first photoshop6/lightroom build. NEED HELP!!!

[awaleik]

This is what I have for parts. I do photography as a hobby and no gaming. I would like a machine that is capable to run these programs well, but not break the bank. Also, I would want to be able to expand in the future. will not overclock. If anything can be changed to save money without sacrificing performance, that would be excellent.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/wally21/saved/mCmLrH

 

[ronintexas]

The only suggestion I would have is using a WD Black 1TB HDD - on sale with free shipping:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236625&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-All+Desktop+Hard+Drives-_-N82E16822236625&gclid=Cj0KEQjws8qgBRCLp-aploLbqcQBEiQAm0rD504QicxktsT2OU2a8jsGM9YJIkb0Z-luQrRS_GP4CXkaAgc98P8HAQ

I have a similar build - If you are storing photos - I would also suggest either using an online backup service (Microsoft gives you some space to backup photos) - if they are really important - adding a 2nd hard drive (2 total) and using one as a backup would give you great piece of mind. You can use Synchback free to backup the drive nightly.

 

[smorizio]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ChsnXL
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ChsnXL/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.66 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($144.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($88.78 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($102.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $730.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-12 21:54 EDT-0400

 

[smorizio]

in real world the evo or the pro ssd your not going to see any real diff in speed or life. the seagate drive has 64megs of cache on the drive so it help keep the drive from bottle necking the system. the 4690k if you have a local micro center is 199.00 if not is 209.00 online. the r300 is 47.00 with rebate at micro center in there sept flyer. on the gpu wait till nvidia drops there new cards in a few days and see how amd and nvidia re aline there price points and cards.

 

[awaleik]

Would I need a 2gb video card or would 1gb suffice?

 

[ronintexas]

I have a similar build to your original build - except I use the intel graphics (dual-HD monitor configuration), and unless I am doing complex 3D rendering or a couple of the filters, everything zooms right along....you won't need a high-end GPU. If your system is running slow - you can always purchase a GPU at a later time.

 

[smorizio]

for the money buy a 2g card if you can with ddr5 ram. the extra ram on the video card will help the gpu do frame buffering.

 

[jshoop]

i reccomend a xeon 1231 v3, its essentially an i7 but without integrated graphics and a small clock drop. it will help you alot more using those programs, and since you wont overclock.

also, more ram is always a good thing when working with any editing.

this is my suggestion:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($247.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M Anniversary Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($70.38 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($157.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.99 @ Micro Center)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R7 260X 1GB Video Card ($116.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($97.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1030.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-12 22:49 EDT-0400


uses the xeon, like i said above its pretty much an i7.
an h97 micro atx mobo, but still has space for expansion (ram and expansion slot wise)
16gb of ram
a 256gb ssd, for the same price as the 128gb. in real world performance you arent going to notice much of a difference.
two 1tb hdds, i suggest doing RAID 1 to backup your stuff (raid 1 writes both disks the same stuff at the same time, a perfect continuous backup)
same gpu, thats probably as much youd need
a smaller micro atx case, fractal design is great. feel free to keep the corsair one though, corsair makes amazing cases.
the rosewill hive is one of the few reliable rosewill psus, the 550w will be more than enough to power your system.
generic dvd drive and windows 8

 

[awaleik]

so I combined some of the suggestions posted here into this list. Take a quick peek so I can pull the trigger, thanks in advance.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/wally21/saved/4Dqrxr

 

[smorizio]

looks good pull it.

 

[jshoop]

go for it, it is a great build