Need help with new system build

[billstein]

Hi all. My first post here and could really benefit from your expertise.

I'm in the research stage of planning a new system. I'm an occasional gamer so that isn't a priority. Primarily the system will be used for graphics (Adobe premium suite), Audio editing (Adobe audition). I like to work with many programs open at once and I want to use a two monitor setup.

The following is what I've initially come up with.

Case: SilverStone FT02 Fortress (Full tower)
CPU: i7-930 2.80 GHz
CPU cooling: Haven't made up my mind yet (Water cooling for quietness?)
Motherboard: GigaByte GA-X58A-UD3R Mainboard w/ 7.1 Dolby Audio, eSATA,
Memory: 6GB (2GBx3) Corsair Dominator
Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 5850
Power Supply Upgrade: Corsair 850TX
Hard Drive: WD 300GB VelociRaptor (10,000RPM)
Second Drive: WD Black Caviar 1TB
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-B083L 8X Blu-Ray & DVDRW Combo
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® 7 Professional


1. Is there anything you see that is overkill? Underkill?
2. Is more than 6gb of ram necessary?
3. How important is it to get quicker ram? 2000 as compared to 1600 or even 1333?
4. What do you think of the Silverstone case?
5. Is the ATI 5850 a good choice for graphics work
6. I haven't decided on a CPU cooler yet. I was thinking of water cooling to keep the noise down

So there you have it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[danman12]

change the 2nd hd to a samsung spinpoint 1 tb for $74

6gb of ram is plenty, and speed is not super-critical

get an antec 900 or lian li full tower case to save money

gpu is great

cpu cooler=cooler master hyper 212 pro, $50 on newegg or $30 on amazon

 

[Lmeow]

Looks good although a few changes.

Dominator RAM is overpriced and this kit of Mushkin Enhanced Blacklines have lower timings, and cost quite a bit less after rebate, although it does run at slightly lower speeds (not noticeable frankly).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226116

Samsung Spinpoint F3s are quite fast, and are faster than the Velociraptors except in boot time. You'll probably want an SSD for that, I recommend the OCZ Vertex 2 50 GB.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227528

Also, an 850W PSU is overkill - it's more than enough for three HD 5850s, let alone one! If you are considering CrossFireX/SLI further on then the XFX 650W PSU is what I recommend (it's not enough for three way but it wouldn't work unless you pick a case like the CM HAF-X or SilverStone Raven RV02 (essentially the gamer's version of the FT02).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207007

That Caviar Black is fine if it's the SATA III with the code WD1002FAEX on it.

1. I've listed the changes I would make above.
2. Depends on the type of files you will be using.
3. DDR3 2000 MHz shows really virtually no noticeable performance compared to 1333 MHz.
4. It's nice... Might want another case though, depends if you care about aesthetics.
5. If you plan to use Premiere and possibly the Adobe Mercury Playback engine, then you'll want an nVidia card instead, one I recommend is the GTX 460.
6. As danman suggested, the CM Hyper 212 Plus on amazon. Fry's is also good.