New build - Image Editing

JasperCat

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Oct 4, 2008
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Hi all,

Having previously bought stock Dell/HP PCs in the past (making minor mods) I've decided to build my own. I'll be using some of my existing components, but need advice primarily on CPU and mobo...

Components I already have
-----------------------------------

Two monitors (in dual-screen mode)
21" monitor (1600 x 1200)
30" monitor (2500 x 1600)

Antec Twelve Hundred case

Internal HDDs
1x WD Raptor (for OS/Applications)
2x 750GB Seagate 7200.11 (RAID0) for image storage and scratch disk
1x 500GB WD Caviar SE15 - for backup of my raw images

External HDD
1x 1.5TB Seagate 7200 in external enclosure for full backup

DVD burner

Graphics Card: EVGA 9600 GSO (384MB)

8MB RAM Mushkin DDR2 (can't remember speed off hand)

What I need
----------------

PSU - thinking of Antec TPQ-850
CPU - thinking of Q9300 (can get bundled with PSU above for $340 which seems like a deal!!)
Motherboard - need recommendations (ideally DDR2)

Main use is Adobe Photoshop/Lightroom/Dreamweaver with large files (>200MB) and general office/web stuff. Might try o'clocking, but main goal is stability. I do no gaming at all and therefore don't think expensive video/graphics cards are needed.

So advice I need:
- Comments on Q9300 (or is there a better choise)
- Mobo ideas; need RAID support?
- Would I be better getting second video card, or just run both from one card which I'm doing now?


Thanks
 
You would be better off with a stronger processor.
You don't need such a big PSU.
A video card with a bit more memory would be good.

Processor:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115041&Tpk=Q9550

Motherboard:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131322

PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005
This top-notch PSU kind of jumps right out when I consider your build.

GPU

This is probably overkill
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161245

This would likely do the job:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130397
Well, really it's a very fast card... but it exhausts out the back to keep your system cooler, and it's EVGA, and the price is pretty nice.

If you wanted to keep your video card and get a second one to run the other monitor, that would be an option, however it would require a bit more money in the MB dept to get a board with 2 PCI-E slots.


 

JasperCat

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Oct 4, 2008
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Thanks Proximon,

I've downgraded the PSU a little, although Ive gone for the Corsair 750TX as it has longer leads than the one you mention, which should come in handy for the twelve hundred (and it was only $78 shipped!!).

I will go for the Q9550 - I was a bit unsure whether to go Quad/Dual, but I know Adobe Lightroom is optimized for quads and hopefully the new release of Photoshop will be too. So given I'm going quad, Q9550 is definitely the better bet (and for not much more $$). Just need to find a good price on one now...

So now I just need to decide whether a two GPU card set-up is beneficial which will influence my mobo choice. Given that there will be no 3-D work, but I do have a 30" monitor (and a 21"), what's the thoughts on two video cards; I could dedicate my existing card to the 21" and buy a new mid-range one for the 30". Would this give any performance advantage? Any recommendations for mobos supporting 2 video cards?
 
Great deal on the 750TX, and you might need it after all.

I worry about response times if your two monitors are hooked to one card. It's been many years since I did the sort of work you are doing, but I recall being zoomed in on very large files and trying to scroll around, and having to wait.

Smooth scrolling and good refresh times seem pretty important, and a lot of that needs to happen on the card. Ideally you would have a workstation card in the system... it's not so much that they are faster than mainstream cards, but that the drivers are optimized for this sort of work.

However, you have to put out quite a bit in the workstation area before you exceed the performance of one of the cards I listed.

The question of which MB to use has me a bit stumped. I would think a P45 board running in x16/x4 bandwidth would be sufficient and a good cost cutting measure... but there are no tests, no benchmarks for dual non-CF...

So, the SAFEST thing I can recommend would be:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136051
This is a good price but the board only supports 8GB of RAM

A P45 would support 16GB total RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131296
This would have a few other nice features as well.
 

JasperCat

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Oct 4, 2008
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Thanks again. I've never come across the DFI brand before, but they look good - I'll read up on them.

Do you know if setting up Dual View with two separate cards is just as easy as with a single card? Does it help having same manufacturer/chipset, or will any pair work. Either way, I'll likely get EVGA/NVIDIA (prob the one you linked to).
 
You don't need matched cards, or even technically an SLI/Crossfire chipset.... although almost all boards with two PCI-E slots are SLI/CF.
The cards don't need to be matched at all.

When setting it up, just install the primary card/monitor first then add the other after that is set up. Beyond that it's the same.
 

JasperCat

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Well, the last of the components arrived last night and I've just finished the Vista install - everything went smoothly. This is what I ended up with - most components from mWAVE (via 30% ebay cashback) and the Egg:

Case: Antec Twelve Hundred - $139.99
PSU: Corsair CMPSU-750TX - $78.55
Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P - $105.38
CPU: Q9550 - $237.38
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9700 LED - $42.59
Video(1): EVGA 512-P3-N980-AR 9800GT 512MB - $104.99
Video(2): EVGA 384-P3-N966-TR 9600 GSO 384MB - $35.99
HDD (OS): WD VelociRaptor 150GB - $170.00
HDD (RAID0): 2x Seagate 7200.11 750GB $161.16
OS: Vista Ultimate - $135.20
DVD: Samsung SH-S203N 20x - $31.45

Total cost - 1242.70!