Help with custom build please

[stuartbisset]

Hi Guys,

I would be very grateful for some help and advice on my first custom build spec. It's for home & office use, no gaming. Key software uses:
Excel (probably install 64bit on this machine) - power user.
Adobe Premiere Elements & GoPro studio video editing.
Adobe Photoshop Elements photo editing
Photo Ninja - Raw file processing

Have looked at CPUs and feel like Intel i7 4790K would be good value for money. Fairly keen on that processor.

Other spec requests:
- 4TB HDD
- SSD if it can be justified
- 16GB RAM as a min
- no wifi, just ethernet
- 4-6 USB ports (preferably including some USB 3.0)
- is a graphics card required/justified?
- Win 10 pro OS
- 2 screen setup (already have the screens; both have VGA & HDMI inputs)
- no intention to OC

Budget £1,000 - £1,500 (incl case, motherboard, etc)

What would you guys recommend?

Many thanks in advance

 

[LucoTF]

Here's a starting point:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (£305.94 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£45.26 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: MSI Z270 GAMING PRO CARBON ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£143.16 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£109.97 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£88.18 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£62.40 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£62.40 @ Aria PC)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case (£79.24 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£67.80 @ Alza)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Full 32/64-bit (£180.04 @ Ebuyer)
Total: £1144.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-04-04 10:48 BST+0100

Adding a cheap gpu like the quadro k620 couldn't hurt

 

[misteriosly]

Here's a starting point:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (£305.94 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£45.26 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: MSI Z270 GAMING PRO CARBON ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£143.16 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£109.97 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£88.18 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£62.40 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£62.40 @ Aria PC)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case (£79.24 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£67.80 @ Alza)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Full 32/64-bit (£180.04 @ Ebuyer)
Total: £1144.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-04-04 10:48 BST+0100

Adding a cheap gpu like the quadro k620 couldn't hurt

Adding a Cheap PSU like evga 600b can hurt.
Better get something like seasonic s12ii620 or something in that range.
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/nB3RsY/seasonic-power-supply-s12ii620bronze like that one.

Edit: lol you updated it while i was posting xD

 

[stuartbisset]

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (£305.94 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£62.40 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£62.40 @ Aria PC)

Thanks LucoTF, can I ask why the i7 7700K and not the 4790K? Also, I assume it would be possible to have the 2 x 2TB acting as a single 4TB drive?

 

[LucoTF]

Thanks LucoTF, can I ask why the i7 7700K and not the 4790K? Also, I assume it would be possible to have the 2 x 2TB acting as a single 4TB drive?

7700k is the latest generation of i7 and is the newer, faster successor to the 4790k. It's a 3 year old processor vs a 3 month old processor

Storage - sure, you can buy a single large volume if you like: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/yvfmP6/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st6000vn0021

But I'm risk-averse and have never been truly comfortable with large storage drives. When you double the number of platters you double the failure rate of the drive, and while large volume drives are absolutely more reliable than they've ever been, they're not for me or my data.

Nothing stopping you if you want one though, maybe I'm overly cautious

 

[LucoTF]

Edit: lol you updated it while i was posting xD

Yeah I didn't clear my last parts list before starting this one, the last build was bargain basement. Ninja swapped it for a modular seasonic

 

[stuartbisset]

Storage - sure, you can buy a single large volume if you like: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/yvfmP6/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st6000vn0021

Nothing stopping you if you want one though, maybe I'm overly cautious

Nice option, thanks. I have dropbox, local ExtHDD backup and laptop (also syncing dropbox) so the failure rate probably isn't a massive risk for me, as long as it lasts long enough from a value-for-money POV.

 

[stuartbisset]

are there any weak links in the chain here (to keep the budget down), that would be your 1st candidates for upping the spec or are these all solid components?

 

[LucoTF]

First candidate would be upping the ram to 32gb and the SSD to 500gb:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (£305.94 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£45.26 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: MSI Z270 GAMING PRO CARBON ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£143.16 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory (£146.86 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£141.60 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Seagate 6TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£159.25 @ Novatech)
Video Card: PNY Quadro K620 2GB Video Card (£165.21 @ BT Shop)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case (£79.24 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£67.80 @ Alza)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Full 32/64-bit (£180.04 @ Ebuyer)
Total: £1434.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-04-04 12:07 BST+0100

You may also want the K1200 4gb instead of the K620 2gb... but all the programs you mentioned are heavily CPU / memory intensive so this is probably just additional expense for little to no benefit.

 

[stuartbisset]

Thanks for the advice

 

[stuartbisset]

Hi LucoTF

I have a thinkpad for work and the ram just failed yesterday. I was alerted by lenovo software that is obviously testing & monitoring the hardware on a regular schedule. Called lenovo support, gave them the code, new RAM in the post. Job done. It got me thinking that I ought to have something like that for my own self-build. Is there something you guys out there would recommend - the testing/monitoring software I mean, not the support contract?

Kind regards

Stuart