June 14, 2023
ArtBox
It seems that 3D modelling / animation / games, and using 3D characters and objects to draw comics or illustrations, are all tasks best done with a gaming PC.
The two screen recordings below show Clip Studio Paint .
CS Paint on a gaming PC, 10 characters on one layer, no lag when posing characters.
Intel i9 13900K CPU,
64 GigaBytes of RAM
3060 graphics card with
12 GigaBytes of RAM
CS Paint on M2 Mini, same file with 10 characters on one layer, there is significant lag.
M2 Mac mini, with 16 GigaBytes of RAM, the kind with two Thunderbolt ports in the back, not four.
If a 3D task overwhelms the M2 Mini, the next best computer for the job seems to be a gaming PC. Mac Studio cannot connect to an external graphics processor, the newest Mac Pro cannot be upgraded with additional RAM or a cool graphics card.
Silicon Macs are great for general computing, computer programming, photo and video editing, drawing and painting. 3D: not yet. Within two years there may be a Mac for the task.
A quiet ArtBox / Gaming PC with small footprint
Building a gaming PC is fun. If building it is not an option Asus ProArt, Asus ROG Flow Z13 with pen support, or similar, may help performing 3D tasks comfortably.
Case, power supply, cooling
Asus mini-ITX Z790-I motherboard for
13th generation Intel CPU,
SATA 2.5 inch SSD storage
Corsair 2000D mini-ITX case
Intel i9 13900K CPU
Corsair SF750,
SFX size 750W power supply
2x32 GigaBytes of Corsair Dominator RAM
Full size Corsair Capellix AIO liquid cooler for the CPU, with three fans
Asus RTX 3060 graphics card with 12 GigaBytes of RAM
Additional three slim fit fans from Corsair, applied to the the front
There is not much space inside a mini-ITX case. A pack of 4 inch cable ties of your preferred colour, go a long way for neat cable management. The RGB light controller delivered with the AIO cooler can drive all six fans. Just a thought, not tried out: only M.2 form factor SSD storage would free up space for the light controller. The light controller is about the size of a 2.5 inch SSD drive. Be patient, make a plan, have fun.
Windows 10 vs. Windows 11: Windows 10 seems easier to handle, and it loads faster. Windows 10 displays a “I do not have Internet” option during the out-of-box install, with Windows 11 you will need to use the command prompt during set up to get the no Internet option.
Windows gets installed without Internet, connect the motherboard with an Ethernet cable to your router, a notification from the Asus LAN driver pops up immediately after Windows install. Once network is OK, set up Asus Armoury Crate to get all the other drivers, and to control the graphics card RGB. Finally, install Corsair iCUE. Set the speed of all six fans to “quiet” in iCUE and your PC will be whisper quiet.
