Like most software developers, Autodesk maintains a list of system requirements for 3ds Max that can be used to help ensure the hardware in your system will work with their software. However, this “system requirements” list only covers the very basics of what hardware is needed to run the software, not what hardware will actually give the best performance. Because of how inconsistent those lists can be, we’ve taken the time to perform testing to determine what hardware run 3ds Max the best. Based on this testing, we have come up with our own list of recommended hardware for 3ds Max.
What do I need for the best modeling and animation performance in 3ds Max?
Modeling and animation in 3ds Max are primarily single-threaded, so you want a CPU with the highest possible clock speed – but core count is not particularly important. A good video card is also needed, in order to smoothly display the 3D graphics you create.
Does rendering in 3ds Max require different hardware?
The default foreground renderer included in 3ds Max is Arnold, and it can either use a much higher core count CPU or one or more video cards. Which option is better will depend on things like your budget and how much memory (system RAM for a CPU or VRAM for video cards) your scenes need in order to render properly. Both complexity of a scene and resolution will impact how much memory is required. Either way, this design & animation focused system will not be the strongest option for rendering. If that is the bulk of your work, please take a look at our rendering-focused workstations or reach out to our expert consultants for assistance.
What about combining design, animation, and rendering in 3ds Max? Can one system do well with all of them?
As discussed above, for rendering you will want a high core count CPU. In the past, higher core counts usually meant lower clock speeds – but Intel now offers technology called Turbo Boost on many of their processors. Turbo Boost adjusts the clock speed depending on how many cores are active at a given time, so when only a few cores are working (like during modeling or animation within 3ds Max) they can run at much higher clock speeds than when all cores are active (during rendering, for example). This results in the best performance for both situations from a single CPU. All of the processors in our 3ds Max workstations support this technology, but if you need more assistance in selecting the right chip for a new workstation please reach out to our consultants.
How does Autodesk 3ds Max utilize the CPU?
The majority of design tasks in 3ds Max (including creating, modifying, and animating 3D models) are only able to utilize a single CPU core. That makes a high-frequency CPU, regardless of the core count, an ideal choice for these tasks. Our 3ds Max Design & Animation workstation focuses on this type of workload.
However, many types of rendering engines – like Arnold, which is included with newer versions of 3ds Max, as well as Mental Ray, V-Ray, Keyshot, and others) – are highly efficient at utilizing a high number of cores. In fact, most of these engines scale almost perfectly… which makes a CPU with twice the number of cores almost twice as fast. We offer other configurations with that type of CPU, for those who focus more on that type of workload.
What are the best CPUs for Autodesk 3ds Max?
The choice of best processor for 3ds Max depends on what you do most within this program, but here are two of the top options:
Intel Core i7 13700K 16 Core and Core i9 13900K 24 Core – These are among the highest clock speed CPUs available, and top the charts for single-core performance in 3ds Max. The i9 has a few extra “efficient” cores compared to the i7, and slightly higher clock speed, but for a substantial boost when rendering, look to our next recommendation. The newer 14th Gen models are also great, but only slightly faster and unfortunately not available in our most compact workstations.
AMD Threadripper PRO 7995WX 96 Core – AMD’s Threadripper PRO line packs a huge core count along with good per-core performance, making it a fantastic choice for workstations that are focused on rendering performance. The good single-threaded speed means these chips also do well with modeling and animation, though they cost a lot more than a processor with comparable performance in those areas but fewer cores. These chips also support a lot of PCI-Express lanes, making them great for multiple video cards if you prefer GPU-based rendering.
Do I need a Xeon CPU for 3ds Max?
In the past, Xeon CPUs were more robust than their Core series counterparts. Today, however, there is very little functional difference between the two Intel product families for workstations. In fact, the largest difference is simply the fact that the Xeon family allows for the use of dual CPU configurations. Those have a lot of cores, but lower clock speeds – which is the opposite of what this software needs. Because of this, we use Core i7 and i9 CPUs in our 3ds Max workstations.
Can I use a laptop for 3ds Max?
Yes, though even top-end mobile CPUs and GPUs will be a little slower in 3ds Max than similar desktop hardware. Our new mobile workstation is ideal for this application, but please note that it needs to be plugged in to operate at full speed.
ProX PC has performed extensive analysis of 3ds Max to configure systems that are designed specifically for the needs of 3ds Max users.
