Need advice in building a new PC

Denea

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To be short: I want to build a pc for working in photoshop and illustrator (I'm a web designer/developer) and casual gaming. I need powerful enough hardware, that will allow me, for example, to:
- Play DOTA 2 on high (maybe other game, not too graphic intense)
- Have 30-40 + tabs open on chrome (youtube music, lots of google search images and so on)
- Have launched Adobe Photoshop with some files in it
- Have launched Adobe Illustrator with some files in it
- Kaspersky, skype conversations and other small RAM eaters will be also running..

And I want to alt-tab between all of the above simultaneously, without any lags or freezes.
Also I'm willing to play GTA V, the latest Assassins Creed, the upcoming NFS Underground 3 and maybe a few other games, on high-ultra settings 50+ fps Full HD, as I never had the opportunity ... and the child in me is still alive.

The components I was thinking of, are:

CPU: FX-8320
GPU: AMD Sapphire R9 390
RAM: Already have like 10 gb of simple DDR3, so buying something more sophisticated won't help much I think.
PSU: A 650W psu, haven't really given too much attention to it
Motherboard: Have no experience in choosing one :\
Case: A nice looking case not more expensive than 100$
SSD: 2x Samsung 850 EVO 250gb, as they're pretty cheap (not sure about the quality still)
Cooling: Either H100i or some Noctua fans, another 100$ I guess ( I need to keep it silent)

My ideal budget would be 750$-900$, but I'm based in Europe, okay on the edge of Europe :(, so the prices are higher than in the US.

Is this build going to do everything listed without lags or freezes? or should I consider to swap to Intel?
Also some recommendations about the motherboard would help.
Thanks in advance.
 
We can price in Euros. What's your Euro budget?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor (€167.90 @ Caseking)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (€35.50 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard (€90.27 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€79.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€79.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 390 8GB Double Dissipation Video Card (€360.14 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case: Cooler Master N300 ATX Mid Tower Case (€51.89 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Power Supply: XFX TS 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply (€98.49 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-118CB/BEBE DVD/CD Drive (€15.03 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Total: €979.20
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-20 19:37 CET+0100

As you can see, I think what you want exceeds your budget, and the CPU cooler is minimal.

Intel version.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (€274.88 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-HD3 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (€69.75 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€79.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€79.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 390 8GB Double Dissipation Video Card (€360.14 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case: Cooler Master N300 ATX Mid Tower Case (€51.89 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (€84.90 @ Caseking)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-118CB/BEBE DVD/CD Drive (€15.03 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Total: €1016.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-20 19:42 CET+0100

Samsung SSD,s especially the 850 EVO are among the best available at that price/performance level. They are all I use at the moment. Samsung makes their own chips.
 

Denea

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In euros that should be about 830. So, somewhat cheaper than you proposed.
My main point is this kind of "multitasking" I described. So if lets say FX6300 does that with no lags, I would be ok with a FX6300. I'm not really looking into overclocking, as I want this PC to be last me about 5-6 years.
So my main concern is, will be FX8350 good enough, or should I consider an i5?
 
Vishera FX architecture was launched over three years ago (about 6 months after Intel generation 3 Ivy Bridge, and followed by Generation 4 Haswell, Generation 5 Broadwell, and Generation 6 Skylake. The next generation of AMD may be close to Intel Generation 7.

Your work and gaming require different things, optimally. The Gaming needs comparatively few, powerful computer cores, the editing works better with more cores, although the more powerful the better/ If you want your CPU to be relevant in 5-6 years time you need to go with an high-end modern Intel CPU. They are the only CPUs still being used today at that age in 'front-line' service.

Haswell is already obsolete, but the top end will still be relevant in five year's time. I'm not sure you can afford what you need.

You can get a CPU today, that can reasonably be expected to be decent in 2021, but not your GPU, so that's where I would make the saving. You will likely need to upgrade your GPU at least twice before 2021.
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To get good productivity out of the FX 6300 you will have to overclock it and, certainly, to play modern games at good framerates and effects.

You can't really do what you want for the budget you have suggested. (and the builds above have no RAM, HDD or OS included, or monitors, keyboard or mouse) Where can you consider cutting back?
 


For the tasks that you want to run, and all the open applications, you would be better served with FX 83xx over the six core FX 6300. FX 6300 is recommended for people who are primarily interested in something like mid - high rang gaming as games really don't use more than 4 cores right now. For running as many open applications that you want to, yes the FX 6300 will do it, but the FX 83xx will do it better. I don't know the pricing where you are, but if its not much more (over the FX 8320 I would get the FX 8350 or FX 8370). As for the rest of your build if you want a R9 390 and an FX 83xx you really should get a more powerful psu. For the R9 390 and FX 83xx you really need 700W minimum, and I would recommend nothing under 800W to ensure everything is getting the proper power. Also if your not overclocking (and have no intention to) you don't need a liquid cooler, a cooler like the Hyper 212 EVO is all you would need. I had my FX 8370 overclocked to 4.5Ghz for months (with Hyper 212 EVO) before upgrading to H100i to get higher overclocks.
 


That's pretty much what I have in my original build, which is still over budget by over 100 Euros. :(
 

Denea

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Well the miss understanding here is that I'm not running after top performance in gaming and so on.

I'm using an i3-3220, Radeon HD6770 and 6gb of ram, which is fine for me, at least it was ... 8 months back I could play my DOTA 2 on mid-high settings with 20-30 tabs in chrome and photoshop open, with almost no lags, even GTA 5 was running on 60fps at lows, but for some reason my pc isn't working as well as it did back then, even though I cleaned the dust and reinstalled my windows and so on.
Now I can't keep more than 20 tabs open without freezes, my beloved DOTA 2 has to be played at lowest settings because it's lagging and my PS takes much more time to "think and action" than before. (all the temps were always lower than 60 Celsius, the gpu sometimes reached 65, have no idea why it "broke")

This is the reason I wanted to build a new PC is because I'm tired of these lags and slowness.

My main issue is with the CPU/MoBo combination, because I'm okay with the fact to play games on ultra today and on mid-low after 4-5 years with the R9 390.
My main priority are the Adobe programs + ability to keep 40-50 tabs in chrome with no lags, because if a processor gets this done today, it will do mainly the same thing in 4-5 years, that's what I meant.

About the gaming part, I'm not playing any BF4 or Crysis or stuff like that, my "gaming choices" are based on a few games (like I said GTA 5, NFS Underground 3, AC, maybe something else later) and I wasn't ever the rich kiddo who had the top hardware to complain I play at 90fps instead of 95. So I'm not looking for 100+ fps daily in each new game, I'm ok with the R9 390 even after 5 years.

To sum it up:
I want a PC that will work as fast as it does now even after 5 years and I'm not sure if an Intel processor on an AMD would be better for my requirements (explained above). I could even consider overclocking an FX8300 if it would improve noticeable it's performance, but again I couldn't find the right answer yet :\

Thanks in advance and sorry for the long text.
 
Intel processors would probably be out of your price range for what you need (lots of cores). The FX 83xx series goes like this - the very best binned ones become FX 8370 (or the FX 9xxx), then as the binning goes down you have the FX 8350, FX 8320, ect. What that means is as a general rule the FX 8370 will always overclock better than the FX 8350, FX 8320, ect. If your budget is fixed at the FX 8320 level then it is a fine processor that will keep you gaming (especially if overclocked to 4.5Ghz) and will of course run the Adobe and Chrome applications fine. If you can budget it the FX 8370 will give you better performance than the FX 8320 - FX 8350.
 

Denea

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for both :\
 

Denea

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The budget isn't quite fixed at the 8320, but as I read the FX83** are all equal in terms of overclocking, it depends just on your "luck" on the processor your get. So what you're saying an FX8350 or FX8370 will do the job, both gaming and editing ? Is the i5 4670 let's say, going to be much better than the FX's in the same tasks?
 


From what you have said your gaming needs aren't that high and you primarily need editing. You are going to need a good high core count CPU. Intel i7s are going to be out of your price range, that makes your best bet the FX 83xx series. The best of these is the FX 8370, but choose the one that best fits your budget needs (would stay with FX 8320 - FX 8370).
 
``
From what you have said your gaming needs aren't that high and you primarily need editing. You are going to need a good high core count CPU. Intel i7s are going to be out of your price range, that makes your best bet the FX 83xx series. The best of these is the FX 8370, but choose the one that best fits your budget needs (would stay with FX 8320 - FX 8370). ``

+1
 


i5s are great gaming CPUs but stuck at 4 cores (although robust you only have 4). For your editing needs you would be better served with higher core count. The FX 8320 is NEVER going to overclock as well as the FX 8370. The FX 8370 can be pushed higher with lower Vcore. Most FX 8320s are going to hit 4.2 - 4.5Ghz nowadays as the better binned ones are pushed to the FX 8370 and FX 9xxx series. Most FX 8350s can hit 4.5 - 5Ghz at max Vcore. The FX 8370s can usually be pushed to 5Ghz+. My best overclock with my FX 8370 is 5.3Ghz. The chip lottery isn't what it used to be after the FX 9xxx (and later the FX 8370) series was introduced because the very best chips never make it to FX 8320 - FX 8350 anymore.
 

Denea

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So if I get a 8350 or 8370, have to check for the prices, is a Coller Master EVO 212 enough to keep it cold and silent if I overclock it by 200-300hz (though most likely I won't for the first two years at least)
 

Denea

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By any means is there any cooler cheaper than the 100$ noctua?
 
All of which is fine, but even dropping to a FX 8320 will be well out of budget, so:

Closer

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor (€139.90 @ Caseking)
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK THEMIS 65.7 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (€32.83 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard (€88.79 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€79.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€79.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card (€329.00 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case: Cooler Master N300 ATX Mid Tower Case (€51.89 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (€66.90 @ Caseking)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-118CB/BEBE DVD/CD Drive (€15.05 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Total: €884.34
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-20 22:11 CET+0100

Within budget.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor (€139.90 @ Caseking)
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK THEMIS 65.7 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (€32.83 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard (€88.79 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€79.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€79.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 960 4GB AMP! Edition Video Card (€219.95 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case: Cooler Master N300 ATX Mid Tower Case (€51.89 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (€66.90 @ Caseking)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-118CB/BEBE DVD/CD Drive (€15.05 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Total: €775.29
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-20 22:13 CET+0100
 


I disagree. I had my FX 8370 totally stable and cool overclocked to 4.5Ghz on a Hyper 212 EVO. The only reason I upgraded to H100i was I wanted to hit higher overclocks and couldn't push past 4.5Ghz on the Hyper 212 EVO.
 

CmdrJeffSinclair

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These guys are right to a point, however there is no support for any AMD FX Series anymore and no future upgrades as well so once this system is done with that means you'll have to drop a wad on a CPU and Motherboard and maybe more depending on what you purchase. AMD as a whole has dropped out of the CPU markets for gaming and such. They were nearly monopolized by Nvidia 6 months ago and were offered to sell themselves to Microsoft also 6 months ago but they are handling things themselves via their GPUs and APUs.

Their FX Series of processors are poor at best for gaming, where even the Intel i5-4440 is par for the FX-8350 but the high core count is decent for editing so there will be a tradeoff. I love AMD, HATE Nvidia and resent Intel as a whole but for this I must say they are a poor option for CPU when you can get a Haswell system with an AMD R9 280X for the same price that is better overall and will have some future CPU availability for a Z97 motherboard. In a nutshell, I strongly recommend you think this over but nothing these guys here say is wrong or incorrect, this kind of decision always has pros and cons when on a budget. With that said, $200 more will really make a TREMENDOUS difference in what you buy and the system's longevity.

You've stated you work on picture editing and things which immediately demands a good GPU which will automatically put you in the gaming zone so no worries there really on budget. With that in mind though it means you'll likely find yourself struggling to justify the cost of CPUs, so your weakest link will be the CPU in your budget. I recommend something that will help the most with the most support and future upgradability.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/PJZN8d
i5-4440 with AMD 280X will smoke all games at max with 1080p graphics and has DX12 support so its lifespan will last for a few more years high graphics now and possibly high later but plan on medium-high graphics later. My friend has an 8320e with XFX 280X 3GB and he smokes Metro 2033 Last Light Redux and Star Wars Battlefront easily at 1080p high graphics and the card is only $200, so it's very nice for the bargain.

The CPU has only 4 cores, so if you truly need more than 4 for $1300 depending on sales (or less if you wait til after Christmas) you can get an i7-5820K, 16GB DDR4 RAM and the 280X so that'll GREATLY increase the lifespan of your computer while quadrupling performance, where the GPU will need replacement down the road but not the CPU/motherboard since it's a muderhouse of power. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7nrN8d

Hope this helps, as always, a penny spent is a penny saved later in the life of a computer. If you have the power to wait to save $200 more I'm certain a system like the two above will be very very possible.

(My system has an 8GB R9 390+5820k and nothing slows it down. Converting videos that are 10+GB takes seconds where my old dual core would take over an hour.) My friend uses the 280X with 8320e and runs into lots of microstutter issues but overall it's not a bad buy, for the price however I strongly suggest an i5-4440 or above.
 


If OP was interested in nothing more than gaming I would totally agree with you, however for editing and running many applications and pages of Chrome at the same time you need high core count. For editing the 8 core FX 83xx is better than i5 and i7s are out of price range of OP. Also saying FX is poor at gaming at best is a real stretch. FX processors can play any game an Intel processor can you simply loose a few FPS of performance, depending on the title. Most of the time overclocking an FX to 4.5Ghz will eliminate most bottlenecks and make for smooth gaming, putting a good GPU with it and you have a good gaming machine (most modern AAA titles are GPU dependent not CPU dependent). Furthermore even though AM3+ is now a "dead socket" Intel is killing off sockets every other generation. You can't put a Skylake processor in a Haswell motherboard. Right now for long term upgrades there is no brand you can turn to and say in 4 years I'm going to put a brand new gen processor in my current motherboard.
 

CmdrJeffSinclair

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Then I agree, sounds like the OP is stuck between a rock and a hard place. I would say then that the 8320e would be minimum safe bet then but the 8350 then OC'ed would work best. Anything higher than an 8350 is just higher binned 8350 manyway (ie, the 8370 through to the awful 9590 are just 8350's anyway). Less than an 8320 and he'll reget it for games, yes even mid-range games like DOTA 2 will suffer microstutter between the poor core optimization and GPU load. The FX 6300 is barely better than an Athlon II

8350 overclocks higher than an 8320 and FYI the 8320e is not very OC friendly. Chips get hawt, he'll want decent VRM on the mobo no less than a 990fx mobo
 


FX 8370(E) are the newest FX processors available. The FX 8370 is a refresh of the FX 8350, they have better binning than the 8350 and are tweaked to have slightly better performance. If you already have a 8350 the advantages to upgrading to FX 8370 aren't enough to warrant an upgrade, but doing a new build it is better to get the FX 8370 they can overclock higher at lower Vcore than the 8350. They are on the same process, but are tweaked to be more efficient and have slightly better performance.