Datamining / Productivity medium system build Help please :)

[artibaton]

I am very familiar with computers and building them, but only when it comes to gaming and high end performance PC's. My friend recently asked me to spec out a PC for heavy datamining, SQL, databases, and perhaps some VM, and extremely large excel files of 10,000-100,000 lines. Data redundancy is no issue.

I do not know how to spec out parts for this, I assume this these are heavy CPU and ram intensive tasks - but I have never done any activities similar to this, so I am basing this off of intuition and some research.

So, What are the thoughts on this. Budget is about $1500 (I have plenty of wiggle room - this is a work PC)
2011 mobo with i7-4820k (would I benefit from 6core or stay with 4 core?) (ivybridge vs sandybridge?) - multithreading / hyperthreading is useful here.
16gb or 32gb of ddr3 CAS 7 1333mhz ram. (is this overkill? - would I benefit from using 2133mhz?)
2x SSD - one for log files, the rest for the database. Data will NOT likey go over 300gb, and redundancy is not important. Thinking 60gb for OS + SQL 2012 + logs, 256gb for the main files.
(As Ive said, I am unfamiliar with tasks such as these. SSD's can only handle so many writes - would it murder these drives?)
1x tb HDD 7200 RPM - extra file storage
I do not need a GPU and can utilize the onboard graphics card.

Benefit of intel over AMD? AMD has a lot more cores and should be great for stuff like this, right?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[DarkSable]

What type of datamining are we talking about here? Are we talking bitcoin mining, or...?

And I would have to know a lot more about exactly what kinda tasks we're dealing with for the rest of this. What in the world is he doing that he has to deal with that type of data but NOT back it up?

AMD kinda sorta has cores - in reality they have modules. So their "8-core" is pretty much analogous to an i7-4770k's quad core with hyperthreading for tasks that use hyperthreading. (and the modules work like hyperthreading when it comes to gaming.) Given that the FX chips are considerably slower clock for clock than intel, though, I would probably go with an i7.

 

[TheMohammadmo]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4820K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($313.98 @ Best Buy)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master V8 GTS 82.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($96.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Rampage IV Extreme EATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($419.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Corsair Neutron Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($149.96 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Case: Cooler Master HAF X ATX Full Tower Case ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.98 @ Best Buy)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($21.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1472.84
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-28 18:33 EST-0500)

 

[artibaton]

What type of datamining are we talking about here? Are we talking bitcoin mining, or...?

And I would have to know a lot more about exactly what kinda tasks we're dealing with for the rest of this. What in the world is he doing that he has to deal with that type of data but NOT back it up?

AMD kinda sorta has cores - in reality they have modules. So their "8-core" is pretty much analogous to an i7-4770k's quad core with hyperthreading for tasks that use hyperthreading. (and the modules work like hyperthreading when it comes to gaming.) Given that the FX chips are considerably slower clock for clock than intel, though, I would probably go with an i7.

no, not solving sha 256 or scrypt. This is not a mining rig. Data mining such as applying formulas to large spreadsheets and solving algorithms using a LOT of inputs
All data is stored on a separate location or is temporary, or have a location to upload.

 

[DarkSable]

Gotcha. Shoot, I really haven't any idea what that sort of workload is going to require, and I'm not sure many of us here will.

You don't by any chance have an IT personnel that manages workstations that you could talk to, could you? This kinda thing really takes experience with what you're working with.

 

[TheMohammadmo]

Agreed^. I just put up a build that was good for regular use and so yeah.