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Opinions on System Build

T

tk5755

n00b
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Messages
4
Hi;

I'm getting ready to order my parts for a new build and would welcome opinions / suggestions on this build.

The PC will be used for Gaming, Photoshop and likely some video editing. My cost for this build will be between $1000.00 - $1200.00. Not sure of final figure at this point. I live in Canada and can purchase most of my parts from one of the distributors I deal with.

Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini
(Decent design and cooling and the size meets my need as many of the mid tower cases are too high for the planned location. Also like the fact that it has fan Control, USB 3.0 and accommodates SSD Drives)

PS: Corsair Enthusiast TX650M (Don't think I need a 750W or higher?)

MB: ASUS P8Z77-M-PRO
(Decided to go Micro ATX as have no need for extra slots)

CPU: Ivi Bridge Core I7 3770K

RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 X 4) or maybe 16GB (4 X 4)
Have always used Kingston HyperX

Video: MSI Hawk R7870
(Have usually gone with ASUS but this card has decent reviews) Not interested in Nvidia. Nothing against Nvidia just prefer ATI.

Boot Drive: Intel Cherrywood 120GB SSD

Cooler: Cooler Master Gemin II S524 (Not planning on overclocking anytime soon and I like that this cooler is light, has a relatively small footprint and will also help to cool the RAM.

Data Drive: Western Digital Blue 500GB
(Would go with Black 6Gb but already have a new WD500)

ASUS: 24X DVD R/W

Monitor: Existing 22" Viewsonic 1920- x 1080 (Full HD 1080p)

OS: Existing (Legit) License Windows 7 Ultimate

Thanks in advance for any advice / suggestions you may have. If suggesting alternatives, please specify your reasons.
 
Please tell us which Canadian-based retailers you plan on purchasing your parts from.

Additionally, which programs are you using for video editing? Which games are you (planning on) playing?
 
I own and operate my own business so I'll be purchasing most of my hardware from a distributor, likely Supercom and not retail. For some of the parts that are not available through Supercom or one of my other distributors, I usually look to NCIX.

I haven't done any Video Editing for a few years now so other than Windows Live Movie Maker which I haven't even tried yet, I'll likely check out some inexpensive packages like Adobe Premier Elements or another similar package. I have a ton of Video on Mini DV that I have been putting off capturing, editing and burning.

As far as games, it is mainly MMORPGs, Guild Wars 2 & Diablo III currently. Also looking at Darkfall Unholy Wars but it is still in Beta with lots of bugs. I'm not a hardcore gamer but when I play, I like to use high settings and get decent fps.
 
If you're planning on using a consumer-level video editing program like Adobe Premiere Elements (instead of a professional/commercial-level program like Premiere Pro), then you don't need the Hyper Threading support of the Intel Core i7 processor. Drop the processor down to either the Core i5-3570K (if you wish to overclock the processor in the future) or the Core i5-3470 (if you have no intention to overclock at all).

I recommend that you go with low profile RAM, regardless of your intentions of overclocking. Consider the Corsair XMS3 or the Corsair Vengeance LP RAM.

If you plan on overclocking on some point in the future, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus or Hyper 212 EVO performs better than the Gemini II S524. If you're not overclocking, then you don't really need a third-party CPU cooler.

I guess I should stop beating around the bush... Do you plan on overclocking at all during any point in the lifetime of this build?

Cherrywood? Did you mean Cherryville instead?

For what it's worth, the Seasonic M12II 620W PSU is considered superior to the Corsair TX650M. That's because the modular TX-M series PSUs aren't made by Seasonic; the TX650M is a rebranded CWT power supply. (But to answer your earlier question, yes, either PSU has more than enough juice for your proposed build.)
 
Thanks for the feedback.

I may decide to go a higher end video editing program such as Premier Pro later but that's unknown at the moment. I also forgot to mention that I do a lot of photo editing and will be using Photoshop CS5 Extended as well as other photo editing programs such as Lightroom. I assume these programs will benefit from the I7 3700K.

I will go with the Corsair XMS3 Low Profile Ram as that will ensure no space problems regardless of the cooler I purchase now or in the future.

I don't plan on overclocking immediately but I will likely overclock down the road so I will purchase the Hyper 212 Plus. The Hyper 212 is a little cheaper and considering the fact that it performs better, that seems the sensible way to go.

Yes I meant to say Cherryville and not Cherrywood. What are your thoughts on that SSD as opposed to other brands? I currently have an Intel 520 series 180GB in my office PC and have been happy with it's performance.

I didn't know the TX650M is a rebranded CWT. Ths Seasonic M12 II 620 sounds good. Would that power supply 620W leave my enough headroom to add a second MSI 7870 card down the road if the need arises?

Are you familiar with the Fractal Design Arc Mini case? Reviews and specs sound good but if you are aware of any major shortcomings I'd be interested. Was also considering the Antec 300.
 
tk5755 said:
I also forgot to mention that I do a lot of photo editing and will be using Photoshop CS5 Extended as well as other photo editing programs such as Lightroom. I assume these programs will benefit from the I7 3700K.
Click to expand...
Not really since Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom CS5 wasn't that heavily multi-threaded IIRC. Unless you're planning on upgrading to CS6 and Premiere Pro CS5/CS6, you're still better off with the Core i5 3570K.
tk5755 said:
Yes I meant to say Cherryville and not Cherrywood. What are your thoughts on that SSD as opposed to other brands? I currently have an Intel 520 series 180GB in my office PC and have been happy with it's performance.
Click to expand...
The 520 series is a solid SSD.
tk5755 said:
I didn't know the TX650M is a rebranded CWT. Ths Seasonic M12 II 620 sounds good. Would that power supply 620W leave my enough headroom to add a second MSI 7870 card down the road if the need arises?
Click to expand...
Yes.
tk5755 said:
Are you familiar with the Fractal Design Arc Mini case? Reviews and specs sound good but if you are aware of any major shortcomings I'd be interested. Was also considering the Antec 300.
Click to expand...
Don't go with the Antec 300 case as it's not a good case all around. The Arc Mini is an ok case.
 
Thanks for all your assistance and advice. Looking forward to getting my hardware and completing my build.
 
Just figured I would comment about Darkfall - the game is incredibly CPU intensive, you don't need a really fancy graphics card to get good fps, just a really fast clock speed. I can't wait until that game is released ;)
 
Everything looks very solid. You might be able so save some money on the mobo, but it's your choice what you go with. With regards to ram I cast my vote onto the 8gb boat, 16gb just isn't very practical nowadays. Your 650w PSU is absolutely fine, you could go down to 500w and be fine with any single GPU card. Everything else looks great, nice build you got there! :)
 
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