Best PC build for 3D design?

Evening, everyone,

I’m looking for some guidance on putting together a workstation build tailored for 3D design work—specifically running Revit, AutoCAD, and occasionally some heavy-duty rendering software.

Budget-wise, I’m not looking to go overboard just for the sake of it; I’d prefer something that hits that "sweet spot" of value for money. I'm thinking somewhere in the ballpark of $1,000 $0.00 though I wouldn't mind stretching it a bit more if the performance gains are actually tangible 🙂. On the flip side, I won't complain if we end up landing on something a little cheaper 🙂.

Best regards, 👍>

Samsung 870 EVO, maybe around $50 or $40, 240GB, 7mm, 2.5"
Maybe it's just me, but I think we should go with the Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB DDR4 instead.
The EVGA GTX 1060 with 3GB of GDDR5.
Maybe just a Corsair 650W TX-M series power supply? I guess that would do it.
The ASUS ROG Z370 motherboard, socket 1151.
It’s an Intel Core i7 8700k (12MB Cache, 3.70 GHz) on the LGA 1151 socket, I guess.
Zalman Z1 NEO Midi-Tower ATX case, black, no PSU included.
The Seagate Barracuda 1 TB 3.5" hard drive.

Total: $3365 PCMag

You could probably stretch things out a bit more with the case if you wanted to... this one is decent, but nothing to write home about. Maybe go with a Razer BlackWidow instead. $75 More room to breathe. Maybe something more expansive, with a few extra features thrown in.

It really comes down to a general question of which rendering software you plan on running. Some people rely solely on the CPU, like when using V-Ray, while others utilize both the processor and the GPU, such as with OctaneRender. Then you have those who lean entirely on the graphics card, using tools like Lumion. Because of that, you have to balance things out—either pairing a high-core count processor with a more modest GPU, or doing the exact opposite. For a budget of around $10,000, you could actually put together a pretty solid machine featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 1700 and 16GB of RAM.
For standard 2D drafting in AutoCAD, even a much weaker computer would get the job done, whereas Revit sits somewhere in the middle; that’s because you’re essentially working in 3D, since you aren't just rendering flat drawings, but rather a full 3D model built from those designs 🙂.
It looks like crimsonstag84 beat me to the punch and already suggested a specific, decent setup.

crimsonstag84 said:Samsung 870 EVO, maybe around $50 or $40, 240GB, 7mm, 2.5"
Maybe it's just me, but I think we should go with the Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB DDR4 instead.
The EVGA GTX 1060 with 3GB of GDDR5.
Maybe just a Corsair 650W TX-M series power supply? I guess that would do it.
The ASUS ROG Z370 motherboard, socket 1151.
It’s an Intel Core i7 8700k (12MB Cache, 3.70 GHz) on the LGA 1151 socket, I guess.
Zalman Z1 NEO Midi-Tower ATX case, black, no PSU included.
The Seagate Barracuda 1 TB 3.5" hard drive.

Total: $3365 PCMag

You could probably stretch things out a bit more with the case if you wanted to... this one is decent, but nothing to write home about. Maybe go with a Razer BlackWidow instead. $75 More room to breathe. Maybe something more expansive, with a few extra features thrown in.

Thanks for the breakdown. I’ll definitely go with a larger case—maybe even a bigger one, since there's plenty of space to fit it in. Up until yesterday, I was running an i7-5820K on the 2011 socket with an NVIDIA GTX 960, which I was pretty happy with, but this setup you've put together is quite a step up.👍

It's a bit of a broad question, really; it all depends on which rendering software ends up being your bread and butter. Some people rely solely on the CPU (Quote : Smartic), others split the load between both (V-Ray), and some lean entirely on the GPU (Lumion or OctaneRender). Because of that, you either pair a high-core-count processor with a mid-range graphics card, or vice versa. For $10k, you can pull together a very capable machine using an AMD Ryzen 7 1700 and 16GB of RAM.
For basic 2D drafting in AutoCAD, even a much weaker machine would suffice, whereas Revit sits somewhere in the middle because you're already working in 3D (you aren't just rendering drawings, you're building a 3D model based on those blueprints).
Anyway, crimsonstag84 beat me to the punch and suggested a specific, solid build.

Edward Stewart, it's clear you have a real handle on the technical side of things 👍. That configuration from crimsonstag84 should handle everything just fine. I've dabbled a bit in V-Ray for presentations, but I haven't had much time with the others yet. I'll give them a look if they turn out to be simpler or faster to use.😁

velvetsurfer87 said:Thanks for the breakdown. I’ll definitely go with a larger case—maybe even a bigger one, since there's plenty of space to fit it in. Up until yesterday, I was running an i7-5820K on the 2011 socket with an NVIDIA GTX 960, which I was pretty happy with, but this setup you've put together is quite a step up.👍

It's a bit of a broad question, really; it all depends on which rendering software ends up being your bread and butter. Some people rely solely on the CPU (Quote : Smartic), others split the load between both (V-Ray), and some lean entirely on the GPU (Lumion or OctaneRender). Because of that, you either pair a high-core-count processor with a mid-range graphics card, or vice versa. For $10k, you can pull together a very capable machine using an AMD Ryzen 7 1700 and 16GB of RAM.
For basic 2D drafting in AutoCAD, even a much weaker machine would suffice, whereas Revit sits somewhere in the middle because you're already working in 3D (you aren't just rendering drawings, you're building a 3D model based on those blueprints).
Anyway, crimsonstag84 beat me to the punch and suggested a specific, solid build.

Edward Stewart, it's clear you have a real handle on the technical side of things 👍. That configuration from crimsonstag84 should handle everything just fine. I've dabbled a bit in V-Ray for presentations, but I haven't had much time with the others yet. I'll give them a look if they turn out to be simpler or faster to use.😁

True, it is certainly more potent than the 5820K, but you would need to overclock it (and manage the cooling) past 5GHz just to catch up to an AMD Ryzen 7 1700 running at 3.8-3.9GHz, which is much easier to keep cool.
If your workflow leans heavily on the GPU for V-Ray, then those $333 savings might be better spent on a more robust graphics card. It all depends on your specific projects, but for serious rendering work, you won't find success just by 🙂 tinkering with settings.

Edward Stewart said:True, it is certainly more potent than the 5820K, but you would need to overclock it (and manage the cooling) past 5GHz just to catch up to an AMD Ryzen 7 1700 running at 3.8-3.9GHz, which is much easier to keep cool.
If your workflow leans heavily on the GPU for V-Ray, then those $333 savings might be better spent on a more robust graphics card. It all depends on your specific projects, but for serious rendering work, you won't find success just by 🙂 tinkering with settings.

Would this setup actually make more sense with an AMD Ryzen 7 1700, considering the Intel option requires overclocking, heavy cooling, and all that extra hassle?

Once again, we find ourselves circling back to the fundamental issue of context and intended use. When you're strictly talking about CPU rendering, they perform quite similarly, regardless of whether you're pushing them with an overclock or leaving them at stock settings, yet Intel remains more expensive via $0.33—actually, even more so when you factor in the fact that it doesn't even include a cooler.
Since you haven't provided much detail regarding your specific workflow or any particular reason why you'd lean toward Intel, I suppose it really just boils down to pure mathematics regarding which one represents the better value for your money.

Is that i7 you had—or maybe still have—really not cutting it anymore? Honestly, buying a whole new motherboard and CPU right now would be a massive waste of money, especially since you’re sitting on a processor that’s still perfectly capable.

If you're truly hell-bent on an upgrade, look into picking up an NVIDIA Quadro or perhaps an AMD workstation card instead. Or, if you must, just bump up the RAM.

Leave the CPU and the motherboard exactly as they are.

mellowtiger83 said:Is that i7 you had—or maybe still have—really not cutting it anymore? Honestly, buying a whole new motherboard and CPU right now would be a massive waste of money, especially since you’re sitting on a processor that’s still perfectly capable.

If you're truly hell-bent on an upgrade, look into picking up an NVIDIA Quadro or perhaps an AMD workstation card instead. Or, if you must, just bump up the RAM.

Leave the CPU and the motherboard exactly as they are.

I actually left the company where that computer was located, so I don't have access to any of it anymore. Now, I need to put together something fresh for my own office setup. 🙂

crimsonstag84 said:Samsung 870 EVO, R500/W350, 240GB, 7mm, 2.5"
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB DDR4
EVGA GTX 1060, 3GB GDDR5
Corsair PSU, 650W, TX-M Series
ASUS ROG Z370, 1151
Intel Core i7 8700 k (12MB Cache, 3.70 GHz), s.1151
Zalman Z1 NEO Midi-Tower ATX case, no PSU, black
Seagate Barracuda 1 TB 3.5"

crimsonstag84, just one quick question: do I actually need a dedicated CPU cooler for this processor? If so, could you give me a recommendation so I can get my order placed? 🙂

You really should aim to pull the trigger within a week of planning; otherwise, prices, stock levels, and general value tend to shift. 😛

ASUS Z370 Extreme4 Motherboard, 90-MXB5U0-A0UAYZ, LGA1151 8th Gen CPU
Intel Core i7-8700K Processor (12MB Cache, 3.70 GHz), LGA1151, boxed without cooler, BX80684I78700K
EVGA 650W SuperNOVA G3 Power Supply, 220-G3-0650-Y2
16GB (2x8) DDR4 PC4-19200U 2400MHz CL16 Crucial, BLS2C8G4D240FSB
EVGA GTX1060 3G Dual Graphics Card, 3GB GDDR5, 192-bit, 1708/2000MHz, NE51060015F9D
Zalman R1 mid tower case. 192(W) x 465(H) x 450(D)mm. MB standard: Standard ATX / micro ATX. PSU: S
Cooler Master Hyper 212 CPU Cooler, ACFRE00004A
Samsung 850 evo 250 GB, SATA3, MZ-75E250B
1TB WD Blue HDD, 3.5", 7200RPM, 64MB Cache, SATA3, WD10EZEX

Total: $3.50 - ADM