First DIY computer. Advice pls? tks =)

[qlalz1984]

Dear All,

Much thanks for taking the time off to advise. Apologies in advance if any of the terminology was used incorrectly. Tried my best to research and put the parts together.

Not overclocking.
CPU either need a wireless motherboard or buy a wireless adaptor as this will be put in a room rather than the main living room which is connected to LAN.

Building first computer for intense photo editing but not printing (lightroom+photoshop), some video editing, causal game (very little), read digital comic (swivel monitor to portrait for viewing), digital drawing with tablet and video watching.

Using canon 5dm2 and shoots raw photo most of the time.

Hope to keep it to budget $2K yet have the flexible for upgrades and maybe add another monitor if required in the future. Hope to system can last for 5yrs?

Price list reference from Fuwell, Best Bargain and Tradepac.

Monitor = $335
dell U2412M , 1920 x 1200 at 60 Hz, 16:10 widescreen 335

Motherboard + Chip = $515
asus P8Z77-V + sr0pm i5 3570K, 4cores, tdp 77watts, max 67.4degree 553 MB+Processor Asus P8Z77-V + i5 3570
(got an advice to downgrade to H series as Z series is for overclocking but unsure which H series model is suitable)

Cooler = $?? ~$16
thermal conductor fluid. (Is this required? What brand or model?)

Ram = $159
Kingston HyperX 16GB Kit 1600

Graphic Card = $268
Sapphire HD7850 2GB DDR5 OC Edition
Wonder what graphic card to dowgrade since might not do much gaming or play intense game.

Harddisk x 2 = $408
Intel 520 series 180gb = $279
WD 2TB 64MB caviar green (3yrs) = $129

Internal dvd writer = $25
Samsung SH-224 24x DvD+-RW ( Box )

Tower = $119
Corsair Carbide Series 300R Mid Tower

Power Supply = $125
Seasonic M12II-620
Was advised to go for 620watts for all the parts + external usb drive

OS = $200
MS Windows 7 professional

Total $2329~

 

[dinosau4]

Dear All,

Much thanks for taking the time off to advise. Apologies in advance if any of the terminology was used incorrectly. Tried my best to research and put the parts together.

Not overclocking.
CPU either need a wireless motherboard or buy a wireless adaptor as this will be put in a room rather than the main living room which is connected to LAN.

Building first computer for intense photo editing but not printing (lightroom+photoshop), some video editing, causal game (very little), read digital comic (swivel monitor to portrait for viewing), digital drawing with tablet and video watching.

Using canon 5dm2 and shoots raw photo most of the time.

Hope to keep it to budget $2K yet have the flexible for upgrades and maybe add another monitor if required in the future. Hope to system can last for 5yrs?

Price list reference from Fuwell, Best Bargain and Tradepac.

Monitor = $335
dell U2412M , 1920 x 1200 at 60 Hz, 16:10 widescreen 335

Motherboard + Chip = $515
asus P8Z77-V + sr0pm i5 3570K, 4cores, tdp 77watts, max 67.4degree 553 MB+Processor Asus P8Z77-V + i5 3570
(got an advice to downgrade to H series as Z series is for overclocking but unsure which H series model is suitable)

Cooler = $?? ~$16
thermal conductor fluid. (Is this required? What brand or model?)

Ram = $159
Kingston HyperX 16GB Kit 1600

Graphic Card = $268
Sapphire HD7850 2GB DDR5 OC Edition
Wonder what graphic card to dowgrade since might not do much gaming or play intense game.

Harddisk x 2 = $408
Intel 520 series 180gb = $279
WD 2TB 64MB caviar green (3yrs) = $129

Internal dvd writer = $25
Samsung SH-224 24x DvD+-RW ( Box )

Tower = $119
Corsair Carbide Series 300R Mid Tower

Power Supply = $125
Seasonic M12II-620
Was advised to go for 620watts for all the parts + external usb drive

OS = $200
MS Windows 7 professional

Total $2329~

Ram overkill and i think somethings can be cheaper

 

[nippp0n]

CPU & Mobo: i5-3470 & Asrock B75 Pro 3M @ $334
Since you don't intend to overclock, i5-3470 is good enough and there is no need to go for K cpu as it is meant for overclocking.
Ram: Kingston 1600mhz 4x8GB @ ~$280
You mention you are doing intensive photo editing, i guess it will be better to max out all your rams slots.
ODD: HP DVD DVD RW @ $25
SSD: Plextor M5P 256GB @ ~$265
One of the top performing SSD that has superior read/write speed. Comes with 5 year warranty.
HDD: WD Green 3TB @ $164
3TB storage offers a better price to capacity ratio.
GPU: Leadtek GTX 650 Ti 2GB @ $211
Since you are not into gaming, GTX 650 ti should be good enough for Lightroom/Photoshop GPU acceleration.
Case: Asgard Pro @ $58
PSU: Seasonic M12 520W @ ~$109
Your system doesn't consumes a lot of power, 520W is adequate.
OS: Windows 7 Pro 64bit OEM @ $170
Monitor: Dell U2412M @ $335

Total: $1951
Buy and build at Tradepac.

Since you are buying a full system, getting from Tradepac will help you save a substantial amount (can range from $50-$100) compared to getting your rig from established shops like Fuwell, Bizgram or highly recommended PC Themes. However, be there physically to see them assemble your rig and make sure they return all spare parts back and also, do not be swayed to upgrade and buy more expensive components unless the items you want are OOS in SLS.

 

[Elijahonli]

CPU & Mobo: i5-3470 & Asrock B75 Pro 3M @ $334
Since you don't intend to overclock, i5-3470 is good enough and there is no need to go for K cpu as it is meant for overclocking.
Ram: Kingston 1600mhz 4x8GB @ ~$280
You mention you are doing intensive photo editing, i guess it will be better to max out all your rams slots.
ODD: HP DVD DVD RW @ $25
SSD: Plextor M5P 256GB @ ~$265
One of the top performing SSD that has superior read/write speed. Comes with 5 year warranty.
HDD: WD Green 3TB @ $164
3TB storage offers a better price to capacity ratio.
GPU: Leadtek GTX 650 Ti 2GB @ $211
Since you are not into gaming, GTX 650 ti should be good enough for Lightroom/Photoshop GPU acceleration.
Case: Asgard Pro @ $58
PSU: Seasonic M12 520W @ ~$109
Your system doesn't consumes a lot of power, 520W is adequate.
OS: Windows 7 Pro 64bit OEM @ $170
Monitor: Dell U2412M @ $335

Total: $1951
Buy and build at Tradepac.

Since you are buying a full system, getting from Tradepac will help you save a substantial amount (can range from $50-$100) compared to getting your rig from established shops like Fuwell, Bizgram or highly recommended PC Themes. However, be there physically to see them assemble your rig and make sure they return all spare parts back and also, do not be swayed to upgrade and buy more expensive components unless the items you want are OOS in SLS.

where u get the 3TB @ $164?

 

[nippp0n]

where u get the 3TB @ $164?

Tradepac price list. Non bundle price is $165.

 

[lunaraven]

I think he got it from Tradepac.

where u get the 3TB @ $164?

 

[xKazeolus]

sorry TS, chance upon ur thread and its on tradepac.
wanna ask the bros if tradepac has E3-1230v2 Xeon CPU Chip since im not sure izzit they didnt put on their pricelist or not.

thanks!

 

[LongBigBronzeElephantFish]

Photoshop and Lightroom uses OpenGL for hardware GPU acceleration, so both AMD and Nvidia card are good.

i7 would be recommended since not all filters, plugins, functions are GPU accelerated. Would help in your video editing too.

Wah NAND prices skyrocket so much already arh??

Are your project file extremely large?
Which video editing software do you use?

 

[LongBigBronzeElephantFish]

sorry TS, chance upon ur thread and its on tradepac.
wanna ask the bros if tradepac has E3-1230v2 Xeon CPU Chip since im not sure izzit they didnt put on their pricelist or not.

thanks!

Can try asking but I think PC Themes is the only one that brings in Xeon

 

[twasken]

Can try asking but I think PC Themes is the only one that brings in Xeon

Both Video-pro and Best Price have stock for the E3-1230V2 a week ago.

 

[qlalz1984]

Hi Nippp0n, thank you for the detailed price breakdown.

Could i clarify if the SSD Plextor brand as good as Intel 520 series as what i understand the Intel is one of the most reliable SSD due to some software and their high quality checks. Rather pay more for security in this area.

Due to space constraint in my room, is there casing that is horizontal laying down where the monitor can be placed on top rather than the vertical tower kind? Will horizontal casing pose problem in heat dissipation or last less than vertical tower?

Possible to elaborate why is it advisable to watch them while building the rig? What kind of spare parts will i need to keep and take note while they are building the rig?

CPU & Mobo: i5-3470 & Asrock B75 Pro 3M @ $334
Since you don't intend to overclock, i5-3470 is good enough and there is no need to go for K cpu as it is meant for overclocking.
Ram: Kingston 1600mhz 4x8GB @ ~$280
You mention you are doing intensive photo editing, i guess it will be better to max out all your rams slots.
ODD: HP DVD DVD RW @ $25
SSD: Plextor M5P 256GB @ ~$265
One of the top performing SSD that has superior read/write speed. Comes with 5 year warranty.
HDD: WD Green 3TB @ $164
3TB storage offers a better price to capacity ratio.
GPU: Leadtek GTX 650 Ti 2GB @ $211
Since you are not into gaming, GTX 650 ti should be good enough for Lightroom/Photoshop GPU acceleration.
Case: Asgard Pro @ $58
PSU: Seasonic M12 520W @ ~$109
Your system doesn't consumes a lot of power, 520W is adequate.
OS: Windows 7 Pro 64bit OEM @ $170
Monitor: Dell U2412M @ $335

Total: $1951
Buy and build at Tradepac.

Since you are buying a full system, getting from Tradepac will help you save a substantial amount (can range from $50-$100) compared to getting your rig from established shops like Fuwell, Bizgram or highly recommended PC Themes. However, be there physically to see them assemble your rig and make sure they return all spare parts back and also, do not be swayed to upgrade and buy more expensive components unless the items you want are OOS in SLS.

 

[qlalz1984]

Help

Thank you all for your kind advice. Hope to hear more if any more experts can share your rig building's knowledge.

I will wish to downgrade my motherboard from Z series to H series but wonder which model is more appropriate.

The price listed below include the 3570 chip.
Asus P8H77-M LE (H77) = $404
Asus P8H77-V LE = 418
Asus P8H77-M = 418
Asus P8H77-M PRO (H77) = 429
Asus P8H77-V (H77) = 435
Asus P8H77-I (H77) Mini ITX = 408

 

[Warrax]

Dear All,

Much thanks for taking the time off to advise. Apologies in advance if any of the terminology was used incorrectly. Tried my best to research and put the parts together.

Not overclocking.
CPU either need a wireless motherboard or buy a wireless adaptor as this will be put in a room rather than the main living room which is connected to LAN.

Building first computer for intense photo editing but not printing (lightroom+photoshop), some video editing, causal game (very little), read digital comic (swivel monitor to portrait for viewing), digital drawing with tablet and video watching.

Using canon 5dm2 and shoots raw photo most of the time.

Hope to keep it to budget $2K yet have the flexible for upgrades and maybe add another monitor if required in the future. Hope to system can last for 5yrs?

Price list reference from Fuwell, Best Bargain and Tradepac.

Monitor = $335
dell U2412M , 1920 x 1200 at 60 Hz, 16:10 widescreen 335

Motherboard + Chip = $515
asus P8Z77-V + sr0pm i5 3570K, 4cores, tdp 77watts, max 67.4degree 553 MB+Processor Asus P8Z77-V + i5 3570
(got an advice to downgrade to H series as Z series is for overclocking but unsure which H series model is suitable)

Cooler = $?? ~$16
thermal conductor fluid. (Is this required? What brand or model?)

Ram = $159
Kingston HyperX 16GB Kit 1600

Graphic Card = $268
Sapphire HD7850 2GB DDR5 OC Edition
Wonder what graphic card to dowgrade since might not do much gaming or play intense game.

Harddisk x 2 = $408
Intel 520 series 180gb = $279
WD 2TB 64MB caviar green (3yrs) = $129

Internal dvd writer = $25
Samsung SH-224 24x DvD+-RW ( Box )

Tower = $119
Corsair Carbide Series 300R Mid Tower

Power Supply = $125
Seasonic M12II-620
Was advised to go for 620watts for all the parts + external usb drive

OS = $200
MS Windows 7 professional

Total $2329~

You can simply use the stock cooler that comes with the CPU package. As long as you don't overclock, intel's provided stock cooler is good enough.

 

[nippp0n]

Hi Nippp0n, thank you for the detailed price breakdown.

Could i clarify if the SSD Plextor brand as good as Intel 520 series as what i understand the Intel is one of the most reliable SSD due to some software and their high quality checks. Rather pay more for security in this area.

Due to space constraint in my room, is there casing that is horizontal laying down where the monitor can be placed on top rather than the vertical tower kind? Will horizontal casing pose problem in heat dissipation or last less than vertical tower?

Possible to elaborate why is it advisable to watch them while building the rig? What kind of spare parts will i need to keep and take note while they are building the rig?

IMO, both are equally good and reliable. Plextor uses Marvell controller, which is pretty reliable as well. I guess Intel 520 is the only reliable Sandforce SSD in the market. IMO, marvell controller SSD is a better option in a sense that their overall read/write performance is slightly better than Intel 520. However, some people prefer Intel due to their strong reputation for rma.

 

[nippp0n]

Thank you all for your kind advice. Hope to hear more if any more experts can share your rig building's knowledge.

I will wish to downgrade my motherboard from Z series to H series but wonder which model is more appropriate.

The price listed below include the 3570 chip.
Asus P8H77-M LE (H77) = $404
Asus P8H77-V LE = 418
Asus P8H77-M = 418
Asus P8H77-M PRO (H77) = 429
Asus P8H77-V (H77) = 435
Asus P8H77-I (H77) Mini ITX = 408

ITX is definitely out. AS for the rest, compare the features and see which is more suitable for you.

 

[qlalz1984]

Thank you! I assume i dont have to check if the stock cooler is still in place when the shop is helping to setup the system for me.

You can simply use the stock cooler that comes with the CPU package. As long as you don't overclock, intel's provided stock cooler is good enough.

 

[Warrax]

stock cooler comes with the CPU retail box. i supposed that they will fix for you. i had never tried getting the shops to fix my pc for me.

perhaps someone with the experience can advise better.

 

[GrimaH]

Possible to elaborate why is it advisable to watch them while building the rig? What kind of spare parts will i need to keep and take note while they are building the rig?

Make sure that all the parts you purchase are boxed, and don't let them sneak off with anything inside eg. cables, screws for the casing etc. Also ensure you actually get the exact same parts they agreed to sell you. I haven't experienced it myself but forumers have reported not getting the remaining accessories back after installation or even getting a different RAM than the one they wanted.

 

[chuanz]

Thank you all for your kind advice. Hope to hear more if any more experts can share your rig building's knowledge.

I will wish to downgrade my motherboard from Z series to H series but wonder which model is more appropriate.

The price listed below include the 3570 chip.
Asus P8H77-M LE (H77) = $404
Asus P8H77-V LE = 418
Asus P8H77-M = 418
Asus P8H77-M PRO (H77) = 429
Asus P8H77-V (H77) = 435
Asus P8H77-I (H77) Mini ITX = 408

Actually I am looking to build a similar system. No OC and no gaming. Planning on Asus P8H77-M PRO + i7 3770. eSATA and cost are among my selection criteria.

From what I know, PS uses GPU acceleration but not LR. So I decided to go with i7 instead of i5.