Building a computer for gaming, modeling, Photoshop (

[gamhacked]

Hello, I've posted here before about help with a computer build, but at this point I'm on the verge of buying a new computer for sure.

So I'm going for something I want to last for and run high-end games at at least medium-high settings for a good 3-4 years. In addition, I plan on doing a lot of 3D modeling, animation and digital drawing. I also have a lot of music and movies, for which I need a good amount of storage.

So I've gone and thrown some components together, and this is what I've come up with. Let me know what you think, if there are any parts that don't need to be as expensive, if anything needs improving, etc. My budget is around $2500, give or take ~$100 (I live in Europe but assembling a computer in the states seems so much cheaper).

The only debate on my mind currently is whether to get the selected monitior (one 27'' Asus PB278Q) or two 24-inch Asus VG248QEs.

Also, is now a good time to buy a computer, or is it smarter to wait for some new release just around the corner? Thanks for any tips you can provide.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1xTSx

[yurano]

If multithreaded CPU performance is important, I recommend looking into the i7 Extreme line. Ivy Bridge-E is around the corner (~$500 for a 6 core CPU, ~$200 for a X79 motherboard).

The Noctua D14 has weird colors, consider a Phanteks heatsink with similar thermal performance.

2133 Mhz RAM probably isn't going to give cost effective performance. If RAM speeds are critical to your work, consider Crucial Ballistix Tactical. My 2x8GB set is overclocked to 2000 Mhz C9 1.5V.

The Samsung 840 EVO series is more cost effective than the 840 Pro. If the professional programs perform caching on the SSD (heavy workload), a workstation class SSD is a better choice (eg. OCZ Vector or Crucial M4).



From: http://www.myce.com/review/samsung-8...-heavy-use-12/

Going for a mid-tower case saves money. High airflow isn't as important in a single GPU system. Suggestions: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2, NZXT Phantom 410, Corsair 400R/500R.

850W isn't necessary for a single GPU system. A 780 + i7 Extreme, both overclocked, can be run on 550W PSU. I recommend Seasonic if its available and at a good price. Recommended PSU list

BluRay drives require BluRay player software (~$40) to play BluRay movies. BluRay data discs don't require this software.

[gamhacked]

Ok, so scratch the BluRay drive, wait for a better processor to come out, get 1600MHz RAM and OC it instead of getting 2133MHz RAM, and swap out the Pro SSD for an EVO, or possibly an OCZ Vector.

I should add, however, that I might look to get an additional GTX 780 within a year or so of buying the rig, so wouldn't that warrant the extra space and power the full tower case and 850W power supply respectively provide?

Also, is there anything 'wrong' with the Noctua besides its brown color? It seems very popular. I don't mind the way it looks, at any rate.

[yurano]

Get 1600MHz RAM and OC it instead of getting 2133MHz RAM

1600 Mhz RAM is sufficient, but if you want faster RAM, Tacticals (1600 Mhz 1.35V) can be overclocked quite a bit and cost less.

I should add, however, that I might look to get an additional GTX 780 within a year or so of buying the rig, so wouldn't that warrant the extra space and power the full tower case and 850W power supply respectively provide?

More power (750-850W) yes, but the AX850 is an expensive choice. Pick a cheaper PSU from the recommended list.

Extra space in the case isn't important for SLI, but airflow is very important. Airflow capability is dictated by number/size of included fans.

Also, is there anything 'wrong' with the Noctua besides its brown color? It seems very popular. I don't mind the way it looks, at any rate.

The Noctua D14 is fine, but the Phanteks heatsink looks better and performs just as well.

[Deleted]

This is what I'd buy if I were buying now:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC12DX_RD 68.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($56.10 @ TigerDirect)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($133.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($176.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($649.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: BitFenix Shinobi ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-14D1XT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($553.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2400.99
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-30 09:57 EDT-0400)

Upcoming changes would possibly include getting an X79 motherboard with the upcoming i7-4820k (should come out to around the same as the 4770k/z87 Ext6 parts above), and obtaining a 9970 Radeon, performance-dependent. But that' not for at least a month and a half.

[glo]

Need to drop the high settings for 4 years idea, it's just not going to happen. Looking back four years ago the best you could have done was a quad extreme and something from the Nvidia 2xx line. These days that system would be barely playable with new releases.

[gamhacked]

I said high-medium. I have a 2008 iMac whose parts I'm sure were poor even at the time of purchase, and I can still play some games with moderate satisfaction even at native resolution (1900 by 1200) with a pathetic GT120 card. I'm confident that I personally will be kept happy with a high end setup for a long time, even if I won't be able to run Crysis 3-esque games released in 2017 at 3840x2180 with 16xAA (I'm exaggerating, but you get my point).

Anyway, thanks for the feedback, fellas.