Budget Workhorse Desktop ($700-800)

Skylyne

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Okay, I've seen a few guys talk about gaming rigs, but I am looking for a computer that does more than perform decently with new games. I'm in need of a computer that can do a decent job at all of the following:
- Video editing/rendering (just started using Vegas Pro 13).
- DAW work (namely Ableton) averaging 4 VSTs per audio track, reaching upwards of 40 tracks.
- Light gaming. The newest game I own is GTA IV, though I might consider GTA V depending on the computer I end up with.
- Ideally running Win7, but I'm somewhat okay with Win8 if the hardware will run things smoother.

I've been trying to get ideas from Newegg's combo deals, at the moment, and these two builds really sparked my interest as a good starting point (I will upgrade RAM at a later date, so I'm not too worried about which brand of RAM comes with them right now):
AMD Build
AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz Eight-Core CPU
MSI 970 AM3+ MOBO
SAPPHIRE Radeon R9 270 2GB (w/boost and OC)
Team Dark 8GB MEM
WD 1TB HDD
Rosewill Stallion 600W PSU
Enermax Coneus Case

vs

Intel Build
Intel Core i5 4690K Haswell 3.5GHz Quad-Core CPU
MSI B85 Gaming MOBO
HyperX Fury 8GB MEM
Transcend 128GB SSD
WD 1TB HDD
Corsair CX 750W PSU
Deepcool Steam Castle Case

Now, I'm fine with forking out a little extra for a video card, if the Intel build is a better choice; I'm not trying to cheap out, just trying to avoid overspending on my new rig. This will be my first personal DIY build, though I have done these for/with other people plenty of times in the past. I'd rather get more power/performance than I'll typically need, as it leaves me room for the resource hungry games that I might buy in the future, or better performance with audio/video work when things are stepped up down the road. I'm also looking for a build that can support upgrades/updates if ever needed, and won't be too outdated in the next couple years. I'm leaning towards the i5 build, since the CPU is more updated, but I'm not sure that's entirely a selling point just yet. I am not really in the loop with the newer AMD chips, so feel free to make suggestions. MoBo, CPU, GPU, and RAM quantities are definitely open for suggestion.

My current set-up is an outdated gaming laptop (feel free to laugh at my Gateway P-7805u turd lol), and it's been holding me back for a long time. It's done well, but I've never been able to afford an upgrade. If the new build can keep up in about 3-4 years, in the same way my current laptop is, I'll be happy. I'm not expecting the best rig for $600; just looking to get by for a while without too many problems. Being able to update the CPU and GPU would be a nice option after a couple years, if it's cost effective; just as an example. I tend to lean towards AMD in that respect, but lately the Intel chips seem to really be worth the extra that you pay; especially since the price gap isn't very big to step up the performance. Also, I may want to step up to dual SLI video cards, depending on the performance gains I might see from those; if it's mostly good for gaming, then I'm not really interested.

I will be mulling around my options for a month or two, but I'd like to see what you guys say; that way I can start shopping around for deals/etc., and see what might be the most cost efficient until it's time to buy. I've been out of the computer loop for the past few years (kind of obvious), so any/all advice/help is welcome. I've mainly seen questions regarding gaming, but I don't really know how to translate the gaming knowledge into other areas.
 
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Skylyne

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Thanks for the suggestion.

Since I don't really know how strong of a GPU I'll need, I was thinking of sticking with the R9 270 in the AMD build to start; so, I guess around $200? I would think that should be enough to get me by without much of a problem. Depending on if anyone has some suggestions on other parts, and what their cost is, that might change. In all, I don't want to hit $800 unless it's really necessary. I'd prefer staying around $600, including the GPU, but the $700 range is tolerable.

Not really setting a spending limit just yet, as I need to figure out what my options are, as well as what I'd be getting for each GPU price point. As long as it does a good job, I'm happy. Better/faster job, and dual 1080p screen support is great, but not necessary. If I really NEED two screens later on, I'll pony up the cash; but that isn't something I really need at this point in time.
 

You should buy the EVGA GTX750Ti which will fit your budget perfectly, and when the time comes you can buy a second for even twice the graphics performance.
 

Skylyne

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A quick peek at PassMark's reported benchmark shows it's below the R9 270, but I don't really know how significant the benchmark difference is, or how reliable it is in retrospect. Care to explain the difference? I know specs don't always tell the whole story, but I'm short on resources I know I can trust at the moment.

How much of an improvement would I see with running two 750TI cards? That is the one thing I don't really know much about outside of the gaming aspect. I just don't know where I'd see all the extra benefits from various GPUs, outside of gaming. I would assume it helps with some aspects of video work, but I can't really be sure. I haven't really looked into how video production is handled by the hardware, or what is truly necessary for it, as I've only recently been trying to make a rig that can handle it. I've seen many rigs out there, for video production, that are quite powerful across the board (the Mac Pro towers are a good example), but I don't know of anyone who has what I would call a sensible rig for doing this work. Surely you don't need that much power? I could be wrong, though.
 

RazerZ

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No offense, but you might want to do some research on the parts you give advice on before you post it to the forum. First off the GTX 750ti doesn't support sli, and even if it did, the motherboard he has in his build doesn't support sli.

Also it's pointless to have a B85 motherboard with an unlocked i5 since you can't overclock on it.

The R9 270 is a more powerful graphics card compared to the 750ti, and it has the potential to be crossfired.
 

Skylyne

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I don't think it was implied that I was sticking with the MoBo that was in the description, or that it was a better GPU, just more in the range of my budget.

I'm currently looking at alternative MoBo solutions, as the B85 isn't the most ideal for upgrading down the road. I am considering the MSI Z97M. I think that might be worth the extra cash in the long run, as it has two PCI 3.0 slots, instead of a single 3.0, and a single 2.0 slot. That way, I could crossfire a pair of 270's equally, instead of having one limited by the MoBo... if I went that direction later on.

All that really depends on what doubling up on GPU power would really do for me. I'm not trying to make a gaming rig, so I don't know if that will really help me out too much.
 

RazerZ

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I would do something like this, OS included:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($148.97 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 270 2GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Enermax OSTROG ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($86.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $661.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-08 00:05 EDT-0400
 

Skylyne

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Care to explain why I should go with the Vishera chip over the Haswell? The main reason I lean towards the Haswell is that it's newer, and Intel does have better performance all around; but I'm always open to input from someone who can explain it. As long as the performance gain is well worth going with older hardware, I'll definitely consider it. I just would hate to see my computer become dated in a year or two because I stuck with old hardware. Although, I do prefer the AMD chips over Intel, on a personal level.

I take it SLI/Crossfire is mainly a gaming perk? Any benefit in doubling up on GPU cards in general, or none? I assume it's mostly a gaming thing, and it wouldn't help out too much with the work I'd be doing.
 
for rendering/ encoding the 8320 will run rings around the i5 if you do HEAVY rendering and encoding. Light editing will show less of a difference.

I know Ableton can make use of 8 cares. Which means it will likely run better on the 8320.

Also, neither PSU you chose is good and the motherboard for the i5 will completely negate overclocking (what the chip is designed for)

SLI is really only for high end cards and no matter what , even if gaming, it is always the best idea to buy the SINGLE most powerful card you can.
 

Skylyne

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Now that sounds like something I can get behind. And the MoBos/PSUs listed were just from the combo "deals" on Newegg; they weren't going to be my official choices. I just listed everything to see what would be recommended instead of x/y in the Newegg combos. I'm open to recommendations on a PSU as well! As long as the build cost doesn't tip the $800 mark, I'll be fairly happy. Like I said, $600 range is ideal, and $700 range is tolerable, but not preferred.
 

Skylyne

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I'll keep it in mind.

Here's a cocktail napkin idea, I guess: PCPartPicker. Definitely not a finalised build, but it's within my speculative budget. It's pretty similar to the build RazerZ recommended; just a couple changes. Any advice on manufacturers is great, as well as anthing else you would change; I just want to know why you'd change it. Since this will be my first personal build, and it's going to do be doing a variety of tasks, I just want to make sure it's going to give me the best bang for the buck, as well as being something I don't need to worry about with reliability. Also don't need my equipment to go outdated too fast, if I end up needing this rig to be more specialised down the road. The easier to update/upgrade one or two things, the better.
 

Alexdiaz

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First of all, I want to thank you for using Ableton Live 9 since you are the first person I've seen on Toms Hardware talking about audio production. Audio and video editing use a lot of ram and a good CPU. I highly recommend going with the i5-4670k and getting 16gbs of ram off the spot. I don't expect GTA V to need a beefy card when it comes out so first get the PC without the dGPU and then later on when GTA comes out, get something like a GTX 750 ti or R7-265.
 

RazerZ

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If you plan to upgrade later on, you could go with an Intel build based around an H97 or Z97 motherboard, the latter if you plan to overclock. These boards can support the Broadwell CPU line when they come out. The current cheapest intel CPU that would out perform the 8320 would be the Intel Xeon 1231 V3, basically a locked i7 without intel HD graphics.

Your current build looks great, but I would swap the ram for Patriot Viper Low profile blue (if you care about color scheme) for $1 more, and swap the case for one that is better designed/ has good cable management such as a Corsair 300R. Also if you're getting the MSI version of the 270 for $160, might as well get the 270x for $5 more post rebate.

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-video-card-r9270xdc2t2gd5


The FX 8320 is a great CPU but it has no upgrade path, however it should last a good amount of years since it's one of AMDs best CPUs on the market right now.
 
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Skylyne

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So, a rework of the AMD build, along your suggested lines, would look this: AMD Build. An Intel version, with a little more upgrade compatibility, would look like this: Intel Build. At least, that's what I gather from your suggestions? Even though I might buy the parts after rebates/sales have expired, I'll probably stick with the Asus 270x GPU; it's only about $15 more than the MSI 270 normally.

I went with the Kingston Fury RAM for looks, though I might go back to the G.Skill Ripjaws for the few bucks in savings. I'll probably upgrade to 16 GB in the future to help improve performance. Any input on switching to 2 x 8 GB sticks, instead of doubling up the 2 x 4 GB sticks? I doubt I'd notice too much of a difference, if any at all. If I go with a pair of the 2 x 4 GB option, I'll focus on looks a little more.

Thanks for everyone's input so far. It's nice to see this evolving into a much nicer rig. I'm definitely not within the ideal budget, so I'll probably edit the title once I nail down both AMD/Intel rigs to officially consider, but it's definitely still within a decent price range. I'm somewhat okay with going high on cost to avoid making my machine obsolete too quickly, even if I'm reluctant to do so. The Intel build may not be in my ideal price range, but if it keeps my hardware up to date for longer, I'm okay with sacrificing an unlocked CPU for one that outperforms the 8320. If I ever need the extra power, I'll make that decision when necessary. I shouldn't need any more power than the Xeon 1231 gives me.
 

RazerZ

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Looks good. You can save some money by switching the motherboard to an H97 if you don't plan on overclocking in the future.

As far as gaming goes 8gb ram vs 16GB ram doesn't make any difference as of now, video rendering definitely benefits from more ram, and I'm not sure if ableton benefits from more ram. I can imagine it does, but I would ask someone who is more knowledgeable about audio production. The user Alexdiaz seems to use ableton as well so you could ask him.
 

Skylyne

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I appreciate the input. And yes, Ableton is my DAW of choice (I learned to produce on it). As far as CPU goes, If I get the i5, I'd stick with the 4690k over the 4670k; the 4690k is basically the same price (sometimes cheaper), and has a bit higher benchmark. For the price, it's worth going with the 4690k IMO. I'll stick with 8 GB to start, just to test the waters. If I feel the need for more, I'll definitely bump it up. I would prefer to get by on just 8 GB, if possible, to save some cash, as this isn't the only thing I need to spend money on soon lol.

Also, GTA V is already out, mate. It's been out for a little while, so that's one reason I mentioned it lol. I mainly mentioned to give everyone a basic benchmark of what the computer might need to handle game-wise, if I were to throw the most resource demanding game at it that I'd currently play. But yeah, it's been out. Just giving an example of the newest game I'd play, so those who've been playing it could gauge what my rig should have to avoid problems.
 

Skylyne

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Sounds like I might have a winning duo to consider. I'll stick with the z97 MoBo, just in case I do upgrade the CPU to something I would overclock down the road. I don't think it was that much cheaper to go with the H97. In that respect, it's better to have and not need. Saves me a potential $100+ in a few years, in theory.

I'll keep this open for a couple days, so others can give some input, but I think those last two builds are probably the best I could do without going crazy, or potentially shorting myself. The price gap is definitely worth the month or so I'll be waiting before making the commitment. By then, I'll should have the money to make a full on purchase either way. Thank you, very much, for all the help, RazerZ; and thanks to everyone else who's helped so far.

Just one last question: Is there any CPU cooler I should consider as an additional purchase? I'm sure the OEM one would be fine, with either of the CPUs at stock output, but I have a hunch I'd want better cooling if I OC'ed the 8320.
 

RazerZ

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No it's not overkill, that cooler is perfectly fine. It should perform better than the EVO, and it looks bad@#% as well :p

The 212 EVO is a great budget option, and price to performance wise it's hard to beat. Of course there are coolers which are better than the 212 but they will cost more as well. Occasionally a cooler such as a Zalman CNPS 9900 will go on sale for around $30, but usually for budget builds the 212 EVO remains the best option.
 

Skylyne

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I guess I'll go with the EVO, and I'll probably upgrade to the V6 later on. No sense in spending more upfront. Hey, thanks again for all the help! Both builds look great. After thinking these two over, and looking a few things up, I think these two builds can't be tweaked any more, either way, without losing too much.

Kudos to RazerZ and tiny voices for the help, and to everyone else for all the input. Can't wait to see one of these finally come to life! I'm leaning towards the Intel, but I'll kick both builds around for a month or so before pulling the trigger. Either way I go, I'll be set for a few years. Thanks again, everyone.