Looking to build a budget photo editing build

bwiggsjr · Oct 2, 2016

My wife is looking to start up a photography business and our old laptop is starting to die on us. So I am looking to surprise her with a desktop PC. What are your thought on this budget build?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A10-6800K 4.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($121.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A68HM-H Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($41.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($36.23 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($44.39 @ OutletPC)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($42.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $377.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-10-02 11:52 EDT-0400

USAFRet · Oct 2, 2016

SSD - too small and less than stellar quality
CPU - an i3-6100 would be better, for the same price
Overall drive space - 120GB is not nearly enough. And not really enough for the OS and applications, much less actual photo work

bwiggsjr · Oct 2, 2016

@USAFRet
Yeah the SSD was going to be for just the OS and PS and PS light room and I have an external HDD for the pics. Now with the i3 do you think the intel graphics would be good enough?

USAFRet · Oct 2, 2016

bwiggsjr :

Depends. The colors will be fine.
A GPU may render a bit faster in PS and Lightroom. But it also depends on file sizes and actual mods to the images she is doing.
Basically, the level of intensity of the 'photographic business'.

I use Lightroom almost daily,
i5-3570k, R9 280x GPU, 16GB RAM.

Will the i3 work? Yes. Would an i5 or i7 be 'better'? Yes, but maybe not critically.
At this point in time, I would NOT recommend an AMD CPU. Older tech, and no upgrade path for that.

What is the actual overall budget?

bwiggsjr · Oct 2, 2016

USAFRet :

bwiggsjr :

Depends. The colors will be fine.
A GPU may render a bit faster in PS and Lightroom. But it also depends on file sizes and actual mods to the images she is doing.
Basically, the level of intensity of the 'photographic business'.

I use Lightroom almost daily,
i5-3570k, R9 280x GPU, 16GB RAM.

Will the i3 work? Yes. Would an i5 or i7 be 'better'? Yes, but maybe not critically.
At this point in time, I would NOT recommend an AMD CPU. Older tech, and no upgrade path for that.

What is the actual overall budget?

Since she is just starting out and wants to see how things go right now is between 400-500 USD

USAFRet · Oct 2, 2016

bwiggsjr :

OK
Change the SSD to Crucial MX300 275GB - $70
https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX300-275GB-Internal-Solid/dp/B01IAGSD5O

Change the RAM to 16GB DDR4

Drop the Hyper 212 - Not really needed

Change the CPU to i3-6100 - $118

Change the motherboard to Gigabyte H110 - $54
https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-LGA1151-Intel-Motherboard-GA-H110M-/dp/B0165YUDTM

This stays well within your $500, and gives a solid upgrade path with the 1151 socket.

GraySilencer · Oct 2, 2016

bwiggsjr :

My wife is looking to start up a photography business and our old laptop is starting to die on us. So I am looking to surprise her with a desktop PC. What are your thought on this budget build?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A10-6800K 4.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($121.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A68HM-H Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($41.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($36.23 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($44.39 @ OutletPC)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($42.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $377.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-10-02 11:52 EDT-0400

Try this instead. It's much faster, more energy efficient and has an upgrade path:
http://pcpartpicker.com/list/4vDWcc

USAFRet · Oct 2, 2016

GraySilencer :

In that, I'd even drop the GT 730. Not any better than the GPU in the i3.

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