What is blender, Blender System Requirements & PC Recommendations

Mark smith
7 min readFeb 20, 2023

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Blender is a popular open-source 3D modelling programme used extensively in fields like animation, VFX, and video games. Its features include 3D modelling, animation, simulation, and even video editing.

Blender is well-liked due to its intuitive design and adaptability to the user’s specific requirements.

Needed Hardware and Software for Blender
Blender has some computer specs that should be met before you can start using it. Blender cannot function properly without meeting these requirements.

Blender’s minimal and optimal system specs are as follows:

System Requirements Barebones:

SSE2-compatible 64-bit, dual-core processor
4GB RAM
GPU with 1GB of RAM and support for OpenGL 3.3
Disk Space Requirement, Minimum: 4GB
Picture resolution of 1280 pixels wide by 768 pixels high
System Requirements Recommendation:
64-bit, four-core processor
16GB RAM

Have a 16GB hard drive and an NVIDIA or AMD graphics card with 4GB of RAM or more.
Super high definition (1920 x 1080) display

Keep in mind that these are the bare bones and highly suggested requirements. You may need a computer with even higher specifications to ensure smooth performance of your 3D models and animations, depending on their complexity.

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It is recommended that you use a computer that meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements if you intend to use Blender extensively or work on complex projects.

The Blender Institute recommends the following computers for use with Blender:

Hardware: Core i9–9900K or Ryzen 9 3900X from Intel or AMD
Blender’s central processing unit is a must-have for its use. Since both the Intel Core i9–9900K and the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X are powerful CPUs, you can perform complex 3D modelling and animation without a hitch.

Visual Processing Unit: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
Hardware accelerated by an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
Blender cannot be used without the graphics processing unit (GPU), which is especially important for rendering. When it comes to rendering high-quality 3D models and animations, both the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT are excellent choices.

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Memory: at least 32GB
Since Blender requires a lot of memory, 32GB is the bare minimum. If you follow these steps, Blender will always function properly, no matter how complicated your project is.

Solid-State-Drive Storage (SSD)
You absolutely must have an SSD for storage if you care about load times and saving your work quickly. Storage space for your Blender projects and assets should be at least 1 terabyte (TB) on a solid-state drive.

Differences in Blender Feature Performance Requirements
Blender is a robust and flexible 3D modelling, animation, simulation, rendering, and other related software application. Some of the features in Blender that can be demanding on your computer’s resources are:

Blender’s modelling workflow is computationally intensive, particularly when working with high-polygon meshes. There is a wide range of performance requirements that can arise, depending on the nature of the modelled object and the methods employed. Sculpting and dynamic topology modelling are two examples that may require more resources than regular polygon modelling.
Animation: Blender’s animation capabilities are not without their challenges, especially when dealing with complex scenes and high-resolution assets. The number of objects in the scene, the degree of animation detail, and the number of frames are just a few of the factors that can affect the required processing power.

Blender’s sim tools cover the gamut from fluid and smoke simulations to cloth and particle simulations. When simulating complicated scenes, these capabilities can be taxing. One area where this is especially true is in fluid simulations, which can be extremely taxing on a computer’s resources.
Blender’s rendering system can be taxing on the user’s resources, especially when high-resolution textures, elaborate lighting setups, and intricate materials are involved. The requirements for performance can change based on factors such as the render engine, the resolution of the final image, and the complexity of the scene.

Blender also has a built-in video editor that can be used to modify and create videos. Although less resource-intensive than other Blender features, this one can still be taxing when working with high-resolution video.

The resources Blender needs to run depend on the complexity of the project and the features being used. A high-powered computer with a lot of RAM, a fast CPU, and a powerful GPU may be necessary when working with high-polygon meshes, large textures, and complex lighting and shading setups.

Extremely Complex Polygonal Modeling and/or Sculpting

High poly modelling and sculpting are complex 3D modelling techniques that place heavy demands on processing speed and hardware.

Blender’s high poly modelling and sculpting places the following demands on the software’s processing power:

Powerful central processing units and large amounts of random access memory are needed for high poly modelling and sculpting. The efficiency and velocity of such operations can be enhanced by using a powerful processor with multiple processing cores and lots of RAM.
High poly modelling and sculpting can benefit from a powerful graphics card with lots of video memory (VRAM). That’s because the high-resolution mesh is rendered and displayed in the 3D viewport by the graphics card.

Hardware and software: To further enhance performance, use tools and settings designed for high poly modelling and sculpting. To easily switch between different levels of detail in high-poly meshes, the Multiresolution modifier can be used. The number of polygons in the mesh can be decreased while preserving its general form using the Simplify modifier.
Several optimization methods can be applied to high poly modelling and sculpting to boost their efficiency. Proxy and low-resolution meshes, fewer subdivisions and vertices, and optimised shaders and materials are some of the methods that can be used to speed up rendering.
High-poly modelling and sculpting can be a hardware-intensive process that calls for a robust computer. Blender’s performance and speed can be enhanced by using optimised tools and settings and applying optimization techniques.

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When working with complex models, animations, or simulations, Blender is a demanding 3D programme that requires a computer with high performance and specifications. I have compiled a list of recommended parts for a Blender-ready PC:

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X processor.
Because of its 16 cores and 32 threads, the Ryzen 9 5950X is a robust processor that can handle intensive workloads and demanding programmes like Blender.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 or RTX 3090 Graphics Processing Unit
Blender’s support for complex 3D scenes and simulations is only possible on high-end graphics cards like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 or 3090 due to their large amount of video memory.

Memory (RAM): 32GB — 64GB DDR4 RAM
When working with high-polygon meshes or large textures, Blender can quickly eat up your RAM. Although 32GB is sufficient for many uses, 64GB may be required for more intensive tasks.

Flash memory: NVMe
Faster boot and load times, as well as the ability to manage large files and projects, are all reasons to upgrade to an NVMe SSD in Blender.

Energy Source: 750 Watts or More
To reliably power all of the build’s components, a high-quality 750W power supply is advised.

Hardware: Computer Processor Cooler and Case Fans
The components can’t be kept from overheating without a good CPU cooler and case fans.

Motherboard with an AM4 socket
To install the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, you’ll need a motherboard with an AM4 socket.

Keep in mind that the suggested parts for this PC are merely a starting point, and that the final configuration will likely differ based on factors such as budget, personal preference, and availability. Nonetheless, this Blender build should have sufficient performance and power to deal with most projects.

A Better Computer Will Make Blender Run Quicker
Blender is robust 3D software, but it can be taxing on your computer’s resources. There are a number of ways to improve Blender’s performance on your PC if you find that it is running slowly or not as well as you would like.

Advice is as follows:

You can speed up Blender, especially when rendering or running simulations, by upgrading your processor. You may want to think about getting a new CPU with more cores and a faster clock speed.
Increase your RAM because Blender is memory intensive, especially when dealing with high-polygon meshes or large textures. Increasing the amount of RAM in your system can boost its performance.
You can improve Blender’s performance, especially when rendering and displaying complex scenes, by upgrading your graphics card.

Make use of a solid-state drive: Blender’s performance, especially when loading and saving files, can be greatly enhanced by upgrading to a Solid State Drive (SSD).
Increase Blender’s performance without replacing your hardware by taking advantage of optimization techniques, such as lowering the polygon count of your models, fine-tuning your lighting and shading, and using simplified materials.

Turn off any unused software and end any running processes Blender’s performance can be enhanced by ending any unnecessary programmes or background processes.
Make sure your graphics card and other hardware drivers are up to date. Outdated drivers are a common cause of performance issues.

You can increase Blender’s performance and speed on your computer by upgrading your hardware, optimising your Blender projects, and closing unused programmes.

Conclusion

Blender is a robust piece of 3D modelling and animation software, but it has some system requirements. To help you get started with Blender, we’ve outlined the bare minimum and recommended specifications, as well as some PC recommendations for handling advanced projects.

You can get much more out of Blender and make more impressive 3D models and animations if you spend some money on a high-end personal computer. Thanks to this tutorial, you can jump right into using Blender and improving your 3D models.

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Mark smith
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I'm GPU expert with over 8 yrs of experience in the industry. I've extensive knowledge of the latest GPU tech & I provide clients with tailored recommendations.