I'm planning to assemble a PC for my wife who runs an architecture business, primarily using REVIT. Her projects are generally light commercial and mostly residential, so they won't be extremely demanding. I already have an RTX 3070 GPU and a 750W power supply to reuse, but I need recommendations for the CPU and motherboard that would fit well within a budget of around $500. Any suggestions? I'm located in the US. Thanks in advance!
3 Answers
From my experience, an i7 12700 or AMD 7700x is ideal since they provide great performance with 8 cores. Also, 32GB of RAM is a must nowadays, especially with Windows 11 being quite resource-hungry. Don't forget about a good SSD; 1TB is a good start. Your 3070 GPU should handle architectural tasks well, but if you can, consider a Quadro for slightly better performance. And stick with a reliable cooler in the $30-$40 range!
Honestly, if this PC is for business, you might want to just buy a pre-built system. There are plenty of solid options out there that are specifically designed for CAD work. You'll save yourself some hassle in the long run and ensure reliability for your projects.
For architecture work, you'll want a CPU that offers high clock speeds. Since you're on a budget, consider a Ryzen 9 7900x or Intel's 14th gen i7/i9, but you might have to look for good bundles since they can go a little over your $500 mark. Micro Center often has good deals on CPU/motherboard combos if you're near one. Just be sure to check for availability!
Yeah, definitely check out the Ryzen 9 options. I’ve seen good deals on those too at Micro Center!