Building the best graphics based PC possible right now.

[Nick D]

I need some advice on building a new pc.

I will be doing a lot of graphics work such as, video editing, using 3D Studio Max to render high quality, detailed images,
working with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop etc...

I want to build a very high end system to more than adequately handle every graphics related need I might throw at it. I plan on buying the hardware to build the system, as I can afford it, over the next 4-5 months. ($3500 CAN)

Here is what I need to know (make and model please):

Case:
Power Supply:
Motherboard:
Processor:
Video Card:
Sound Card:
(some kind of) Media Reader:

I want a mobo that can handle tons of ram. Any help you people can give me would be very appreciated.

Also, are there any good Canadian sites out there to order parts from, as I don't like all the duty, extra taxes, and shipping costs when ordering from a U.States site.

TIA,
NickD

[saphalline]

I can give you some general advice. First off, you'll want a workstation-level graphics card, not a puny gaming graphics card. Take a look at NVidia's Quadro4 580 XGL, which is a small yet powerful entry-level card that doesn't totally sacrifice consumer app performance for 3DS max performance.

You'll also need a full-tower case, like an Antec SX1040B or something similar. Not really much more expensive than the usual mid-tower, I use one myself (the Antec SX1030). Gonna need that 400W power supply, tho, brand name is a must for this.

Sound card? Depends on how much quality you need. You could go mainstream with a Sound Blaster Audigy or Audigy2, or for better music quality like a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz, or maybe you need true 24-bit recording capabilities (I know the Audigy2 does this, not sure about the others).

Motherboard and processor? Your pick. AMD's AthlonXP line is the best bang for the buck, but run hotter than P4's. Intel's P4 line runs cooler and scores higher in content creation apps (music & video creation), but they are often 50% more than an AthlonXP of similar speed. After you pick out a processor, the choice of a mobo isn't far behind. Just get the best board with a certain chipset. NForce2 for the AthlonXP, one of the dual-DDR ones for the P4 (sorry, can't remember right now). And really, how much RAM do you need? Modern mobo's can handle 2-3GB of RAM, which is more than is available right now (they top out at 512MB per stick). Tho you may have better luck with registered ECC RAM, but I don't think you'd need it...

That's my two cents. Hope it helps.

[BigBlue66]

I read somewhere that if you're going to populate all the DIMM slots on a board, then it's best to go with ECC RAM. I guess it cuts down on problems associated with the interleaving or something.

I just upgraded from a Santa Cruz to an Audigy2 Platinum. The Aud2 has crystal clear sound even at very high volume so I don't believe that the Santa Cruz is better when playing music. The hardwired EQ on the Cruz is nice though, much better than Creative's idea of an EQ.

I recommend an Antec True Power series of power supply. Bigger the better. The TP series has separate voltage rails, so a big draw on one rail won't pull down the other rails.

The best AMD chipset right now is the Nforce2. I think the 845EP chipset for the P4 has been getting good reviews.

I think the TBred series of AMD XP chips is supposed to run cooler than the Palimino brand of XP, based in part on a smaller die size or something.

Not sure about Canadian online sites for shopping.