Advice for a first time PC Builder

[sunny the saint]

Hello Guys

this is my first post on the forum so apologies if this is the wrong section to post

I am building my first PC and needed some advice on Motherboards

My basic need for this PC is to do Graphics design (adobe illustrator, Photoshop etc) and some light video editing work (mainly video capture of the screen)

My requirements are:

USB 3.0
DDR3 Ram
SSD hard drive
HDMI port for Monitor

I have chosen some parts already

CPU: Intel 3rd Generation Core i7-3770K CPU (4 x 3.50GHz, Ivy Bridge, Socket 1155, 8Mb L3 Cache, Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0)

Hard Drive: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5 inch SATA Solid State Drive

Ram: Corsair CMX8GX3M2A1600C9 DDR3 XMS3 8GB Desktop Memory

Graphics Card: Palit 2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 610 Graphics Card (DDR3, HDMI, DVI, VGA, PCI-Express 2.0, DirectX 11.0 & OpenGL 4.2 Support, 3D Vision with Blu-ray 3D Support, Nvidia PureVideo HD Technology)

I needed a motherboard that will be compatible with all the above parts


Any Recommendations?

My budget is around £80 but this is very flexible

 

[socialfox]

Here is a nice board:
http://www.dabs.com/products/asrock-z77-extreme-4-s1155-intel-z77-ddr3-atx-80XR.html?q=asrock%20extreme&src=16

Anyways not sure about the video card requirements for such a thing but I would say that video card is very weak compared to others. How much are you buying it for?

 

[sunny the saint]

Hey social fox

Thank you for the quick reply

as far as the graphic card was concerned I was gonna buying it for £35

what would you recommend? something that can run graphics software smoothly

that board you recommended will there be any compatibly issues with my other parts?

 

[socialfox]

No compatibility issue that I know of. As for the video card I would say your better off posting a separate thread in the video/graphics section. I myself am no wiz when it comes to video cards when doing graphic designs and editing. Also are you planning on overclocking? Would be beneficial if you did, after all that is a K series processor meaning it can be overclocked for pretty much "free" performance (apart from the slight wattage increase).

 

[sunny the saint]

I was not planning on over clocking

would i need to get a cooler if i did?

 

[socialfox]

Nope if you are not overclocking the stock cooler will suffice for stock clocks. However in my opinion kind of a loss if your not planning to overclock when you have a Z77 motherboard and a K series processor. They both were meant to be overclocked but that's just my opinion :lol:
I have always been a sucker for overclocking since it is kind of like free performance without shelling out more money with the exception of an adequate cooler.

 

[wrathofdragon]

Ram: Corsair CMX8GX3M2A1600C9 DDR3 XMS3 8GB Desktop Memory

if you plan on running multiple instances of Premiere Pro, Photoshop and After Effects, etc. you may need 12GB/16GB+
However 8GB should be fine if you are going to use one program at a time...

Graphics Card: Palit 2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 610 Graphics Card (DDR3, HDMI, DVI, VGA, PCI-Express 2.0, DirectX 11.0 & OpenGL 4.2 Support, 3D Vision with Blu-ray 3D Support, Nvidia PureVideo HD Technology)

taht graphics card is not too bad, but you could get a better one for around the same price. scope out some deals on NewEgg, or ask around (too lazy to look)

 

[sunny the saint]

socialfox

Hmm maybe down the line. Like i said this is my first time building a PC if i get it up and running then i will have a look at over clocking in like 6 weeks time

Wrathofdragon

Thanks for replying, Yeah i dont plan on using after effects at all Photoshop will be mostly used.

this one appeared to be cheapest for what it promised to deliver i will post on the graphics card section when i get a chance regarding what card to buy

Would i get away with using integrated graphics card of the CPU until a later date or do you recommend i install a decent graphics card from day 1?

 

[finitekomos]

Sunny, if it helps I use Adobe CS5.5 and I wholeheartedly recommend that you consider spending a little extra on the GPU. Photoshop, Premiere and in particular After Effects can leverage the features of a decent GPU to accelerate render functions, from experience I can tell you the 610 is going to be a significant bottleneck in your rig.

 

[sunny the saint]

Hi Finitekomos

i see, What graphics card would you recommend for a decent performance in regard to using the adobe master collection?

 

[AMD Radeon]

Hi Finitekomos

i see, What graphics card would you recommend for a decent performance in regard to using the adobe master collection?

Adobe CS5 and CS6 requires Nvidia GPU with minimum 1GB DDR5, the cheapest you can get is old card GT 240 or GT 440 with 1GB DDR5 version, but still it is bad idea. Go with GT 650 1GB DDR5 or at least GTX 550TI, and it is all you need. It will boost Photoshop, premiere (Mercury playback engine), sony vegas, after effect, and any other video editing software.

If you buy amd radeon or even nvidia with DDR3, you will miss optimization in premiere and video editing.

PS; dont look at my username

if you want to read the longer version,
read this link : http://www.studio1productions.com/Articles/PremiereCS5.htm

 

[sunny the saint]

AmD Radeon

hmm perhaps its better for me to save up for a good Graphics card

If i omit a graphics card can i still load the operating system and install a good graphics card at a later date?

 

[socialfox]

AmD Radeon

hmm perhaps its better for me to save up for a good Graphics card

If i omit a graphics card can i still load the operating system and install a good graphics card at a later date?

Yep you can load the OS and do your normal tasks fine w/o the discrete video card. You will then be running of off the integrated graphics in the processor, which I believe is Intel HD 4000 which is decent. Though be prepared to suffer performance hits when gaming or doing anything graphic card intensive.

 

[wrathofdragon]

Yep you can load the OS and do your normal tasks fine w/o the discrete video card. You will then be running of off the integrated graphics in the processor, which I believe is Intel HD 4000 which is decent. Though be prepared to suffer performance hits when gaming or doing anything graphic card intensive.

than eventuallly you could save up and buy a great graphic card. it is better to wait and get a great thing, that getting an OK "temporary" graphics card that you will be stuck with for a long time...

 

[sunny the saint]

Ok thanks guys will probably do that

now i need to find a case

Thanks for the advice!

 

[socialfox]

You can post your case question here, I am sure we will all be happy to assist you!

 

[sunny the saint]

Great Thanks!

I've been looking at PC Cases online

What size of PC case should i be looking at for with the above specifications (i am going with the motherboard you recommended social fox) I am interested in putting graphic cards at a later date (and a cooler when i overclock) should this affect which case I look to buy

I want to use usb 3.0 should i buy a case with these ports on there or can i buy a usb 3.0 panel and attach it?

 

[socialfox]

Your going to want an ATX case, in order to support the ATX sized motherboard.

Here are some recommendations:
http://www.dabs.com/products/antec-300-three-hundred-two-tower-case---with-usb-3-0-7ZJG.html?q=antec&src=16
http://www.dabs.com/products/corsair-carbide-series-300r-gaming-case-800K.html?q=Carbide&src=16
http://www.dabs.com/products/corsair-carbide-series-400r-mid-tower-gaming-chassis--black-7LGF.html?q=Carbide&src=16
http://www.dabs.com/products/corsair-carbide-series-500r-mid-tower-gaming-chassis--white-7LGH.html?q=Carbide&src=16
http://www.dabs.com/products/zalman-z9-plus-tower-case-with-fan-controller-8BR5.html?src=3
^That has usb 2.0, not sure if there are any adapters that convert it into 3.0 but I believe you can't do that. However not too sure so will need confirmation from another person.

Edit: Forgot to mention, would have been better if you posted a budget for your computer case. The cases above are of varying price ranges. Also consider the Haf 912 if available in your area.

 

[sunny the saint]

My budget was around £50 - 60 for Case + Power supply + any extra fans i will need

the haf 912 is nice has only usb 2.0 slots is there anyway i could remove those and replace them with usb 3.0

or have something like this?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Uspeed-Front-Panel-Ports-Connector/dp/B006TOMSCO/ref=sr_1_22?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1354293909&sr=1-22

 

[kamikaziH2Omln]

I love the 560(ti) as a GPU, but I've heard plenty good about the 550ti as well. I think for the case, I have a sweet spot for the Corsair Carbide Series (300r-500r). The current top case on Newegg is the Antec 300, which I've also heard good from, but I haven't seen it for myself. Price is $60 Here's a link.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

 

[sunny the saint]

what power supply would i need to run smoothly

500w?

 

[sunny the saint]

Do you guys recommend buying a PSU separate from the case? with the case or it doesn't matter?

 

[socialfox]

99% of the time bundled power supplies included with the case are junk. They do not put out the labelled wattage and are of poor quality. That being said I would go with a separate power supply.

Anyways as of now I do not know how much wattage you need for the power supply without knowing the video card (if you have changed). If you are still going with the GT 610 then you could settle for something as little as 350-400 watts.

 

[sunny the saint]

i have decided to omit a graphics card for now and put a good one in at a later date so i would a need a good power supply

 

[sunny the saint]

how about this case

http://www.dabs.com/products/gigabyte-gz-g2-gaming-case-plus-with-usb-3-0-ports---2-front-fans-7YDY.html

are the fans supplied with the case trash like PSU supplied with case?