Question Opinions for game dev's first pc build!

[funkygarfield]

Looking to bite the bullet and build my first PC since black friday is coming up.

I'm a game dev specialising in 3D art and shaders, though my work tends to be more experimental rather than ray traced PBR stuff. Would be a nice lil bonus to have something VR-ready development wise as well as I'd love to make some games for my Quest 2.

Budget is around $2000AUD to max $3000AUD.

Preferably using Wi-Fi with a decent amount of usb + other connections included if possible!

Not too phased on looks, I'll have a tin can as a case as long as it runs!

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/honkinghonk/saved/WVmYXL

Alternatively, would buying this prebuilt be the better option or could I build my own for a better price

Gaming PC: Intel Core i7-12700F | RTX 4080 16GB Gaming Desktop-Black Friday

techfast.com.au

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Hi and welcome to the site.

Are there any specific programs that youre using for your work? AMD and Intel processors have different strengths in different situations and the programs youre using affect which might be the best choice. I'm fairly sure an Nvidia GPU will be a better choice either way for professional work.

The two rigs you linked are based around 2 different budgets. I'm pretty sure for 2000 AUD you can build something stronger with a current generation processor if youre willing to spend a bit of time watching/reading guides on how to get everything set up. Its pretty easy as long as youre careful.

 

[Why_Me]

Knowing your resolution would be a big plus to us. That prebuilt is almost worth the purchase just for the gpu and psu alone. If you did purchase it you would want to change out the board and RAM to a B760 board with better VRM's and a set of 2x16GB DDR4 3200 although you would still be left with a 1TB SSD which is considered small with the size of games these days.

Here's an AMD build to check out. VR favors Nvidia hence the reason for the 4070 Ti. The 120mm fan goes inside the back of that case for a rear exhaust fan. That card down below is more of a 1440P gpu but if your resolution is 1080P then look at an RTX 4070 with a 750W psu.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *AMD Ryzen 7 7700 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($513.00 @ Skycomp Technology)
CPU Cooler: *Deepcool AK620 68.99 CFM CPU Cooler ($95.00 @ Centre Com)
Motherboard: *MSI PRO B650-S WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard ($288.60 @ Amazon Australia)
Memory: *G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($197.36 @ Amazon Australia)
Storage: *Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($149.00 @ Centre Com)
Video Card: *Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12 GB Video Card ($1239.00 @ MSY Technology)
Case: *Fractal Design Focus 2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($129.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: *MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.00 @ Scorptec)
Case Fan: *ARCTIC P12 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fan ($7.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Total: $2766.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-11-18 01:47 AEDT+1100

A better look at those components.

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/PRO-B650-S-WIFI

https://www.amd.com/en/products/apu/amd-ryzen-7-7700

https://www.deepcool.com/products/C...formance-CPU-Cooler-1700-AM5/2021/13067.shtml

https://www.gskill.com/product/165/396/1673491242/F5-6000J3038F16GX2-FX5

https://www.crucial.com/products/ssd/crucial-p3-plus-ssd-nvme

https://www.gigabyte.com/Graphics-Card/GV-N407TWF3OC-12GD#kf

https://www.msi.com/Power-Supply/MAG-A850GL-PCIE5

https://www.arctic.de/us/P12-PWM-PST/ACFAN00120A

https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/focus/focus-2/black-tg-clear-tint/

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIG4vFQbDn4

 

[Why_Me]

TUF GAMING B760-PLUS WIFI D4｜Motherboards｜ASUS USA

ASUS TUF Gaming motherboards distill essential elements of the latest Intel® platform and combine them with game-ready features and proven durability. Engineered with military-grade components, an upgraded power solution and a comprehensive set of cooling options, each ASUS TUF Gaming...

www.asus.com

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *Intel Core i7-12700KF 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor ($351.53 @ Amazon Australia)
CPU Cooler: *Deepcool AK620 68.99 CFM CPU Cooler ($95.00 @ Centre Com)
Motherboard: *Asus TUF GAMING B760-PLUS WIFI D4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($268.19 @ Amazon Australia)
Memory: *Kingston FURY Beast 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($99.00 @ Centre Com)
Storage: *Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($149.00 @ Centre Com)
Video Card: *Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12 GB Video Card ($1239.00 @ MSY Technology)
Case: *Fractal Design Focus 2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($129.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: *MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.00 @ Scorptec)
Case Fan: *ARCTIC P12 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fan ($7.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Total: $2486.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-11-18 01:59 AEDT+1100

 

[funkygarfield]

Hi and welcome to the site.

Are there any specific programs that youre using for your work? AMD and Intel processors have different strengths in different situations and the programs youre using affect which might be the best choice. I'm fairly sure an Nvidia GPU will be a better choice either way for professional work.

The two rigs you linked are based around 2 different budgets. I'm pretty sure for 2000 AUD you can build something stronger with a current generation processor if youre willing to spend a bit of time watching/reading guides on how to get everything set up. Its pretty easy as long as youre careful.

I mainly use Unity now but looking to transition to Godot. As far as other software I mainly work with Substance Painter, Photoshop, Blender, and ZBrush. I'm more than happy to spend a bit more I'm pretty sure the person who made the more budget part list thought I was more money conscious than I am but I'd rather invest more now to have a decent rig y'know.

 

[funkygarfield]

Knowing your resolution would be a big plus to us. That prebuilt is almost worth the purchase just for the gpu and psu alone. If you did purchase it you would want to change out the board and RAM to a B760 board with better VRM's and a set of 2x16GB DDR4 3200 although you would still be left with a 1TB SSD which is considered small with the size of games these days.

Here's an AMD build to check out. VR favors Nvidia hence the reason for the 4070 Ti. The 120mm fan goes inside the back of that case for a rear exhaust fan. That card down below is more of a 1440P gpu but if your resolution is 1080P then look at an RTX 4070 with a 750W psu.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *AMD Ryzen 7 7700 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($513.00 @ Skycomp Technology)
CPU Cooler: *Deepcool AK620 68.99 CFM CPU Cooler ($95.00 @ Centre Com)
Motherboard: *MSI PRO B650-S WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard ($288.60 @ Amazon Australia)
Memory: *G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($197.36 @ Amazon Australia)
Storage: *Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($149.00 @ Centre Com)
Video Card: *Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12 GB Video Card ($1239.00 @ MSY Technology)
Case: *Fractal Design Focus 2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($129.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: *MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.00 @ Scorptec)
Case Fan: *ARCTIC P12 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fan ($7.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Total: $2766.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-11-18 01:47 AEDT+1100

A better look at those components.

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/PRO-B650-S-WIFI

https://www.amd.com/en/products/apu/amd-ryzen-7-7700

https://www.deepcool.com/products/C...formance-CPU-Cooler-1700-AM5/2021/13067.shtml

https://www.gskill.com/product/165/396/1673491242/F5-6000J3038F16GX2-FX5

https://www.crucial.com/products/ssd/crucial-p3-plus-ssd-nvme

https://www.gigabyte.com/Graphics-Card/GV-N407TWF3OC-12GD#kf

https://www.msi.com/Power-Supply/MAG-A850GL-PCIE5

https://www.arctic.de/us/P12-PWM-PST/ACFAN00120A

https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/focus/focus-2/black-tg-clear-tint/

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIG4vFQbDn4

Not too fussed on resolution however ideally would want 1080p as a minimum!

 

[Why_Me]

Not too fussed on resolution however ideally would want 1080p as a minimum!

MSI G244F- All About Gaming | Esports Gaming Monitor | MSI

Inspired by the rigorous quality testing in the production of the MSI Gaming series, the MSI design is full of symbols of sturdiness and durability.

www.msi.com

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *Intel Core i7-12700KF 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor ($351.53 @ Amazon Australia)
CPU Cooler: *Deepcool AK620 68.99 CFM CPU Cooler ($95.00 @ Centre Com)
Motherboard: *Asus TUF GAMING B760-PLUS WIFI D4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($268.19 @ Amazon Australia)
Memory: *Kingston FURY Beast 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($99.00 @ Centre Com)
Storage: *Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($149.00 @ Centre Com)
Video Card: *Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB Video Card ($949.00 @ Centre Com)
Case: *Fractal Design Focus 2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($129.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: *MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.00 @ Scorptec)
Case Fan: *ARCTIC P12 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fan ($7.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Monitor: *MSI G244F 23.8" 1920 x 1080 170 Hz Monitor ($179.00 @ Austin Computers)
Total: $2375.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-11-18 09:00 AEDT+1100

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Hardware Recommendations

Our workstations for Unity are tested and optimized to give you the best performance and reliability. View our hardware recommendations.

www.pugetsystems.com

Puget systems have been around a long time, and do good guides for professional use. Seems they suggest minimum 32GB RAM or 64GB if youre building lighting in Unity. Also 2 SSD's one for OS and programs and another for assets is recommended. The prebuilt you listed in OP sacrifices a lot to get the 4080 in there, its not the most suitable for your use based on the guide above.

Based on the guide, benchmarks and quality reviews I can suggest a well balanced build, its way over budget but does everything you want it to without being excessive. I also think a monitor is very important for working on and this one is highly recommended for pro use by the best monitor review site.

A Ryzen 7900X and a strong B650/X670 motherboard is also a good option but they are a little more expensive and believe it or not Im trying to keep things down as much as possible

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-13700KF 3.4 GHz 16-Core Processor ($579.00 @ Centre Com)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($78.91 @ Amazon Australia)
Motherboard: MSI MAG B760 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($318.00 @ MSY Technology)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL40 Memory ($279.00 @ MSY Technology)
Storage: Western Digital Black SN850X 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($116.22 @ Amazon Australia)
Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($162.69 @ Amazon Australia)
Video Card: Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12 GB Video Card ($1239.00 @ MSY Technology)
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case ($126.00 @ Amazon Australia)
Power Supply: Corsair RM1000e (2023) 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($235.00 @ MSY Technology)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro OEM - DVD 64-bit ($205.00 @ Centre Com)
Monitor: Dell U2723QE 27.0" 3840 x 2160 60 Hz Monitor ($669.00 @ Centre Com)
Total: $4007.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-11-18 16:16 AEDT+1100


Dropping down to a 4070 and 1700KF loses you some performance but gets you down to 3400

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-12700KF 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor ($351.53 @ Amazon Australia)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($78.91 @ Amazon Australia)
Motherboard: MSI MAG B760 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($318.00 @ MSY Technology)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL40 Memory ($279.00 @ MSY Technology)
Storage: Western Digital Black SN850X 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($116.22 @ Amazon Australia)
Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($162.69 @ Amazon Australia)
Video Card: Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB Video Card ($949.00 @ Centre Com)
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case ($126.00 @ Amazon Australia)
Power Supply: MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.00 @ Scorptec)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro OEM - DVD 64-bit ($205.00 @ Centre Com)
Monitor: Dell U2723QE 27.0" 3840 x 2160 60 Hz Monitor ($669.00 @ Centre Com)
Total: $3404.35
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-11-18 16:34 AEDT+1100

You can get that down to almost 3k by using this monitor (review) instead which wasnt in Partpicker and still has good reviews.

Dell 27 Inch 4K UHD Computer Monitor - S2721QS | Dell Australia

View the Dell 27 Inch 4K UHD Monitor (S2721QS) featuring HDR content playback for an amazing entertainment experience., or shop all Computer Monitors at Dell.com.

www.dell.com

Just thought I'd throw in some higher options as you said you didnt mind spending out. There are better options for a gaming build for the money, but this is more focused on productivity, especially around the monitor. It will still play games very well though too.

 

[Nothearms]

Building your own PC for game dev sounds exciting! Your part list looks pretty solid for your needs. It's great for 3D art and shaders and should handle VR development for your Quest 2. With your budget, building your own could give you more customization and performance for the price compared to a prebuilt. Just double-check compatibility and make sure everything fits together.