After 5 years it is time for a new PC and having KS9 now also supporting GPU rendering I have the following rig in mind without going over the top with the budget.
Essentials:
- AMD Threadripper 2990WX 3 GHz
- Gigabyte X399 AORUS XTREME EATX TR4
- Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB
- 2x GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
Full list here: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/xChhyk
Current setup @ 102FPS in KS9.0.286:
- i7-3930K
- ASUS P9X79 PRO
- 32GB-Kit G.Skill RipJawsZ C3-14900U
- EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Superclocked w/ACX
Would you change any of the new components in the list for a better performace/$ ratio?
Thanks!
The Threadripper is overkill if you intend on only using GPU rendering. You could get away with much fewer cores and get a bit more cpu clockspeed (ie AMD Ryzen 7 3800X or i9-9900KS). Your applications will be 'snappier' with the additional clock speed. On the Ryzen, I'd also consider waiting for the new 3970X and TRX40 motherboards. The X399 motherboards are effectively dead at this point.
64GB Ram is overkill unless you leave a bunch of apps open or have apps that require it. I routinely open 10-25million poly models in Keyshot with 16GB. I presume you are doing a high bandwidth m.2 primary hdd with a larger capacity secondary drive (didn't see a secondary drive listed)? You don't want to be storing your data on the same drive as the OS.
If the case you chose doesn't come with fans for the top you'll want to get some. Getting the heat out of the case will be challenging once those RTX cards get fired up.
Thanks for your feedback!
QuoteThe Threadripper is overkill if you intend on only using GPU rendering.
So far, I want to be flexible either way for CPU or GPU rendering.
QuoteOn the Ryzen, I'd also consider waiting for the new 3970X and TRX40 motherboards.
Is there an estimation as of when these will be available? I would prefer to get the rig this year for "tax" reasons ;)
Quote64GB Ram is overkill unless you leave a bunch of apps open or have apps that require it.
Yeah, I remember reading some time ago that it`s best to fill all RAM slots evenly vs just putting less modules with higher GB. That`s why I selected 8GB modules and fill all slots the cheapest way. If that info is outdated, I would go down to 32GB.
QuoteYou don't want to be storing your data on the same drive as the OS.
Yes, the HDD in the list is solely for WIN10 + Apps, an additional HDD for data is not in there yet.
QuoteIf the case you chose doesn't come with fans for the top you'll want to get some. Getting the heat out of the case will be challenging once those RTX cards get fired up.
Good point. Will have a look into this.
Thanks again for your reply.
Looks good! For what it's worth, I went with 32GB in my original Threadripper config and after just a few weeks ran into a scenario where I needed more RAM for bigger scenes. Easy fix, just bought more. Just wish I would have started with more :) With displacement or complex geometry it's pretty easy to push your polygon count pretty high!