$800 Editing and Animation PC, First Build

doublefro7

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Jan 17, 2014
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I've been researching computer parts for a good month now, but not having much prior experience it feels like the more I learn about PC's the less I actually know about them. That said, I don't really have any brand or website preference (I apologize if that makes things more difficult,) and I’m not really sure what to prioritize in this build. Maybe RAM and CPU? I work in 2D and 3D animation using Adobe Photoshop, AfterEffects, and Illustrator, as well as Autodesk Maya and Mudbox. Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

Approximate Purchase Date: within the next two weeks

Budget Range: $800 before rebate, shipping

System Usage from Most to Least Important: 2D and 3D animation, video and photo editing, watching movies, internet surfing, digital painting, audio editing

Parts Not Required: Keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: None

Country: United States

Parts Preferences: SSD over HDD if possible

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Monitor Resolution: N/A

Additional Comments: graphics card needs to be openGl capable for 3D modeling programs, possibility of dual-monitoring in the future
 
Solution
you can start from this build
i5 haswell
2x 8GB ram for pro software
GTX 660 for optimizing openGL and after effect (which radeon card cant)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ TigerDirect)
Motherboard: Biostar Hi-Fi B85S3+ Ver. 6.x Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($134.95 @ B&H)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($88.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video...
you can start from this build
i5 haswell
2x 8GB ram for pro software
GTX 660 for optimizing openGL and after effect (which radeon card cant)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ TigerDirect)
Motherboard: Biostar Hi-Fi B85S3+ Ver. 6.x Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($134.95 @ B&H)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($88.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Microcenter)
Total: $758.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-18 02:32 EST-0500)
 
Solution