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Help with Heavy Photography/Gaming Build

T

theattrox

Member
Before reading on, I'd like to thank the people who helped me with a build config for a gaming pc. Unfortunately, I never came around to building one since plans have changed. I recently purchased an imac 27" with an i7, 16gb ram, 256gb SSD, and a 6970m 2gb which I am returning tomorrow morning. The screen is too big, the glossy screen gives me headaches, it gets hot like a heat lamp, and I think I can save by possibly building my own computer.

I was hoping to either go the hackintosh route but also have windows incase it doesn't work out as planned. I'm a professional photographer running a business and a heavy gamer so this computer needs to be stable and reliable. I'm not a fan of windows and I got really used to the interface and programs on macs osx. Should I just wait for a updated macpro or should I just build my own? If so what parts would you recommend I go for?

(Note: I really want to have high end parts, so I don't care about saving $30-50 on certain parts)

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

Heavy Photo Editing (Adobe CS5, Lightroom, Bridge), Some HD Video Editing (Adobe Premiere, After Effects), Heavy Gaming (Starcraft 2, Battlefield 3, Diablo 3, Team fortress 2)

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

Under $2000

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

I'll be ordering all my parts from NewEgg and Amazon, I'm in Los Angeles. Microcenter is too far of a drive to save money, i'd be paying the same amount on gas.

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

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

Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, Dell U2410, Mouse, Keyboard, CDROM/DVD Burner Drive

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

Yes

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

Yes, I do want to overclock eventually.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.

1920x1200

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

In a few weeks

I'm eyeing this case and cpu right now.

Case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139006
CPU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070
 
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Build something like the gaming rig in my signature, if you really want to push the boat out then upgrade to a I7 2600k and 16gb of ram. It will eat anything you throw at it and won't break the bank.
 
I'm not really comfortable in this price range, so I'll leave the case and motherboard to others.

CPU: That's what you want. Unless you want to wait for Sandy Bridge-E.
Memory: I'd go with this DDR3-1600 16GB. It's $12 more than the cheapest, but might give a couple percent speedup in Adobe.
GPU: A GTX 570, like this one. Or rear exhausting if you prefer. The 580 is $150 more than the 570, for little benefit. If you need more power, get another 570!
SSD : The benchmarks are telling me to go with an OCZ Vertex 2.
HDD : How many terabytes do you want? :hmm:
 
Sorry things didn't turn out from your last thread. I have a few comments before I list a build. 🙂

theattrox said:
I was hoping to either go the hackintosh route
Click to expand...

theattrox said:
I'm a professional photographer running a business and a heavy gamer so this computer needs to be stable and reliable.
Click to expand...

Hell no. If you you are going to rely on this for your living, either shell out the $$$ for a Mac Pro or let's talk Windows.

Also, I can understand wanting fast and reliable parts, but getting something that is high-end just to be high-end is silly.

i7 2600K + Samsung DVD Burner $315
ASRock Z68 Pro3 $130
Kingston DDR3 1333 8GB x2 $84 AP
GTX 570 $270 AR - overkill for your gaming needs, but officially supported by Adobe
Intel 320 120GB $220 - rock solid reliability
Samsung F3 1TB $60
Antec 620C $30 AP AR
650D $180 AR
Total: $1289

That's really all you need to spend. You can of course go crazy with the HDD setup if you need the storage space.
 
Thanks for the build mfenn. If I do go the build my own PC route I know the ssd you listed is reliable but would it be stupid to get the intel 510 or vertex 3?

I know it would most likely be smart to save money by building my own but I really don't know how comfortable I will be stuck working with windows again. I hate how over priced apple is, its just hard to move away from osx. I don't know how long it will take for the next MacPro refresh since the new intel chips haven't been released yet. Seeing that they favor apple maybe they will have some exclusive early release? If not do you think it will be foolish to buy a 15" MacBook Pro 2.3ghz with a 6750M for $2,359.00? I'm currently using a macbook pro 17" from 2008, it's been a beast with no problems but its just showing its age now and its time for an update.
 
I would echo what mfenn said: if you're going OSX just buy a mac. If you're building your own PC go Windows. The OS choice seems to be your real decision here. If you're keen to stick with OSX then pony up and get a proper mac. You'll be happier in the long run.
 
LokutusofBorg said:
I would echo what mfenn said: if you're going OSX just buy a mac. If you're building your own PC go Windows. The OS choice seems to be your real decision here. If you're keen to stick with OSX then pony up and get a proper mac. You'll be happier in the long run.
Click to expand...
Yeah. I dont see a point in hackintoshes
 
theattrox said:
Thanks for the build mfenn. If I do go the build my own PC route I know the ssd you listed is reliable but would it be stupid to get the intel 510 or vertex 3?
Click to expand...

The Intel 510 is a good SSD and a decent bit faster than the 320, so that is definitely a contender. I am a little put off by OCZ's firmware issues on the 3 series, so I wouldn't go for one right now.

theattrox said:
I know it would most likely be smart to save money by building my own but I really don't know how comfortable I will be stuck working with windows again. I hate how over priced apple is, its just hard to move away from osx. I don't know how long it will take for the next MacPro refresh since the new intel chips haven't been released yet. Seeing that they favor apple maybe they will have some exclusive early release? If not do you think it will be foolish to buy a 15" MacBook Pro 2.3ghz with a 6750M for $2,359.00? I'm currently using a macbook pro 17" from 2008, it's been a beast with no problems but its just showing its age now and its time for an update.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I would expect MBPs or Mac Pros to get first dibs on any new Intel chips. We're probably talking Q1 2012 though.

As for using a laptop, that's exactly what I do at work. Mid-2010 MBP w/ SSD and a Dell 30"er. It works great for my purposes, but I am not doing any video editing. Should work fine for photo editing and some gaming though.
 
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