Hello!

My PC hardware has a i5 2500K @4,2Ghz, 16Gb and a GTX660 2gb vram. I'm thinking about upgrading my PC because i want to start to learn Houdini (and it's PC demanding, like every 3D software) and because it's my all in one PC (video games, bluray, photoshop etc.).
Obivously if i upgrade my PC i'll benefit from better rendering times, heavier simulation etc. but what i'd like to know is if there is a purpose of the following upgrade (not considering that i'm new at houdini, just in general) and if it would give me more than just few seconds less on what i'll would do. If it's jsut few seconds less it's not interesting, if it gives me more (what?) it would be interesting:

Going from i5 2500K @ 4.2Ghz to i7 2600K @ 4.2Ghz (overclocked) ?
16Gb ram to 32Gb ram ?
GTX660 2gb vram to GTX660ti or GTX670 (with 3gb or 4Gb) (can't afford one more expensive, GTX670 is already too expensive for me at this point) ?

For Houdini, what's the part that is the most important, CPU, amount of ram or GPU?


How important is the amount of vram and memory bandwith on GPU for Houdini? because for example for the price i paid my GTX660 192bits/2gb i could have had a 7950 with 384bits/3gb.

Thanks and sorry for my english

loaded questions!

I work in feature film effect and my workstation is not even close to your powerful computer. ops:
download houdini free learning and play with it.If it's fine , you won't need a new computer.If you need a rendering or simulating volume and rbd stuffs, just get a another renderbox (computer with decent cpu and ram but no fancy graphic card).That way it will free up your workstation while the other one is crunching data.

Fruits
loaded questions!

I work in feature film effect and my workstation is not even close to your powerful computer. ops:
download houdini free learning and play with it.If it's fine , you won't need a new computer.If you need a rendering or simulating volume and rbd stuffs, just get a another renderbox (computer with decent cpu and ram but no fancy graphic card).That way it will free up your workstation while the other one is crunching data.

Really? What is your gear? You don't have any problem working on Houdini 12 with your PC? I thought a software like Houdini - just looking at pop eyes visuals - would requires a monster PC with i7 overclocked 32gb ram and GTX670 mini to work in good conditions

You shouldn't have any problems with your current setup. Note that going from 16GB of memory to 32GB requires 2 things: Windows7/8 Pro, not Home (if you're using windows, there is a 16GB limit on the Home version), and the ability of your motherboard to support 32GB.

I got 7 ultimate and 32gb max memory motherboard.

As member of side effects, do you think that upgrading a part of my gear would make sense?

Unless you're doing really heavy simulations or renders, 16GB should be sufficient. I wouldn't upgrade it unless you find you're starting to swap to disk (pagefile). The extra thread processing of the 2600 really isn't worth swapping out the 2500. Intel's SMT (aka hyperthreading) doesn't really buy you all that much. You are already near the top of the performance bracket for socket 1155 - you'd have to jump up to the hexa-core CPUs on socket 2011 to see much more of an improvement, and as that involves a $200+ motherboard and a $500+ CPU, it's not really worth it, especially if you're just starting into Houdini.