Ever since I sent a second laptop to the grave this past April, I've been saving money (and dying inside all along the way /w the missing of crucial deadlines :() to try and get a computer that WON'T burn out from my around the clock use of Aftereffects, Flash, and all the other big pieces of software I use to make my projects.
But I've been a bit lost on the specs and wheter or not I'm "overkilling" it to try and go for something of a "gamer" PC.
The one that lasted me the longest was a Dell laptop with 4GB of RAM-it was never perfect, there was still plenty of crashes and slow downs along the way. Before that a 2GB Acer fried..on that note, I want something that will LAST me, and allow me to run the programs in my arsenal with little to no worry.
Here's a rundown of software I typically use:
[LIST]
[*]Adobe Flash (I cleanup my paper drawings, and inbetween them-I then export the frames as PNG, ends up being thousands of frames).
[*]Adobe Audition (I record, edit, and mix together voiceover, music, and sfx here)
[*]Adobe Photoshop (I create title graphics, etc., paint backgrounds and stuff here-the usual still art related stuff)
[*]FL Studio (I compose, and score music and sfx to the rendered video here)
[*]Adobe Aftereffects (Essentially where I "finish" any of my projects, as I mix everything the seperate programs rendered together here and render them to a final ready to upload product BY FAR THE MOST CRASH PRONE DEMANDING PART EVERY DAMN TIME-this is the HIGHLIGHT of why I want a good PC)
[/LIST]
That's me in a nutshell, all my work is 2-d, so I don't have much of a demand for specs that a Max or Maya would require (though I guess the "just in case" potential is always good but I can't go much higher than $500-600 in budget).
Plus, as for a "gaming" PC-I'm a pretty dedicated console guy (/w the exception of Team Fortress 2), I'm not losing sight on what this REALLY is:An animation PC.
Thanks for the read and any assistance, curious to hear what rigs any others may have. I used to just be able to work on the computers at my former college, but those days are over a year behind me by now and I've just got myself at home to turn to. Thanks!
P.S....I honestly don't want to hear "build your own" again unless it's a fast method. I've been inactive in my weekly upload schedule for two months now (one of which I DO get paid for and have lost out on some good revenue :() so I want to come back as soon as I can. Thank you!
Well, I presume 8 gigs will do me well? I always worry about it being obsolete in two years, but I figure if things stay at the level they do, I won't need a replacement except if something burns out right? I still use Flash CS3 so I don't really need to update anything beyond what I had on my laptop.
I think the rule is 5 to years.
well a pc should last longer than a laptop or tablet. and you can always upgrade it. so strenght shouldnt really be an issue
I think that your own level of competence is important .computer software you can always upgrade.:D
Happy life can't apply colours to a drawing of the render farm ï¼
If you're going PC I would recommend a high end dell (XPS) or alienware. Very important to have something with at least 4 gigs of ram, though more would be better (I'd recommend 8 gigs), and a video card with at least 512 MB of video memory. Also don't let the retailer talk you into upgrading the memory, they charge ripoff prices, instead go to crucial.com and buy your own ram for less than half the price and install it yourself. I use a macbook pro myself, and I will never go back to PC, but if thats what you want shop around for a good gaming computer, those have the best specs for any kind of rendering, video, or graphics software.
Thanks guys, now I know where to aim brand wise. All about getting a job and saving money now.
Lol, bit of a Catch-22, I was making money from my animations but now that ability's been cut off (as I always scan them in and finish them on the PC). Heh, just the way life rolls-I'll be back on my feet (or WACOM rather) soon enough. :D