Is there any way to make this computer cheaper?

[Saulkar]

Ok, here is the scoop. I am trying to make myself a small render farm of 2 to 4 computers and here is what I have so far.

Intel Core i5-2500K
ECS H61H2-M2(1.0) LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
IN WIN Dragon Slayer Black 0.6mm SECC MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
HP USB 2.0 8X External Slim Multiformat DVD/CD Writer Model DVD550S
Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD800BEVE 80GB 5400 RPM 2.5" PATA Notebook Hard Drive -Bare Drive
COOLER MASTER Hyper N 520 RR-920-N520-GP 92mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Intel Core i7 compatible

Total Price: $701.92 - Newegg.ca

I am trying to make it as dirt cheap as possible but because I am mostly going off of what has the best rating to ensure sheer longevity I am guessing that I am missing out on components that are cheaper but just as reliable.

The thing about a render node is that it MUST have both a powerful processor and lots of ram. It needs to be a quad core at least and have at least 16 gigs of ram. I chose the 2500k because it appears to have the best power to price ratio plus onboard video eliminating a graphics card but if there is one with a better price to power ratio I will listen.

It will be running for days at a time at FULL LOAD. Since the 2500k has onboard video, I need not worry about getting a graphics card since it will serve no purpose beyond letting me install software such as the operating system and animation software. The hard drive must be large enough to install the OS and animation software (about 40-50 gigs worth of software) at most so it does not need to be large. I do not know if the power supply is too much, that is one of the bigger ones.

So is there any way to skim the price just a little bit more without sacrificing too terribly much?

Key Points.
*I5-I7 processor with a good power to price ratio. Onboard video a plus.
*16 gigs of ram.
*Cooling sufficient enough to keep it cool for days at a time running a full load.
*Hard drive a minimum of 80 gigs
*Power Supply sufficient to run it all.
*Get it under $700

So yeah, have at'er.

 

[DoPo]

I need not worry about getting a graphics card since it will serve no purpose beyond letting me install software such as the operating system and animation software.

I really don't know much about render farms, or VGI rendering in general but can't you benefit from running several threads simultaneously? I'm saying that because the you are giving away the massively parallel processing a video card offers. Sure the processors there aren't as powerful as the i5 but there are 16 or 32 times as much. You have a quad core CPU? Try 64 or 128 core GPU. And then, you

Well, that is if CGI rendering will benefit from parallel processing in the first place.

 

[Saulkar]

I need not worry about getting a graphics card since it will serve no purpose beyond letting me install software such as the operating system and animation software.

I really don't know much about render farms, or VGI rendering in general but can't you benefit from running several threads simultaneously? I'm saying that because the you are giving away the massively parallel processing a video card offers. Sure the processors there aren't as powerful as the i5 but there are 16 or 32 times as much. You have a quad core CPU? Try 64 or 128 core GPU. And then, you

Well, that is if CGI rendering will benefit from parallel processing in the first place.

Mental Ray does not use the video card to render. That is still at least a couple of years away because of technical difficulties and the fact that Nvidia wants a complete monopoly over Mental Ray hardware rendering which AMD is rightly fighting. There is a renderer called QuickSilver that does use the video card to render "very fast" but things like physics based lighting, radiosity, ambient occlusion, and other dynamics are rendered very poorly with little accuracy.

 

[the_dancy_vagrant]

My advice would be to wait for a few months, if at all possible.

Intel is releasing their new-fangled line of processors some time later this year, so the current tier of top shelf processors like the i5 2500k and i7 2600k will likely plummet in price. Or alternatively, you'd be able to pick up one of the new generation, beefier processors for the same price as what's available right this second. Your pick...current gen for less $$$, or pay current prices for a more advanced processor.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

HP USB 2.0 8X External Slim Multiformat DVD/CD Writer Model DVD550S

Did you including that in the per unit price or seperate as a farm set up cost, because you only need one (I'm assuming that's why you went with an external) so it should be in listed as a farm set-up cost along with stuff like network routers and KVM switches not in your nodal unit pricing.



Also, you can save a few dollars changing the case to this [http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352009].

 

[evilneko]

Also that hard drive shows as 90 bucks. Switch to a 3.5" (desktop size) hard drive and you should find cheaper units.

You could also save a bit by skipping the case entirely and building your own.

 

[ResonanceSD]

Wait for Ivy Bridge to be released, it'll knock the price of Sandy Bridge processors down.

Unless AMD launches another line of useless processors. Which will repeat the effect that Bulldozer did. SB chips went up in price.

 

[Saulkar]

HP USB 2.0 8X External Slim Multiformat DVD/CD Writer Model DVD550S

Did you including that in the per unit price or seperate as a farm set up cost, because you only need one (I'm assuming that's why you went with an external) so it should be in listed as a farm set-up cost along with stuff like network routers and KVM switches not in your nodal unit pricing.



Also, you can save a few dollars changing the case to this [http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352009].

Ok, I will take that into account and thanks for pointing out the external USB drive. You guessed right as to why I went with that, so I would not have to by a DVD drive for each unit.

 

[Saulkar]

My advice would be to wait for a few months, if at all possible.

Intel is releasing their new-fangled line of processors some time later this year, so the current tier of top shelf processors like the i5 2500k and i7 2600k will likely plummet in price. Or alternatively, you'd be able to pick up one of the new generation, beefier processors for the same price as what's available right this second. Your pick...current gen for less $$$, or pay current prices for a more advanced processor.

Good point, I think I will wait for prices to drop as the added power of the new processors will probably be negligable in proportion to the price drop of the 2000 series.

 

[MrTub]

"Intel Core i5-2500K
ECS H61H2-M2(1.0) LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard"

You can remove the K from i5 since you cannot overclock with h61.