Description

This PC is my 3D CAD Workstation for AutoCAD and Revit. AutoCAD runs like a dream but rendering in Revit puts a bit of strain on the I5 CPU. Revit uses CPU HT for rendering so I have placed an order for an I7 4770K and Asus Z87-Pro MoBo to upgrade the CPU. I am also upgrading the AMD FirePro V4800 with a NVidia Quadro K4000.

My Corsair GT 60GB used to be my Boot drive but I have now repalced it with two Corsair GS 120GB drives running in Raid0.

Comments

  • 73 months ago
  • 1 point

Nice to see fellow Civil 3D users on this site. I'd recommend a Xeon processor over the i7 for a workstation but the i7 will do just fine as well.

  • 73 months ago
  • 1 point

Hi DSchutt and thanks for your kind comment,

I was considering the Xeon E5-2630 or the I7-3930K for the 6 core 12 threads but they are still on socket 2011 and their cost is above my budget. The Xeon MoBos are also very expensive on top of the CPU price and I would probably need to change my RAM for ECC RAM, another added cost.

I needed more SATA3 6GB ports because I want to change my Raid0 to Raid10 hence why I went for the Intel Z87 chipset MoBo. My current Z68 Mobo only has 2 Intel SATA3 ports where the Z87 has 6.

My I5 handles AutoCAD without a sweat but it starts to slow down when rendering in Revit. Revit needs Hyper-threading which the I5 lacks so I should see a decent improvement with the I7.

  • 73 months ago
  • 1 point

Well I was suggesting E3-1230 V2 where you can keep your motherboard probably (Just check to see if it's supported). Most motherboards support the xeons, also you wont need ECC ram. That would be the cheapest and quickest way to upgrade your rig.

Yeah Civil 3D is still a single threaded application. hahaha I'm not sure what Autodesk is doing to keep only supporting 1 core.

But if you want a 1150 board looks at a E3-1230 V3 very similar to the 4770 (non k) and a lot cheaper. Yes you cant overclock the CPU but they are built a lot better then the i7's and run more efficiently.

  • 73 months ago
  • 1 point

Never mind it looks like your board doesn't support XEONS

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8Z68V_PRO/#support

  • 73 months ago
  • 1 point

I bought the I7-4770K and Asus Z87-Pro from Dabs this morning so no turning back :-) The E3-1230 is not compatible with my Z68 mobo and I want to run Raid10 so I need the extra SATA3 ports on the mobo.

What 3D package are you using? I'm using AutoCAD and Revit 2013. Revit definitely benefits from multi-core/thread CPU especially under rendering which I use most of the time.

  • 73 months ago
  • 1 point

I'm a civil engineer and use lots of Civil 3D, designing subdivisions and plazas mostly. One thing I have noticed is that I haven't seen much or any performance increase from a quarto to a GeForce. I know quarto is suppose to run better but I feel like its a total marking scam IMO. Both support opengl so I don't see the point for AutoCAD. Rivet might be a different situation.

So yeah I have a E3-1230 V2 with 8 gigs of ram on a GTX 560. I swapped out a quarto and couldn't justify spending $400 on a new quarto and it seems to run smoother, who knows?

  • 73 months ago
  • 1 point

Very nice build. For somebody that is doing AUTOCAD as well, this should give me ideas of how to build my computer.

  • 73 months ago
  • 1 point

Thanks NekiEcko,

If you're only using AutoCAD 2D/3D, you can save a lot of money buying an I5 CPU. My I5-2500K is an excellent CPU and did not struggle once. RAM in the UK has almost doubled in price over the last year but I would highly recommend 16GB if you can get it on a good deal.

With SSD prices coming down, also consider running a raid setup. Our Revit 3D models are about 200MB in size and since running in raid, it opens almost instantaneously.

If you're going to use 3D rendering software like Revit or Maya, I won't recommend the I5 as the rendering is CPU based and my I5 ran at 100% and struggled a bit.

  • 73 months ago
  • 1 point

So a I7 will be better for Revit and 3ds Max? If I use the computer as a gaming, would going to i7 would affect it in a positive way or negative way?

  • 73 months ago
  • 1 point

which fans are quieter the akasa fans or the fractal fans?

  • 73 months ago
  • 1 point

It’s hard to say actually because the AMD FirePro V4800 fan drowns everything when worked, LOL. Can’t wait to get it replaced.

I would definitely say the Akasa fans are quieter but it is very minimal. The Fractal fans have a very slight hum where the Akasa fans are quite. The white Fractal fans look better though so it’s a matter of personal choice in the end.