PC new build amatorial photo editing

[guidus]

Hello,
i would like to ask you some suggestion about a PC build for amatorial photo editing (photoshop CS5 + Nikon NX2).
I am not a gamer, so I will at maximum play the games that the configuration allows me to.
My budget is around 600-700 euro (sorry for the chage US dollar-euro, i will check the price here in germany of your suggestions!).
I have also to buy the monitor (not included yet in the budget), so I am trying to keep it low.
My configuration for the moment could be:


CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 PLus
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500k
PSU: Corsair CMPSU-600CXV2
Case: MidiTower Cooler Master Centurion 5 II
Optic: Sony Optiarc AD-7261S
Mainboard: ASUS P8Z68-V
HardDisk:
Seagate ST3750525AS 750 GB Barrcuda 7200
RAM: Corsair DIMM 4GB DDR3-1600 CMX4GX3M2A1600C9, XMS3

THank you a lot in advance!

 

[cutebeans]

What helps us is you list down where you are going to buy your parts.

 

[guidus]

Oh, sorry!

I am italian living in germany, so I am still not sure this are the cheapest shops here, but i have this list of well-provided online shops:

amazon.de (sometimes good deals)
http://www.kmelektronik.de
http://www.alternate.de
http://www.computeruniverse.net/default.asp
http://www.misco.de/
http://www.snogard.de/

thanks!

 

[cutebeans]

Anyway, I don't see a GPU there, a 6770 would possibly do you fine. it will allow you to play games at med to high. If you can stretch the budget more then a 6870 would be best.

Your build is pretty good though. 8gb if you want better performance and can squeeze it in the budget.

 

[vitornob]

- Like cutebeans said, I would recommend 8gb or even 16gb, since memory today is pretty cheap.
- DDR3 1600 is not THAT necessary cause the kind of work u gonna do requires memory quantity and not so much memory speed, u can go with some DDR3 1333
- Memory, this is what you might want to help you editing some big photo files, raw formats and stuff like that.

My recommendation:
Keep the integrated video card for now since u don't gaming atm, if u want u can upgrade that later.
Keep the intel 2500k, or upgrade it for a 2600k (HT helps in many rendering, photo, movie editing softwares), if needed u can OC the cpus for extra performance.

 

[vitornob]

Do a quick research too about CUDA + Photoshop.
Some photoshop functions could get a HUGE speed boost shifting some functions from CPU to GPU. Just remember that this requires a nvidia GPU through.
Sadly I'm working right now and can't look for this article link (but I remember it was here in Toms Hardware)

 

[cutebeans]

Don't worry vitornob! Photoshop isn't really intensive. My GF uses a dual core 2.0ghz laptop for photoshop.

 

[guidus]

In my knowledge Photoshop doesn't use CUDA.

Regarding the CPU another friend suggsted me that if I don't plan to do overclock (and I don't) I can also go for the cheaper CPU i5-2500 (not k).
Suggestion for the memory is useful. 8 GB at 1333 Mhz should be only few euro more expensive than 4 at 1600. Which brand? Still corsair?
For the GPU currently I have a XFX GeForce9800GTX 512 MB in the drawer. Should I trash it or can be still a good choice?

 

[cutebeans]

Wow, that Geforce9800GTX would still be a good contender ! Get 8gb yeah

G.skill ripjaws and Corsair are best.
Get the non K if you don't plan to overclock .

 

[guidus]

Wow, that Geforce9800GTX would still be a good contender !

Great! It was to be trashed from my working place, and I decided to keep it! So it will still be better than the integrated VGA from the motherboard and the CPU, right?

Get the non K if you don't plan to overclock .

At the moment i don't plan overclock, don't know how difficult it is, but I saw that the plice difference is around 10-15 euro, so maybe I'll take it anyway. Or the 2500 has some advantage over the 2500 k?

2600 is pretty more expensive, I doubt i will appreciate the difference...

In a shop where I went to check some parts the seller told me that for my build I could take for the motherboard the AsRock Z68 Pro, that cost quite only 60% the price of the Asus P8Z68-V, because for my application it makes basically the same stuff.
Is this true or he's trying to sell me an old piece that is not worth to buy?

Thanks to everybody, the configuration is getting defined!

 

[cutebeans]

Anyway, you would get new games at med but it really depends on your monhitor res. The K is easier to overclock.

 

[guidus]

Anyway, you would get new games at med but it really depends on your monhitor res. The K is easier to overclock.

Do you know also something about the motherboards?

 

[cutebeans]

Get the z68 asrock extreme3 gen3. Pretty solid build for the price. It's highly recommended here.

 

[guidus]

Get the z68 asrock extreme3 gen3. Pretty solid build for the price. It's highly recommended here.

with this the price goes up quite as the asus. Whad does the asrock z68 extreme3 offers more than the asrock z68 pro3?

 

[cutebeans]

It's the features. If you want to save money then get the pro3. You wouldn't notice most of the features of the extreme3 lol

 

[guidus]

I was quite sure of taking the asrock pro3, but actually somebody made me thinking that if I am ok to spend 10-20 euros more for the 2500k instead of 2500 to have the future chance of OC, then I should also go more on the Asus P8Z68-V, to do OC better and more safely...

 

[cutebeans]

I was quite sure of taking the asrock pro3, but actually somebody made me thinking that if I am ok to spend 10-20 euros more for the 2500k instead of 2500 to have the future chance of OC, then I should also go more on the Asus P8Z68-V, to do OC better and more safely...

Dude, you won't need to OC if your main goal is using it for CS5. You won't even need an i5-2500k for that.