Need help building first computer

[DreamingGFX]

Approximate Purchase Date: Sometime in the next month or two.

Budget Range: 600 - 650 dollars before shipping.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Graphic Design : Not long render times.

Are you buying a monitor: No

Do you need to buy OS: Yes / No
Please note that if you're using an OEM license of Windows, you will need a new one when buying a new motherboard.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: (e.g.: newegg.com, ncix.com -- to show us selection & pricing)

Location: City, State/Region, Country - we need to know where these parts are being assembled and whether there are good store-only deals available

Parts Preferences: Intel please!

Overclocking: Sadly, I have no idea what this is.

SLI or Crossfire: Once again, no idea what it is.

Additional Comments: Gonna play LoL, D3, Minecraft, Photoshop, CAD Autodesk Inventor, Cinema4D, L4d, maybe some Call of duty gaming as well.

 

[malbluff]

You don't say where you are. I take it $ is US. You need to consider whether you want overclocking and SLi facilities.
Overclocking is adjusting the settings of things like the processor, and graphics, to improve performance. It can be a great way to get a bit of extra "free" performance, but does have a downside, in terms of heat, power consumption, and potentially reliability.
SLi/crossfire is the ability to fit two, or more graphics cards, together, to improve resolution capability. It's only of use if you use more than one monitor together, like 3 in "surround vision"
Both options require allowing for slightly more expensive components. With a large budget there is almost no point in not allowing for them, even if only for "future possibilities". Given you're on a fairly tight budget, if you are SURE you wouldn't want these abilities, it's possible to free up a few bucks, which may be better spent elsewhere. I do MEAN "sure". Changing your mind, later, would cost a lot more than you can save now! The decision is, of course, yours.

 

[zulug]

hmm maybe look at this newegg bundle deal http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.991914

then add an aftermarket 660ti gpu should come out to around $630.00

Hopefully you have an old hd drive for storage or you can save up for one they are cheap.

 

[TheXpertnoob]

hmm maybe look at this newegg bundle deal http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.991914

then add an aftermarket 660ti gpu should come out to around $630.00

Hopefully you have an old hd drive for storage or you can save up for one they are cheap.

or you can buy this http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3466047&CatId=31 which is only 215$ after rebate and buy a decent gfx card and an OS (operating system, like windows 7 or windows XP etc etc) and come out to around 390$ after mail in rebates and student discounts on Windows.

 

[zulug]

or you can buy this http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3466047&CatId=31 which is only 215$ after rebate and buy a decent gfx card and an OS (operating system, like windows 7 or windows XP etc etc) and come out to around 390$ after mail in rebates and student discounts on Windows.

He requested Intel but yes that bundle could work also.

 

[DreamingGFX]

In that case Crossfire yes. Both of those seem cool, but are they pre-built? I'd really like to build it.

 

[DreamingGFX]

hmm maybe look at this newegg bundle deal http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.991914

then add an aftermarket 660ti gpu should come out to around $630.00

Hopefully you have an old hd drive for storage or you can save up for one they are cheap.

Also, is an i3 processor bad? Someone told me to stick with an i7. :/

 

[malbluff]

Also, is an i3 processor bad? Someone told me to stick with an i7. :/

For rendering processes, providing the software can actually benefit from them, there is some advantage to more cores/threads, in terms of speed. Unless you are doing heavy/demanding work, professionally, it's not really worth going to i7. Having said that, i3 may well be adequate. It's really a question of "degree". Personally, if budget will allow, I tend to think i5 is the optimum level, for most fairly demanding processes, unless you're doing it as a business.

 

[DreamingGFX]

For rendering processes, providing the software can actually benefit from them, there is some advantage to more cores/threads, in terms of speed. Unless you are doing heavy/demanding work, professionally, it's not really worth going to i7. Having said that, i3 may well be adequate. It's really a question of "degree". Personally, if budget will allow, I tend to think i5 is the optimum level, for most fairly demanding processes, unless you're doing it as a business.

Hmm. Since im a graphics designer and I like to play a game while rendering videos/intro etc. While an i5 suffice?

 

[zulug]

In that case Crossfire yes. Both of those seem cool, but are they pre-built? I'd really like to build it.

both of those bundles you have to build its just cheaper because it is a bundle deal sale.

i5 or i7 would be great but you said $650.00 budget which doesn't leave much room to work with for the rest of your components.


Take a look at this post he has some good budget builds here also:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/360848-31-info-builds-budget-here

 

[malbluff]

Hmm. Since im a graphics designer and I like to play a game while rendering videos/intro etc. While an i5 suffice?

An i5 is a decent "multi-tasker", but, two demanding processes, simultaneously. Performance in one, probably both, is going to suffer. To what extent, is difficult to quantify. Even with quad core i7, there will be some performance loss, obviously less. Going hex core is outside your budget, and even with quad core i7, you are going to be limited in choice of gfx, to keep in budget. That is also going to cost you, in performance.