Graphic/animation plus little gaming PC - need advice.

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Bubunya

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I am about to build new PC, but here is a problem - last build I'd made was 'bout 7 years ago.
So at this moment I am little bit out of track.
Here's what I need/want:

PC mostly for:

  • Working with Adobe package such as Illustrator, Photoshop After Effects etc. Mostly creating/editing images, animation and some video editing.
    Working with Cinema4D and other 3D software.
    Working with raw files.
    Web design, bit of coding.
    Not a much gamer anymore, but some strategy like SC2 and such will be welcome :D

What I am looking for:

  • i7 4790 (or will i5 work as smooth as i7 for my needs?), no need overclocking.
    At least 16GB (32GB is better) of memory.
    GPU powerful enough to run everything listed above on 3 monitors. Once again there will be no heavy gaming on 3 monitors, just a some strategy games on one :lol: I do have 3 24" monitors.
    Mobo.
    System drive.
    PSU.
    Case.
    What else...

No need to be fancy or crazy gaming build, but must be stable workhorse.
Sorry for such a stupid questions, but as I'd mention before it is my first build in last 7-8 years and everything changes A LOT:sarcastic:

Thanks in advance !



 
Solution
shortstuff_mt
Yes, that's right. You won't have the option of falling back to integrated graphics if you use a CPU without an integrated GPU. It's a small inconvenience, though, in order to get a CPU that's considerable better in multi-threaded applications than an i5.

The H97/Z97 chipset is the newest currently available for the LGA1150 socket. The upgrade path using an H97 chipset board is as good as it gets for the LGA1150 socket. The LGA1150 socket doesn't have any motherboards available with more than four RAM slots, so 32GB is pretty much your max on that socket. You would have to step up to a LGA2011-3 setup if you want the option of more cores and more than 32GB in the future. That's a considerable price jump, though.
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shortstuff_mt

shortstuff_mt

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Apr 1, 2008
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It's hard to make a recommendation without a budget. Here's a build that would work great for your intended use. I went with two separate SSDs to help with throughput.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus H97-PLUS ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($101.99 @ Directron)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($229.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($131.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($131.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($75.65 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card ($209.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($57.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($71.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.75 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1356.28
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-30 12:42 EST-0500
 
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Bubunya

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Thanks for reply!
Budged... Well, less is better :D

You r not the first person mention Xeon instead of i7.
Never thought 'bout it 'cos IMO Xeon's r mostly for severs or server related systems.
I'd build video editing systems based on IBM servers back in 90's. heavy as a dwarf in full plate armor, but man - I was able to put 2(!!) SCSI 9GB hdd's only for video. 18GB of space back in 90's was a huge deal. With lack of memory 10K speed guarantied almost no drop frames :pt1cable:
They were great workhorses. When they worked... And if not - you were faced a huge problems.
That's why I've never thought 'bout Xeon's. AMD wasn't an option ether.

Anyway... 'Bout Xeon. E3-1230 comes without IGP.
E3-1245V3 does come with one. There is a around $50 difference in price between them.
Is it worth to go with E3-1245V3?
And btw, does E3-1230 will work with Asus H97-PLUS since it states on Newegg as "Onboard Video Chipset: Supported only by CPU with integrated graphic" ?

Mobo.
As I do understand Z87 or Z97 was designed for OC, so no need for me to look at that side. Tho they still look sexy :D
So I was looking for LGA1150 H97 on Newegg and... There is only 3 Asus mobo, two of them r mini.
And reviews for Gigabite and ASRock not really optimistic - way too much DOA and dead after few months products. Total was less than 30 boards, which surprise me a lot. Or am I doing something wrong?
The board you recommended is a nice one, but I was looking for few more USB 3.0. Yes, I can use a hub, but still...

Memory.
Muchkin is a good brand, but based on reviews I was able to find on the web, let say G.Skill is a way better one.
What do you think 'bout G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series $289 right now with $40 off code, total $249? Or G.SKILL Sniper $129 for 2x8gb minus 10% off? Little bit more on money, but may be better performance?

Storage I'll hunt for a deal.
Same with optical.
Probably same for case, tho not sure if I can use any mid tower case?

Power supply. I was looking for at least 750W. Way too much companies and reviews... Any recommendations for 750-800W? Thanks ;)

Don't need OS, got win7 ultimate and win8 pro - both still sealed :D











 
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shortstuff_mt

shortstuff_mt

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Apr 1, 2008
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The Xeon chips are essentially an i7 without the integrated GPU. They would work well for your system. I would stick with an H97 chipset motherboard. Just look for one that meets your needs (more USB 3.0, etc...).

I wouldn't say G.Skill is "way better", but they are a quality RAM manufacturer as is Mushkin. Either of the RAM kits you linked to would work great.

A mid-tower case is all you need for this system.

The system doesn't need anywhere near a 750-800W PSU. You can't go wrong with SeaSonic PSUs. I would select either a tier one or tier two PSU from this list:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1804779/power-supply-unit-tier-list.html
 
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Bubunya

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My bad, sorry. I meant to say " with this combination I'll not gonna have video output from mb"
And that's what must be on my list, just in a case something will go wrong with GPU I'll not be able to take a look at the system.
One more question - what 'bout more advance mb? With option to upgrade CPU lately for more cores or newest model plus more memory?
Thanks again for your help.

 
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shortstuff_mt

shortstuff_mt

Glorious
Apr 1, 2008
10,191
24
43,965
Yes, that's right. You won't have the option of falling back to integrated graphics if you use a CPU without an integrated GPU. It's a small inconvenience, though, in order to get a CPU that's considerable better in multi-threaded applications than an i5.

The H97/Z97 chipset is the newest currently available for the LGA1150 socket. The upgrade path using an H97 chipset board is as good as it gets for the LGA1150 socket. The LGA1150 socket doesn't have any motherboards available with more than four RAM slots, so 32GB is pretty much your max on that socket. You would have to step up to a LGA2011-3 setup if you want the option of more cores and more than 32GB in the future. That's a considerable price jump, though.
 
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