There are many misconceptions around the kind of computer you need to be able to 3d model. You may have heard you need a specialized rig to be able to handle a 3d modelling pipeline and a gaming computer is just not powerful enough. Through my experience and research I have been able to address this misconception.
Gaming computers are capable of 3d modelling. Their requirement for a fast CPU, good graphics card and reasonable amount of ram is advantageous in the 3d modelling pipeline. The biggest disadvantage to using a gaming computer is when it comes to rendering, where multi core CPU’s and multiple graphics cards can greatly assist.
If you are looking to get into 3d modelling you will be able to do a vast majority of what you need to do using a gaming computer. In this article we will discuss what you can and can’t do in a 3d modelling pipeline. You will be pleasantly surprised exactly what you are capable of and able to do.
Common Specs for 3d Modelling
To save you the trouble I have put together a quick table of some of the most popular 3d programs CPU, GPU and Ram requirements of each. These are listed as the recommended spec and not the optimal spec.
| Software | CPU | Graphics Card | RAM Minimum |
| Blender | 64 bit Quad Core CPU | Graphics Card with 4GB RAM | 16 GB |
| Maya | 64 bit Multicore CPU | Not Listed | 16 GB |
| ZBrush | i5/i7 Xeon or ADM Equivalent | Not Listed | 16 GB |
| Substance Painter | Not Listed | Graphics Card with 4GB RAM | 16 GB |
As you can see there isn’t a requirement specified for all of these, besides Maya’s graphic card this is usually intentional. Most 3d programs favour either CPU Rendering or GPU Rendering so the type of rendering it favours is usually what is important.
What Kind of CPU Do you Need
Interestingly looking at the system specs only Blender actually recommended having an 8 core processor as its optimal setup. I can say from personal experience with a 4 core i7 I’ve had no problems using Blender.
Overall from my research and personal experience you would easily be able to use a i5 or i7 quad core processor for most 3d modelling purposes. For rendering this could scale however it would not hinder performance only speed.
If you are serious about upgrading your CPU for CG please check out my recommendations here.
What Kind of Graphics Card Do You Need
The most common Graphics Card requirement appeared to be a 4GB Ram graphics card with Direct X 11 compatibility. Depending on the program you use this could be less.
This is not a large requirement given the growing graphics card requirements for the latest and greatest games. If you have a gaming machine and even a budget one it is likely you will meet this requirement.
Once again if you are serious about upgrading your GPU please check out my recommendations here.
How Much Ram Do You Need
For 3d modelling purposes the answer seems to be 16 GB. However a lot of programs recommend more if you have a more complex scenes.
16 GB of RAM may be a bit of a stretch for some budget gaming computers fortunately you can pick up extra fairly cheap.
Can You 3d Model on a Gaming Laptop
You can absolutely 3d model on a Gaming Laptop, however the above requirements are still optimal. One additional consideration you should consider is screen size. The more screen space you have the better. There are various windows and buttons to accommodate. If you have access to an additional screen this is highly recommended.
What Can and Can’t you do on a Gaming Computer
There is actually not a limit to what you can do. Those extremely expensive specialized computers actually can’t do anything that you can’t. What they can do is do it really fast and handle large loads. Unless you are considering taking things professionally I wouldn’t recommend one.
With some careful management of your project and the willingness to wait a little longer for a render you are quite capable of performing all tasks. This includes modelling, texturing, animating and rendering.
Tips to Improve Your Workflow on a Gaming Computer
There are two main ways you can improve your workflow on a gaming computer so as not to experience and technical problems these are. Limit your poly count and consider GPU Rendering.
Limiting Poly Count
The first tip is an easy one. As you are modelling you are creating polys to help make the mesh of your model. The main draw on your resources is the poly count the more polys you have the more resources required.
If you are not careful it is very easy to go into the hundreds of thousands or even millions of polys and this is when you are likely to encounter problems. Simply following good practices such as retopology can help minimise this greatly.
There are actually a lot of benefits to having low poly meshes especially if you are considering animating or creating models for games. I would highly recommend you check out this article I wrote if you are considering modelling for games. Or just curious about good modelling practices.
Consider Using GPU Rendering
There are two types of rendering CPU & GPU rendering. As the names imply CPU Rendering utilizes the CPU to render and GPU Rendering utilizes the GPU.
The CPU Renderings performance is usually tied to how many cores are available. A typical gaming computer relies less on the number of cores and more on their speed, as they do not necessarily require a multi threaded workload. This means while it’s certainly not impossible to render using the your CPU, utilizing GPU rendering might be better.
GPU Rendering has grown in popularity over the past few years for one reason it is a lot faster. Better yet because you have a gaming computer which usually needs a good graphics card. This puts you in a great position as you are more or less specced for GPU rendering.
Don’t be fooled there are better options however why not use what you have.
Software That Can Assist with GPU Rendering
When it comes to software that supports GPU rendering you are in luck. Blender has the ability to CPU & GPU render and even both.
If you are looking for another free option Daz3d is a great choice. I personally have not tried this, however it utilizes GPU rendering software Nvidia produced called Iray which I have used.
Iray is a powerful piece of software that has implementations in a lot of the big 3d modelling applications including Substance Painter which I have used extensively.
For paid options you are spoiled for choice with Vray, Redshift and Octane to name a few. These all come highly rated and used heavily in the industry.
Conclusion
Now that I have helped dispel the myth of needing a top of the line PC to 3d model I hope this has inspired you to give it a try. It really is fun and there is nothing like showing off you art skills.
If you are a new to 3d modelling I encourage you to check out my article 6 Steps to Learning 3d Modelling it has some great tips to get you started.
Good luck and I wish you the best in your 3d endeavours.