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Help me build a machine!!

O

OuTLaWzSm

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 26, 2004
Messages
204
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Motion Graphics, design software including but not limited to Adobe Suite and 3d applications such as Maya and Cinema 4D, and HD movie stuff
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
around 600 - 700 bucks, including tax/shipping
3) Where do you live?
new york city
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
case, ram, cpu, motherboard, gpu, psu, hard drive
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
o/s and some cd drives i have laying around, i might have an antec 500 watt power supply laying about
6) Will you be overclocking?
if it will help me cut costs yes
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
24" benq 241w, if anyones interested im actually looking to get rid of it.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
asap
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.
overclocking, RAID support, USB 3.0, higher end audio if possible (but not necessary if budget gets in way)
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
i have 64 bit windows 7

i was thinking to start off with an intel processor, is there a vast difference between i7 and i5? i would want something with quad cores for multiprocessing, i do alot of multitasking as well at 1920 x 1200 resolution. I am not sure what motherboard i should get. i would like to get as much RAM as possible, 12gb? the GPU isn't as important but something that is fast enough and will help with applications that support GPU acceleration. i dont need 2x video cards like SLI.

hope i've given enough information, let me know your ideas. thanks so much !!!
 
Well your budget won't allow for a Core i7 CPU without going with low-end crappy parts. So a discussion on it is a bit moot if you can't afford it. BUt yes the Core i7 CPU is faster than the Core i5 CPU if the app in question is heavily multi-threaded like 3D rendering and video editing apps.

Prelim build:
$309 - Intel Core i5 760 CPU + Asus P7P55D-E LX Intel P55 ATX Motherboard Combo
$120 - 2 x G.Skill Ripjaw Series F3-10666CL9S-4GBRL 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$85 - Palit NE5T2400FHD01 GeForce GT 240 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$55 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$70 - Seasonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W PSU
$55 - Cooler Master Elite 335 RC-335-KKN1-GP ATX Case
---
Total: $694 plus tax and shipping.

Make sure that you do this hack in order for Adobe CS5 to take advantage of the video card:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1532552
 
is intel going to replace the LGA 1156 and 1366 sockets with something else? i heard that its only a matter of weeks and i am looking for something that will be upgradeable down the line.

i do like the build you suggested but dont you think the GPU is a bit weak?

will this AMD build be any good? the processor speed is slightly sacrificed for a better GPU.

ASRock 870 EXTREME3 - 100
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 - 155
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB - 55
Antec Three Hundred Case - 60
EVGA GeForce GTX 460 768GB PCI-E - 130
OCZ Reaper Edition 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 - 120

and i have an antec truepower 500 watt power supply i can use.

Total is 650

do you think this is any good, and how is it price wise, too much?
 
OuTLaWzSm said:
is intel going to replace the LGA 1156 and 1366 sockets with something else? i heard that its only a matter of weeks and i am looking for something that will be upgradeable down the line.
Click to expand...
Intel is replacing their LGA 1156 sockets in January 2011 and LGA 1366 sockets in Q3 2011 with socket LGA1155 and LGA 2011 respectively.

Well for the Adobe software, the GT 240 is more than enough for your needs. But for Maya and Cinema 4D, not too sure about that.

That AMD build is not that good at all. But before I start ripping into that setup, need this question answered: Which Antec Truepower 500W PSU do you have? I ask because of the following:
The Truepower I and II series as well as the Smartpower series were well known for their above average death rates due to a poor choice in caps and cooling design. In more specific terms, Antec/CWT specified/used caps (Fuhjyyu caps) that did not respond well to heat. Unfortunately, Antec made the decision to have the PSU fan only ramp at really high temps in an effort to keep the PSU quiet. However, just medium to high temps were enough to screw up the caps so really high temps were murderous. Over time, this degraded the quality and performance of those PSU series.

So I recommend replacing the PSU, especially if you hear a squeal, whine, or any odd noise coming from the PSU. Those are usually the first signs of those particular PSU lines dying. So if you do hear a squeal, whine, or any odd noise, that's enough grounds to replace the PSU.
 
You can get a significantly better quality motherboard for the same price as that Asrock via this combo deal:
$253 - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition CPU + Asus M4A89GTD PRO AMD 890GX ATX Motherboard Combo

OCZ RAM has gotten lower in in quality and support over the past few years. As such I cannot recommend OCZ RAM any more. Not to mention that the OCZ RAM you chose is rated 1.65V VS the 1.5V of the G.Skill RAM I recommended. Lower voltage means lesser heat.

I don't factor in rebates as they're not guaranteed discounts. So for all intents and purposes, that GTX 460 is still $170. SO getting a new PSU as well as that GTX 460 768MB will push you over to $728 plus tax and shipping. If you can't swing that extra cash, drop the GPU down to the GTS 450:
$110 - Sparkle SXS4501024D5SNM GeForce GTS 450 1GB PCI-E Video Card
 
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