Need review of photo editing/gaming build please

[imported_Akira]

I have been without a proper pc for a long time and finally the time has arrived for me to buy a spanking new machine. Would you please review my choice to see if I am choosing the best parts for the money spent ? Please note that this system will have to last me about 4-5 years so I don`t mind spending a bit extra for it to be a bit future proof, if that is possible at all. Thanks


Approximate Purchase Date: will order this week if possible

Budget Range: 1400-1600 euros

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Photoshop and Gaming (equal importance)

Parts Not Required: need to buy everything

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: http://www.scanmalta.com/eshop/ , overclockers.uk , amazon.uk UK shops are only for price reference as I will order my pc build from Scan Malta as they will import the parts for me.

Country: Malta .

Parts Preferences: no real preference

Overclocking: Maybe (Never tried it but probably will do some mild ocing)

SLI or Crossfire: No / Maybe

Monitor Resolution:1920x1080, 1920x1200

Additional Comments: No bling necessary at all. Would appreciate if the pc was quiet.



CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.50GHz
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-403-IN&groupid=701&catid=6&subcat=
(Unsure whether hyperthreading will make a worthwhile difference in photoshop and future proofing. Otherwise I will buy an i5 and save myself 115 euros)


CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-035-CM&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=
(Will I be better off if I buy an Antec Kuhler just in case I try overclocking?)

Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LX
http://www.scanmalta.com/eshop/asus-p8z77-v-lx-z77-ivy-bridge-mobo-s1155-pcie3-usb3-raid-at.html
(is the Maximus V Gene http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-516-AS much better? Will the mobo make a real difference to the computer performance)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-310-CS

Hard Drive: 3TB Seagate Barracuda
http://www.scanmalta.com/eshop/3tb-seagate-st3000dm001-3-5-sata3-hard-drive.html

SSD: OCZ Vertex 4 128GB
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-106-OC
(System will run completely from here. Barracuda only for storage)

Video card: GTX 560ti
http://www.scanmalta.com/eshop/1gb-gainward-gtx-560ti-pci-e-dual-dvi-vga-hdmi.html
(was also contemplating HD 7850 http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-005-VX as in same price range)

Case: Cooler Master Storm Enforcer
http://www.scanmalta.com/eshop/cooler-master-storm-enforcer-usb3-black-mid-tower-gaming-cas.html
(will consider any case as long as priced in 100-140 euros. As long as its quiet and has good ventilation anything will do as not bothered about looks. What I like about enforcer is it has USB3 access on top)

Power Supply: 850W Corsair TX V2
http://www.scanmalta.com/eshop/850w-corsair-tx-v2-series-atx-4x-pci-e-8x-sata-power-supply.html
(is this overkill for my system ? )

Optical Drive: LG 10x SATA Blu-Ray Writer
http://www.scanmalta.com/eshop/lg-bh10ls38-10x-sata-blu-ray-writer.html

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

Keyboard: suggestions appreciated

Mouse: suggestions needed

 

[lehtv]

CPU HT will make a minor difference in photoshop, not worth the extra cost. By the time i5-3570K is slow, 3770K is slow as well, longevity doesn't depend on hyperthreading.

Cooler 212 Evo is good. It can OC to a moderate 4.2-4.4GHz, certainly enough for a beginner at OC. Hyper 612S is a nice quiet cooler as well, constant 900RPM

Mobo Normally I'd consider Asrock or Gigabyte boards for Z77, they tend to be better bang for buck than Asus. But the price for Z77 LX is pretty good. In terms of performance, all mobos are within a few percent of each other, it's a non issue. You should look for a mobo that fills your requirements for features and connectivity.

RAM Buy RAM without tall "heatspreaders" to avoid interference with CPU coolers

HDD Only 2-year warranty, and 3TB drives have a reputation for being more prone to failure. I'd buy this instead: WD Caviar 2TB 7200RPM (5-year warranty), or WD Caviar 1TB 7200RPM (5-year) + Samsung F4 2TB 5400RPM (3-year)

SSD Crucial M4 128GB is less expensive and with more mature firmware. Crucial M4 256GB is nicely priced as well, useful if you want all your games to fit in without any issues, or use it for project files. Vertex 4 may be a bit faster but both are much, much faster than hard disks.

GPU GTX 670 will last you a lot longer before needing to upgrade and in the meantime it'll get you a more enjoyable experience in games with high requirements. And even that may require upgrading sooner than in 4-5 years. It depends on what games you play and whether you're fine with low quality settings and/or suboptimal framerates. I have an overclocked 560 Ti myself and I'm already considering an upgrade, it's limited in both performance and VRAM. Buy a graphics card with dual or triple fans, it'll be quieter than single fan solutions especially after tweaking the fan profile.

Case Not that quiet but great for cooling. Fractal Design R3 (which is what I use) is designed for quietness though its stock cooling is not very good for overclocking. Add one more fan (120mm intake or 140mm exhaust) and use the included fan controller to control the three fans at a noise level acceptable to you.

PSU Way overkill, you're fine with a 500W unit. 650-750W if you go SLI in the future which is probably never going to happen with your upgrade cycle.

Keyboard You'll probably be fine with a random budget keyboard
Mouse Logitech G400

 

[T_Yamamoto]

I'd go with the Sidewinder since its a good budget keyboard.

 

[imported_Akira]

Wow thanks lehtv for the in-depth review. really helps