Upgrade or new PC for photo editing

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jw79

Prominent
Oct 22, 2017
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510
Hi,

I am looking to upgrade my current setup and will mainly be using it for photo editing but can't work out whether I would be simply better creating a new system.

I currently have an Asus 5Q pro with Intel Quad core Q9450, 8GB ram and Radeon HD 6800. I've been looking into whether I could upgrade some or all these components to improve performance for photo editing and was wondering if I could update to 16gb ram with a newer CPU and perhaps newer graphics card but it's difficult to work out if I would get a significant improvement with anything I can to this outdated motherboard.

Would anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks
James
 
Solution
envy14tpe
Definitely upgrade. The Intel Quad core Q9450 is 10yrs old. You have definitely reached the right time to upgrade. A new system, midrange will blow your old system away. And yes 16gb RAM is possible. Also, your mobo supports DDR2, and we have already hit DDR4 nowadays. So getting faster and more RAM will make a huge difference to editing. But really 8gb DDR4 is enough for photo editing unless you do batches and need it as part of your job. Add that to a Ryzen 3 or 5 and you'll be happy.

If all new is pricey then look for used parts. They will fit the job easily and at good value.

Keep in mind if you buy a new pc it'll last 5+yrs.
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envy14tpe

envy14tpe

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Mar 3, 2012
9,574
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Definitely upgrade. The Intel Quad core Q9450 is 10yrs old. You have definitely reached the right time to upgrade. A new system, midrange will blow your old system away. And yes 16gb RAM is possible. Also, your mobo supports DDR2, and we have already hit DDR4 nowadays. So getting faster and more RAM will make a huge difference to editing. But really 8gb DDR4 is enough for photo editing unless you do batches and need it as part of your job. Add that to a Ryzen 3 or 5 and you'll be happy.

If all new is pricey then look for used parts. They will fit the job easily and at good value.

Keep in mind if you buy a new pc it'll last 5+yrs.
 
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Solution
envy14tpe

envy14tpe

Champion
Mar 3, 2012
9,574
14
56,665
I am listing a build that fits your budget, assuming you need all parts. The i3-8100 is a quad core cpu and 8gb RAM is enough for editing photos. Also, the SSD makes the system snappier. And you should buy all new components as old ones can start to fail like PSU.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i3-8100 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor (£109.99 @ Box Limited)
Motherboard: MSI - Z370-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£98.74 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws 4 series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£59.30 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£86.09 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Gigabyte - Radeon RX 460 2GB WINDFORCE OC Video Card (£89.96 @ Amazon UK)
Case: NZXT - Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case (£34.98 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair - CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£54.89 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £533.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
 
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J

jw79

Prominent
Oct 22, 2017
7
0
510
I was thinking of something like the below, I may do a little 3Ds Max work also on this machine but nothing too heavy. As I already have a case and disk drives, I want to where I can use parts I already own. I have a PSU which is now a few years old - Antec TruePower Trio 650W PSU. Do you think I would be ok to use this power supply (as long as it meets the wattage) or do these become outdated too?

Intel - Core i5-7600K 3.8GHz
MSI - Z270-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory
MSI - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Video Card
 
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