new system required, best CPU?

Hello,

My PC building skills have been called upon however I find it hard work keeping up with the latest technology and was hoping the fine folk here at Hexus could help me out. This machine will be primarily running 3D modelling software such as Maya.

I usually like to start by deciding on a CPU and then finding the best compatible hardware to go with it. Last time I was doing this for someone I was looking at an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 socket 775 but this was some months ago and I imagine things have moved on since then.

Looking at a budget of ~ £100 - £150 for the CPU what would you guys recommend I should be looking at?

Thanks =)

What is your budget for the CPU,motherboard and RAM?

Different platforms have different costs for the motherboard and RAM so it is important to know this.

Are you gaming?

Hello Cat,

No the system won't be used for gaming; the 3D rendering will be the most intensive use.

We're on a bit of a budget here, so ideally I would like to build this system for somewhere in the region of £450 (not including VGA, mouse, keyboard, peripherals etc.) So with that in mind I think CPU is the first big decision here.

Is the budget including a copy of Windows??

No, the O/S will be on top. Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit OEM seems the obvious choice.

AFAIK, Maya can use six cores and so can many software packages which are used for rendering.

This is what I would consider getting:

Phenom II X6 1055T and Asus M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 bundle ~ £247

http://www.scan.co.uk/TodayOnly/Index.aspx

The Asus motherboard has a split 8+2 phase VRM with cooling,USB 3.0,SATA 3.0 and the HD4250 IGP with 128MB of dedicated DDR3. The IGP should be comparable to an HD3450 graphics card.

4GB Corsair 1333MHZ DDR3 ~ £93

http://www.scan.co.uk/TodayOnly/Index.aspx

Silverstone PS02B Precision ~ £26

http://www.scan.co.uk/TodayOnly/Index.aspx

OR

Silverstone PS-01B-W ~ £28

http://www.scan.co.uk/TodayOnly/Index.aspx

OCZ StealthXStream 400W ~ £33

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/152505

This is made by CWT.

Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB ~ £46

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/150246

The newer batches of the Samsung F3 have issues with the SB850 southbridge although Samsung have provided a fix for affected drives.

SATA optical drive ~ £13

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/176026

If you use the free postage from Scan and Ebuyer the total comes to around £458 to £460.

Windows Home Premium OEM is also on Scan Today Only for around £79:

http://www.scan.co.uk/TodayOnly/Index.aspx

The Scan Today Only offers will end before midday tomorrow.

Thanks very much Cat. Might not be able to order today, but I'll look into the Phenom II X6 1055T.

Quote:

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Phenom II X6 1055T and Asus M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 bundle ~ £247

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http://www.scan.co.uk/TodayOnly/#2

Quote:

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4GB Corsair 1333MHZ DDR3 ~ £93

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http://www.scan.co.uk/TodayOnly/#13

Quote:

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Silverstone PS02B Precision ~ £26 or Silverstone PS-01B-W ~ £28

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http://www.scan.co.uk/TodayOnly/#11

Quote:

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Windows Home Premium OEM is also on Scan Today Only for around £79:

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http://www.scan.co.uk/TodayOnly/#2