Current member status:

[trollhunter]

Hi there,

i have a problem - i dont know, what computer to buy for working on maya! I'm fifteen and have been working with a friend of my mums computer (she uses maya). I have really enjoyed it - now I would like to start working hard. Since i have always owned a mac (and my whole family does too) I dont know my wy around with a pc and theres nobody i can ask. also, all my other programs are for mac - so i would like to stick with it... now i have been given money for x-mas and want to spend it on a new mac - but im not sure, how to configure it right!!! and if i will be alright working on a mac?
it would be so great if you could help me with this!!!
maybe there is a mac-user here, that can tell me, what counts most...

For example:
the smaller imac can have a 3,1 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 Prozessor (Turbo Boost bis zu 3,9 GHz)
with 1TB fushion drive and 16GB ram

or the 27inch with 3,2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 Prozessor (Turbo Boost bis zu 3,6 GHz)
plus a fushion drive & 16 GB ram

or do i need the big one with the expesive NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M 4 GB GDDR5?!

I cant really spent over 2000,- euros. and i know i would get much more pc for this - but we always had so much trouble with pcs in the family - my mum will have a fit (and she is the one who helps me most, she works in advertisingan d has always used macs and doenst know a thing about pcs. and hates them....)


Im german, so please excuse my english....

Thank you!

[stwert]

To the best of my knowledge, any of those will be great for getting going with Maya. Of course if you want to do professional work, then faster CPUs with more cores will save you time and therefore money. But what you have listed should be more than capable.

[Gen]

Both those processors seem fine, but you'd want to get a machine with a dedicated graphics card(GeForce 780M is a graphics card for laptops though).

[CollinBishop]

As a former advert guy and film I used macs for decades. This last time I sat down and built my own. I spent 1,900 USD and could not be happier. Take this rare opportunity to study and build your own PC. It will pay off down the road and cost less. If you need help with parts just ask on this thread. More than enough knowledge to help.

[LauriePriest]

You don't need a high spec machine, I'm assuming you're not doing high end work yet?
I learnt 3D fine on a 700mhz single core with 128mb of dedicated graphics RAM, if you just modelling with polys and doing simple renderings you will be fine with a gaming computer. As Gen said a dedicated graphics card is the most important for running a 3D app smoothly.

If you learning then some insight into what you will be doing will be useful, if you're going to be doing heavy modelling or texturing then a graphics card with alot of memory would be a good idea. If your doing complex rendering (lots of raytracing and indirect etc) then more processer power is going to speed you up.

If you doing heavy renders with lots of geometry then the more RAM the better, 32 GB ish is a standard for a render blade.

If you're doing effects or other super heavy work then get as much of everything as possible.