Question Help for a new multi-tasking/graphic design build

[gixxen]

Hello, I am looking to build a new workstation for multi-tasking/graphic design with multiple monitors. My system is about 3 years old, (i3, 16gb ram, GTX750) and I have been noticing it more and more recently. Any help is appreciated.

note: I have a 750w PSU and all storage and displays currently.

Wishlist:
-potential for future upgrades
-16-32gb ram,
-decent 4-6gb GPU,
-i5/i7 or Ryzen.
-Preferably in the $1,000-$1,500 range. This wont be used for gaming, only intense multi-tasking and non-3D rendering.

 

[tennis2]

What storage are you planning on carrying over? SSD?

What displays? How many?

It won't matter much, but do you know the make/ model of your PSU?

Country = USA?

What kind of build urgency are you under? (When do you want to have this done) AMD are set to launch their next-gen CPUs & GPUs on July 7.

 

[Hazzahead]

Which motherboard do you currently have? If you are using multiple monitors you would have to make sure that it has the right number of HDMI slots or a combination of HDMI, VGA, etc.

 

[gixxen]

What storage are you planning on carrying over? SSD?

What displays? How many?

It won't matter much, but do you know the make/ model of your PSU?

Country = USA?

What kind of build urgency are you under? (When do you want to have this done) AMD are set to launch their next-gen CPUs & GPUs on July 7.

Hello,

I have 1x 500GB SSD, 1x256GB SSD and a couple HDD, all replaced late last year. I run 2x26" LG displays.
For the PSU, I don't remember exactly the model but it is Cooler Master for sure.
My country is Canada.
As for urgency, I am very flexible. I would 100% like to wait on the new gen if my best route is AMD. I have typically used intel all my life but I wouldn't mind to change it up.

Thank you!

 

[gixxen]

Which motherboard do you currently have? If you are using multiple monitors you would have to make sure that it has the right number of HDMI slots or a combination of HDMI, VGA, etc.

My mobo is a generic asus - it was originally a store bought system but it is currently upgraded to it's maximum. I would prefer 2xHDMI but it doesn't matter much to me. Right now I am using DVI and HDMI

Thank you!

 

[Hazzahead]

-Preferably in the $1,000-$1,500 range. This wont be used for gaming, only intense multi-tasking and non-3D rendering.

Are we talking US dollars?

 

[gixxen]

Are we talking US dollars?

Sorry $1,000-$1,500 CDN dollars. Around $1,000 USD

 

[hang-the-9]

3 year old system, for not gaming, you should not need to do much to it at all. What is this "multi-tasking" you are doing? Multi-tasking is a super fancy generic computer term that really means "I have more than one window open" which any system past the very cheap ones can handle without issues. I often have several things open while doing video conversion on my 8 yr old laptop.

What is your current CPU? If things like rendering are slower, a better CPU could be all you need. Maybe a clean Windows setup and some drive/storage setup house-keeping.

 

[gixxen]

3 year old system, for not gaming, you should not need to do much to it at all. What is this "multi-tasking" you are doing? Multi-tasking is a super fancy generic computer term that really means "I have more than one window open" which any system past the very cheap ones can handle without issues. I often have several things open while doing video conversion on my 8 yr old laptop.

What is your current CPU? If things like rendering are slower, a better CPU could be all you need. Maybe a clean Windows setup and some drive/storage setup house-keeping.

I think it's an i3 6100. The mobo is at capacity for processor and ram and is definitely not worth getting a new GPU which will be bottle necked anyway. As per the initial post, I have a PSU and storage already and I am looking for a suitable, future-proof mobo, processor and ram combo.

In terms of multi-tasking... the biggest resource user is the large format rendering. We do have a powerful, independent RIP but it is for simple, but still large outputs. The complex cuts and multi-layered files need to render direct from my computer to the printer which bogs me down tremendously while running all the adobe, corels and many other essentials.

On screen renders with this video card are trash and force me to often use a draft mode rather than a preview which can be frustrating and unstable when swapping back and forth.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[tennis2]

I think hang-the-9 was alluding to a CPU+RAM upgrade only, but I think once you update the CPU to an i7-6700K, ditch the 2x8GB(?) DDR4 RAM in favor of a 2x16GB kit, you might as well get something current gen since you're only saving yourself $150 on a mobo at that point (unless you can find a super cheap used 6th gen i7).

For now:
i7-9700K = 520 CAD
AsRock Z390 mobo = 135 CAD after MIR (is ATX ok?)
2x16GB DDR4-3000 = 215 CAD
RX570 4GB = 195 CAD
Total = 1065 CAD??
That's going to blow the pants off an i3-6100 + GTX750. Heck, you could even sub in a GTX1660 upgrade for an extra $100.

Or:
Ryzen 2700X = 410 CAD
Asrock B450M Pro4 = 95 CAD after MIR.
Same RAM and GPU as above
Total = 915 CAD

 

[gixxen]

I think hang-the-9 was alluding to a CPU+RAM upgrade only, but I think once you update the CPU to an i7-6700K, ditch the 2x8GB(?) DDR4 RAM in favor of a 2x16GB kit, you might as well get something current gen since you're only saving yourself $150 on a mobo at that point (unless you can find a super cheap used 6th gen i7).

For now:
i7-9700K = 520 CAD
AsRock Z390 mobo = 135 CAD after MIR (is ATX ok?)
2x16GB DDR4-3000 = 215 CAD
RX570 4GB = 195 CAD
Total = 1065 CAD??
That's going to blow the pants off an i3-6100 + GTX750. Heck, you could even sub in a GTX1660 upgrade for an extra $100.

Or:
Ryzen 2700X = 410 CAD
Asrock B450M Pro4 = 95 CAD after MIR.
Same RAM and GPU as above
Total = 915 CAD

That's perfect, thank you! ATX is fine and the PSU will be good too. In terms of temperature, would both of these options run hotter than an i3? Just want to know if I need to add more cooling.

Thanks again for your help

 

[tennis2]

Do you have an aftermarket cooler for your current rig, or just the stock Intel cooler?

The Ryzen CPUs come with decent coolers. The i7-9700K comes with no cooler whatsoever.

We should also know what case you have and what fans where.

 

[Bearmann]

If you are primarily using Premier Pro and other Adobe products, you need to stick with an Intel/Nvidia build. This will allow you to take advantage of Intel's QuickSync, Nvidia's cuda cores, and better optimization of of Intel/Nvidia with Adobe products. Although a bit over budget, this is what I would do. Once you start using it, I think you will quickly forget about the extra $150. If you really need to stay in budget, then we'll need to drop down to the GTX 1660. The MB has a strong VRM for the i9-9700K and the video card has 2 HDMI outputs.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($638.99 @ Mike's Computer Shop)
CPU Cooler: Scythe - Mugen 5 Rev. B 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($101.58 @ Newegg Canada Marketplace)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z390 AORUS ELITE ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($219.00 @ Canada Computers)
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($199.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB TURBO Video Card ($489.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $1649.55
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-25 19:50 EDT-0400

 

[gixxen]

Do you have an aftermarket cooler for your current rig, or just the stock Intel cooler?

The Ryzen CPUs come with decent coolers. The i7-9700K comes with no cooler whatsoever.

We should also know what case you have and what fans where.

Ok, that's good to know.

I have a basic, aftermarket CPU fan and a Zalman Z11 Plus case. I don't remember the fan sizes but there's 2 large exhausts on the top, one large at bottom front, one large on bottom and one medium side fan

 

[AllanGH]

Three years on a high quality PSU isn't anything to worry about.
Ont the other hand...
Three years on a mediocre or crappy quality PSU is something to take into account.

What is the brand and exact model of the PSU you will be re-using?

 

[tennis2]

That should be enough case fans.

 

[gixxen]

If you are primarily using Premier Pro and other Adobe products, you need to stick with an Intel/Nvidia build. This will allow you to take advantage of Intel's QuickSync, Nvidia's cuda cores, and better optimization of of Intel/Nvidia with Adobe products. Although a bit over budget, this is what I would do. Once you start using it, I think you will quickly forget about the extra $150. If you really need to stay in budget, then we'll need to drop down to the GTX 1660. The MB has a strong VRM for the i9-9700K and the video card has 2 HDMI outputs.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($638.99 @ Mike's Computer Shop)
CPU Cooler: Scythe - Mugen 5 Rev. B 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($101.58 @ Newegg Canada Marketplace)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z390 AORUS ELITE ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($219.00 @ Canada Computers)
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($199.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB TURBO Video Card ($489.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $1649.55
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-25 19:50 EDT-0400

That's some great information. Thank you. It didnt cross my mind that some programs may be optimized to builds. The RTX 2060 is a little more than I'd like to spend on the GPU so I would explore the 1060 most likely.

 

[tennis2]

I must've missed where you said you were using Premier Pro.
Anyway, Puget systems does a LOT of benchmarking of CPUs and GPUs in various Adobe CC programs.
Here's a premier pro benchmark

Seems like the GTX1060 is priced quite high on newegg Canada. Keep in mind the GTX1660 is faster and newer.

 

[Bearmann]

I must've missed where you said you were using Premier Pro.
Anyway, Puget systems does a LOT of benchmarking of CPUs and GPUs in various Adobe CC programs.
Here's a premier pro benchmark

Seems like the GTX1060 is priced quite high on newegg Canada. Keep in mind the GTX1660 is faster and newer.

Well, I wasn't sure if he was using Premier Pro, which is why I said "If." I agree, the GTX 1660 or 1660ti would be the logical substitution and still would provide an excellent experience.

 

[hang-the-9]

I am not sure if a full system swap is needed with the system, a used i7-6xxx is about $250. For RAM amount, you can check what you use through task manager and see if you need more than 16gb. Going from an i3 to an i7 is a huge bump for programs that use multiple cores well. A GTX 750 is not that slow, it's a bit odd that it has issues with showing you previews, you may actually be running into a CPU issue there rather than the video card.

What you do really depends on the budget, and the fact that you are using this for work, a full system upgrade may be worth it. Work use = tax deduction and also depreciation deduction so it's usually cheaper in the end than buying a new system for personal use. If this was my system, I would try to cheap out and try things with a used and tested i7. At the worst you can re-sell it at almost same price what you paid for it.