New build high end pc for video/photo editing and gaming

[jb77]

Hi all
Time to replace the old PC. Want a high end machine for photo and video editing but also one that serves as a game computer for the family/son for among others BF3 that looks decent and is a quiet performer too. So far always bought of teh rack dells and for this one my son was looking at a Alienware aurora but too wild for my taste. Wa looking at an Apple but looks like that will be a problem for gaming so... now considering a self build option that I can tayor to my needs, will however be my first new build so should not be too complex I guesss...

So.. in short looking for a

- high end system for video/photo edit and gaming
- decent/sharp looking case
- low noise delivery

appreciate your thoughts/help on this
thanks
JB77

 

[striker410]

Sounds good! Before we start selecting parts, can you fill out this form and put it in your post? http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261222-31-build-advice it really helps, as it includes all the details necessary to price a build.

Once you get that done, we'll get started.

Cheers!

 

[jb77]

Budget Range: (e.g.: 600-800) 1000-2000


System Usage from Most to Least Important: video and photo editing and gaming

Parts Not Required: monitor, speakers


Preferred Website(s) for Parts:

Country of Origin: netherlands


Parts Preferences: by brand or type

Overclocking: Maybe


SLI or Crossfire: Maybe


Monitor Resolution: 1920x1200)


Additional Comments: I would like a quiet PC with a low key casing

 

[striker410]

Netherlands. eh? One last question. Where will you be buying the parts?

 

[jb77]

Havent got a view on that yet but for other electronics often order on Amazon, ships from UK to Netherlands

 

[striker410]

Works for me! Here's what I suggest for a high caliber system like this.

-i7-2600k. HyperThreading is worth it in video editing, and you can fit it in the budget.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-Sandybridge-i7-2600K-Quad-Core-Processor/dp/B004FA8NOQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318178794&sr=8-1

-GTX 580. Strongest single GPU card out there. Bit expensive, but gives the simplicity of a single GPU setup. Let me know if you'd like to play with dual card setups, because those certainly give better bang for buck.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/MSI-N580GTX-Twin-Frozr-II/dp/B004IOB1LQ/ref=sr_1_21?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1318178811&sr=1-21

mobo: MicroATX Asus Gene-Z. Excellent motherboard, great for overclocking. The MicroATX form factor will allow you to have a more low profile computer.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-Maximus-IV-GENE-Z-Motherboard/dp/B005A36KQ0/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1318178893&sr=1-1

Case: Fractal Design Define Mini. Elegant, small case that is well reviewed. This category is quite open, but I thought I'd throw this one in there as a placeholder.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fractal-Design-Define-Mini-Micro/dp/B004ZH18VE/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1318178958&sr=1-1

Hard drive: Samsung Spinpoint F4 2TB storage drive. Massive amount of storage for all those video projects, but the cost is relatively low.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-EcoGreen-5400RPM-SATA-II-Internal/dp/B0042SGDVG/ref=sr_1_sc_3?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1318179206&sr=1-3-spell

SSD: Crucial M4 128GB. Enough room for OS, apps, and several games.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crucial-CT128M4Solid-State-Drive2-128GB/dp/B004W2JKZI/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1318179257&sr=1-1

PSU: XFX 850w modular PSU. A bit pricey, but I figured you'd like a nice, clean case.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/XFX-P1-850B-NLG9-Modular-Power-Supply/dp/B002OQIBJ0/ref=sr_1_22?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1318179321&sr=1-22

Ram: G.Skill 1600MHz ram. Nice and speedy, while staying cheap. 8GB is fine, but feel free to get 2 sets for 16GB if you think you need it.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/G-Skill-Ripjaws-Sandybridge-Platforms-PC12800/dp/B004HZG4ZO/ref=sr_1_3?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1318179523&sr=1-3

DVD drive: Nice and cheap Sony Optiarc. If you want a Blu-Ray burner, go for it.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-AD-5260S-0B-Internal-DVDRW-Black/dp/B003Q8ZZ3U/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1318179649&sr=1-1

CPU cooler: Not sure. From what I'm reading on the web, the Hyper 212+ (my first choice) is a tight fit in that case. We'll see if someone else chimes in with an idea.

And the total is: £1,222.66!

 

[jb77]

Striker
thanks for your thoughts. Have been reading about dual cards but not sure what is best for me. Would this config leave it open to run ths card in a dual set up?

Price doesnt sound too bad for starters!
cheers
JB

 

[striker410]

This build would certainly allow you to add another GTX 580. We may have to tweak the PSU, but nothing major. The most worrying thing would be the heat. You'd probably have to opt for a full size case vs a microATX one.

If you want to try dual cards, we could get 2 GTX 560 Ti's in there no problem. Cost would stay the same. It's really gonna come down to if you want to mess with dual cards (I would, but I'm a techie ) or not.

And yeah, I tried to get you the best performance I could, while staying within a reasonable budget. This build uses a lot of top dollar parts, and we could cut the price down by using cheaper parts.

 

[jb77]

Looking at cases now and although more expensive are really warming up for the Lian Li pc z60, low key high end looks Would that work with this config?

 

[striker410]

Yes, I imagine it would. It's quite pricey though, you might want to look into other cases as well.

 

[jb77]

Have been going through many of the big names but this comes closest to the look and noise level.

Do I need extra fans for that case or are the fans that come with it sufficient, also does it change your view on Mobo? The case takes larger ones too it seems!

 

[striker410]

Alright, if you can stomach the price, go for it. Before you settle on that case though, be sure to look at Fractal Designs, Antec Performance 1 series, and the Antec Sonata series. All are very capable cases at a cheaper price tag. I'm not trying to dissuade you from getting the Lian-Li (well, maybe a little bit ) I'm just throwing some options around.

And if we go full tower, things do change a bit. I would Recommend the ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 mobo: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Z68-Extreme3-Motherboard-PCI-Express-ASRock/dp/B005FGQLQQ/ref=sr_1_cc_3?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1318365504&sr=1-3-catcorr It's got PCI-e 3.0 compatibility, and an amazing featureset for the price. Not enough? The Extreme4 is another excellent option.