Help with my Photo/Video Editing Build?

EvanK

EvanK

Member
Hey, guys

So, my desktop is on its last legs. It's a 2006 Dell Dimension 9150, it served me very well over the years, but there seems to be an internal problem (Dell tells me it's the PSU, but I'm convinced it's the motherboard). I've decided that as opposed to gutting it and upgrading each and every component, I might as well just build something new from scratch.

I know my way around PCs pretty well, but need some advice on what components would be right for my new machine based on my needs. My current Dell has a 2.6 GHz Dual Core Pentium running at stock clock speed, 4 GB of DDR2 (upgraded from 512 MB), two 250 GB HDDs (non SSD), and a DVD burner/reader. It's definitely quite slow, exporting a SD file of about 5 minutes in Premiere takes close to 2 hours. As you've probably guessed, I need something faster.

I'll be using my new machine to run CS5.5/CS6 when it's released, primarily for Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Lightroom. I also have some HDR and panorama software that I use often, and take up quite a few system resources (my current machine overheats while running them). Gaming isn't a huge concern, I play The Sims 3 and Sim City 4 the odd time, but nothing too intense.

I'm not entirely sure how reliant those pieces of software are on the graphics card, or if integrated graphics will work just as well. I know that they require quite a bit of RAM, so 8-16 GB of DDR3 is a necessity. I also need a fast CPU, either an i5 or i7 (I'm don't know too much about AMD, but advice is always appreciated). Overclocking is possible in the future, depending if I need a faster machine in the coming years. I'd also like at least a 1TB HDD for storage, and a 160-250GB SSD boot drive. The motherboard must have a good number of SATA ports for the HDDs, plus options for USB2 and USB3, and ideally (but not necessary), Firewire. A fast DVD/Blu-Ray burner and reader is also needed, as I'll be burning quite a few discs. Finally, a good, quality, power supply that won't give me any problems in the coming future is important, plus a case (size is no concern) with good ventilation and room for expansion, and a kick ass fun design.

The biggest problem that I'm facing is cost, I'd ideally like to keep it under $1000 (extra peripherals not included), as I'm a student and don't have a very steady source of income. Is it possible to built a computer with a fast CPU, lots of RAM, a (good?) graphics card, plus a SSD for under $1000? What parts would you recommend, and how could I cut costs?

Thanks everyone,
-Evan
 
No problem, you can build a solid rig for under $1000, you might have to give up a few bells and whistles however. Care for me to build a rig for you?
 
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Thanks for the speedy reply! I appreciate it.

Anyways, I went ahead and picked everything out, well at least tried to.

I ended up going over budget (what a surprise :rolleyes:), so I may have to forgo the Blu-Ray buner for now, and perhaps downgrade the CPU. Any other possible cost cutting factors?
Also, I tried to pick the best combination possible with hardware that will run well with Adobe CS, and hardware that works well with each other. I also made an effort to only select the higher-rated products on Newegg, as I don't want anything failing on my within only a few months of purchase.

So, here's what I have:

MoBo:
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 (a little pricey for my tastes, but apparently it's a great MoBo)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293

CPU:
i7 3770K Ivy (how much of an upgrade is this over the i5 Ivy, is the extra $100 worth it for the hyper-threading?)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116501

RAM:
G.SKILL Ripjaws 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR3 (looks like a nice deal, is this a reputable brand?)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231486

GPU:
Asus GeForce GT 440 1GB (I'm not sure if I even need this, is it overkill? I do plan on doing some minor gaming as I mentioned earlier, but nothing too heavy. This (should) be fine for video/photo editing I'm assuming, but could I downgrade to save some cash?)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc... ENGT440 DC SL/DI/1GD3 GeForce GT 440 (Fermi)

HDD:
WD 1TB SATA III 6BG/sec (looks like a nice drive for a decent price)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

SSD Boot Drive:
Crucial 128GB SATA III (is this a reliable brand? Also, is 128GB enough/too much for a boot drive?)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148525

PSU:
SeaSonic 620W M12II (will this be enough power?)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151095

Case:
Logisys Transparent Case (okay, so I picked it because it was transparent, so what? :) )
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811148001

BD Burner:
Lite-On 12X Burner (picked it because of its price, not sure how reliable the brand is, though)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106381


Is this build compatible, and how would you improve on it? I appreciate your advice, as this is my first time doing this, it can be a bit intimidating.

Thanks,
-Evan
 
OK looks like you've got yourself a decent build there. Yes, the Crucial M4 is a reliable drive, I have one, it's fast - but the Samsung 830 is faster and just as reliable, as is the SanDisk Extreme 120GB. 128GB is enough, that's the size of my M4.

The graphics card should be fine for editing, it's probably best to get it because that graphics card has CUDA whereas the onboard graphics do not, and the CUDA will help you with rendering.

That case is pretty poor if I'm honest, for the same sort of money something like this would be much better http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139011 or if you want one with a window http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139016
 
Thanks for the suggestions! :)

Any cost saving tips? After taxes and delivery, it will come out to well over $1000, so it would be nice to save a few bucks. What would you guys recommend? Should I supplement the i7 for an i5? Get a cheaper motherboard? Get a 64GB SSD?

Thanks
 
Go fr 4x4GB RAM rather than 2x8GB, you should save a lot there. Don't get a Blu-Ray Burner, get a Blu-Ray ROM for now.
 
Thanks,

What about the AMD Zambezi 8150? It's an 8 core CPU for quite a bit less, how does it compare to the i7? I could save a good $150 going that route. If I did switch over to the AMD, would I need a different motherboard?

I also forgot to mention that I'll probably be hooking the PC up to 2 or 3 monitors, plus an HDTV. Would that GeForce graphics card be capable of that?

-Evan
 
The i7 would be way faster than the FX-8120 (don't get the 8150, get the 8120) but the 8120 is a lot cheaper. You could get yourself an aftermarket cooler with the money you save and then overclock the heck out of your 8120 though to make it faster still and up there with the i7.

Yes you'd need a new motherboard, a Socket AM3+ one - I'll find you one and post back. :)

That card should be OK for that I think. Not entirely sure though. You need to find out how many monitors it can support. You could get a better graphics card too with the money you save if you like.

I see somebody is my age and likes photography too! :good:
 
Thanks, Spirit, I appreciate your help so far.

I think that I'll stick to the i7, the performance drop off with the 8120 is just too much for me. If I really need to save some cash though, I'll go for the i5. If I OC it I could probably get similar performance to the i7.

What other MoBos would you recommend? $170 is a little steep for me, especially since I'm already over budget.
 
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My apologies, claptonman, I didn't mean to cause a stir :( link removed.

Thanks for the motherboard recommendation, it seems to be relatively highly rated and the price is right. Plus, it has all the ports that I need, I'll definitely consider it.
 
Yeah if you're finding you need to save money go for an i7 2600K or a 2700K. They're just as fast as the 3770K, overclock just as well and the last time I checked a 2600K was about 100 bucks cheaper than the 3770K.

You get an i5, that's what I did, and once overclocked it is fast, but try to get a 2600K if you can.
 
Hey, everyone,

so I'm finally getting around to building my PC, and have pretty much finalized my part selection, so I'd like to confirm that it's all compatible, or if there are better options available.

Here's what I have right now:

CPU: 3770k

GPU: Either GTX-650 or GT-640 (any recommendations?)

MoBo: Asrock Z77 Extreme-4

PSU: 5. Antec EarthWatts EA-650 (I just chose one with good reviews and that was priced well, is this a good model?)

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws 16GB (2x8GB)

HDD: WD 1TB

SSD: Crucial 128GB

Case: Antec 900

Down the road when I can afford it, I'll also add a Lite-On Blu-Ray burner and a Rosewell card reader, plus some new speakers, better keyboard, etc.

How does this build look? Anything that you'd change?

Thanks
 
I'd get the GTX 650 and I wouldn't get the Extreme4, I'd get the GA-Z77X-D3H from Gigabyte or maybe a GA-Z77-D3H if that's cheaper.

Antec 900 is a horrible old case too. You want something like a Carbide 300R, much better. Or a Fractal Design Define R3. The 900 has no cable management and it's about 5 years old.
 
i say great choice on the graphincs card (gtx 650) this will allow youto run up to 4 monitors of the 1 card if you ever need that many, it has a good fair amount of cuda cores for adobe software like you use, and will speed up your rendering process alot. it will also do fine for mild gaming, so great selection on the gtx 650. the i7 is the route to go for sure. the more threads you have the better for editing, and intel over amd is just plain logical when it comes to editing. so another great choice on the cpu. ram wise, be sure you get 1600mhz ram, and no less than 16 gigs for what you are doing with this machine. 2 x 8gig sticks is what you want, so you leave 2 slots open on the motherboard for possible upgrade in the future. as far as the motherboard, id like asrock, simply because it comes with software called "xfast ram", which allows you to take "x" amount of your ramand turn it into a emulated hard drive. you can them take this allocation a ram, and use it as your scratch disc, or work disc, and it will help with speed and performance for the program to get your work done. a ssd puts out on average about 500mb/s. when you use your ram as a hard drive, it gets sppeds on everage of 4000mb/s. id say if you get a z77 chipset, and spend between 100 and 130, you should be good to go on the motherboard. over all, it looks like its coming together well.
 
Thanks for all the help so far, guys.

I've decided that I may prefer a full tower ofer a mid-sized, any recommendations? I'm also a little unsure for power supply; what would be a sufficient ammount, and what brands should I stick to? I recently replaced the old power supply in my pre-built desktop with a new 350 watt, but I don't think that would be enough.
 
OK so a great full tower case is the NZXT Phantom, love that case! (mind though, the Phantom 410 is a midi-tower, the Phantom is a full tower). The Define XL from Fractal Design is also a very nice full tower.

As for PSUs, stick to the brands mentioned in my signature (below this post) and for a GTX 650, I'd bet anywhere between 500W-600W would be enough depending on whether you want to overclock the 3770K or not.
 
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