Double checking components (~$1200)~ Mobo and GPU Advice?

[Abhorson]

Hey guys, just wanted to see if I could get a little help on my first build. I'm going for a non-gaming PC (even though I might PC game in the future~ I have a PS3) that is future compatible and still a bit beefy without the particular need to be... I'm a Photoshop fiend, and that will most likely be the most intensive program I'll run. I want it to last a while, summarily, even though I might not use all of the bulk. I've been researching a lot, and most of my selections have changed over time.

Budget: ~$1000 to $1200
Preferred Websites: Newegg, maybe CompUSA
Overclocking: No to Moderately (I'm not sure, yet)

Here's what I have, currently:

MSI P55-GD80 [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130238]
Intel i5 750
EVGA Geforce 9800 GT (1GB)
Case: Raidmax Smilodon (Comes with 500W PSU)
WD Caviar Black 1TB
G.Skill 2x2GB RAM 1600 (Planning to upgrade to 8, later, even though I probably won't need it) [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231193]
Windows 7 Ultimate OEM

I was wondering if I should wait until I can buy the MSI P55-GD85, which has 2 USB 3.0 ports? (Or better yet, go with the new ASUS board that is readily available?) Also, if I could get buy with a cheaper video card? The monitor I'm buying is 24" (1920 x 1080)... I don't know what the baseline is for running at that resolution.

Please help a girl out~

 

[a4mula]

I'm curious why the 1156, and most especially the i5-750. Photo editing and file compression are two of the major highlights of hyperthreading.

While I appreciate the fact that you're on a limited budget you should really try to squeeze an i7 920 in there. At the very least drop the extra 40 bucks for the Xeon X3440. It's compatible with 1156 and the HT will make a world of difference.

Here's a report from iXBT that shows 10-25pct gains in Photoshop from HT and Turboboost alone. Just food for thought.

 

[samdsox]

as long as your not gaming the 9800 should be good, however you should look into radeon they milake good cards
also i would change your hard drive to samsung f3 spinpoint. 54 for 500 gig and i belive 83? for 1t
finally the power supply case combos usually stink. The psu will probably burn out fast or blow. I would look into a different psu.

 

[Abhorson]

I'm curious why the 1156, and most especially the i5-750. Photo editing and file compression are two of the major highlights of hyperthreading.

While I appreciate the fact that you're on a limited budget you should really try to squeeze an i7 920 in there. At the very least drop the extra 40 bucks for the Xeon X3440. It's compatible with 1156 and the HT will make a world of difference.

Here's a report from iXBT that shows 10-25pct gains in Photoshop from HT and Turboboost alone. Just food for thought.

Wow, I suppose the Xeon line is supremely overshadowed by the i5s and i7s... So it's, basically the functionality of an i7/i5, with hyper-threading, and a bit less speed? Hmm. I'm already a bit over budget, but I suppose I could pull together the extra it would take to buy the Xeon. --- I never deemed an i7 necessary, you see. Most of the computers I've run photoshop on in the last few years are complete ***, but don't run the application all together too horribly. Maybe I've become complacent. I expect to be a bit blown away by the time I finish my first build.

I can see where HT helps, but it also seems to be a detriment. $40 for 25% gains when I use Photoshop. I guess... that isn't such a disparaging inequality. Thanks for the insight, really, I guess I'll be going with the Xeon. I have a question, though, if you don't mind, about the other CPUs in the Xeon line... What features/ability could possibly warrant a CPU over $1000? @_@

 

[Abhorson]

as long as your not gaming the 9800 should be good, however you should look into radeon they milake good cards
also i would change your hard drive to samsung f3 spinpoint. 54 for 500 gig and i belive 83? for 1t
finally the power supply case combos usually stink. The psu will probably burn out fast or blow. I would look into a different psu.

Wow, thanks for the insight. I didn't put much thought into GPU specs before, but... yeah. Stream Processors are what counts, right? (At least, thats what I heard). I was looking at this card over at Newegg... for the same price, it seems better. I know nothing about GPU's though, any recommendations in that price range?

I'm going for the 1TB Samsung, and I found another PSU~ Thanks!

 

[a4mula]

What features/ability could possibly warrant a CPU over $1000? @_@

High end server cpus are built to support multiple (dual/quad) cpu configurations. They also support higher levels of cache. For everyday computing this equates to no advantage. For enterprise solutions it becomes a whole new story. If you consider servers that are responsible for say 100k concurrent SQL connections, or the raw computing power for scientific applications it starts to make sense.

Certain projects can use distributed computing like SETI's S@H and Stanford's F@H. These are spectacular ways to gain massive cpu cycles virtually for free. Private sector on the other hand is limited to either leasing mainframe time, or setting up servers (in many situations, both).

For this, stability, efficiency, and longevity far outweigh initial cost. If a business can purchase a 1000$ cpu that has a cycle life long enough to justify cost to power ratio, maximum up-time, and pure processing power then it makes sense.