~600-700 for a motion graphic student

[nlivened]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Within 2 weeks

BUDGET RANGE: ~600-700 After Rebates

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Motion Graphic, 3D rendering , 3D programs, Video Editing

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com or anywhere else

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: US

PARTS PREFERENCES: N/a

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: If it help..

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1080p

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: This will be mostly used for rendering 3D program like Cinema4D. CPU is usually working 100% when I rendered on my Macbook pro and temp went sooo high.. so I think I need a decent desktop.

 

[MadAdmiral]

CPU: X4 955 $160
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-770TA-UD3 $80 after rebate
RAM: GeIL 2x2 GB 1333 mhz CAS Latency 9 $80
GPU: GTX 460 1 GB $230
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 500 GB $55
Case: Coolermaster Elite 335 $40 after rebate
Optical/PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 500W and cheap SATA DVD burner $44 after rebate

Total: $689

If you can spare to go above $700, I'd switch the HDD for the 1 TB model for only $20 more or switch the RAM for some faster sticks (G.Skill Eco 2x2 GB 1600 mhz CAS Latency 7) for $25 more.

 

[nlivened]

Thank you very much!! MadAdmiral

one question, do I need a CPU cooler?

 

[MadAdmiral]

Yes, but one comes with the CPU. If you mean "do I need a special CPU cooler", no, unless you're planning on overclocking. You can also add that later. A good couple are the Sycthe SCMG-2100 and Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus (if it's around $30. Check Amazon if Newegg's price is much higher than that).

 

[nlivened]

Thank you! appreciate it..

 

[nlivened]

Sorry but I wondered.. Which CPU is faster? between..
AMD Phenom II X6 1055T 2.8GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor
VS
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz

I notice a combo deal on newegg > http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.436096

 

[MadAdmiral]

The X6, but the board isn't as future proof (no USB 3/SATA III support) and will likely require a BIOS upgrade before the CPU will work.

 

[nlivened]

Sorry to dig it up again, it seems like there are a lot of new Mobos for X6.

I'm aiming for an AMD X6 machine.

another question is how much does it cost extra for overclocking it?

 

[MadAdmiral]

All AM3 boards support X6 CPUs. Some of them will just need you to update the BIOS to do it. Updating the BIOS is free, and instructions can be found either at the manufacturer's website or in the manual.

I should also point out that with an AM3 board, you could easily wait for the next line of AMD CPUs (called Bulldozer) to come out. The AM3 boards will still support them.

Overclocking doesn't really cost anything. You just need to buy an aftermarket cooler (like the ones I mentioned before). Then it's just playing around with the settings in BIOS. The real "cost" of overclocking is that you're producing extra heat in the system and pushing the CPU beyond what the manufacturer recommends. This causes the CPU to have a shorter life. It's not a huge deal though as the CPU failing is rarely the reason to replace it or move on to another build. Generally, someone would upgrade it or the entire build or something else would break before the CPU dies. Of course, this is only true if you overclock the CPU correctly (there are plenty of guides for it) and don't try to push it too far.