I need help on building a workstation for a very specific need.
I need to composite 2K DPX 10-bit log files that have been datacined (scanned from 35mm) with CGI (delivered to me as EXR 2K). Other than plug-ins, I don’t plan to use anything else on this station.
One workstation is all we can afford, and it’s an indie project. But it has be able to composite in 2K, and I expect the workload to be as heavy as possible – CGI, smoke, blur, what-not. I DON’T want a ready made solution.
After researching this for a week, I have come across these issues:
1. Do I need 4/6/12 cores? i7 or Xeon?
2. Is 12GB RAM enough or should I go for 24GB?
3. Do I need a Quadro FX (4800 or 5800) or can I make do with a lesser graphics card?
4. I’ve read elsewhere that I need a RAID 0 Cache for real-time viewing, but how? Can I make do with eSATA, USB 2.0 or SATA II or III? Will this work:
a. Main drive: 128GB SSD for OS and software
b. RAID 0 500GBx2 for Cache 7,200rpm
c. Media Drive 2TB 7,200rpm (for source files)
d. Output Drive 4x1TB RAID 5 for rendered files
5. Can I save money if I have a render farm of cheap Quad CPUs?
6. Can I work with and HP2840zx 24" monitor for viewing 2K (along with HP’s calibration kit and a Blackmagic Decklink HD Pro)? How many monitors will I need? If I need two, can the GUI monitor be an Apple 30"?
The aim is to save money where high-performance is not needed so I can spend it elsewhere. We have just enough money to set up a workstation that will perform fast enough to get the job done in real-time (I mean working in real-time, rendering not included).
I hope I have made sense. It is very confusing and terrifying to spend a lot of money when one has no clue how to proceed. Any help will be welcome. If I have left out anything, please let me know. Thanks in advance.
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