Hello everyone, pardon me if this question gets asked a lot but I just need a moment’s attention.

I intend on getting a new computer, once I have the money I budgeted, and I’d like to make an educated opinion concerning the processor and maybe graphics card. I’m not pouring a ton of money into this, so I’d like to determine what’s best for the cash I got (which is something like $900 total.)

If it changes anything, I’m an animator looking to practice at home and eventually broaden into some other areas of 3d, like simulation and maybe lighting, maybe even rigging.

The Intel i7-2600k apparently has hyperthreading and I understand could really be a big advantage over the cheaper i5-2500k, but does Softimage support it? If so, is it a general kind of support or is the hyperthreading only for simulations or rendering? The difference between these two processors is something like 100 bucks, which could be put towards another piece of equipment if the difference is not the sort I’d notice. Any ideas?

Concerning the graphics card, I hear a lot of support for nVidia, so I’m looking at a 560ti. I’ve heard opinions saying that I wouldn’t notice the difference between this one and a 580, which is an easy double on the price. Any opinions or recommendations here?

While I’m at it I could mention that I’m aiming for one of the new z68 motherboards, apparently those work real well based on the reviews I read.

Thanks for any help you guys can provide!