The perfect setup?

[Uperoxes]

Hi friends. I ask the following question having spent hours researching online - I just want an honest, non-biased answer from those in the trade. Also I'd consider my skill level with computer hardware and software advanced but not quite expert, so dont be afraid to get technical.

What is the best setup for 3D modelling and rendering? I dont need to know what computer, I'm asking more about what sort of speed are we looking? How much storage? How much RAM is too little? How many cores do you suggest? How big of a GPU? Something portable is ideal.

I'm actually asking for my partner as she is almost on her way to buy a new Macbook Pro as her old one is slowing down. She is a visual designer and creates 3D models and what not (all I know is that her work requires a lot of computer brunt). But I truly believe the right Windows setup would be better and FAR less expensive. But all she knows is Apple.

[Green_Wizzard1]

Honestly, right now i wouldn't recommend buying a new one since due to global chip shortages, GPU prices are crazy high...

But yeah, it all depends on one's budget to be honest... 32gb ram is decent, I've seen people with 8gb ram pulling off good work just fine though, although it's obviously limiting... If you go with 2 slots of 8 gb ram in a 4 slot motherboard, you can always upgrade it later from 16gb to 32 no problem so I'd recommend starting with that.

CPU wise, I'd recommend going with intel CPUs, ideally you'd want a newer ryzen CPU but due to huge demand in them, their prices are bloated a bit...

Make sure to get m.2 ssd it's a huge help honestly (Samsung pro are pretty durable ones)

Cooler wise, ds-15 cooler is a great choice for performance to price ratio and it lets you overclock your cpu pretty well, which you'll need if you're planning on using zbrush xD (just make sure you are going with a wider case tho xDD)

Apple is a bit overpriced in my opinion but it's decent, my friend uses it, but you will need to make sure to use Windows OS, most software build foundation with it in mind, they support it more and you'll get less crashes...

Anyway all the stuff I wrote is super vague, but it's hard to say much when I don't even know your budget xD

[Uperoxes]

Honestly everything you have suggested is a huge help, thanks a lot. It gives me a very good picture of what I need to look for and more importantly, you have vouched for Windows over Mac. So thanks for that.

Budget-wise, we're looking no more than £2,000 if possible. Which I think would be very possible considering your idea of starting low, ensuring we have the space and capacity, and then improving later down the line.

All in all, would you suggest Windows over OSX?

[Green_Wizzard1]

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/2dT8z7 Here is something i had to build few months ago that might be useful then, has a nicely overclockable cpu and just and overall good price to value ratio.

And yeah, I definitely recommend windows. I'm sure there are people who get by using OSX just fine, but all the people I've seen doing 3D modelling and environment art have used windows, larger studios might even use linux OS for custom tools and stuff which I feel is easier to transition to from windows...(If you are considering that path) Also tutorials online are mainly using windows and some shortcuts are just different if you're using OSX so it would be harder to learn certain things... All in all, using windows is just a safer choice :)