New build...

[aujames]

Doing my first build in several years and wanted to get some opinions. My budget is ~$550. The primary focus of the machine, other than normal day to day use will be photo editing. No plans to overclock. I already have a Hard Drive, DVD drive and TV Tuner card to use. I plan to pull the trigger within the next week or two. Prices are from Newegg.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core ($164.99)
CPU Cooling: ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler ($26.99)
Motherboard: ASUS P5Q LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard ($119.99)
RAM: mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit ($53.99)
Video Card: SAPPHIRE 100255L Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready ($79.99)
Case: Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply ($74.99)

Total: $520.94

Thoughts??

 

[DSF]

Are you planning on playing any games? Even the 4670 might be more than you need to spend if not.

 

[aujames]

No gaming. Just photo and possibly some simple video editing. I want a quality card, but as you suggest, I don't want to overspend for what I need.

Any recommendations for a alternative?

Thanks!

 

[JPB]

Originally posted by: aujames
No gaming. Just photo and possibly some simple video editing. I want a quality card, but as you suggest, I don't want to overspend for what I need.

Any recommendations for a alternative?

Thanks!

What about something like this ? It is around $20 cheaper. And it will be $40 cheaper after Rebate.

And this is a REALLY nice case as well :thumbsup:

 

[krnmastersgt]

Originally posted by: aujames
No gaming. Just photo and possibly some simple video editing. I want a quality card, but as you suggest, I don't want to overspend for what I need.

Any recommendations for a alternative?

Thanks!

What kind of photo editing? Main question being what resolution are the photos/images. Not quite sure how much vram and gpu power affect speeds, etc. for photo editing though so it might not be an issue.

 

[aujames]

JPB,

Yeah that card looks nice, especially the lower price. Also like the suggested case, the one I had listed came with a 500w ps. Would I need this much juice to power this setup?

krnmastersgt,
Nothing huge, either 6 or 10MP, RAW images. Using Photoshop Elements to process and edit the images.

Thanks!!

 

[Denithor]

Make sure you get the e8400 + Asus P5Q Pro -- combo deal for $235AR.

If you're not overclocking, dump the aftermarket cooler and save the $30.

There's a different manufacturer 4670 for $65 after rebate.

Go for 8GB of RAM, photoshop loves memory.

 

[aujames]

Originally posted by: Denithor
Make sure you get the e8400 + Asus P5Q Pro -- combo deal for $235AR.

If you're not overclocking, dump the aftermarket cooler and save the $30.

There's a different manufacturer 4670 for $65 after rebate.

Go for 8GB of RAM, photoshop loves memory.

Thanks for the info. I would have to install XP/Vista 64 to take advantage of the 8GB of memory, wouldn't I?