A workstation is not measured in frames per second but in delivery times: how long it takes to export the video, compute the render, keep the heavy project open without freezing.
The bottlenecks differ from gaming: memory — on the graphics card and in the system — matters more than peak speed, because a project that does not fit in memory is slow no matter the processor underneath.
Tell us the software you use and your typical projects, and the machine is designed around them: written proposal, free, nothing ordered until you approve.
Memory is the first thing to design. Current desktop platforms use DDR5; for the Core Ultra 200S platform Intel documents modules of up to 48 GB each (including CUDIMM) and system capacity up to 256 GB depending on the processor. A workstation can start with two large modules and keep slots free to grow: capacity is planned, not chased.
The graphics card is chosen on its video memory. For editing, modelling and rendering the question is not how many frames it pushes, but whether scene, textures and timeline fit in its memory: when they do not, work slows or stops — and no clock speed brings it back. The right size depends on your projects, and it is the first thing we ask.
The load here is continuous, not in bursts. A render holds CPU and card at full tilt for hours: cooling and power supply are sized for that regime, not for a momentary peak. For high-power cards Intel's ATX standard specifies the 12V-2x6 connector up to 600 W, replacing the deprecated 12VHPWR; and in a room where people work, noise is a specification like any other.
Two-tier storage: a fast NVMe for system, applications and open projects; large drives for archive and versions. Plus a rule worth more than hardware: an archive is not a backup — that is what the 3-2-1 rule is for, three copies on two media with one off-site, as recommended by CISA.
Updated August 2026: starting platforms are AM5 (AMD support committed through 2029) and Intel LGA1851 with DDR5 including CUDIMM; video-memory sizes and card models for specific software change several times a year — we propose them in the quote, current as of that day.
| Video memory | scene, textures and timeline must fit: sized on your actual projects |
|---|---|
| System memory | large modules and free slots: capacity is planned from the start |
| Processor | sustained all-core work is what counts, not a momentary peak |
| Cooling | sized for continuous rendering load; quietness is a specification |
| Storage | working NVMe + archive drives; backup is a separate design |
| Power supply | headroom over continuous load; 12V-2x6 on high-power cards |
The factors that genuinely move the cost of a custom build. These are not our rules: they follow platform standards and how manufacturers supply parts — and they are settled together, before anything is ordered.
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Free diagnostics, a clear quote and the part chosen by you.