMAN Z11 Plus - 5200 ₽
Power supply unit: THERMALTAKE TR-650P - 4800 ₽

Total: 189100 ₽

Possible analogues:
Processor: INTEL Xeon E5 2650V4 - 91,000 ₽
Cooling: TITAN Dragonfly4 - 2200 ₽
ZALMAN CNPS11X Performa - 2200 ₽
Video cards: nVidia Quadro m4000 ~ 65000 ₽
Quadro M5000 ~ 150,000 ₽
RAM: 2 sets of 4 CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 8GB modules - 25,000 ₽
Eight KINGSTON Valueram KVR21N15S8 / 8 DDR4 modules - 8 GB - 21200₽
eight CRUCIAL CT8G4DFD8213 DDR4 modules - 8 GB - 21,200 ₽
Hard Drive: WD Caviar Blue 2000 GB - 5300 ₽
SSD drive: KINGSTON HyperX FURY SHFS37A / 240G 240 GB - 6000 ₽
Case: ZALMAN Z9 Plus - 4000 ₽
NZXT H230 - 5300 ₽ (additional ZALMAN ZM-F3 - 400 ₽)
CORSAIR 200R - 5500 ₽ (additional ZALMAN ZM-F3 - 800 ₽)
Power Supply: THERMALTAKE TR2 S TRS-650AH2NK - 3980 ₽
SEASONIC SS-600ES - 5860 ₽
SEASONIC G-650 - 8900 ₽

* This listing shows average prices as of Fall 2016
** Assemblies are advisory in nature

The outgoing year turned out to be extremely rich in new solutions. Throughout the year, the list of new models of processors and chipsets and types of RAM was constantly updated, which, in turn, prompted motherboard manufacturers to regularly update their model lines. The situation changed so rapidly that new model computer, which at the time of its appearance could be safely attributed to the High-End category, after two or three months it had already dropped to the Main Stream category, and the computer models that were considered the most highly productive at the beginning of the year moved to the Low-End category by the end of the year, or cheap budget solutions.

remember the days when the i815 chipset was considered the people's favorite? Then it was possible to single out one or two motherboards that were really hits, for example, ASUS CUSL2 on the i815 chipset or ASUS P3B-F on the even older Intel 440BX chipset. But now many motherboard manufacturers offer solutions that are approximately the same in performance and functionality, which, moreover, are becoming obsolete at an astonishing rate.

However, let's not forget that the computer is not limited to processors and motherboards: the market of video cards developed at no less speed, and manufacturers of hard drives made us happy. So the user is given the widest range of various computer models to choose from - depending on their purpose and price. But before describing specific configurations, let's briefly dwell on the main components of the PC. Let's start, of course, with the most important thing, that is, with the processor.

CPU

the choice of modern processors is very wide - these are Intel Pentium 4 and Intel Celeron, as well as the AMD AthlonXP line. Please note that we did not mention the Intel Pentium III processor, as this year can be confidently called the year of final approval and recognition. intel processor Pentium 4. Therefore, we should safely forget about the existence of processors of lower models. In addition, the prices for Intel Pentium 4 and Intel Celeron processors are now such that they can be used even in low-budget workstations.

As known, the lineup Intel Pentium 4 processors are quite wide, so when buying a new computer it is worth paying attention not only to the processor clock speed. This, of course, is very important (who would argue!), But processors differ from each other in the frequency of the processor bus, and in the production technology, and the processor core, and the size of the L2 cache, and the connector for installation. Let's start with the latter: for the Intel Pentium 4 processor there are Socket 478 and Socket 423 sockets, and the latter is already considered morally obsolete, although at the beginning of this year it was still actively used. Hence the conclusion that it is impractical to buy a processor with such a connector. The situation with AMD AthlonXP processors is simpler - they are installed in Socket A or Socket 462 (which is the same thing).

Regarding the processor core and production technology, the situation is as follows: there are Intel Pentium 4 processors based on the Willamette core, manufactured using 0.18-micron technology, and on the Northwood core, manufactured using 0.13-micron technology. The difference between these processors lies not only in the size of structural elements (which, in general, does not affect the performance of the processor itself), but also in the fact that processors based on the Northwood core have twice the L2 cache, that is 512 KB instead of 256 KB, as in processors based on the Willamette core. And one more advantage of 0.13-micron processors is their good overclocking ability.

Now a few words about the processor bus, which is either 400 or 533 MHz for Intel Pentium 4 processors. The width of these buses is the same, and they differ in maximum bandwidth: for a 533MHz bus - 4.2 GB / s, and for a 400MHz bus - 3.2 GB / s.

And finally, a final note about Intel Pentium 4 processors. At the end of autumn (November 14), Intel Corporation announced a new Intel Pentium 4 processor with a clock speed of 3.06 GHz, which supports Hyper-Threading technology. Without going into details, we note that the use of this technology allows on average to increase processor performance by 30% without increasing the clock frequency.

We should also mention the new generation of Intel Celeron processors, which are similar in microarchitecture to Intel Pentium 4, but differ in the size of the second-level cache - 128 KB. In addition, all Intel Celeron processors are designed for 400MHz bus. These processors are made using both 0.18- and 0.13-micron technology.

Do not forget about AMD AthlonXP processors - their latest models, for example AthlonXP 2800+ (the last figure is not the processor frequency), successfully cope with the same tasks as Intel Pentium 4. If you choose between processors of equal performance, then Athlon processor will cost a little less.

Motherboard

choosing a motherboard for your future computer is no less important than choosing a processor. The type of processor installed, the type and amount of RAM and the number of peripheral devices that can be connected to the computer depend on the motherboard. In addition, the motherboard has a direct impact on the overall performance of the computer.

Approximately 90% of the features of a motherboard depend on the chipset installed on it, that is, the basic chipset that determines the architecture of interaction of all major computer subsystems. The chipset determines the type of memory supported by the card, and the type of processor bus, and the presence of integrated devices (graphics controller, USB ports, network adapter, etc.). Virtually all functionality of the motherboard is determined by the chipset installed on it. The choice of chipsets today is very diverse - these are products from AMD, Intel, VIA, SiS, Intel, nVIDIA and ATi. The chipset consists of two microcircuits called northbridge and southbridge.

The north bridge is easy to recognize on the motherboard: it is always covered with a heatsink (possibly even with a fan) and is located in the immediate vicinity of the processor. The fact is that the north bridge is much "faster" than the south one, as a result of which it heats up more. The north bridge is responsible for interacting with the main memory (memory bus), with the central processing unit (system bus), with the graphics subsystem (AGP bus) and with the south bridge.

Unlike the high-speed northbridge, which is connected to fast components, the southbridge is connected to relatively slow components, as well as slow peripherals (hard disk, USB interface, etc.).

Of course, a whole book would be required to fully describe all modern chipsets, so we will only briefly dwell on the most popular and well-proven chipsets released this year. In this case, we will only talk about chipsets for Intel Pentium 4 and Intel Celeron processors, which, in our opinion (perhaps subjectively), may well claim the title "Processor of the Year".

Intel 850E

The first chipset I would like to dwell on is the Intel 850E, which is designed for building high-performance workstations. This chipset replaces the Intel 850 chipset and, unlike its predecessor, supports the 533MHz system bus. In addition, the new chipset uses the Intel 82801DB I / O Controller Hub (ICH4), which supports six USB 2.0 ports. The memory controller (north bridge) of the chipset allows working with dual-channel Direct RDRAM memory of the PC600, PC800 and PC1066 specifications. The bandwidth of the 16-bit memory bus (two channels) when working with PC1066 modules is 4.2 GB / s, which is fully consistent with the bandwidth of the system bus when operating at a FSB frequency of 533 MHz. The maximum amount of memory supported is 2GB. A graphics port controller that meets the requirements of the AGP 2.0 specification can support a 1.5V AGP 4x slot.

The new version of the ICH4 I / O Controller Hub supports six PCI slots (32 bit / 33 MHz), a two-stage DMA controller, an integrated 10 / 100Base-TX Ethernet controller, and a dual-channel IDE ATA100 controller. Besides, as it was already noted, three USB controllers (six USB 2.0 ports), an AC'97 digital controller (six channels, 20-bit AC-link interface) are supported. Supports ACPI 2.0 power management, LPC (Low Pin Count) interface and SMBus (System Management Bus) SMBus 2.0 specification. The interaction between the north and south bridges of the chipset is carried out according to the peer-to-peer scheme via a special bus Hub Link with a bandwidth of 266 MB / s.

Intel 845E

The Intel 845E system logic set, which replaced the Intel 845 chipset, includes two chips - an Intel 82845E memory controller hub (Memory Controller Hub (MCH)) and an Intel 82801DB I / O controller hub (I / O Controller Hub (ICH4) ).

The main difference between the new chipset and its predecessor is that now the system bus is supported at a frequency of not only 400, but also 533 MHz. All other characteristics remain the same. The memory controller allows working with DDR SDRAM memory of the PC1600 or PC2100 specification; while the bandwidth of the 64-bit memory bus when working with PC2100 modules is 2.1 GB / s. The maximum amount of memory supported is 2GB. A graphics port controller that meets the requirements of the AGP 2.0 specification can support a 1.5V AGP 4x slot.

Intel 845G

The main difference of this chipset is the integrated graphics controller in the Intel 82845G northbridge.

The controller-hub of graphics and memory of this chip provides the ability to "communicate" with the processor at a frequency of 400 or 533 MHz. The memory bus controller supports work with DDR SDRAM modules of PC1600, PC2100 specifications, as well as SDR SDRAM modules of PC133 specification; at the same time, there is an undocumented possibility of working with PC2700 memory, which is widely used by motherboard manufacturers. The maximum amount of RAM supported is 2 GB. The graphics port controller complies with the AGP 2.0 specification and supports the operation of a 1.5V AGP 4x slot. The integrated graphics core, operating at 200 MHz, provides a maximum resolution of 1600001200 at 32-bit color and 60Hz vertical scan and 1280Ѕ1024 at 32-bit color and 85Hz vertical frequency. System memory is used as video memory, and along with other devices, GMCH provides direct access to memory, where an 8 MB frame buffer is allocated for the needs of the graphics subsystem. In addition to the analog VGA interface, the integrated video controller supports two DVO (Digital Video Output) ports, which are multiplexed with the AGP interface. The same ICH4 is used as an I / O concentrator.

Intel 845PE, Intel 845PG and Intel 845GV

These chipsets are the latest developments of Intel in the field of system logic for desktop PCs. Their main difference from the ones already discussed is that the memory controller here officially supports DDR SDRAM PC2700 (DDR333) memory.

All three chipsets support the 533 MHz system bus and use the ICH4 chip as the I / O hub. The Intel 845PE chipset can be considered an improved version of the Intel 845E chipset: both chipsets are designed to use an external AGP 4x video card. The Intel 845PG chipset is an improved version of the Intel 845G chipset and, like its predecessor, in addition to supporting the AGP 4x slot, has an integrated video controller. The Intel 845GV chipset differs from the Intel 845PG chipset only in that it does not support the AGP 4x bus, that is, there is no possibility of installing an external video card. Therefore, this chipset is positioned as a solution for office workstations, where the requirements for the graphics subsystem are not too high.

VIA Apollo P4X266A

The VIA Apollo P4X266A system logic set consists of the north (VT8753A) and south (VT8233A) bridges.

The north bridge communicates with the processor via 400- and 533-MHz buses. The memory controller of the north bridge provides operation with DDR SDRAM-memory of the PC1600 or PC2100 specification with a total volume of up to 4 GB. The graphics port controller complies with the AGP 2.0 specification and supports the operation of a 1.5V AGP 4x slot.

The south bridge of the chipset has a dual-channel IDE ATA133 controller, two USB hubs supporting four USB 1.1 ports, an integrated six-channel AC'97 digital controller and a 10 / 100Base-T Ethernet network controller, which requires an external physical layer (PHY) implementation. VT8233A supports up to five PCI slots. The VIA Apollo P4X266 chipset uses the V-Link Hub architecture, which implies the use of a high-speed V-Link bus for connecting the north and south bridges, providing a peak bandwidth of 266 MB / s.

VIA Apollo P4X400

This set of system logic is the latest development of VIA specialists in the field of chipsets designed to work with processors of the Intel Pentium 4 family. The VT8754 chip is used as the north bridge, and the VT8235 chip is used as the south bridge.

The system bus controller of the north bridge supports the operation of the system bus at both 400 and 533 MHz. The memory controller allows working with DDR SDRAM of the PC1600, PC2100 and PC2700 specifications; at the same time, the memory bus is supported at a frequency of 400 MHz, which makes it possible to use modules of not yet recognized and not certified PC3200 (DDR400) memory. The maximum amount of memory supported is 32GB. The AGP 3.0-compliant graphics port controller supports the 1.5V AGP 8x slot, and the port bandwidth increases to 2.1GB / s, up from just over 1GB / s for AGP 4x.

The south bridge of the chipset has a dual-channel IDE ATA133 controller, up to five PCI slots, three USB hubs supporting six USB 2.0 ports, an integrated six-channel AC'97 digital controller and a VIA 10 / 100Base-T Ethernet network controller, which requires an external physical layer (PHY).

The V-Link Hub architecture, in accordance with which this chipset is built, assumes the use of a high-speed bus. In the VIA Apollo P4X400 system logic set, the 8x V-Link bus is used to connect the north and south bridges, providing a peak bandwidth of 533 MB / s.

SiS 645DX

The SiS 645DX system logic chipset includes two chips - the SiS 645DX north bridge and SiS 961B south bridge.

The SiS 645DX Northbridge supports the system bus at 400 or 533 MHz. The memory controller supports work with DDR SDRAM specifications PC1600, PC2100 and PC2700 with a maximum capacity of up to 3 GB, and the graphics port controller allows the use of graphics cards with an AGP 4x interface. To ensure high-speed exchange, the chipset uses a transaction coordinator, which implements a prefetch mechanism when reading from the main memory.

SiS 961B South Bridge provides a standard set of functionalities: dual-channel IDE ATA133 controller, support for six PCI slots (PCI 2.2), six-channel AC'97 digital controller, two USB controllers (supporting six USB 1.1 ports), 10 / 100Base network controller -TX.

Interaction between bridges is carried out via a high-speed bidirectional 16-bit MuTIOL bus (4Ѕ66 MHz), providing a bandwidth of 533 MB / s.

SiS 648

This SiS 648 chipset consists of a northbridge chip (SiS 648) and a southbridge chip (SiS 963).

This chipset has undergone significant changes compared to its predecessor - the SiS 645DX system logic set. So, now the controller of the graphics port, integrated on the chip of the north bridge, is made in accordance with the requirements of the AGP 3.0 specification and supports the operation of AGP 8x graphics cards. The memory controller of the new north bridge allows maintaining the memory bus at 200 MHz, which makes it possible to use DDR SDRAM memory modules of the not yet existing PC3200 (DDR400) specification. In addition, the south bridge of the chipset has been improved: its new modification - the SiS 963 chip - now supports the operation of six USB 2.0 ports and, moreover, has an integrated IEEE-1394 controller (three FireWare ports), although it requires a physical layer.

In addition to all the above improvements, the SiS 648 chipset uses a new modification of the high-speed bidirectional 16-bit MuTIOL bus (8-66 MHz), which now provides a throughput of more than 1 GB / s.

Of course, the chipsets we have reviewed by no means exhaust their full list, but it is these models that seem to us the most widespread and promising.

And now you can go to the description of the PC graphics subsystem.

3D graphics card

there can be two options in this case: either a graphics subsystem integrated into the chipset, or a video card installed in an AGP slot.

Solutions based on an integrated video card are more of a budget class. In this case, there is no need to talk about full-featured support for 3D graphics, that is, support for many 3D technologies is carried out not at the hardware level, but at the software level. At the same time, this solution has a fairly low cost and meets the needs of many office applications. Full-featured solutions are more expensive, but they meet the needs of modern multimedia applications and games.

The video card market was dominated by nVIDIA for most of the year, and it was only at the end of the year that ATi's video cards (Radeon 8500, Radeon 9000, and Radeon 9700) appeared that could be considered real competitors for the GeForce4. So let's start with nVIDIA products.

This year we have witnessed the appearance of such models as the GeForce4 Ti series and MX series. GeForce4 Ti models are built on the full-featured NV25 chip, while the MX series models are based on the NV17 chip. Two GeForce4 models are based on the NV25 chip - Ti 4400 and Ti 4600, differing only in the clock frequency of the video processor and memory. The frequency of the graphics core and memory for cards built on the GeForce4 Ti 4400 is 275 and 550 MHz, and for models based on the GeForce 4 Ti 4600 - 300 and 650 MHz, respectively. Serial samples of GeForce4 are equipped with 128 MB memory.

The NV17 chip laid the foundation for three models. Two older models GeForce4 MX, namely GeForce4 MX460 and GeForce4 MX440, are designed to work with DDR memory and also differ only in operating frequencies. The junior model, GeForce4 MX420, is a Low-End solution based on SDRAM memory.

It should be emphasized that the number “4” in the name of the GeForce4 MX basically hides an increase in the clock frequency, although an inexperienced user may get the impression that this is an “economy” version on the core of the GeForce4 chip. In fact, apart from some peculiarities, the GeForce4 MX is rather an overclocked version of the GeForce2 MX.

Disk subsystem

one of the most important components of any PC is the disk subsystem, and in its simplest form, a single hard drive with an IDE interface. To build higher-performance solutions, several hard drives are often used, combined into a RAID array using a RAID controller.

If we talk about a custom PC, then the need to install more than two hard drives is quite rare, so it is quite sufficient to use dual-channel RAID controllers, which are increasingly being integrated into motherboards. Integrated RAID controllers support the creation of disk arrays of level 0 and 1. Level zero improves the performance of the disk subsystem, while the first level, also called mirroring, allows data to be written to two disks at once, which provides reliable storage, although such a reliable disk will cost twice as much.

If we talk about the disks themselves, over the past year there have been serious changes in the IDE hard drives market, which are primarily related to the fact that such companies as Fujitsu and Quantum have left the IDE hard drives market. Therefore, there are not so many players left - these are IBM, Maxtor (which absorbed the Quantum line of hard drives), Seagate, Samsung and, of course, Western Digital. Another event is the adoption of the ATA133 interface, as well as SerialATA, on which great hopes are pinned.

Naturally, such characteristics of hard disks as recording density and maximum speed sequential reading. So, when switching to platters with a recording capacity of 40 GB, the maximum hard disk capacity was 120 GB. Perhaps the only thing that remained unchanged in IDE drives is the maximum rotational speed of 7200 rpm.

Perfect PC

In this case, we are talking about the most high-performance and, accordingly, the most expensive solution. The approximate price of such a PC is about $ 2,000. Such a computer should be built on the latest Intel Pentium 4 processor with a clock speed of 3.06 GHz and support for Hyper-Threading Technology. The motherboard for this computer must support the 533MHz processor bus and the most efficient RDRAM PC1066 memory to date. The only chipset that meets these requirements is the Intel 850E. Examples of such motherboards are Gigabyte GA-8IHXP and ASUS P4T533.

The amount of RDRAM PC1066 for an ideal PC should, in our opinion, be 1 GB.

Naturally, the video subsystem for an ideal PC should be based on the highest-performance video card, and there is no choice here - it's the GeForce4 Ti4600, and the manufacturer of the card itself does not play a special role.

In terms of organizing a high-performance disk subsystem for an ideal PC, the following recommendations can be made. First of all, the disk array must be based on a RAID controller consisting of at least two disks. At the same time, it is enough to use the RAID controller integrated on the motherboard (by the way, it is present on the Gigabyte GA-8IHXP). For an ideal PC, one more additional hard drive will not hurt, which will be convenient to use as an additional drive for duplicating important information. It is best to install such a disk in Rack Mobil, which makes it easy to transfer information from one computer to another. Speaking about the disks themselves, we can recommend the IBM Deskstar 120GXP disks with a capacity of 100 or 120 GB, or Western Digital Caviar WD1200JB disks with a capacity of 120 GB.

Of course, the listed components are not enough for an ideal PC. It is advisable to replace a CD-reader with a DVD-reader, but a CD-R / RW writer (it is assumed that an ideal PC should have a CD-writer) is better to use as separate device... As for the manufacturer of CD / DVD and CDW drives, we would recommend using devices from Plextor.

It is clear that an ideal PC will also need a high-quality sound card. An integrated sound controller is clearly indispensable here, so to get really high-quality sound, you will have to use an expensive Sound Blaster Audigy card.

And one final note about the configuration of our ideal PC is the case of the system unit, which should not only accommodate three hard drives and two CD drives, but also have a sufficiently powerful power supply and provide adequate heat dissipation. For the case, it is not so much the external stylish design, how many is the possibility of installing at least two fans, one of which (intake air) is installed on the front wall of the case, and the second (exhaust air) - on the rear wall. The power supply should be 350W (subject to further scalability).

High-end high-performance multimedia PC

This high-performance multimedia solution can be successfully used as gaming computer, a multimedia entertainment center, as well as a computer designed for demanding applications. The approximate cost of such a PC is about $ 1-1.5 thousand. Such a computer can be built on an Intel Pentium 4 processor with a clock speed of 2.4, 2.53 or 2.8 GHz with support for a 533 MHz processor bus or on an AMD processor AthlonXP 2100+ and higher. The motherboard for such a computer must support 533MHz processor bus (if using an Intel processor) and SDRAM DDR266 (PC2100) or DDR333 (PC2700). The choice of chipsets here is quite large - for Intel processors it will be Intel 845E, Intel 845PE, VIA Apollo P4X400 and SiS 648. The memory capacity for this high-performance computer should be from 512 MB to 1 GB.

The PC video subsystem allows for variations - both the GeForce4 Ti 4600 or Ti 4400, and the ATi RADEON 9700 or even the ATI RADEON 9000.

The disk subsystem of a high-performance PC should be based on a zero-level RAID array. Naturally, it is better to use an integrated dual-channel RAID controller, and two hard drives will be enough in this case.

Considering that such a PC must be multimedia, it must be equipped with a device for reading not only CDs, but also DVDs. It is also advisable to use a CDRW drive.

A multimedia computer will also need a good sound card that provides 5.1 audio output. Therefore, the computer must be equipped with a sound card such as Sound Blaster Audigy or SB Live Player 5.1

For the case, the requirements are the same as in the previous case. It is imperative to install two additional fans for proper heat dissipation. The power supply for such a PC must be at least 300 watts.

Mid-range pc

Even at the beginning of this year, such a PC was considered the most, that is, the most high-performance PC of the High-End class, but time goes by and now this configuration is already at the middle level. However, this does not mean at all that such a computer is no longer able to cope with modern applications or games - such a sufficiently high-performance PC can be successfully used for solving various office tasks or as a gaming PC. Its cost ranges from $ 500 to $ 1,000.

A mid-range computer can be built on the basis of an Intel Pentium 4 processor with clock speeds from 1.6 to 2.6 GHz. The processor core in this case can be either Northwood or Willamette, but the frequency of the processor bus here is already somewhat lower than in the previous case, that is, 400 MHz.

The type of memory supported must be SDRAM DDR266 (PC2100), and the size must be between 256 and 512 MB. Accordingly, the chipsets that meet the listed requirements are Intel 845, VIA Apollo P4X266A or SiS 645DX.

A mid-range PC video card allows various variations: both ATi RADEON 9000 or 8500, and GeForce3 Ti200 or GeForce 4 MX460 / 440/420.

The disk subsystem of such a PC can be built on just one hard disk without using a RAID controller. The disk capacity is selected depending on the purpose of the PC and ranges from 40 to 80 GB.

Naturally, any modern PC, regardless of its purpose, must have a CD drive. In this case, a DVD drive is not necessary, since such a PC is not a multimedia center. The CDRW drive can be installed instead of the CD drive, depending on the purpose of the computer.

The sound card for this PC may well be integrated, since this solution is capable of providing acceptable sound quality for games or for listening to audio discs.

The same can be said about the PC case as about the previous configurations. The only differences are that more than one fan is not required here, and the number of 5.25-inch bays can be limited to two or three. The power supply of such a PC should be 300 W (taking into account the possibility of further expansion).

Low-End budget PC

A low-end PC of the Low-End class is intended mainly for office work, and therefore, in this case, minimum requirements are imposed on the video and audio subsystem. The price of such a PC does not exceed $ 500.

The budget PC version can be built on the basis of an Intel Celeron processor with a clock speed of 1.2 to 2.0 GHz with a 400 MHz processor bus. The memory type can be SDRAM DDR266 (PC2100) or even DDR200 (PC1600), and the memory size is from 128 to 256 MB. These requirements are met by chipsets with an integrated graphics controller, that is, the i845G, as well as the new i845GV chipset.

The video subsystem, in this case integrated, and the audio subsystem are also based on integrated codecs.

The disk subsystem is based on one hard disk with a capacity of 20 to 40 GB, and the disk model does not play a special role - it could be IBM, and WD, and Maxtor, and Seagate.

Naturally, the PC must be equipped with a CD-ROM drive. DVD or CDRW drives are not provided in this case.

The case of such a PC is rather modest: you don't have to install additional fans in it, and the number of 5.25-inch bays does not exceed three. The power supply can be limited to 250 watts.

ComputerPress 12 "2002

This series of short articles was written by Alexander Milovsky, an instructor at the 3D Master Training Center, as a universal instruction for purchasing a computer for 3D graphics. Read and a lot will become clear to you. A somewhat straightforward tone of presentation is due to the fact that initially the articles were intended to be read by close friends of the author who read his blog.

The most frequent question that novice 3d-schnicks ask me is: What computer to buy for doing 3D graphics?

Although this is a thankless task, I will try to recommend.

I understand perfectly well that everyone has different financial capabilities. Therefore, I will start with the minimum conditions, and then at your discretion.

I'll clarify right away that we are talking about a computer for work, and how much it suits for games is of no interest to me.

So, let's start with the main thing, briefly:

0. Computer for 3D-shnik is a large stationary computer. NOT A LAPTOP! AND NOT MAC! Not a glamorous silent box, but a healthy ugly bandurina that can hum like a hair dryer and heat up no worse than a battery (well, maybe I got a little excited with the "ugly" one). In a computer for a 3D shnik, the main thing is productivity! And this means that if the performance is insufficient, then something is replaced in the computer (I would like to see how the owner of the MacBook Air will replace the video card). Actually, 3D life on a Mac is quite possible, but it begins with the words: "now install Windows in parallel, and now install under Windows ..."

1. Required 64-bit operating system.
When purchasing a computer, make sure it has a 64-bit operating system. This is damn important! Moreover, when buying a new computer, the correctly selected operating system will cost you significantly less. I recommend Windows 10 (64-bit) (this is the only correct choice now).

2. An nVidia video card based on CUDA with as much memory as possible on board
You can feel whatever you like about competing products from AMD (ATI), but take it on faith that for now, the choice must be made in favor of the CUDA technology offered by nVidia. CUDA technology is required for GPU rendering. This technology is gaining momentum and in the next two or three years will turn from exotic to the norm. I recommend the GeForce 7xx / 8xx / 9xx / 10xx series (which will be the latest at that time). Strongly DO NOT recommend the Quadro series (pay a ton of money for mediocre performance).

3 *. At least 8 GB of memory (and better in one piece)
For modern computers, the amount of RAM should not be less than 8GB (and always expandable up to 16-48GB). At the initial stage, it is normal to save on memory and buy it minimally, i.e. 8GB and always in one piece (not two 4GB each, as is usually offered). Do not get fooled by talking about 2-channel operation and so on. Believe me, when you need more memory, then you will be deeply no matter what mode this memory works, as long as it is enough.

4*. At least 4 cores in the processor
The processor is the hardest part right now. I will just say that it must have at least 4 cores. No dual or triple core compromises (laptops are another story, again). The processor is needed for the final rendering (rendering), therefore, on the one hand, the more productive the processor, the better, but the price can be simply prohibitive. So ask yourself if you would be sorry to just throw out this processor in a year or two with a planned replacement. Remember, you are not buying a computer forever. Within three years, it will become a weak mediocre machine.

Intel or AMD? The hardest part is choosing a processor manufacturer. Intel is my choice. Although I had computers and AMD at various times, I choose Intel for work. I have no confirmation of the correctness of my choice, I can not provide calculations or test data.

The old AMD song that you get a better performance solution for less money is often true, but it also happens that six cores from AMD will work the same as 4 from Intel. That is why, for reasons of continuity of solutions, reliability of specialized software, which 3D applications are undoubtedly, I choose Intel. But it would be wrong to make this out as an unambiguous recommendation. So do as you know (just don't listen to boys in computer stores, you better go and look for render time testing in your future 3D application - this is the only objective test).

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Part 6. new!