TLDR: I’m building GPU workstations at work, they are PC’s cheaper than macs, upgrade-able and FAST!
This isn’t an Apple vs Windows article but Apple has simply turned it’s back on professionals. Not by surprise though, Apple has openly said they are moving away from the Professional market. ::Sad face:: In my area of interest with the surge of GPU render engines hitting the market, flexibility and options are high demand.
Prior to design and vfx i dabbled with Cisco networking and A+ Certifications. Building PC’s has always been a fun hobby so I like to tinker! Before I start, huge shot out to Tom Glimps for sharing knowledge with the community it’s definitely helped me take a deeper dive into gpu rendering systems.
PC’s aren’t for everyone, if you like to tinker then you are one step ahead of the competition. If your IT guy likes to tinker and is fully integrated into your companies every day hustle and bustle (which they should be) then introducing PC’s to your company will be a walk in the park!
Now for the fun stuff!
Parts list
- Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
- Dark Rock Pro 3 67.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler
- ASRock X99 WS EATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard
- 2x Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 64GB (4 x 16GB) DDR4-2400 Memory
- Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5″ Solid State Drive
- Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5″ Solid State Drive
- 4xEVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB HYBRID Video Card
- Fractal Design Define XL R2 (Black Pearl) ATX Full Tower Case
- EVGA SuperNOVA G2 1600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
- Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit
Processor:
There was definitely a learning curve as far as processors go. We needed something with enough PCI-e lanes to run our GPU’s and enough cores to power and every day workstation. We went with this 40 lane processor.
Video Cards:
For many reasons the 980 ti hybrid made the most sense at the time. The 1080’s were recently announced but the Pascal architecture wasn’t fully supported by Octane just yet.
Motherboard:
This motherboard is set up to handle the demands of an everyday workhorse. Asrock is a reputable brand.
Ram
In advertising or my line of work I find myself constantly multitasking in many applications. 128 gb of ram is more than enough and you will never worry about not having enough. Seconds turn into minutes, minutes into hours and time is money.
Hard drive:
We want SSD for obvious reasons, and we want a dedicated HD for the operating system. Simple.
Case:
This case is a really nice case in form, it’s clean has a good system for cooling. The top usb/power settings are perfect. The cable management system perfect and the cool LED lights with the stock fans and the clear glass make for good eye candy. My main concern about this case is that while it’s very roomy, I wish the motherboard was mounted slightly higher. When maxing out with 4 GPU’s the last one nudges right up against the PSU. If you ever have to fix say video card #3 for whatever reason, you’ll have to retrace your steps from the beginning to disassemble.
Power Supply:
You can’t run a beast without a beast power supply. More than plenty.
