PC Upgrade for 3D modelling, Unreal Engine4 and Video Editing

1. What is the purpose of the computer? What all applications and games are you going to run? (Be exact. Which games? Which applications? Avoid the word 'et cetera.' Vague answers like 'gaming' or 'office work' will not work.)
Ans:
Blender
Unreal Engine 4 Editor
Unity
Visual Studio
Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Photoshop
All games made on Unreal Engine and Unity

2. What is your overall budget? If you can extend a bit for a more balanced configuration, then please mention.
Ans: 40-45k Can stretch if required but not by a lot. I need only CPU, MB and RAM.

3. Planning to overclock?
Ans: No, I need reliability.

4. Which Operating System are you planning to use?
Ans: Win10

5. How much hard drive / solid-state drive space is needed?
Ans: I have had Drives But Interested to get an NVMe drive. But this is strictly optional.

6. Do you want to buy a monitor? If yes, please mention the screen size and resolution you prefer. If you already have a monitor and want to reuse it, then do mention the screen size and resolution of the monitor you have.
Ans: no

7. Which components you DON'T want to buy? i.e. which components you already have and plan on reusing?
Ans: Cabinet, KB, MSE, PSU, HDD/SSD, GPU

8. When are you planning to buy the system?
Ans: Anytime after Lockdown. There is no hurry. I have a laptop with i9 9880h and RTX2080 that is doing the job.

9. Have you ever built a desktop before? Or, will this be done by an assembler?
Ans: I can build on my own. this will be the 4th.

10. Where do you live? Are you buying locally? Are you open to buying stuff from online shops if you don't get locally?
Ans: Bangalore, but currently in Udupi District of Karnataka. I can get things online. If you can suggest a good online retailer. I'd prefer Amazon for easy returns etc. But I'm open to suggestions.

11. Anything else which you would like to say?
I need an 8-Core 16 thread CPU, an i5 or R5 with 6 core or non Hyperthreading CPU wont do.
16 GB RAM in Dual channel is good But I'm okay with a single DIMM if that saves cost. But the Motherboard should have room for RAM upgrade and SATA upgrade.
I have a graphics card that is doing the job on my current rig. Currently I have a 430w PSU So I might need a 550 or 650w PSU.

I've added what I have narrowed down on my own Research. I need only Mobo, CPU and RAM.

Intel Rig
i7 10700, K, F, KF - 8/16
MSI B460M PRO-VDH WIFI LGA 1200 INTEL B460 MICRO ATX
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (1x16GB) DDR4 3200MHZ UDIMM

AMD Rig
3700x 8/16
ASROCK B450M STEEL LEGEND - Dual m.2 slots, 6 sata ports, 7 USB A ports
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (1x16GB) DDR4 3200MHZ UDIMM

Optional Components based on my priority:
650w PSU
NVMe Boot SSD
Case with clear windowed Side panel

I am not looking to get Old gen Ryzen 2700 or 1700 because they may not be very power efficient.
5700x or 5600 are costly.
For some reason I am not able to get a decent Intel Motherboard and suitable RAM to go with i7 10700. Would a 3200Mhz RAM work with it?

CPU - Intel i7 11700 - 31.5k
Mobo - MSI Z490 A Pro - 15.8k (needs latest BIOS update)
RAM - 1x16GB DDR4 3200MHz - 7.8k
Total - 55.1k

Something cheaper:
CPU - AMD R7 3700X - 27.5k
Mobo - MSI B550M Pro VDH WiFi - 11k
RAM - 1x16GB DDR4 3200MHz - 7.8k
Total - 46.3k

PSU - Corsair CV650 80+ bronze - 4.9k

NVMe - Kingston A2000/WD SN550 1TB - 8k (on sale, usually near 10k)

Cabinet - Lian Li 215 - 6k (5.5k at mdcomputers)

On B460, i7 will run RAM at 2933MHz, no XMP support. B560 supports XMP, need to check VRM thermals because i7 w/o power limit will consume maybe 180W.

A

Cpu
3800x. 29799

*mdcomputers.in/amd-octa-core-ryzen-7-3800x.html

Mobo
Asrock phantom gaming 4 wifi. 11400

*mdcomputers.in/asrock-b550-phantom-gaming-4-ac.html

Ram
Gskill flare x. 9700

*mdcomputers.in/gskill-flare-x-16gb-ddr4-3200mhz-f4-3200c16d-16gfx.html

Total 50,899

5800x is 9500 more than 3800x and if you need more cores 3900x is going for 41k.
So consider those if you up your budget.

Found this tier a smps at a good price. Though it is totally upto what graphic card you are going to put in the desktop.

*mdcomputers.in/msi-750-watt-80-plus-gold-mpg-a750gf.html

There are some 80+ gold psu starting around 7k mark on mdcomputers as well.

aby geek said:
Cpu
3800x. 29799

*mdcomputers.in/amd-octa-core-ryzen-7-3800x.html

Mobo
Asrock phantom gaming 4 wifi. 11400

*mdcomputers.in/asrock-b550-phantom-gaming-4-ac.html

Ram
Gskill flare x. 9700

*mdcomputers.in/gskill-flare-x-16gb-ddr4-3200mhz-f4-3200c16d-16gfx.html

Total 50,899

5800x is 9500 more than 3800x and if you need more cores 3900x is going for 41k.
So consider those if you up your budget.

Found this tier a smps at a good price. Though it is totally upto what graphic card you are going to put in the desktop.

*mdcomputers.in/msi-750-watt-80-plus-gold-mpg-a750gf.html

There are some 80+ gold psu starting around 7k mark on mdcomputers as well.

Thanks, But is is possible to bring down the total cost. I cannot shell 50k. My max is 45.
I think we could cheap out a little on the motherboard and RAM End.

Also, is ordering from MDComputers safe?
My concern is shipping damage and or RMA, how would I go about getting these things sorted if there is an issue?

omega44-xt said:
CPU - Intel i7 11700 - 31.5k
Mobo - MSI Z490 A Pro - 15.8k (needs latest BIOS update)
RAM - 1x16GB DDR4 3200MHz - 7.8k
Total - 55.1k

Something cheaper:
CPU - AMD R7 3700X - 27.5k
Mobo - MSI B550M Pro VDH WiFi - 11k
RAM - 1x16GB DDR4 3200MHz - 7.8k
Total - 46.3k

PSU - Corsair CV650 80+ bronze - 4.9k

NVMe - Kingston A2000/WD SN550 1TB - 8k (on sale, usually near 10k)

Cabinet - Lian Li 215 - 6k (5.5k at mdcomputers)

On B460, i7 will run RAM at 2933MHz, no XMP support. B560 supports XMP, need to check VRM thermals because i7 w/o power limit will consume maybe 180W.

I see most RAM models with frequency of 3200Mhz. will B460 chipset not be able to run such RAM at lower speed?
The problem with Intel Rigs is that I am not able to find 2999 Mhz RAM models to pair it with the CPU.
AMD seems to be very well rigged with correct RAM etc. But I know that the Intel Turbo Boost is better than AMD.

Gollum said:
Thanks, But is is possible to bring down the total cost. I cannot shell 50k. My max is 45.
I think we could cheap out a little on the motherboard and RAM End.

Also, is ordering from MDComputers safe?
My concern is shipping damage and or RMA, how would I go about getting these things sorted if there is an issue?

MD, vedant & primeabgb are like the biggest PC part stores in India.

For reduction in price, I need to check B560 VRM tests because an i7, even i7 10700 will consume over 125W when power limits are removed, till it hits its all core freq cap (which can't be increased, that needs K series CPU). Intel states 65W, but that is a power limit. The max performance possible with it is higher if you remove the power limit, which many Z series mobos don't enforce at all. AsRock Z490/590 have shit VRMs & they enforce the TDP limits in Intel CPUs, but others don't. IF mobo VRMs get too hot, it will throttle your CPU & even crash your PC at high load. I'm mainly waiting for B560 VRM tests by Hardware Unboxed.

Gollum said:
I see most RAM models with frequency of 3200Mhz. will B460 chipset not be able to run such RAM at lower speed?
The problem with Intel Rigs is that I am not able to find 2999 Mhz RAM models to pair it with the CPU.
AMD seems to be very well rigged with correct RAM etc. But I know that the Intel Turbo Boost is better than AMD.

Yes, a 3200MHz RAM will underclock & run at 2933MHz when put in a B460 paired with i7. 3000MHz RAMs exist, not sure why Intel put 2933MHz limit. Intel turbo boost isn't better than AMD's PBO & whatever else they use to boost freq. AMD Ryzen 5000 series is expensive, but it outperforms Intel as well.

New i7 11700K is just lower binned i9 11900K with the same 8c/16t config, same for i7 11700. Intel 11th gen & AMD Ryzen 5000 have top notch single-core performance, will help in lightly threaded loads.

B560 mobos support XMP, so can run RAM at 3200MHz or 3600MHz, based on the RAM you buy. Hence, wait if you can. So it can reduce mobo costs by 3-5k. But IMO AMD R7 3700X rig will be cheaper considering your budget.

omega44-xt said:
MD, vedant & primeabgb are like the biggest PC part stores in India.

For reduction in price, I need to check B560 VRM tests because an i7, even i7 10700 will consume over 125W when power limits are removed, till it hits its all core freq cap (which can't be increased, that needs K series CPU). Intel states 65W, but that is a power limit. The max performance possible with it is higher if you remove the power limit, which many Z series mobos don't enforce at all. AsRock Z490/590 have shit VRMs & they enforce the TDP limits in Intel CPUs, but others don't. IF mobo VRMs get too hot, it will throttle your CPU & even crash your PC at high load. I'm mainly waiting for B560 VRM tests by Hardware Unboxed.

View attachment 20238
View attachment 20239

I was looking at ASROCK for my AMD rig because of its VFM features. I am not sure if Ryzen 7 3700x on base clock and no overclocking will work okay on ASRock Steel Legend.
Yes, I do work with Blender but the poly count is not very high in my models but I was able to get decent performance on my i3 4th gen Desktop that runs on 3.4Ghz paired with a GTX960. But when I tried the same workflow on i3 7th gen laptop with Intel GFX, boy did the laptop cry.

That's why I'm rooting for a decent CPU and motherboard combo. So that I can upgrade the rest later. 3200RAM seems to be available in abundance right now and Ryzen's native support for it makes it a no brainer, but Intel's 11th Gen does not seem to far off either.

omega44-xt said:
Yes, a 3200MHz RAM will underclock & run at 2933MHz when put in a B460 paired with i7. 3000MHz RAMs exist, not sure why Intel put 2933MHz limit. Intel turbo boost isn't better than AMD's PBO & whatever else they use to boost freq. AMD Ryzen 5000 series is expensive, but it outperforms Intel as well.
View attachment 20240
New i7 11700K is just lower binned i9 11900K with the same 8c/16t config, same for i7 11700. Intel 11th gen & AMD Ryzen 5000 have top notch single-core performance, will help in lightly threaded loads.

B560 mobos support XMP, so can run RAM at 3200MHz or 3600MHz, based on the RAM you buy. Hence, wait if you can. So it can reduce mobo costs by 3-5k. But IMO AMD R7 3700X rig will be cheaper considering your budget.

Which website are you seeing these scores from. Looks like a good resource.

A

Some 3600mhz modules

*mdcomputers.in/thermaltake-memory-toughram-16gb-ddr4-3600mhz-r017d408gx2-3600c18a.html

*mdcomputers.in/gskill-ripjaws-v-16gb-ddr4-3600mhz-black-f4-3600c18d-16gvk.html

If you want to save more you can go for a single 16gb stick as omega suggested but dont cheap out on the ram as ram is something you buy once.

Ryzen 3000 series support 3600mhz stable average and ryzen 5000 support 4000mhz average in the bios.
If you plan to buy 5800x and above later maybe you can buy 4000mhz ram now. The cheapest I found is 8x2 ripjaws v for 11750.

If you are not going to benefit much from faster ram then 3600mhz is good fit.

You can also look for qvl list on mobo manufacturers website to check out the recommended ram kits after you have a mobo selected.

I was looking into this, and seems to be quite the tedious process to narrow down to the RAM module that is available in market.
Heck, I've got time so I guess some time spent now should reward me later.
I am basically looking for a PC components that can hold its ground for the next 4-5years with moderately heavy tasks and not be a bottleneck for a faster GPU if I ever get one. While also making sure I don't blow my budget. Last PC that I assembled was in 2016.

I am a Corsair Fan. All my PC's have corsair RAM and PSU.

Are the ones below not good?
3000 corsair

*mdcomputers.in/corsair-vengeance-lpx-16gb-ddr4-3000mhz-black-cmk16gx4m1d3000c16-html

3200 corsair

*mdcomputers.in/corsair-vengeance-lpx-16gb-ddr4-3200mhz-cmk16gx4m1e3200c16.html

3600 corsair

*mdcomputers.in/corsair-vengeance-lpx-16gb-ddr4-3600mhz-cmk16gx4m1z3600c18.html

3200 Adata

*mdcomputers.in/adata-xpg-gammix-d30-ddr4-3200mhz-ax4u3200716g16a-sr30.html

A

What is the gpu you will use right now?
If your fine with a single stick then go for it.

Gollum said:
Which website are you seeing these scores from. Looks like a good resource.

The i7 11700 + cheap B560 looks like a bad combo. Products like i5 11400 & i7 11700 looked very good & people actually had hope from Intel being competitive. But looks like messed up the mobo part, thus pushing up mobo + CPU price, thus making AMD a better value:

Check this video& this channel. They will post VRM thermal test results soon.

Gollum said:
I was looking into this, and seems to be quite the tedious process to narrow down to the RAM module that is available in market.
Heck, I've got time so I guess some time spent now should reward me later.
I am basically looking for a PC components that can hold its ground for the next 4-5years with moderately heavy tasks and not be a bottleneck for a faster GPU if I ever get one. While also making sure I don't blow my budget. Last PC that I assembled was in 2016.

I am a Corsair Fan. All my PC's have corsair RAM and PSU.

Are the ones below not good?
3000 corsair

*mdcomputers.in/corsair-vengeance-lpx-16gb-ddr4-3000mhz-black-cmk16gx4m1d3000c16-html

3200 corsair

*mdcomputers.in/corsair-vengeance-lpx-16gb-ddr4-3200mhz-cmk16gx4m1e3200c16.html

3600 corsair

*mdcomputers.in/corsair-vengeance-lpx-16gb-ddr4-3600mhz-cmk16gx4m1z3600c18.html

3200 Adata

*mdcomputers.in/adata-xpg-gammix-d30-ddr4-3200mhz-ax4u3200716g16a-sr30.html

The Adata D30 is a good choice & is lowest priced right now.

I suggested 1x16GB to give you the flexibility to go up to 4x16GB in future, if required. Dual-channel RAM helps a bit with increasing performance for sure, so try to add the 2nd stick as soon as possible after few months.

A

*mdcomputers.in/adata-xpg-gammix-d30-16gb-ddr4-3600mhz-red-ax4u360038g18a-dr30.html

This kit is cheaper than that single stick of d30. So call mdcomputers and ask when will this be in stock.

Usually it is suggested to buy all ram together but since your budget doesnt allow that go with single for now.

Finding a single 3600mhz 16gb stick is a task. How good is this lineup from adata?

*www.vedantcomputers.com/adata-xpg-spectrix-d60g-16gb-16gbx1-ddr4-rgb-3600mhz

Since you like corsair. Keep an eye on this as well. This is a steal at this price.

*mdcomputers.in/corsair-vengeance-rgb-pro-16gb-ddr4-3600mhz-cmw16gx4m1z3600c18.html

These processors do not have igp so what gpu are you going to use in case you still cant buy one after a month or two? Would you need an integrated graphics option?

aby geek said:
*mdcomputers.in/adata-xpg-gammix-d30-16gb-ddr4-3600mhz-red-ax4u360038g18a-dr30.html
This kit is cheaper than that single stick of d30. So call mdcomputers and ask when will this be in stock.

Usually it is suggested to buy all ram together but since your budget doesnt allow that go with single for now.

Finding a single 3600mhz 16gb stick is a task. How good is this lineup from adata?

*www.vedantcomputers.com/adata-xpg-spectrix-d60g-16gb-16gbx1-ddr4-rgb-3600mhz

Since you like corsair. Keep an eye on this as well. This is a steal at this price.

*mdcomputers.in/corsair-vengeance-rgb-pro-16gb-ddr4-3600mhz-cmw16gx4m1z3600c18.html

These processors do not have igp so what gpu are you going to use in case you still cant buy one after a month or two? Would you need an integrated graphics option?

Those all are old prices. RAM prices have increased in last few months. You could even get a 2x8GB 3600MHz kit for 7k a few months back.

omega44-xt said:
Those all are old prices. RAM prices have increased in last few months. You could even get a 2x8GB 3600MHz kit for 7k a few months back.

So, basically if the CPU only supports 3200Mhz, you are suggesting that we can make the CPU use 3600Mhz while also running it at 3600Mhz speed and not downclocking it to 3200Mhz. Cause the Latter scenario will just be a waste if it doesn't work.

A

*www.logicalincrements.com/articles/building-pc-3d-rendering-animation

This is a good read for your needs.

aby geek said:
*www.logicalincrements.com/articles/building-pc-3d-rendering-animation
This is a good read for your needs.

This is definitely useful.
I also want to know what is the power supply requirement of a PC running i7 or R7 with a GPU or the likes of 1660 or 1650?
Is it 550w, 650w or 750w?
I'm guessing a 750w would be a good contender. If I use my age old GTX960 or a temp GT640 would I still need more than 400w?

*mdcomputers.in/smps?sort=p.price&order=ASC&bfilter=a400:5512;

A

What gpu do you plan to buy and what processor will you upgrade to?
Try and work out fair estimate of wattage required for a complete build if you can.
A 750w psu can handle a 3090 ina system with ryzen 7 /i7, for r9 and i9 systems it goes upto 850w, and for threadripper rigs its 1000w.

So any system below 3090 is fine with a 750w psu with room to upgrade later.
Get a 80 plus gold certified psu of 650w or 750w which is around the 7-8k price point. Dont spend more than that.
Choose a reputed brand and then after you select a unit research about it thoroughly.
80 plus is a certification but you will have to scour through reviews to dig out if substandard parts might have been used.

Gollum said:
So, basically if the CPU only supports 3200Mhz, you are suggesting that we can make the CPU use 3600Mhz while also running it at 3600Mhz speed and not downclocking it to 3200Mhz. Cause the Latter scenario will just be a waste if it doesn't work.

Not sure what you mean, but look for XMP in RAM. B460 doesn't support it for Intel, but B560 & Z series mobo does. If you buy a 3600MHz RAM, you have to set its XMP profile in BIOS.

Gollum said:
This is definitely useful.
I also want to know what is the power supply requirement of a PC running i7 or R7 with a GPU or the likes of 1660 or 1650?
Is it 550w, 650w or 750w?
I'm guessing a 750w would be a good contender. If I use my age old GTX960 or a temp GT640 would I still need more than 400w?

*mdcomputers.in/smps?sort=p.price&order=ASC&bfilter=a400:5512;

For R7 3700X, 550W should suffice if paired with 1660S. R7 3700X takes up to 95W without OC & an i7 11700 can take like 140W w/o power limits. Also, PSUs are more efficient at around 60% load + people like to keep headroom for future upgrades.

The Corsair CV650 I suggested earlier will be more than sufficient, unless you get a 300W GPU in future like 3080 or its successor.

Hi @Gollum ! Just a heads up, if you are getting micro ATX board. What is your idea about CPU cooler? If you plan to get a separate cooler, make sure your RAM is short enough to accomodate CPU Cooler. Most of RGB RAMs are tall so a cooler like Noctua NH-D15 wont work (with 2 fans.).

CM Hyper 212 Black edition is safest bet with Corsair LPX. Ditch the RGB, embrace the darkness

TheSloth said:
Hi @Gollum ! Just a heads up, if you are getting micro ATX board. What is your idea about CPU cooler? If you plan to get a separate cooler, make sure your RAM is short enough to accomodate CPU Cooler. Most of RGB RAMs are tall so a cooler like Noctua NH-D15 wont work (with 2 fans.).

Yes, I totally get what you are saying. I am not an RGB fan but I am totally a fan of Lights inside the case. But only if I get it within my budget. I'm gonna be looking at the screen and not the side panel of the PC

Nerevarine said:
CM Hyper 212 Black edition is safest bet with Corsair LPX. Ditch the RGB, embrace the darkness

Darkness is all I have for now. But Some light inside a windowed panel will be good IMO.

omega44-xt said:
Not sure what you mean, but look for XMP in RAM. B460 doesn't support it for Intel, but B560 & Z series mobo does. If you buy a 3600MHz RAM, you have to set its XMP profile in BIOS.

I'm planning to ditch the Intel from the looks of motherboard options that I have. I was hoping to accelerate the mechanical HDD with the help of Optane and use Sata m.2 for boot. with the Intel Rig.
Since AMD platofrm does not support Optane I have to go for more value.
BTW, I have a cooler Master Hyper tx3 and a cooler master cooler master 103. Can I use any of these with R7 or are they too old.
103 seems to support LGA1200 but not AM4 socket for Ryzen.

Edit: Looks like tx3 evo supports Ryzen AM4

*www.coolermaster.com/catalog/coolers/cpu-air-coolers/hyper-tx3-evo/#specifications

A

*www.windowscentral.com/best-cpu-coolers-amd-ryzen-7-3700x

I think the stock cooler would be better than CM Hyper TX3. Anyway, check the temps first and then decide to spend on decent CPU Cooler if you are having doubts about it now.

Gollum said:
I'm planning to ditch the Intel from the looks of motherboard options that I have. I was hoping to accelerate the mechanical HDD with the help of Optane and use Sata m.2 for boot. with the Intel Rig.
Since AMD platofrm does not support Optane I have to go for more value.
BTW, I have a cooler Master Hyper tx3 and a cooler master cooler master 103. Can I use any of these with R7 or are they too old.
103 seems to support LGA1200 but not AM4 socket for Ryzen.

Edit: Looks like tx3 evo supports Ryzen AM4

*www.coolermaster.com/catalog/coolers/cpu-air-coolers/hyper-tx3-evo/#specifications

You have to search & see if AM4 is supported or if you can buy bracket for AM4 support. If it supports, then good.

R7 3700X comes with Wraith Prism, which I found to be good enough. On load temps go beyond 90C, but 100% load of 3700X is rare. If your usage is pushing temps above say 85C consistently, consider getting a new cooler. IMO check with both the stock cooler & your TX3 evo to see which performs better.

For thermal paste: Kingpin kpx & Thermal grizzly kryonaut (750 for 1g) are 2 top thermal pastes, in case you want the best. For something cheaper, Noctua NT H1 costs 500 for 1g or you can buy Arctic MX4/MX5 for 800-900 for 4g. 1g should be fine for 2 applications on CPU.

omega44-xt said:
You have to search & see if AM4 is supported or if you can buy bracket for AM4 support. If it supports, then good.

R7 3700X comes with Wraith Prism, which I found to be good enough. On load temps go beyond 90C, but 100% load of 3700X is rare. If your usage is pushing temps above say 85C consistently, consider getting a new cooler. IMO check with both the stock cooler & your TX3 evo to see which performs better.

For thermal paste: Kingpin kpx & Thermal grizzly kryonaut (750 for 1g) are 2 top thermal pastes, in case you want the best. For something cheaper, Noctua NT H1 costs 500 for 1g or you can buy Arctic MX4/MX5 for 800-900 for 4g. 1g should be fine for 2 applications on CPU.

In my use case scenario, the usage of the CPU would only go high during Premier pro rendering and when I cook on Unrel Engine. Cooking does not take too long though.

Gollum said:
In my use case scenario, the usage of the CPU would only go high during Premier pro rendering and when I cook on Unrel Engine. Cooking does not take too long though.

Just check with stock cooler & your cooler, use whichever ends up performing better. IMO for short rendering times stock cooler of R7 3700X should be ok.