First-Time Build. $1000-$1500

TZwien

Honorable
Jan 6, 2014
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10,510
This is my first post here, so hopefully I'm not way over my head lol. Bear with me.

I'm looking to build a good workstation for After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Cinema 4D, and music production. Casual gaming will be involved. These are all hobbies of mine.

I knew next to nothing a few weeks ago, and everything I've recently learned is from cramming info from Google. It's been fun and I look forward to putting my own machine together, but obviously I'm not very comfortable/confident about picking out components with no experience.


I'm trying to get for sure under $1500. My ideal number is ~$1200 or less. Here's a quick build I threw together:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2wvX2

CPU: Intel Core i7-4820K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($269.99)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 CPU Cooler ($74.95)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X79-UP4 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($179.96)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($320.98)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($69.99)
Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.00)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 580 1.5GB Video Card ($179.99)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99)
Power Supply: OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W 80+ Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99)
Other: Noctua NM-I2011 Mounting Kit for Core i7-39xx/38xx processors ($6.90)
Total: $1339.73



I already have two 24'' monitors, a mouse, and a keyboard. I'm undecided on Windows 7 or 8 so I left it off.

I want to moderately overclock CPU, GPU, and RAM but haven't learned how yet. Is this build capable?



I don't know if I'm wasting money in areas or not spending enough. Again, I have little real knowledge and can basically only parrot what I've read recently, but here's my thought process when choosing some of these parts:


The 4820k + motherboard doesn't cost that much more than what I found for the 4770k + motherboard. I read Haswell has a 10% performance increase compared to Ivy Bridge, but the 4820k has a higher clock speed, overclocks higher, and more L3 Cache.


I've read that both motherboard sockets don't have much of a future either, so the upgrading paths are limited for either decision. Though if Broadwell uses the same socket as Haswell, choosing the 4770k would be more future proof. However, if I make a good enough build from the 4820k I hopefully wouldn't be upgrading for another 5 years, so the Haswell/Broadwell would be old sockets by then anyways.


What turns me off from the 4770k is that it runs really hot and has an integrated GPU that I'd be paying for but wouldn't use. The 4820k, unlike the 4770k, doesn't have a heatsink and fan or an integrated GPU, so I wouldn't be wasting money on unused pieces. If I get a 4770k I'd need to buy an extra cooling device and GPU because the onboard ones just don't cut it. So again, it's pretty much the same price with either choice.

I've read a bunch of discussions on the two CPUs and I haven't found a clear consensus on which is the better buy.


I found refurbished GTX 580s for really cheap. A few people said the 580 is basically equal to the 670 and 760 but has different architecture that makes it better for rendering. No idea if that's true or not. Regardless, it's a good GPU for a good price, right?


I don't know much about cooling devices, optical drives, HDDs/SSDs, or cases, so I just threw those in without a whole lot of regard. Could really use some help in that department.


The RAM seems to be a good fit for my board and CPU I think. The CPU is compatible with RAM up to 1866, but can be pushed higher just fine from what I read. The board is rated up to 2133. 32GB in quad channel should be nice for RAM hungry programs like After Effects and 4D.


That site said the estimated wattage of my build was 515, so I'm not sure what PSU is needed. I just guessed at 600. Will the computer need more wattage under heavy loads, or is 515 constant? PSUs are a mystery to me as well.


Anyways, this is some fun stuff. I've always loved the software aspect of computers, but I always bought them pre-built. I regret neglecting the hardware side until way later in life. I feel like a child who's learning stuff for the first time, so I apologize if what I'm rambling about is obvious or dumb/wrong. Any discussion and help would be awesome. Thanks.
 

lt_dan_zsu

Honorable
May 3, 2012
2,447
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11,960
Get 16g ram. If this is gonna be a solely editing build. Why not get a workstation card? I would also get a better cpu if you're a pro.
With the cpu, I wouldn't worry about future proofing. The cpu is the component that needs to be upgraded the least often. Usually you won't need to upgrade until you do a full system upgrade.