Building a gaming / design pc

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futuredesign

Honorable
Oct 19, 2013
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10,510
Hello guys ,
Hello ,

Hope someone can quote brands in $$$ , and explain. Thanks

I need some help building a pc. You see, as of now Im using a >

Macbook air 13 inch 2011
intel i5
128 GB SSD
HD3000
4GB RAM



It does basic tasks pretty well and everything seems snappy. I only have issues when playing games ( which it struggles ) and opening photoshop / illustrator files with a lot of layered objects. I'm looking to buy a new pc because I want

a. use internet explorer > debugging websites etc
b. use graphic programs - photoshop , illustrator, fireworks and so on
c. will try - 3d programs << just for curiosity. building an interior house, or a room , nothing super fancy.
d. gaming -

highest settings possible for league of legends
battlefield 4
crysis 3

or in short something that can play the best games.

So here goes my questions. I have no set budget yet but what I'm sure of is the monitor and videocard can be bought on a later date. I know the hd500 intel has a decent vid card for standard games and this can suffice just temporarily till I have more funds.

a. processor - intel or amd ? I have used the i52011 on my laptop and I'm impressed. Or is the AMD better ?

Looking for a 2013 i7 or i5 - or an AMD alternative ?

b. casing- no idea. What's a good case? I'm not into fancy design. More of a functional no nonsense black case, and the inside looks organize.

c. memory - at least 8GB RAM, and can be expanded to 16GB.

d. harddisk - ssd + hd combo would be nice

e. motherboard - no idea. Can this motherboard be enough or future proof for example 2 years from now I buy a new processor or vid card?

f. accesories - mouse, keyboard, I'm okay with just the basic ones. Will buy the more expensive ones later.


How much do you think this would cost ? From a to e ?

When it comes to monitors ? what's a good 1 that can output like 2048 or 2560 that is not too expensive ?


b
 
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Here's a great build -

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC12DX_BK 68.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($73.98 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($316.13 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Chaser A31 Snow White ATX Mid Tower Case ($78.81 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 850W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($126.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1182.84
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-19 17:56 EDT-0400)

Also, a nicely priced 1440p monitor to go with the setup - http://www.amazon.com/QNIX-QX2710-Evolution-LED-Monitor/dp/B00BUI44US/ref=pd_cp_pc_0
 
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It feels like you took my build and changed a few parts and brands...
 
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I want to clarify again.

Design - photoshop , illustrator , and some 3d ( not really going so serious with it ). so im not sure if AMD is more than enough for this or I'll just settle with an i5 or i7.

Any thoughts ?
 
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Light 3D and other stuff should be fine with an overclocked i5.
 
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geforce and radeon cards are more than fine for work, but if you are looking for 10 bit panel compatability and absolute attention to detail, a quadro and firepro cards are what you should be looking at

if you arent going to overclock this rig, this is what id get
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1R0Qh

-i7 performance in i5 price. might as well if you are going to do this often. otherwise change the CPU to a i5 4430 and the motherboard to a h87ma-g43


if you are overclocking this is what id get
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1R0UD


both rigs are assuming you arent going to run 2 cards in one system
 
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I think the quadro is too expensive for my taste. Nice links btw. I'm looking to use the built in graphics card before I even attempt to buy one. Maybe around 300 - 700 usd max. If you can recommend nvdia or ati the better.


I have a question regarding ram in windows 8. Is 16gb overkill or is 8gb enough ? for games, design?

What is your opinion in regards to the motherboard, let's say 3 years later, can a new processor be compatible?
And about video cards , the more GB the better ?


 
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There are some $700 Quadro cards. But GTX 780 or Crossfire 280x are fine. Yes the more GB the better but if you use SLI or Crossfire, you don't double the GB.
 
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its hard to say if the motherboards wil be compatible in the future. Intel introduced a new socket for every new chip in the past 5 years, except sandy bridge/ivy bridge. AMD has been transitioning from AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+ but may not continue it past the next generation
 
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Isee, so in 3 years from now my pc would be useless =)

Basically here are stuff that I want in my pc to get done :\

3d
>>>http://www.deviantart.com/art/Interior-40023860 <<< I'm not sure how to render scenes but do you require a kick ass pc for this? or an amd build would suffice. Doesn't need animation.

Design >

my macbook air right now can handle web design tasks, flat design etc. But it struggles with large resolution with multiple layers and it has

> 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with 3MB shared L3 cache



Games >>

metro last light

crysis 3

diablo 3

minecraft << with those fancy shaders and lighting add ons.

and all the games with AAA graphics.

a.) I have no idea what processor is good based on the examples I have mentioned. I'm not saying 3d is gonna be my thing since it will take time for me to learn. But I'm hoping that the new processor would beat my old one in my macbook air.

And is an amd processor even viable ?

b.) If I choose the AMD processor and purchase the videocard in the future, what's a good one ?

c.) Some builds would be nice for a 1200 - 2000 max budget.



 
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"Feels like I took your build"? What are you talking about? my build is nothing like yours....

 
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Never mind I read it wrong.

 
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any of the designs here will be very, very solid gamers. They'll do 3D rendering as well, just not as fast as a dedicated workstation card, which woudl be ludicrously more expensive.

You could consider an AMD FX-8350 and a 990FX motherboard as well, and save maybe $50 compared to the i5-4xxx series. It'll be a little faster in photoshop and 3d rendering, equal in next gen games that will use 8 cores (Like BF4), but a little behind in games that don't fully exploit 8 cores (like, say, Tomb Raider or Crysis 3) -- not that this would be a slouch by any means
 
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My 3d is just for testing it out. Not really going that route since it takes time.

What videocard do you recommend with this build ?



 
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