- Sep 3, 2015
- 13
- 0
- 4,510
I need a new desktop system and this time around I was thinking of getting one custom-built, probably by ComputerLX.com. I'd like to get some input from people who have experience building systems.
First, I'm not a gamer, nor do I do video editing. I'll be using this computer primarily for graphic design, photo editing, web design, office productivity apps, writing & research, web browsing, email, social media and watching videos. I do A LOT of multitasking; I need to be able to run Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Acrobat, MS Word, Directory Opus, two web browsers with around 50 tabs open each, a text editor, Thunderbird and TweetDeck at the same time. I also need dual monitor support (1x 1080p and 1x 2k or ideally 4k resolution).
I've decided on the new Intel Core i7-6700K 4GHz Skylake Processor and will be getting 16GB RAM. You can see the customization options here: http://www.computerlx.com/config.aspx?t=&product_ID=1838
First question is about RAM: The price difference between 2133MHz DDR4 RAM vs 2400MHz DDR4 RAM is significant; how much (if at all) am I going to notice the difference? Is paying $50 extra for the faster RAM worth it?
Second question is about the GPU: I was originally leaning toward the nVidia GeForce GT740 4GB DDR5 Video Card but am concerned that it may not have enough power. What do you think? Next I considered the nVidia GeForce GTX750 Ti 2GB DDR5, but will 2GB video memory be sufficient for my purposes? Definitely don't want to run out of video memory while working. Also, the price of the GTX750 Ti seems high compared to other stores. I've also considered the MSI Radeon R7 370 4GB though they would have to special-order that for me, which would also increase the price. And I'm concerned that the HDMI port isn't 2.0 so no 4K via HDMI. What do you think would be the best video card for my purposes? I'd like to keep cost below $180 if possible.
Third question is about cooling: This is where I'm really lost. As you can see, this company offers--and recommends--all kinds of cooling upgrades from heavy duty copper CPU cooling fans, advanced thermal paste, professional wiring with round cables, and memory heat spreaders to various hard drive cooling fans and case cooling & exhaust fans. Which of these do I actually need? I should mention that I do not intend to overclock the processor. Will I be ok with the Intel Standard Processor Cooling Fan or do I need something more heavy duty? And what about the advanced thermal pastes, round cables, memory heat spreaders, etc.?
I'm planning to have a SSD for my OS and apps plus either one or two 7200 RPM hard drives and one or two (probably one) optical drives. The case I'm currently considering comes with 5 fans (1x 200mm, 4x 120mm). Do I need hard drive cooling fans or additional case cooling or exhaust fans?
Many thanks for your input!
First, I'm not a gamer, nor do I do video editing. I'll be using this computer primarily for graphic design, photo editing, web design, office productivity apps, writing & research, web browsing, email, social media and watching videos. I do A LOT of multitasking; I need to be able to run Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Acrobat, MS Word, Directory Opus, two web browsers with around 50 tabs open each, a text editor, Thunderbird and TweetDeck at the same time. I also need dual monitor support (1x 1080p and 1x 2k or ideally 4k resolution).
I've decided on the new Intel Core i7-6700K 4GHz Skylake Processor and will be getting 16GB RAM. You can see the customization options here: http://www.computerlx.com/config.aspx?t=&product_ID=1838
First question is about RAM: The price difference between 2133MHz DDR4 RAM vs 2400MHz DDR4 RAM is significant; how much (if at all) am I going to notice the difference? Is paying $50 extra for the faster RAM worth it?
Second question is about the GPU: I was originally leaning toward the nVidia GeForce GT740 4GB DDR5 Video Card but am concerned that it may not have enough power. What do you think? Next I considered the nVidia GeForce GTX750 Ti 2GB DDR5, but will 2GB video memory be sufficient for my purposes? Definitely don't want to run out of video memory while working. Also, the price of the GTX750 Ti seems high compared to other stores. I've also considered the MSI Radeon R7 370 4GB though they would have to special-order that for me, which would also increase the price. And I'm concerned that the HDMI port isn't 2.0 so no 4K via HDMI. What do you think would be the best video card for my purposes? I'd like to keep cost below $180 if possible.
Third question is about cooling: This is where I'm really lost. As you can see, this company offers--and recommends--all kinds of cooling upgrades from heavy duty copper CPU cooling fans, advanced thermal paste, professional wiring with round cables, and memory heat spreaders to various hard drive cooling fans and case cooling & exhaust fans. Which of these do I actually need? I should mention that I do not intend to overclock the processor. Will I be ok with the Intel Standard Processor Cooling Fan or do I need something more heavy duty? And what about the advanced thermal pastes, round cables, memory heat spreaders, etc.?
I'm planning to have a SSD for my OS and apps plus either one or two 7200 RPM hard drives and one or two (probably one) optical drives. The case I'm currently considering comes with 5 fans (1x 200mm, 4x 120mm). Do I need hard drive cooling fans or additional case cooling or exhaust fans?
Many thanks for your input!
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