Computer for 3ds Max and Corona
Corona Renderer computes the image on the processor; the graphics card at most speeds up denoising in the interactive preview. 3ds Max itself relies mainly on a single core while modelling. A good visualisation workstation therefore combines many cores for rendering, high clock speeds for viewport work and plenty of memory for scenes with vegetation.
What drives performance
Processor: cores for rendering, clock speed for work
Render time in Corona drops almost in proportion to the number of cores, so a 16-core Ryzen 9 is a sensible starting point for a studio, while Threadripper clearly shortens renders for animations and large scenes. At the same time, modelling, modifiers and the viewport in 3ds Max rely mainly on one core, so high clock speed matters too. Ryzen 9 and Core Ultra processors combine both.
RAM: 64 GB as a starting point
Architectural scenes with Forest Pack vegetation, proxies and high-resolution textures quickly take up tens of gigabytes. Interiors usually fit in 64 GB; for large exterior scenes and animations we recommend 128 GB. Running out of memory does not just slow rendering down, it causes errors and crashes, so RAM is not the place to save.
Graphics card: viewport, denoising and V-Ray GPU
When rendering in Corona the graphics card does not compute the image, but it drives the 3ds Max viewport and can accelerate denoising in the interactive preview. An RTX 5060 Ti or RTX 5070 Ti is enough. A more powerful card makes sense if you render with V-Ray GPU or also work in D5 Render, Lumion or Unreal Engine.
Drives and model libraries
Libraries of models, textures and proxies grow over the years. Two NVMe drives work well: a fast system drive for applications and a second one for projects and the asset library. In teams it is worth moving long renders to a render server so that designers' workstations stay available.
Recommended configurations
Studio is enough for interiors and smaller scenes. Pro with 16 cores is a good choice for studios that render every day, and Threadripper for animations and large exterior scenes. We tailor every system to the size of your projects.
All configurations →How many cores does Corona Renderer need?
Corona uses all available cores, and render time drops almost in proportion to their number. For an artist who renders regularly, 16 cores (Ryzen 9) is a sensible starting point. Studios rendering animations or many shots a day benefit from Threadripper or a separate render server.
Does Corona need an expensive graphics card?
No. Corona renders on the processor, so a more expensive card will not shorten render time. A mid-range card such as the RTX 5070 Ti is enough for a smooth viewport. A more powerful model makes sense for V-Ray GPU or real-time visualisation software.
64 or 128 GB of RAM for 3ds Max?
64 GB is enough for most interiors and buildings. We recommend 128 GB for large exterior scenes with vegetation, animations and working on several open projects at once. We choose motherboards so that memory can be expanded later.
Intel or AMD for 3ds Max?
Both platforms work well. Ryzen 9 has 16 full cores and strong rendering performance, while the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Core Ultra 9 285K offer 24 cores with high clock speeds. The choice depends on your budget and whether you also edit video.