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Compositing Workstation Build 2 – $1900 (September 2020)

Saturday | 2021 10 16 |

Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop
https://amzn.to/32P2hEQ

I am in the group of people who believe that a mid range gaming laptop is good enough for VFX Work. This is because gaming laptops have the same features an average vfx artist would need.

The Acer Helios 300 is probably one of the best deals you can get. The laptop’s PCIe SSD storage is one of the fastest in the market today making it a great choice for working locally in nuke.

It does have cons, like having speakers on the bottom then again, most students I know always listen to music with their headphones.

Notable Specs

  • 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 5.0GHz)
  • Overclockable NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM
  • 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) LED-backlit IPS Display with 144Hz Refresh Rate (16:9 aspect ratio, 3ms Overdrive Response Time, 300nit Brightness & 72% NTSC)
  • 16GB DDR4 2933MHz Memory & 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD (1 – PCIe M.2 Slot Available & 1 – Available Hard Drive Bay)
  • Killer Double Shot Pro Wireless-AX 1650i 802.11ax WiFi 6 featuring 2×2 MU-MIMO technology (Dual-Band 2.4GHz and 5GHz) & Killer Ethernet E2600 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN
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Compositing Workstation Build 1 – $3000 (August 2020)

Saturday | 2021 10 16 |

$3026.28

Total Amount with Taxes in Canadian Dollars as of August 24 2020

I have been asked by many students over the years what specs they should get for a home workstation PC. I usually answer this question based on their budget.

This is my build for a $3000 budget. I usually invest a little more in things like Monitors, Keyboard, Mouse & Tablet as these things tend to outlive the workstation itself.

Processor
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core, 16-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Wraith Prism LED Cooler


Price – $429.99

Motherboard
MSI ProSeries AMD Ryzen 2ND and 3rd Gen AM4 M.2 USB 3 DDR4 D-Sub DVI HDMI Micro-ATX Motherboard (B450M PRO-VDH Max)

Price – $150.55

Ram
Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO 32GB (4x8GB) DDR4 3200MHz C16 LED Desktop Memory, Black



Price – $257.99

Storage 1 – Nuke Localize
/Cache Drive
WD Blue 3D NAND 500GB Internal PC SSD – SATA III 6 Gb/s, M.2 2280, Up to 560 MB/s – WDS500G2B0B

Price – $79.99

GPU
MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1650 128-Bit HDMI/DP 4GB GDRR6 HDCP Support DirectX 12 Dual Fan VR Ready OC Graphics Card (GTX 1650 D6 Gaming X)

Price – $144.99

Case
NZXT H510 Compact Atx Mid-Tower PC Gaming Case, Front I/O USB Type-C Port, Tempered Glass Side Panel,Cable Management System


Price – $99.99

Storage 2 – OS / Data Drive
WD Blue 3D NAND 1TB Internal PC SSD – SATA III 6 Gb/s, 2.5″/7mm, Up to 560 MB/s – WDS100T2B0A




Price – $139.99

Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 2019 Edition – Thermal Compound Paste – Carbon Based High Performance – Heatsink Paste




Price – $11.81

Monitor
BenQ 27″ 2560×1440 QHD IPS Designer Monitor (PD2700Q), 100% Rec. 709 and sRGB, CAD/CAM, Animation, Darkroom, Low Blue Light, Flicker-Free , 60Hz refresh rate, Black

Price – $399.99

Keyboard
Das Keyboard 4 Root Soft Tactile Cherry MX Brown Mechanical Keyboard


Price – $209 + $25.08
Import Fees Deposit

Mouse
Logitech MX Master 3 Advanced Wireless Mouse – Graphite




Price – $123.35

Tablet
Wacom Intuos Wireless Graphics Drawing Tablet with Bonus Software Included, 10.4″ X 7.8″, Black (CTL6100WLK0)


Price – $279.95

OS
Windows 10 Home

Price – $189

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Portable Monitors

Wednesday | 2021 10 06 |

AZMIOR 15.6 4k Portable Monitor
https://amzn.to/31HNNWz

One of the common questions I get from my students about computers is, should I get a full workstation (Desktop PC) or a laptop.

I recommend international students to get a laptop. Buy the best one they can afford from global brands like MSI or Dell. For portability and also international warranties.

They will also quickly realize that they need a second monitor. Some of my students go out and buy a cheap monitor and sell it right before they move. But there is a new alternative; Portable Monitors.

I recently purchased an AZMIOR 4K 15.6 Portable Monitor. I was sick of changing the input of my 4K monitor to play my PS4 at my desk. Also, when I change inputs on my monitor, Windows reshuffles some of my program windows to accommodate the change in overall resolution.

Even though I got it for gaming, it is something I am planning to bring along with me once it is safe to travel.

If you are a student or a junior artist, I recommend picking a portable monitor to use as your second screen in your room. And when you have to move, you can just bring it along wherever you go. There several models out there with options like 4K, HD, with Touch Screen, HDR, FreeSync, etc. If you are a stickler for colour accuracy and HDR implantation, you will not find it among portable monitors.

For compositing students, and fresh graduates, these monitors can be used to expand your nuke workspace or to watch a tutorial.

The cool thing about some of these monitors is they have hdmi and usb-c inputs. You can connect your PS4, XBOX, Switch, and even your phones to these monitors.

There is one thing you need to know, even though they are called portable monitors, they do need power. Some of them can draw power from the device they are plugged into thru the USB-C but if you are using hdmi for video, you need to power your portable monitors. Some people have tried to power them through those portable chargers and they do work but you have to figure if those chargers produce enough amp to power your monitors.

Frankly, I am only ever going to use this device if I have a power source nearby. I am also not one of those people who go to a coffee shop to work, occupy an entire table, and hog all the power outlets. These monitors are meant to be used in your own personal space.

I highly recommend looking into one, if you need a second monitor and are planning to move where ever the wind takes you.

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Peak Design Tech Pouch – Recommended Gear

Wednesday | 2021 09 29 |

Peak Design Tech Pouch
https://amzn.to/3k1Xyav

On Christmas of 2019, my wife got me the Peak Design Tech Pouch as a gift.

I have to say; I love it. This is one of the best tech pouches out there. It’s made of durable material, carries a lifetime warranty, and fits all of your tech accessories and gadgets.

I first used it on my trip to Montreal in January. The thing I loved most this pouch was I am able to keep every charging cable I need in one bag. This is especially useful on a flight. I kept this pouch under my seat and whenever I needed a cable, I just reached for my pouch.

And when I checked into my Airbnb, all I had to do was place the bag on the side table near my bed and everything become an arm’s reach away.

Here’s what I had in my Tech Pouch

  • Passport
  • Permanent Resident Card
  • All receipts (useful if you are on a business trip)
  • Charging Cable for Switch
  • Charging Cable for Galaxy Tab
  • Charging Cable for Surface Pro Go
  • Universal Travel Adaptor
  • Pen (always bring a pen on a flight!)
  • Mint
  • Microfiber Cloth
  • USB Power Adaptor
  • Emergency Pair of Contacts

It’s pricy, but then again, I don’t think I will ever need another one.

Comes in two colours – Black and Sage

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