Hey everyone! I'm in the process of building a powerful desktop workstation for heavy 3D rendering tasks, mainly with SketchUp and Lumion. My aim is to create large-scale environments like cities with smooth real-time performance and fast final renders. Gaming isn't a priority for me—I'm focusing strictly on optimizing for professional 3D workflows. I have a budget of up to $7000 USD and I've put together a parts list:
CPU: AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX (32-core) - $3,200
GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4090 24GB - $1,800
Motherboard: ASUS Pro WS WRX80E-SAGE SE WIFI - $950
RAM: 128GB DDR4 ECC (4x32GB) - $450
Storage 1: Samsung 980 Pro 2TB NVMe - $180
Storage 2: WD Black SN850X 4TB NVMe - $400
PSU: Corsair AX1600i 1600W Platinum - $450
Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 XL - $180
Cooling: Noctua NH-U14S TR4-SP3 - $130
OS: Windows 11 Pro - $140
Total: ~ $7,000
I have a few questions:
1. Is this build overkill or well-balanced for use with SketchUp and Lumion? Any potential bottlenecks?
2. Are there better CPU options that offer similar rendering performance for less money?
3. Is ECC RAM necessary for my use case, or can I go with regular high-speed DDR4?
4. Any suggestions for compatible coolers with the Threadripper PRO?
5. Would you change any parts if you were building with the same budget and rendering focus?
I appreciate any feedback or suggestions! Thanks a lot!
3 Answers
Honestly, I think you're leaning towards overkill. If your primary work is in SketchUp and Lumion, a lot of the higher core counts in CPUs don’t scale well. You'll get more from a processor with strong single-core performance, so maybe consider a current-gen 6-core CPU instead of that Threadripper. The RTX 4090 is fantastic for rendering, but the Threadripper might be a waste unless you do a lot of CPU rendering and speed is crucial. A 6-core chip would probably provide better performance for around $200.
Definitely agree. I also think your GPU is solid, but you might find better overall performance with a more modern CPU.
Really, if you're going to be spending that much, why not check out alternatives like a Ryzen 9 series CPU? They perform exceptionally well for tasks like 3D rendering without breaking the bank. Also, a 5090 could be a great addition if you're looking to future-proof your setup, especially for graphics-intensive applications.
Thanks for the suggestion! Do you have a specific Ryzen model that would work best?
A Ryzen 9 sounds promising! Would love to see a build using that.
I'm not convinced that ECC RAM is necessary here. For your tasks, standard high-speed DDR4 should suffice. Plus, it will save you some cash, which could go towards a better GPU or extra storage instead.
Totally! I think non-ECC RAM is totally fine for what you're doing.
Yes, and you'll probably see better performance with standard RAM.
Great point! Do you have any specific CPU models in mind that might work well?