building
a computer to run Maya
information on video
cards, processors, etc.
Here is some information on what you need to build a computer that will run Maya well, and not cost too much. We're trying for a balance of cost and performance here.
Video Cards
This is one of the most important things to consider, since Maya is
a demanding 3D graphics program.
We'll be considering cards from nVidia, since it is generally believed they're
drivers are more stable for Maya. Let's compare the higher-end gaming cards
with the lower-end workstation cards.
| card | Quadro FX 1300 | Quadro FX 1400 | Quadro FX Go 1400 | GeForce 6600 | GeForce 6600 GT | GeForce 6800 XT | GeForce 6800 | GeForce 6800GT | GeForce 6800 Ultra | GeForce 7800 GTX | |
| price | $300 | $600 | $369 | ||||||||
| memory size | 128 MB | 128 MB | 256 MB | 128 or 256 MB | 128 MB | 128 MB | 256 MB | 256 or 512 MB | |||
| memory interface | 256-bit | 256-bit | 256-bit | 128-bit | 128-bit | 256-bit | 256-bit | 256-bit | 256-bit | 256-bit | |
| memory type | DDR | DDR | DDR3 | DDR | GDDR3 | DDR | DDR | GDDR3 | GDDR3 | GDDR3 | |
| memory bandwidth | 17.6 GB/sec. | 19.2 GB/sec. | 19.2 GB/sec. | 16.0 GB/sec.(14.4 on AGP version) | 35.2 GB/sec. | 38.4 GB/sec. | |||||
| display connectors | DVI-I+DVI-I+Stereo | DVI-I+DVI-I+Stereo | DVI, VGA & TVout | ||||||||
| shader model | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | |
| core clock | 400 MHz | 300 MHz | 500 | 325 MHz | 350 MHz | 400 MHz | 430 MHz | ||||
| memory clock | 550 MHz | 1000 (900 on AGP version) | 700 MHz | 1000 MHz | 1100 MHz | 1200 MHz | |||||
| pixel pipelines | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 24 | |||
| number of ROPs | 4 | 4 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | |||||
| vertex processors | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
"The GeForce 6800 continues to use the 130 nanometer manufacturing process, introduced with the GeForce FX. Its Quadro equivalents are the Quadro FX 4000 (AGP) and the Quadro FX 3400, 4400 and 4400g (both PCI Express)."
"The other four variants of the 6800 Ultra are the 6800 Ultra Extreme Edition, which is just an overclocked 6800 Ultra (450/1200), and is also in extreme lack of availability, the 6800 GT (which is clocked lower and only needs a single PSU connector), the 6800 (which only has 12 pixel-processing units) and the 6800 LE, which is an OEM only product. These versions are currently available in AGP and PCI Express form."
"Many people think that the 6800 GT version is the best value for money. It is functionally the same as the 6800 Ultra but is clocked lower and is less expensive. The 6800 GT also generally ships with a one slot cooling solution while 6800 Ultra cards generally block the adjacent PCI slot, although this is up to the manufacturer."