Building computer for Uncle, could use some input

[jww89]

So my uncle needs a new computer and has asked me to build him one. I haven't built one in around 2 years, so being a bit rusty. Even with the rust I'm no professional either, so I turn to you Anandtech for some guidance. He mostly does photo editing / drawing, some 3D modeling and some gaming.

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

He will be using it for 3D modeling, photo editing / drawing; mostly Photoshop and Illustrator. Some gaming as well.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread

Around 1000-1200$.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.

Were in the US, will be buying mostly from Newegg probably.

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.

None here but my Uncle seems to favor Intel processors over AMD.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

None.

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.

I have.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

No plans to overclock.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.

I'm not sure what resolution he plays at.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

Within the next 2 weeks.

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

Does fat count as thick skinned?

Heres my proposed build:

Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced RC-932-KKN5-GP Steel ATX Full Tower Compucase Case with USB 3.0, Black Interior and Four Fans-1x 230mm front RED LED, 1x 140mm rear, 1x 230mm top, and 1x 230mm side

Price: $159.99

GIGABYTE GA-H55M-USB3 LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Price: $109.99

GPU: XFX HD-677X-ZNLC Radeon HD 6770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

Price: $119.99

PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX950 (CMPSU-950TX) 950W ATX12V v2.3/EPS12V v2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

Price: $154.99

CPU: Intel Core i5-760 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80605I5760

Price: $209.99
Memory: Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 996776

Price: $54.99

HD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Price: $89.99

DVD Drive: ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM

Price: $20.99

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit

Price: $139.99
Subtotal: $1,060.91

I usually only worry about gaming when I build my own. Would this build be sufficient for what he plans on doing?

Thanks in advance.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Use Sandy Bridge
i5 2500K
Z68 Mobo
1tb spinpoint
560ti or 6950
DVD player reader
OS
Cheapers ram. 1333 cl9 1.5v 2x4gb
any case
500~600 psu

 

[mfenn]

OK, I can see you've been out of the game for a while. I'll go part by part:
- Case: Unless your uncle really wants a blinged out case, check out the Lian Li PC-K7B for $90. It's got refined looks, costs less, and has the legendary Lian Li quality.
- CPU+Mobo: There is really no reason to go with a Lynnfield at this point. With the rest of my changes below, you can afford the i7 2600 + Intel H67 mobo combo at $380. The i7 is about 50% faster than the 760.
- GPU: The 6770 is a good choice for "some gaming" unless that means Minecraft. :awe:
- PSU: Way overkill. The Corsair 430CX (a steal at $20 AR) is plenty.
- RAM: No real need for fancy RAM. This $42 Kingston DDR3 1333 8GB kit is good.
- HDD : The Samsung F3 1TB is very similar and $60.
- DVD : Fine
- OS : Unless your uncle needs to join the computer to an AD domain, you can get Home Premium for $100.
- SSD : By my math, the changes above free up about $200 in the budget. With that money I strongly recommend getting an SSD like the Crucial M4 128GB.

 

[munkle]

OK, I can see you've been out of the game for a while. I'll go part by part:
- Case: Unless your uncle really wants a blinged out case, check out the Lian Li PC-K7B for $90. It's got refined looks, costs less, and has the legendary Lian Li quality.
- CPU+Mobo: There is really no reason to go with a Lynnfield at this point. With the rest of my changes below, you can afford the i7 2600 + Intel H67 mobo combo at $380. The i7 is about 50% faster than the 760.
- GPU: The 6770 is a good choice for "some gaming" unless that means Minecraft. :awe:
- PSU: Way overkill. The Corsair 430CX (a steal at $20 AR) is plenty.
- RAM: No real need for fancy RAM. This $42 Kingston DDR3 1333 8GB kit is good.
- HDD : The Samsung F3 1TB is very similar and $60.
- DVD : Fine
- OS : Unless your uncle needs to join the computer to an AD domain, you can get Home Premium for $100.
- SSD : By my math, the changes above free up about $200 in the budget. With that money I strongly recommend getting an SSD like the Crucial M4 128GB.

Personally I would get a better psu, that one is good, but spending $1000 on pc with a $20 psu doesn't seems kind of skimping. Personally I like seasonic and antec. Newegg often has the x650 for cheap and its a great psu.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Its a DEAL! its a good PSU!

 

[mfenn]

Personally I would get a better psu, that one is good, but spending $1000 on pc with a $20 psu doesn't seems kind of skimping. Personally I like seasonic and antec. Newegg often has the x650 for cheap and its a great psu.

Don't just a book by it's insane sale price. The 430CX is a CWT, same company that makes Antec's midrange PSUs.

Also, if by x650 you mean the Seasonic X650, then you have got to be out of your mind. Overkill to the nth degree. $1000 is a decent budget, but not enough to go wasting money on such an expensive PSU. There is no way I could sleep at night if I recommended that someone spend $140 on a PSU for a system that will draw less than 200W maxed out.

 

[xBiffx]

I am going to just start posting this build for these types of requests.

 

[jww89]

Thanks again for all the input guys. Definitely have been out of the loop for awhile, I really should start following this stuff again as I'll need to upgrade mine soon. Preferably I should have already but being a broke college student sucks. I'm gonna run by him some of the recommended changes, see what he thinks. He gave me that budget, but he might like it if we could shave some off the total.

 

[Slugbait]

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

None.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.

I'm not sure what resolution he plays at.

He'll probably play his games at the monitor's native resolution.

Oh wait...there is no monitor. System is kinda useless without one.

It's also kinda useless without a KB and mouse.

I agree your PSU choice is overkill, and agree that the Corsair Builder's Series is meh. Best deal I can find is this Seasonic 620W for $30 shipped after promo code and rebate: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371031. It's the "real steal".

 

[mfenn]

I guess everyone was spoiled by the original 400CX. The 430CX is certainly not as good as it was, but I wouldn't go so far as "meh". The 620C is going to have terrible efficiency powering a rig that uses ~50W idle.

 

[Slugbait]

The 620C is going to have terrible efficiency powering a rig that uses ~50W idle.

That's an interesting thing to say. When testing efficiency of it's little brother (the 520C), Guru3D found it running at greater than 81% efficiency at 100W load under 50C temp. Considering it's the same platform, there shouldn't be much difference with the 620C. http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=317192

Please explain how the efficiency is going to be so terrible at 50W. Thanks.

 

[mfenn]

100W / 520W = 19.2% load, right at the 20% min for 80+.

50W / 620W = 8.1% load, far below the 80+ test points.

A 520C and a 620C are not the exact same thing with a different sticker (this is Antec not CoolMax!), so you can't just take the numbers at a given wattage for one and apply them to the other.

This is the efficiency curve of a high-quality 900W PSU, but the trend is quite typical.

See how steep the drop off is below 20%?

 

[Slugbait]

(this is Seasonic not CoolMax!)

Fixed that for you.

And the 520C and 620C are both S12II with a different wattage rating...same sticker.

And you used what appears to be a Gold-rated, unnamed power supply with nearly twice as much power to make your point...which is to say, I don't think it was a convincing example.

Besides, it seems to me that if the box is drawing 50W for more than 15 minutes, it should enter S3.

 

[Slugbait]

Also, I ran a different calculations

100W / 620W = 16.1% load

50W / 520W = 9.6% load

So I'm a little confused...

 

[Slugbait]

And I just went to jonnyGURU's review of the CX430, and they used the description "lack luster efficiency". http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story2&reid=214

At 24C/26C, their hot load temps were half that used by Guru3D when testing the 520C. And efficiency at 86W/109W for the CX430 was just 79%.

Drop to 43W/60W, and efficiency nose-dives to 72%.

I wonder how much worse the efficiency would be if CX430 tests were run at 50C. Not that it would matter now...

 

[mfenn]

Fixed that for you.

And the 520C and 620C are both S12II with a different wattage rating...same sticker.

Sure, Seasonic is the OEM. I'm not sure how that's entirely relevant though because the labeling decision is made by Antec. The 520C and 620C do not have the same sticker on the side of the unit and do not have the exact same components inside. Same board and layout yes, but every single component isn't the same between the two. The fact that a 520C gets a certain efficiency at a given load does not mean that 620C will get the same efficiency at that load. The trend between the two units will be similar, but the precise efficiency curve will be scaled and shifted.

And you used what appears to be a Gold-rated, unnamed power supply with nearly twice as much power to make your point...which is to say, I don't think it was a convincing example.

I clearly stated that the graph is merely illustrative of a typical efficiency curve. Of course the actual numbers are going to be different, but the general trend is the same. Some more examples of the trend: 1 2 3.

Besides, it seems to me that if the box is drawing 50W for more than 15 minutes, it should enter S3.

Fair enough.

Also, I ran a different calculations

100W / 620W = 16.1% load

50W / 520W = 9.6% load

So I'm a little confused...

Why would you use those ratios? The review that you pointed out measured a 100W load on a 520W unit. The OP's idle load would be 50W on the 620W unit that you proposed.

And I just went to jonnyGURU's review of the CX430, and they used the description "lack luster efficiency". http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story2&reid=214

At 24C/26C, their hot load temps were half that used by Guru3D when testing the 520C. And efficiency at 86W/109W for the CX430 was just 79%.

Drop to 43W/60W, and efficiency nose-dives to 72%.

I wonder how much worse the efficiency would be if CX430 tests were run at 50C. Not that it would matter now...

Guru3D's charts show that there isn't much difference between the efficiency at 25C and 50C. Jonny's charts likewise show that there isn't much of an efficiency difference between his cold and hot either. Unless there are charts that show that the 430CX drops significantly in efficiency at 50C, I don't think that there's enough data to say that it would.

It sounds like the 430CX and 620C would have about the same efficiency at idle for the OP. I suppose it really doesn't matter which one he picks then, $20 vs. $30.