Advice on graphics card, blueray, and SSD? (and RAM)

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buildpcjd

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I asked on reddit but it got buried.
https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/4cktwn/advice_on_graphics_card_blueray_and_ssd_and_ram/

I'm hoping for some more advice here.

No gaming. Everyday web browsing, youtube, playing DVDs (and now blueray with this).
Some audio and imaging editing. No overclocking.





I've got a pc building going here... http://pcpartpicker.com/p/MjhsRB

Do you have any advice on the graphics card, blueray drive, and SSD?

For the SSD, it's either a Samsung 950 m.2 style or Samsung 850 Pro, the more traditional style. With this mobo the 950m.2 will use two SATA ports. pcpartpicker flagged that as a concern. What do you think? Go with the newer 950, losing two SATA ports, or stick with a more traditional 850? I like being able to stick the 850 in a dock or enclosure. I wasn't finding an enclosure for the 950. I'm not sure whether losing two SATA ports is a big deal or not. This build is probably what my computer will end up being close too. Not much to upgrade later.

Graphics -- Sticking with EVGA brand I think. GTX 750 was recommended. Is there a better options, like maybe a GTX 950? I'm slightly out of my element for graphics cards. I don't game. This is just to take the graphics processing off the cpu. Used with dual monitors, 1920x1080. If a GTX 950 is better and not too much more expensive I was thinking of upping it to that, but I'm not quite sure on the differences or if it's worth it.

I want a blueray/DVD/CD player/writer. Any recommendations? Good brands? Silent is good. I'll be sitting right next to this thing. I'm thinking it probably isn't a huge issue -- one drive is probably as good as the next. But some recommendations won't hurt. This is mainly for playing blueray disks and DVDs. I found these two below, but I'm not married to them. Is there a decent brand out there that's pretty much silent? (if that's possible) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007YWMCA8/?tag=pcpapi-20 LG Electronics 14x Internal BDXL Blu-Ray Burner Rewriter WH14NS40 - Bulk Drive - Black $51 http://www.amazon.com/LG-WH16NS40-Internal-Blu-ray-Rewriter/dp/B00E7B08MS/ref=dp_ob_title_ce $64 Is it worth getting bundled blueray software? Does it just play a blueray disk or do I need software? I saw Amazon had bundles. I could do that and get the software now, possibly cheaper.

And then RAM. I was thinking 16GB. I'm toying with 32GB just so I don't need to upgrade later. For either 16 or 32GB, any good brand recommendations? And what's the fastest RAM I can get that's compatible with this mobo (without overclocking. I don't want to do that).

Thanks :)
 
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popatim
I would say hold off on a graphics card until you know for sure you need one. If the software you have is that old then it wont use GPU acceleration and you'd just be wasting hard earned money.
A: the new system will still be more than twice as fast as the old C2D
B: a GPU can always be added later. Since you don't game, there's no rush for it.
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popatim

popatim

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You don't need a GPU for what you are doing. You only need one if you are going to be gaming. The Intel CPU has one built in that is more than capable of playing BDR content. My two older intel CPU's handle it just fine.

*I missed the image editing part. See if your software supports GPU acceleration. You might need a GPU after all.


As for the BDR drives, only decent ones are left. I have the 12x version of the LG, an Asus, and a older Samsung. To me they are all a bit noisy but once they get going they are ok.

You will need playback software, I use Cyberlink PowerDvd which came bundled with my drives and it works fine. You can save a few bucks buying the bundle. (I do mean few - as in $2 maybe. LoL)

16GB is more then enough for what you are going to do. If you work with very large images then u might consider 32GB. Just make sure the ram is compatible to your motherbd: http://www.gskill.com/en/configurator?manu=55&chip=2484&model=2623
 
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buildpcjd

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Maybe two grand tops. I was at $1200 now, so essentially don't worry about. I'm ok with the price and I just want to pick things out for now. I don't want to spend to spend, but I don't think I'll have to.

 
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maz199

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Well the build I have recommended will suit your needs. I selected an AMD GPU because it's future proof and more powerful than the nvidia equivalent. In saying that, I highly recommend you wait for the new Gpus to be released as the new architectures will dramatically increase performance. But currently, the build I gave you will be more than adequate. No need to spend more unless you are thinking of crossfire/sli... That's a totally different scenario...
 
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buildpcjd

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It's mainly to keep the graphics off the cpu. I'd like to see the whole set up working as little as possible.

I haven't used it in a while, so I'm blanking on the imaging software. It's for processing several thousand image files. I used a core 2 duo (ca 2008) with 4GB RAM and it was pegged out, took forever to finish, if I ever actually let it finish. The imaging software crops, reduces size, combines.
 
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maz199

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If you're going to use the system purely for rendering and editing, buy a nvidia card since most applications use CUDA cores. An example is Adobe premier which is very nvidia optimised. A gtx 960 would do fine with your system maybe even a 970 for that extra power. the 750 ti is great but lacks the power to keep you settled into the future.

Btw, sli/crossfire is when you pair two cards in one system. DONT BUY two cards for editing and rendering software as applications (most) will not recognise the second GPU. Stick with one GPU. AMD is cheaper but lacks the support from editing software while nvidia is more expensive but is a much better performer in editing and rendering. Since you won't be gaming, AMD is out of the equation. I would've recommended AMD if not for programs using CUDA cores.
 
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buildpcjd

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Hm. Maybe a graphics card like this?

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-02gp42966kr
EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card
02G-P4-2966-KR

I'm just stepping up the other one I had picked out. This 960 one has more power?


$200 must be the limit, give or take. I'm started in wince at the prices. I'd probably go with longer time spent processing images than I guess over spending more on the graphics card.



Or even this. It's $10 more. $210.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp43967kr
EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card
04G-P4-3967-KR

4GB instead of 2GB that way.
 
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Barty1884

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For GPU, a 4GB 960 would be a pretty good, budget friendly option. Definitely worth that little extra over the 950 or 750ti.

Either an M.2 or SATA SSD will be fine, if using M.2 (SATA), I wouldn't want to lose any more than a single SATA port.

I'd suggest the i7-5820k for your needs, over the 6700k. The added cores (and subsequent threads) would be useful in your editing functions.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($351.98 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.29 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X99-SLI ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($133.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($84.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB Superclocked Video Card ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 Blackout Edition w/ Window ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS29 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1174.19
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-01 12:20 EDT-0400
 
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buildpcjd

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"... i7-5820k for your needs, over the 6700k."

Is the 6700 "better" or faster than the 5820? Higher number generally being better -- Is that true for cpu's?

Or it is that it's just a set? Some x number of cores, some y number of cores... And the higher number doesn't really matter? I imgaine each digit in the four digit set stands for something?
 
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Barty1884

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It'll depend on the exact software being used for editing etc, but generally more (efficient) cores/threads are what you're looking for for editing/rendering tasks.

Generally you want a combination of high speeds, efficiency and cores.
The 6700K is clocked higher (4GHz turboing to 4.2) vs the 5820K (3.3GHz to 3.6) but added cores/threads would serve you better for the purposes you listed (depending on the software of course) and they're plenty powerful too.

There's no 'hard & fast' rule that covers every possible scenario, but for editing/rendering/encoding & similar, cores/threads and RAM become the main requirements. The i7-6700K would be a great CPU also - you really can't go wrong with either, but for essentially the same dollar amount, I'd suggest the 5820K is the better buy for your needs.

There are other i7's with even more cores/threads (I think there's a 12 core/ 24thread) but they either have significantly lower clock speeds and/or start to get really expensive (think $1,000+ for the CPU alone).
 
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maz199

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I would go for 4gb but since you are using it for editing, the 2gb version will do fine. Most applications will use to up the 2gb. However, you might want to buy the 4gb version for heavy and intensive editing but that's totally up to you. $10 more for 2gb is a good deal!
 
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buildpcjd

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Thanks for the info. I checked out the software for imaging editing I was using. I'm thinking it's homemade. It just didn't work the first attempt I made at using it. It does image editing, cropping, etc., and then combines everything into a single PDF. Or at least it's supposed to... Probably anything is good enough for it.

In general though, sticking with EVGA, if it matters, what's the difference between a GTX 750 Ti and a GTX 960? I'm assuming the 960 is way more powerful? As in two generations up? And the Ti on the 750 wouldn't matter much since it's a generation jump? I didn't see any 960 Ti.
 
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buildpcjd

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popatim

popatim

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I would say hold off on a graphics card until you know for sure you need one. If the software you have is that old then it wont use GPU acceleration and you'd just be wasting hard earned money.
A: the new system will still be more than twice as fast as the old C2D
B: a GPU can always be added later. Since you don't game, there's no rush for it.
 
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maz199

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Well, right now buying an Nvidia gpu will be kinda useless. Pascal is gradually coming closer and closer to release plus nvidia are having some driver issues that include numerous BSODs and freezing randomly. If he needs it, then he can get it but if he doesnt need it, avoid the expense of paying $200 and save up for Pascal investment.

Totally agree with your points. Save up then invest when the time comes for a performance boost. I see no reason to buy a GPU today unless its a matter of life and death. Wait for Pascal and Polaris then decide what gpu to get. I regret purchasing my 750 ti and being impatient. Should've saved up for a 960 or 970. Or... bought a r9 280 or similar priced card on ebay.
 
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