New build, a couple questions...

[jrm5084]

Hey all,

Getting ready to put an order in for a new build, it's been a few years and just wanted so see what everyone thought and had a couple questions. The PC will primarily be used for Photoshop, some light video converting, and heavy multi tasking between that and listening to music, email, etc. I am not planning to play any games, so I was hoping I could take advantage of integrated video. Do you think that would be sufficient for my needs? As long as I can photoshop, convert video, and be able to handle any type of HD video without a hitch, I'll be happy.

Also, because it seems like the ASUS software makes it pretty straightforward, I'm going to try to OC the CPU to around 4.2ghz, something stable and achievable with the parts listed below. From reading, it seems like this is achievable with the 212 plus cooler. I think the case comes with two fans, but is it advisable to get another fan to do a push/pull configuration? How many additional fans do I need, and can anyone advise on placement? I'm pretty new when it comes to OC and fan placement.

My only other question relates to RAM. Because of clearance issues with the cooler, I think I would be better to get low profile ram. I noticed the corsair vengeance low profile white edition is 1.35V. Would this be better than getting a low profile 1.5V version?


Here is what I plan on getting:

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K
Mobo: ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77
Case: Antec Three Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Ram : CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB 1600 (PC3 12800) ( low profile, 1.35v)
Optical drive: LG DVD Burner Black SATA Model
SSD : 64 gb crucial m4
HDD : Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM 6.0Gb/s
PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular High Performance Power Supply
CPU cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus

Any feedback is appreciated!

 

[TheBigTroll]

1: id get a i7 3770k instead of i5 since it does much better in video encoding. if you dont have the budget, then go ahead and get i5

2:id get gskill ares 1600mhz memory instead. they perform the same as corsair and are low profile. plus they only cost 46.99 at newegg.com

3:upgrade to a 128gb. 64gb SSDs are not worth it and they are slower than the 128gb

4:chuck the power supply right out. id get a pc & power cooling MKIII 400w. pretty cheap and has enough wattage to keep your system happy. 49.99 at newegg

5:for the motherboard, the asus one is great. just telling you now that there are only 3 fan connectors from what i heard and you can technically only use one fan for the heatsink and 2 case fans off the motherboard. the antec 302 comes with 2 fans so they should be sufficent

 

[jrm5084]

Thanks for the feedback. I had considered moving up to 3770k, but i'm not sure if i can warrant the $100 difference. I should've emphasized how light my video use will be, but i guess photoshop can take advantage of HT in the 3770k so it might not be a bad idea.


In regards to the Power supply, I understand that a reliable and efficient 400w supply is better than a not-so-nice 600 W supply, but i simply thought the OCZ was a good price for the wattage and seemed to get good reviews. Comes out to $40 AR AC. However, if you think the MKIII 40 W (or someone on another board recommended the corsair cx430 - only $20 AR) is a much better power supply than that is somewhere i can save. Since im not familiar with how much wattage OC'ing the CPU and potentially adding a dedicated GPU down the road will add, do you still think that 430W would be enough power in that event?

In regards to the Motherboard, i was also considering the ASRock Z77 Pro3 or Pro 4 boards to save about $50 over the ASUS. They both seem to have all the features i need (built in HDMI, Sata 6gb/s, USB 3.0, UEFI Bios), with the only difference being the ASUS having a few extra ports i won't need (optical, display port). Is there anything else that the ASUS have that these two boards don't have that I might benefit from? Would it be a worse board for moderate overlock or would it not be much of a difference? I'm thinking this is also an area i could save some $$$.

Thanks again for the feedback.

 

[TheBigTroll]

cx430w is ok. its decent for this budget

for the motherboard, dont cheap out so get asus p8z77-v LK or gigabyte z77-d3h