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Need help verifying these specs (new build)

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January 31, 2014 4:00:48 PM

Hi All,
I'm an architecture student and currently need a good pc for my design projects.
I would be running cad software, photoshop (editing also raw photographs), and 3D programmes such as sketchup, lumion, 3dsmax, blender... (not sure which one I will use)

So, after doing some research, I am considering settling on the following specs for my new PC. ((Note; I had started with a budget of £700 but when studying which specs I needed for my use... I had to increase it slightly))

Specs:

CPU :
AMD FX 8350 Eight Core CPU (turbo 4.2Ghz)

Motherboard :
Asus M5A78L-M USB3

Hard Drive :
120gb Solid State Drive OR 1T HDD

Memory : 16gb DDR3 1600mhz Corsair Vengeance Memory

Graphics Card : Latest Radeon R9 290 (4GB)

GDDR5 (supports up to 3 display monitors without DisplayPort)

Optical Drive : 24x Dual Layer DVD Writer

Software : Windows 7 Home 64 bit

Power Supply : Aerocool VP Pro 850 Watt Branded PSU


Any suggestions & recommendations are appreciated!

Thanks!

More about : verifying specs build

January 31, 2014 4:10:33 PM

That psu is not really of the highest quality. I would get an 80+ psu from a better company (corsair, xfx)
If you have the budget, you could really benefit from a quadro or firegl card.
A good case would be the Define R4 or NZXT H440.
The M5A99FX is also an updated mobo from that.
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January 31, 2014 4:11:14 PM

Some of those programs will use the R9 290 for hardware acceleration. However, most of them will benefit more from a better CPU.

Change to i7-4770k, Z87-A, R9 270x, Corsair TX650.
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January 31, 2014 4:11:21 PM

The PSU is overkill. 600 Watts should be fine to run this build also go for a more known brand like SeaSonic or XFX. I have heard bad stories about Aerocool in the past. Are you going to be doing any gaming because an R9 290 seems a bit high end for editing. I understand that you want to make use of it's 4Gb's but you could possibly save a bit of money in this area. Everything else seems good although Intel i5's are faster and perform better then 8350's. They are a similar price too.
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January 31, 2014 4:24:18 PM

Definitely take the advice these folks are giving and get a better quality PSU. You can save cash for your build and get cheaper components in other areas. But you really dont want to skimp on a quality PSU. XFX, seasonic and corsair are the best brands to stick with in general.
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January 31, 2014 4:32:50 PM

1bignerd99 said:
That psu is not really of the highest quality. I would get an 80+ psu from a better company (corsair, xfx)
If you have the budget, you could really benefit from a quadro or firegl card.
A good case would be the Define R4 or NZXT H440.
The M5A99FX is also an updated mobo from that.


Thanks for your advice 1bignerd99. I will definitely consider another PSU then. And those are some beautiful cases you mentioned!
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January 31, 2014 4:38:46 PM

aevm said:
Some of those programs will use the R9 290 for hardware acceleration. However, most of them will benefit more from a better CPU.

Change to i7-4770k, Z87-A, R9 270x, Corsair TX650.


Initially I was going for an i7 but when comparing prices I had to go for an AMD in order to be able to get a better GPU (read somewhere that for instance lumion is more comfortable with a good GPU rather than the cpu as it is ''rendering constantly'' ) Unfortunately I'm new to mid-high-end builds and do not really know exactly the differences between different cpu's and amount of cores... eg. which is best for my needs, 8core AMD or 4core Intel? I won't be doing gaming on this build, used only for building 3D models and rendering visual images.
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January 31, 2014 4:46:52 PM

Computer__GUY said:
The PSU is overkill. 600 Watts should be fine to run this build also go for a more known brand like SeaSonic or XFX. I have heard bad stories about Aerocool in the past. Are you going to be doing any gaming because an R9 290 seems a bit high end for editing. I understand that you want to make use of it's 4Gb's but you could possibly save a bit of money in this area. Everything else seems good although Intel i5's are faster and perform better then 8350's. They are a similar price too.


I won't be doing gaming on this build, will be using it only for building 3D models and rendering visual images. I was considering 2Gb graphics card defore opting for the 4Gb one, but when spending this amount of money I don't want to risk having a slow pc which renders one image per hour before my exams :s However would still like to ask, will 2gb graphics card be enough to have a smooth and fast experience building/rotating and rendering visuals? I will reconsider re. Aerocool as well.. Thanks for your advice!

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Best solution

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January 31, 2014 4:49:26 PM

The i7-4770k wipes the floor with the FX-8350. No offense to AMD fans, I love AMD, but I have an i7-4770k myself and I spent a lot of effort researching before I bought it.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/697?vs=836

If your software can use GPU acceleration, the FX-8350 + a fantastic GPU like the R9 290 will be a winning combination. If not, it will sort of suck, and you'd be much better off with an i7-4770k and a more modest GPU.

Maybe you can have the best of both worlds, i.e. both the i7-4770k and the R9 290? It would cost a few hundred bucks more but you're covered in both scenarios that way.

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January 31, 2014 4:49:28 PM

Ronaldspiers said:
Definitely take the advice these folks are giving and get a better quality PSU. You can save cash for your build and get cheaper components in other areas. But you really dont want to skimp on a quality PSU. XFX, seasonic and corsair are the best brands to stick with in general.


Thanks for your reply Ronaldspiers! I had focused my limited budget on cpu and gpu at first leaving the psu for last :/  Thanks for your advice!
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January 31, 2014 4:52:50 PM

About the PSU: this one can handle the R9 290 with either of the CPUs we discussed. It's a great deal at this price too.

XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-p1650snlb...
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January 31, 2014 5:00:51 PM

aevm said:
The i7-4770k wipes the floor with the FX-8350. No offense to AMD fans, I love AMD, but I have an i7-4770k myself and I spent a lot of effort researching before I bought it.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/697?vs=836

If your software can use GPU acceleration, the FX-8350 + a fantastic GPU like the R9 290 will be a winning combination. If not, it will sort of suck, and you'd be much better off with an i7-4770k and a more modest GPU.

Maybe you can have the best of both worlds, i.e. both the i7-4770k and the R9 290? It would cost a few hundred bucks more but you're covered in both scenarios that way.



Thanks for the insight aevm... since i'm not sure which 3D programme to use yet (cannot limit my choice at this stage due to various advantages of each software) I would be safer with the 'best of both worlds' scenario you suggested! will definitely consider this option and recalculate costs. Thanks also for the suggestion re the PSU aevm!
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January 31, 2014 5:02:17 PM

You're very welcome.

If that's it for now please pick a solution.
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January 31, 2014 5:09:47 PM

aevm said:
You're very welcome.

If that's it for now please pick a solution.


Apologies for the newbie question aevm, but will I still be able to ask for advice on this thread after I have chosen a solution? Thanks.
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January 31, 2014 5:27:40 PM

Sure you can. You can always open new threads too if you have more questions.
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