Advice needed on new non-gaming comp....

[MaxGlobin]

thank you for your input in advance!!!

i haven't built / assembled myself a new pc meant for overclocking since the good old celeron 300a days and am not up to date with current best values or deals..... SO I post here on anandtech with a need for input from you guys, the ones that are up-to-date and have modern experience....

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
A: I will NOT be gaming on my pc.... Most demanding use will be photoshop and possibly minor video editing, in addition to all other normal / non-intensive tasks like browsing, playing movies, streaming to TV, etc.....


2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
Budget is undefined but would like to keep it under 1,000..... +/- depending on longevity of system....


3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA, of course!!!


4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
intel, nvidia, seagate.


5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
Parts i already own are mouse, key board, lcd,


6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
Yes read numerous threads and would like opinion specific to my needs.


7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Yes I do plan on overclocking!!


8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
I do not game on my PC.


9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
ASAP.


10. Don't ask for a build configuration critique or rating if you are thin skinned.
Deal.



Current components I have in mind are:
intel i7-2600k - definitely will be used
asus maximus IV extreme-Z or ASRock Z68 gen3 (I am leaning towards the asus but why so expensive???)

I want / need my system to be fast, reliable and last for the next 3 years min....


Please provide any and all input on what components I should go with and where I should purchase them.

Thank you!!

 

[T_Yamamoto]

i5 2500K is fast and just as good as an i7.

the ROG board is so expensive because its for..well gamers. ROG is known for its gaming connections. go with the ASRock z68 Gen3

 

[mfenn]

If you are going to be doing Photoshop, an SSD is more important than an i7, especially if you are going to be overclocking anyway. Here's a build:


i5 2500K $225
Mugen 3 $50
ASRock Z68 Pro3-M $110
PNY DDR3 1333 8GB $32
Crucial M4 128GB $215
Hitachi 7K1000.D 750GB $70
Antec HCG-400 $35 AR
Fractal Design Define Mini $100
Total: $837 AR

 

[MaxGlobin]

thanks for the replies... mfenn's suggestions are all a good place to start...

few questions:

i5 2500K $225
-why not go for the 2600k if price difference does not matter?
-from many articles found online, 2600k seems to be rated higher overall; do you agree?
-can the 2600k potentially improve my performance 3 years from today, when software will in no doubt require more threads and processing power?
-if i run 4-6 cpu intensive applications at once, will the 2600k be faster?


Mugen 3 $50
-why not go for a liquid cooling rig? how will longevity be affected with liquid cooling?
-if liquid cooling not worth it, are there any higher quality options than Mugen 3?


ASRock Z68 Pro3-M $110
-i do not want a micro atx board; full size is preferable. i also would like pci express 3.0 ports.
-i'm leaning towards the ASRock Z68 PROFESSIONAL GEN3. is that a good option or any better for around same price?


PNY DDR3 1333 8GB $32
-why not go with 1600? how important is cas latency?
-is 8gb enough or should i go for the 16gb to future proof and since I work with large photo file sizes?
-how is G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (4 x 2GB) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...E16820231329)?


Crucial M4 128GB $215
-very good suggestion BUT is 128GB enough for installations? I can see myself easily going past 128GB within a year or two.... at the same time, I guess it'll be cheaper to just upgrade in a year or two.....


Hitachi 7K1000.D 750GB $70
-i will stick with seagate. leaning towards http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148506 Seagate Barracuda XT ST32000641AS 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s


Antec HCG-400 $35 AR
-i think 400 is insufficient if i choose to upgrade vid card in future. i'm leaning towards http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817153132 Thermaltake TPG-750M Toughpower Grand GOLD 750W


Fractal Design Define Mini $100
-want mid or large.
-from experience it seems cases mounting the power supply on bottom are destined for failure without extra frequent cleaning; is this true?
-what is a good quality $~150-200 case?

 

[MaxGlobin]

also any recommendations on video card? as i stated before, i will not be gaming on this pc but will be doing heavy duty photo & video editing.... home pc type of photo video editing, studio power not necessary....

 

[fffblackmage]

i5 2500K $225
-why not go for the 2600k if price difference does not matter?
-from many articles found online, 2600k seems to be rated higher overall; do you agree?
-can the 2600k potentially improve my performance 3 years from today, when software will in no doubt require more threads and processing power?
-if i run 4-6 cpu intensive applications at once, will the 2600k be faster?

If price doesn't matter, then you can just get whatever you want.

However, if money does matter, then the i7 isn't really worth it, because the i5-2500k will be able to handle your Photoshop (IIRC, not very thread intensive), minor video editing, and all the other non-intensive tasks you'll do.

Mugen 3 $50
-why not go for a liquid cooling rig? how will longevity be affected with liquid cooling?
-if liquid cooling not worth it, are there any higher quality options than Mugen 3?

Those self-contained liquid cooling solutions don't significantly outperform high-end air coolers and they're not cheaper either. The addition of a pump also means it's another point of potential failure. CPU longevity is not affected because they simply don't do any better than conventional coolers.

The Mugen 3 is pretty much a high-end cooler.
Other alternatives... a variety of coolers by Noctua.
And then this: Thermalright HR-02 Macho $36 + $11 shipping

ASRock Z68 Pro3-M $110
-i do not want a micro atx board; full size is preferable. i also would like pci express 3.0 ports.
-i'm leaning towards the ASRock Z68 PROFESSIONAL GEN3. is that a good option or any better for around same price?

If you're not adding any expansion cards... then a full-size mobo really doesn't matter.
That AsRock mobo is probably the only decent brand with the lowest price.

PNY DDR3 1333 8GB $32
-why not go with 1600? how important is cas latency?
-is 8gb enough or should i go for the 16gb to future proof and since I work with large photo file sizes?
-how is G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (4 x 2GB) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...E16820231329)?

CAS latency is not important.
If you can get DDR3-1600 for a few bucks more, then go for it, but it doesn't make any perceivable difference in performance (outside of memory benchmarks anyways).

You can just do 8GB now, but add another 8GB later if it's not enough.

Crucial M4 128GB $215
-very good suggestion BUT is 128GB enough for installations? I can see myself easily going past 128GB within a year or two.... at the same time, I guess it'll be cheaper to just upgrade in a year or two.....

Yup, SSDs are developing incredibly fast, so you'll definitely be able to find higher capacity SSDs with improved performance and lower prices in a couple years.

I'm able to get by with just a tiny 60GB SSD. I'm able to install Windows 7 and all the apps I need. Most of my ginormous games are kept on a HDD.

Hitachi 7K1000.D 750GB $70
-i will stick with seagate. leaning towards http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148506 Seagate Barracuda XT ST32000641AS 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s

It sucks to be buying any HDDs right now with the inflated prices.

Antec HCG-400 $35 AR
-i think 400 is insufficient if i choose to upgrade vid card in future. i'm leaning towards http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817153132 Thermaltake TPG-750M Toughpower Grand GOLD 750W

If you're not gaming, you probably don't need a graphics card. Even if you do, 400W is good up to midrange graphics cards.

Fractal Design Define Mini $100
-want mid or large.
-from experience it seems cases mounting the power supply on bottom are destined for failure without extra frequent cleaning; is this true?
-what is a good quality $~150-200 case?

Never heard of bottom-mounted PSUs requiring more cleaning. It's just you.

Fractal Design R3 or XL are pretty nice. Corsair has some nice cases too.

also any recommendations on video card? as i stated before, i will not be gaming on this pc but will be doing heavy duty photo & video editing.... home pc type of photo video editing, studio power not necessary....

None. Just use integrated.

 

[MaxGlobin]

Will buying a better card (compared to on board) offer any improvements whatsoever if I do not play games on the pc? Doesn't CPU load decrease with a better vid card? Will video be smoother if outputted to TV while other tasks are running?

 

[MaxGlobin]

CPU
Intel i7-2600k --- http://www.amazon.com/Intel-BX80623I...2554128&sr=8-1 --- $300


CPU COOLER
Scythe Mugen 3 --- http://www.amazon.com/Scythe-Mugen-C...2557647&sr=8-1 --- $43


Motherboard
ASRock Z68 EXTREME4 GEN3 --- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157264 --- $185


RAM
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) --- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231476 --- $90


Video Card
none

Hard Drives
Seagate Barracuda XT ST32000641AS 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s - bare drive --- http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barrac.../dp/B002RWJHBM --- $173
Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2CCA 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC (SSD) --- http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-2-5-In...2553830&sr=1-1 --- $213


Case
Enermax FULMO GT Full Tower --- http://www.antarespro.com/6306573-i...Enermax+FULMO+GT.aspx?sgd=330d319d315d313d314 --- $190


PSU
Thermaltake TPG-750M --- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&SID=u00000687 --- $150



any feedback? what should be upgraded? what should be downgraded?

 

[lehtv]

Will buying a better card (compared to on board) offer any improvements whatsoever if I do not play games on the pc? Doesn't CPU load decrease with a better vid card? Will video be smoother if outputted to TV while other tasks are running?

I would imagine that a 2600K is capable enough that you won't have any issues whatsoever with the integrated graphics. If for some reason you happen to get issues with video while CPU is doing something intensive, only then consider a dedicated GPU

 

[MaxGlobin]

repost

 

[MaxGlobin]

Never heard of bottom-mounted PSUs requiring more cleaning. It's just you.

To elaborate, i've found in the past that when the tower is placed on the floor (under desk for ex) and the psu is positioned bottom of the case, the fans require much more frequent cleaning (dust, dirt, hair, etc..). So the efficiency of the psu's cooling decreases if not thoroughly cleaned on a frequent basis (more frequent than if psu is mounted higher up). Don't know whether this is reality or just my perception.....

 

[MaxGlobin]

So for now leave out the vid card and the larger ssd, and then upgrade ssd and add vid card in the future?

Anybody have experience with Enermax FULMO GT Full Tower?

 

[ElFenix]

CPU


RAM
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) --- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231476 --- $90

that ram costs nearly 3x what you should be spending on 8 GB. as long as you get 1333 ram sandy bridge cares not a whit about anything else from a performance perspective. edit: that's the wrong voltage anyway.

PSU
Thermaltake TPG-750M --- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&SID=u00000687 --- $150

any feedback? what should be upgraded? what should be downgraded?

that power supply also costs 3x what you should be spending. 750 watts is way more than you need (nearly double) so you'll be well below the efficiency curve (defeating the purpose of getting a gold supply) when idle. not to mention i wouldn't buy thermaltake anything (even if that's a fairly good CWT design under the labels).

 

[MaxGlobin]

RAM
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL --- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231428 --- $44

is that memory sufficient to never cause a bottleneck?


PSU
ENERMAX NAXN 82+ ENP650AWT B 650W ATX12V 80 PLUS BRONZE --- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817194094 --- $90

 

[mfenn]

To elaborate, i've found in the past that when the tower is placed on the floor (under desk for ex) and the psu is positioned bottom of the case, the fans require much more frequent cleaning (dust, dirt, hair, etc..). So the efficiency of the psu's cooling decreases if not thoroughly cleaned on a frequent basis (more frequent than if psu is mounted higher up). Don't know whether this is reality or just my perception.....

The PSU fan is for exhaust, not intake. It draws its air from the inside of the PC, so there is not going to be a significant difference in the air quality from the top to the bottom of the PC.

 

[mfenn]

CPU
Intel i7-2600k --- http://www.amazon.com/Intel-BX80623I...2554128&sr=8-1 --- $300


CPU COOLER
Scythe Mugen 3 --- http://www.amazon.com/Scythe-Mugen-C...2557647&sr=8-1 --- $43


Motherboard
ASRock Z68 EXTREME4 GEN3 --- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157264 --- $185


RAM
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) --- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231476 --- $90


Video Card
none

Hard Drives
Seagate Barracuda XT ST32000641AS 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s - bare drive --- http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barrac.../dp/B002RWJHBM --- $173
Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2CCA 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC (SSD) --- http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-2-5-In...2553830&sr=1-1 --- $213


Case
Enermax FULMO GT Full Tower --- http://www.antarespro.com/6306573-i...Enermax+FULMO+GT.aspx?sgd=330d319d315d313d314 --- $190


PSU
Thermaltake TPG-750M --- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&SID=u00000687 --- $150



any feedback? what should be upgraded? what should be downgraded?

To be completely honest, that build (a) blows your stated budget by $350 and (b) will perform within 5% of the $837 build that I posted. I agree completely with fffblackmage's responses to your queries.

Take a hard look at each part you posted and ask yourself, "how will this part help me achieve my stated goals?". The answer is that the CPU, mobo, RAM, HDD, case, and PSU will not.

 

[MaxGlobin]

I've changed the psu and ram to something cheaper, thus providing more value, but i feel all the other components need to be as high quality as possible. I'm not aiming to score high on benchmarks and tests, instead i'm looking for the highest quality parts that are reasonably priced for my needs. So "performing within 5%" is understandable but that in no way measures the quality of the parts. I would pay extra for the quality of components rather than pure speed.

Anyway, thank you for the feedback and I will definitely consider everyones opinions when purchasing this new comp!!!

 

[lehtv]

I'd pair the Asrock Z68-M board with a Fractal Design Core 1000 $45. It's a pretty rudimentary case but very good for its price, does the job. The only other option I'd consider really is Fractal Arc Mini for $110, it offers a PSU bottom-mount, a cable management compartment, sideways HDD cage, USB3 and two more fans.

I've changed the psu and ram to something cheaper, thus providing more value

Which one?

but i feel all the other components need to be as high quality as possible.

But quality is not measured in price. Price mostly measures features offered, and any price differences that exist between products that offer the same features can be due to brand name only. And similarly priced products that offer similar features can be of different quality.

 

[MaxGlobin]

new ram & psu:

RAM
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL --- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231428 --- $44

is that memory sufficient to never cause a bottleneck?

PSU
ENERMAX NAXN 82+ ENP650AWT B 650W ATX12V 80 PLUS BRONZE --- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817194094 --- $90


that's over $100 cheaper for the two than original components...

But quality is not measured in price. Price mostly measures features offered, and any price differences that exist between products that offer the same features can be due to brand name only. And similarly priced products that offer similar features can be of different quality.

Based on what you wrote, measuring quality is impossible prior to making a purchase; I disagree. You are right that quality is not measured in price, but at the same time quality cannot be quantified (other than # of failures per x amount, data that is not public & we do not have) at all. I would say that closest measurement of any metric that correlates greatest to quality is price though. Fundamentally and rudimentary, as price goes up, so does quality; this applies to all goods and services. Of course there are many other variables that affect price and quality but in general it is safe to assume as price goes up so does quality.

Especially if quality is tough to measure, I would err on the safe side and pay a little extra for perceived and assumed higher quality.

 

[MaxGlobin]

Any opinion on this monitor?
ASUS PA238Q 23-Inch Monitor
http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-PA238Q-23...2645047&sr=1-1
$265

 

[MaxGlobin]

Thanks for the input everyone!!!

Pulled the trigger last night... notice no video card as I will not be playing any video games (other than solitaire)....

Yes some components are overkill but chose to buy each for higher quality and longevity.....


Intel Core i7-2600K Processor
$299.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EBUXSA/


Crucial 128 GB m4 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s CT128M4SSD2
$209.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004W2JKZI/
(Can't believe the price jumped up $40 overnight since I bought it... now 249!!)


Seagate Barracuda XT 2000 GB 7200RPM 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Bare Drive - ST32000641AS
$172.95
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RWJHBM/


Scythe Mugen 3 CPU Cooler for LGA 775/1155/1156/1366 & AMD AM2/2+/3 Model, SCMG-3000
$42.90
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005413NPO/


Enermax Fulmo GT ECA1092AG-BL
$209.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811124142


G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL
$43.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231428


ASRock Z68 EXTREME4 GEN3
$184.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157264


ENERMAX NAXN 82+ ENP650AWT
$89.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817194094


ASUS Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X 8MB Cache SATA Blu-ray Burner BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS
$89.79
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827135252


About to purchase:
ASUS PA238Q 23-Inch Monitor
$279.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236201


Am I missing any components other than input & speakers? Any opinions / recommendations / assembly tips now that comp is purchased?

 

[mfenn]

That build is a lot better than where you started, but still not as good as mine. I mean, a CFX/SLI-capable tweaker's board in a system with no GPU? Come on. A Seagate HDD is high-quality? Give me a break, they have the highest failure rates in the industry.

On quality: using price as a metric for quality is a fundamentally flawed approach. More expensive is not better, better is better. The reason to ask questions on these forums is to tap into the accumulated personal experience of the posters here. We know what is good and what is simply overpriced. You will not find a single low-quality part in this thread outside of your posts.

 

[MaxGlobin]

You will not find a single low-quality part in this thread outside of your posts.

Why are you attacking me? Since your first response, you have not been helpful and instead demeaning, arrogant and more or less useless; although I do appreciate some of your posts that helped me brainstorm. Personal attacks show you are an asshole and need to keep that BS to yourself. Answer my questions and keep your personal opinions to yourself... nobody wants to hear that shit.....

If you think price and quality have no correlation, you are not living on this planet. "Better is better" but how's that practical? I asked for advice here because I wanted an opinion from people that are on top of current technology and prices, not for you to educate and debate what quality is.

As I stated numerous times, longevity of the system is crucial thus warranting components that are capable of being upgraded, such as the motherboard which is capable of supporting various high-quality video cards if I decide to install one in the future.

but still not as good as mine

Why would that be my concern? Am I in competition with you? Why are you with me? My system is custom designed and built for myself to suit my needs, not yours.

A Seagate HDD is high-quality? Give me a break

I've heard the quality debates on hard drives for 20+ years and from MY experiences Seagate has continuously stood at the top of quality rankings. This idea is shared by many others so point is suck a dick...... peace out bitches..... enjoy your world of warcraft faggggggooottttt.....

 

[lehtv]

Based on what you wrote, measuring quality is impossible prior to making a purchase; I disagree.

No, you can't get that from what I wrote. My point was this, essentially:

using price as a metric for quality is a fundamentally flawed approach. More expensive is not better, better is better

Just because something is more expensive doesn't mean it's better quality. I would not say that price is even the most accurate metric for quality. A professional review of the functionality and build quality of a particular component tells you a lot more.

FWIW I think you paid too much for the CPU (2500K instead), case (Fractal R3 at most), PSU (Antec/Corsair 430W-500W), mobo, perhaps even the blu-ray drive. Seriously, you would've got functionally and quality-wise the same PC for about $300 less! With that, you could've bought a Dell U2412M IPS monitor.

With regard to the case, you did not buy any higher quality or longevity, essentially $100 wasted. The PSU is not any more reliable than an Antec EA/Neo Eco or Corsair CX, and arguably doesn't give you any more longevity since it's a non-gaming computer. Even if you did decide to play games, a 430W PSU would easily power a midrange 7000 series AMD card. There's also no reason to think the motherboard is any higher quality than cheaper Asrocks or boards from Gigabyte and Asus, it simply offers more features that you won't need.

[@mfenn] Why are you attacking me? Since your first response, you have not been helpful and instead demeaning, arrogant and more or less useless

Wow. We must not be reading the same thread.

 

[mfenn]

Wow. We must not be reading the same thread.

Yeah, I know. Try to save somebody $500 and you get called a "lovely human".

Reported and moving on. :whiste: