Multimedia / Gaming Build ~ $1000

[shipwreck-zombies]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Multimedia work; design and illustration, video editing / motion, 3d, web development. I don't have as much time for gaming as I'd like but that's definitely a factor
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Around $1000 but I'm flexible if something is particularly shiny
3) Where do you live?
British Columbia, Canada - I have had great experiences with newegg.ca
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Case, PSU, Motherboard, CPU, RAM, CD/DVD, Maybe mouse and keyboard if something comes highly recommended
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
HIS 5850, WD Black 1TB
6) Will you be overclocking?
Not seriously, no
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
I have three 22" 1920x1080
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within the week
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
No strict demands, though I would like to experiment with Crossfire at some point
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?
Windows 7 64bit

I am thinking:
Case: Corsair 800D
PSU: 850HX
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R
RAM: 8GB G.Skill

I have a hard time discerning between processors, though I imagine i7 is what I'm looking for. I haven't used any fancy heat sinks in the past but I would be stoked to try if one comes recommended.

I rarely use CD/DVD so I guess anything SATA

Thanks for your time

 

[tiraides]

Go with this instead:

$518 - Intel Core i7 930 & Gigabyte X58A-UD3R combo
$283 - Two (2) sets of GeIL 3x2GB DDR3 1600 RAM (at $141 each)
$20 - LG GH22NS40 SATA DVD burner
$125 - SeaSonic S12D 850 Silver 850W PSU
$90 - Cooler Master HAF 922 ATX mid-tower case
=====
$1036 CAD - Subtotal (not including shipping, taxes, or rebates)

You don't need much on the processor front, so I took advantage of the combo deal the Gigabyte X58A-UD3R had with the Intel Core i7 930. I also swapped out the case and power supply for cheaper alternatives so I could make "room" for 12GB of RAM. That extra RAM will help with your Photoshop and multimedia work.

 

[shipwreck-zombies]

Thanks for encouraging me to run 12GB, also that Motherboard / CPU combo looks great

My budget is pretty flexible, and after checking out the 800D video on hardwarecanucks I got excited about working in a spacious case, and the possibility of water-cooling in the future was also a stoke

I've had great experiences with Corsair PSU's in the past - is there a reason other than budget to go with the Seasonic?

 

[Dangman]

I've had great experiences with Corsair PSU's in the past - is there a reason other than budget to go with the Seasonic?

Because Seasonic makes some Corsair PSUs? But yeah, the main reason to get that Seasonic is the great price to performance ratio. Not to mention that it's of better quality than some Corsair PSUs out there.

 

[shipwreck-zombies]

With the GIGABYTE X58A-UD3R, are you suggesting the three sticks of Geil because of the Motherboards triple channel specification? Using sets of three is more efficient than sets of two?

 

[Dangman]

With the GIGABYTE X58A-UD3R, are you suggesting the three sticks of Geil because of the Motherboards triple channel specification? Using sets of three is more efficient than sets of two?

Well he recommended two, not three, sets of 6GB of RAM due to that triple channel spec.

 

[shipwreck-zombies]

I'm sorry I wasn't clear; The Geil sets come in three sticks of 2GB, to take advantage of triple channel. Which is more efficient than the two sticks of 4GB I had previously thought to get, which would be for dual-channel?

Thanks for your patience

 

[Dangman]

I'm sorry I wasn't clear; The Geil sets come in three sticks of 2GB, to take advantage of triple channel. Which is more efficient than the two sticks of 4GB I had previously thought to get, which would be for dual-channel?

Your route is technically cost and space efficient IF you're planning on going for a full 24GB of RAM in the future. But from a price to performance perspective and if 12GB of RAM will suffice, that G.Skill set is not a good buy at all.

In terms of performance, the difference between dual channel and triple channel is roughly 2 to 5% at best.