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etchouta

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Hi,

I am currenlty planning a new built and woud like some feedback/suggestions from the community. I like ot upgrade componenets every once in a while, so future compatibility is important.

Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next month or so

Budget Range: $1,500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Photoshop CS5, video editing, mediaplayer/server, gaming (starcraft/diablo)

Parts Not Required:monitor (Dell U2711), mouse, keyboard, speakers, os, and I have another thread on GPU (not included in budget):
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/328837-33-quadro-firepro-light-gaming

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com, ncix.com, tigerdirect

Country of Origin: Canada

Parts Preferences:Have my eye on the Asus P8Z68 Deluxe Gen 3 (not set in stone), would like a modular PSU and to stick to ATX (but might need to go full tower). SSD for system/programs drive.

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution: 2560x1440 to 5120x1440

Additional Comments:I would like a quiet PC and something that stays cool since the case might be partly enclosed (desk design). I have sevral internal and external drives totalling >20TB, so no need for other data disks.

Thanks for your help

 
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Outlander_04

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z68 motherboard
4 x4 gig of 1600MHz RAM . Must be 1.5 volt or less , and the timings as tight as possible
Case suggestions
antec p183 v3
Fractal Designs R3

I think you are right to look at professional graphics cards . But for still images you dont need to go overboard on these .

 
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striker410

striker410

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Wow! Tall order. (btw, welcome to the forums :)

Well, no problem. I built one for something just like this earlier, check it out.

CPU: i7-2600k: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070 $315
Mobo: ASRock Extreme3 Gen3: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271 $150
PSU: Enermax 750w modular: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194086 $120
SSD: Crucial M4 256GB: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148443 $400 (your probably don't need that 256GB, but I threw it in there. Feel free to swap with the 128GB for $220)
Cooling: Hyper 212+ Evo: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099 $37
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB 1600MHz (x2) http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144 $100
Total is $1,123 Not to bad for what you get!

I leave the case wide open. I don't know your tastes, so you'll have to do some investigation into silent PC's.

Cheers!
 
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etchouta

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Thanks guys,

This looks like a decent set-up!

It being quiet is not a necessity (flexible on that). Leaving the case open for me is not an option (lots of small fingers in the house where this computer is goign to be located). My budget is somewhat flexible, and as for SSDs, I think 256GB is a good size fopr me, since my current OS drive has 175GB used and I have no data on there whatsoever.

I think some of the options (case and mobo) will boil down to what I get as a GPU (and its/their dimensions)...
 
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striker410

striker410

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etchouta

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Well, I have seen people running their machine with the ase open....

I know that some professional GPUs are close to 11.5 inches long, which I think is longer than the mobo and might be tough to fit in some mobo/case combinations...
 
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etchouta

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After much reading and thinking, I decided it might not be worth it to go with a Pro video card until I can afford high-end monitors that can do true 10-bit per channel through hardware. So here is what I have decided on:

Display: 2x Dell U2711 http://accessories.dell.com/sna/pro...baynote_irrank=0&~ck=baynoteSearch&redirect=1 (not included in budget - $380 off today btw)
Mobo: ASRock extreme 3 gen 3 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271 ~$150
CPU: i7 2600k http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070&Tpk=i7 2600k ~$315
GPU: GTX590 (between Asus or EVGA..any significant difference? - and I do intend to buy yet another high res monitor, hence my choice of the 590) Not included in budget
PSU: Corsair AX850 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139015&Tpk=corsair ax850 ~$200
Memory: G.Skill eco (4x4GB - low profile to accomodate CPU cooling system) http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231404 ~$190
SSD: Crucial M4 256GB http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148443 ~$400
CPU cooling: Noctua NH-D14 http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=47090&vpn=NH-D14&manufacture=Noctua ~$90
Case: Antec Solo II + 2 Antec True Quiet 120mm fans http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=64015&vpn=SOLO II&manufacture=Antec ~ $180

Total without GPU & display ~$1,525

What do you guys think? Anything that seems out of place or could be improved?
 
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etchouta

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Thanks for the replies,


The reason I went with the 590 is because I want to be able to run 3 monitors off one card in the future (7680x1440), and also have some PCI slots left open for other card types (might even consider a Pro GPU to add to the system eventually if I really need the 10-bit per channel output - of course the GPUs wouldn't be used at the same time).

So with the current set-up, would the 850W PSU be adequate? And when I add components in the future I upgrade I could upgrade the PSU. Or is going right away with a larger PSU the way to go? I went with the 850W according to some suggestions/reviews for quiet power supplies...
 
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kajabla

kajabla

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If they wouldn't be used at the same time, why not just physically switch them? It's not a big deal to physically swap GPUs.
(Admission of ignorance: how can one switch between GPUs in different slots?)
Regardless of my lack of knowledge, it's your call on whether not having to swap cards is worth $70ish ($680 for 2x570 vs $750 for 590) and the loss of performance with the 590.
 
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etchouta

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I have read that you can run one of two GPUs that are installed by deactivating one of them while using the other, without having to physically swap the cards. When I decide go that way, I would probably swap every couple of days or even more often, so I can see physiucal swaps becoming a pain...And I am more after resolution/convenience rather than performace, hence my choice of the 590 over 2x570. And the $70 is (to me ) worth it for saving some time and hassle.
 
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morgoth780

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you could just get a radeon card, such as a 6970, since i'm assuming you won't be gaming across all three monitors. However, nvidia does have cuda cores, so it's up to you
 
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kajabla

kajabla

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Hm. If I were you, I'd figure out the situation with the pro GPU. Are you going to get one? Unless you're going to be doing big 3D modeling stuff, you'll be more processor-dependent in PS and your video editing, and you've already done the best you can in that area. If you can decide on that, you can make a better GPU decision now.
 
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morgoth780

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true, but the 6970 would be better in gaming, which he does plan on doing. still, a lower-end card would be much cheaper
 
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morgoth780

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i'd say 6870, if he's only going to play on one of the monitors, but 6950 if on all three
 
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etchouta

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Thanks everyone for the input!

I think that I should stick to nvidia because of Photoshop and the cuda cores. I am pretty set on getting a Pro GPU in the near future (doens't have to be high-end one - minimal 3D rendering) for the colour depth. So basically I have to go with a set-up on which I can run 3 monitors on for now and do a lot of Photoshop (nvidia GPU better at that) and which can accomodate the addition of a Pro card in the future (nvidia as well).

If I was going for the dual GPU set-up right away, I would go with AMD for gaming and nvidia for the pro, but since I will run only 1 card for the time being (on which I will also be gaming a little), I think I will have to stick with a 590 and add a Quadro later.

As far as the PSU, would the 850W be able to handle the addition of a lower-end Quadro in the future (I admit tha power is my weakest area of knowledge when it comes to PCs).
 
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striker410

striker410

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Quadro's are ripoffs IMO. They are essentially lower end cards with substantially better drivers. You should have no problems at all running even the most high end Quadro's.

That said, you may want to do a little more investigation into them before dropping $1,000 on a card. Many times, the GTX line cards can be "hacked" (software) so they have some of the abilities that were reserved for pro cards. Here's the best known example: http://www.studio1productions.com/Articles/PremiereCS5.htm
 
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