First desktop in 10 years.

[HumbleChief]

All less then $1,300.00.

I think that's the point for the OP and other new computer shoppers. You DO have to do some homework but you DON'T have to spend a fortune to get a great machine to run Chief.

[MTH]

Check out this link. I have purchased several CAD machines here in the past.
http://www.xicomputer.com/products/w...Content=Intel2

You should expect to spend about $2,500.00 if you don;t load up on pre loaded software

[alan11]

Mike,

The order of importance for me would be:

Processor - go for an Intel i7 or equivalent if you can
System memory - I run with 8GB and performance is fast
Graphics card
Graphics memory - 1 or 2 Gb should be sufficient but it will depend on how complex your designs get, but then you can always switch-off layers which is cheaper than buying more memory
The only thing that will be slow is ray tracing, but I really wouldn't spec a machine for this.

The Dell spec looks more than adequate, but it's expensive. My HP Pavilion Elite cost equivalent of $1500.

Good luck

Alan

[HumbleChief]

Alan, Don't forget the Mother Board (my #1) - it can make or break the system.

[Chad Cardin]

Cliff,

Thanks for the recommendations. Is CPU solutions a local shop or online store? That would be great to find a place that builds it like you want it. Here in the bay area, its 'Silicon Valley' where everyone builds there own but for me, Im not a techy computer guy so Id like more guidance. I will check it out!

[Cliff Bunyea]

Hi Chad,

Online www.cpusolutions.com. I worked w/ Todd.

FYI: Larry brought up one of the main reasons I had a custom made unit. The mother board! For my budget I got a Gigabyte (w/ bah, bah, bah). I was told by many that "box companies give you big numbers of "stuff" but it is the board that makes things happen(or not).
I guess it is like building your foundation on sand as the good book says.

[Chad Cardin]

Hi Chad,

Online www.cpusolutions.com. I worked w/ Todd.

FYI: Larry brought up one of the main reasons I had a custom made unit. The mother board! For my budget I got a Gigabyte (w/ bah, bah, bah). I was told by many that "box companies give you big numbers of "stuff" but it is the board that makes things happen(or not).
I guess it is like building your foundation on sand as the good book says.

Your totally right! Ive pampered this computer and the motherboard went out twice! I do all the heavy computer use on my other Dell and use this one for strictly chief and design work and it conks out for that! UGH! Im hoping the whole thing will conk out completely before the warranty goes out next March, that way they can replace it with something more reliable!

[lbuttery]

Hmmm, I have been buying computers since 1978 and have never had a motherboard crash ???

In fact, I have probably only had < 10 items such as HD or fan or video card go bad

Lew

[Chad Cardin]

Lew,

Your darn lucky! I guess its like cars.... now you have to have all these bags of air in the car to protect you... back in the 50s, 60s and 70s when you had doors and bumpers of steel no one needed bags of air!

I get so disappointed when I go to the annual car shows and see billowing piles of plastic with thin tin sheetmetal. Yes the technology might be better along with the brakes and reliability but I like good ol fashioned steel.

Maybe the same could be said about computers. I have no idea as Im not a computer builder so I couldnt verify if the parts are getting more flimsy and cheap. I know the newer the faster and 'better' but not sure about the reliability. Maybe your picking out the 'good ol pieces of steel' when it comes to computers? Whatever your doing keep it up because having computer issues is no fun!!

[HumbleChief]

All my personal builds start with the motherboard and every problem I've had (very very few thank god) could be traced to the Mother Board. Luckily Chief is not as finicky as some other software. For example some MB's just do not work when producing music. Different chip sets and configurations can wreak havoc on streaming music files and I bet there' a MB out there that will do a job on Chief as well.

I also bought a cheap MB for my wife and it kept randomly re-booting and we tried everything to get it working then I discovered a forum where a random thread described the exact problem and I returned that MB and got the next level up with great results.

Now I research, research, research, and read all customer reviews before investing in a great MoBo. After that it's a cakewalk (haha - music software)

[Chad Cardin]

Larry,

Where should average computer users go to evaluate whats a good motherboard? Also, is that even an option if you buy from Dell or do they just use the ones they want versus giving you choices? I dont remember that as an option when I bought all my Dells.

[victor rasilla]

don't waste dough, get a custom build. if yu are not into doing it yourself check out ecollegepc.com. getting a ferrari isn't going to get you to the city any faster. you can still get all the overkill stuff with a custom build for half that price. you should be looking at an AMD phenom x6 over the xeon too. An i7 sandybridge can be overclocked to kill that xeon and still hit low celsius without liquid cooling if chief is your most intensive computing.

[jenrob]

Hi, If you base a system on the i7- 2600 K processor overclocked to around 4.4
Ghz & a GTX 570 video card, I am sure you will end up with a better system for
less than $ 1500.
Regards Rob

[Chad Cardin]

Great to know, thanks for the referrals, I will check them out.

[Chad Cardin]

Wow! Cliff and Victor, I checked out your two sites you recommended and they were great! You werent kidding when you said total customization. Geez, you can customize everything from casing to wiring. You both were also right about pricing, you can get triple the computer for half the price.

I use to think the brands like Dell meant reliability but as I became more knowledgable that all the parts inside are from the same computer companies that are in the custom ones. Its just that name brand companies charge more. So, I think if my dell breaks after the warranty is up I might as well try one of those. I really liked ecollegepc because it had the full warranty and pick up and drop off, that is something I would get.

Both those websites were clearly for someone who knows exactly what you want. For the rest of us who are clueless on whats the best motherboard etc, etc how do we go about selecting the right combinations of these custom parts and pieces?

Also of all the choices of combinations of parts, how do we know which ones run chief most optimally?

Im extremely intrigued by these website and Im almost certain that come my next computer purchase, I will just buy one from those sites, they seem really great.