Looking for a non-Gaming CPU/ Motherboard/ memory combo

[Westpalmdan]

I am looking for a Combination deal on a CPU/MB/RAM. Nothing fancy just strong and reliable.
Don't know if I should go with newer stuff like DDR4 but if that is the way to go...great. I don't really have a budget, but would like to keep it under $500.

Must be able to control 2-3 monitors, have blu-tooth built in and usb 3.0 or later.

Thanks

 

[boosted1g]

Thanks . That FYI on Intel is very helpful. So I guess that the Xeon bridges the I5 / I7 series. Seems that the Xeon would do well with multitasking photos hope and all my needs since I do not have the need for over clocking type speeds.

Multi-tasking is a very generic term.

An i3 will do what most consider multi-tasking (like having 3-4 file explorer windows up, 20 tabs in a web browser, a photo viewer and Microsoft office). It will also handle average Photoshop usage just fine; it is when you are say rendering/applying filters to something that is 50 megapixels in resolution where an i3 will be sluggish.

Xeon will handle multiple-tasking cpu-heavy programs, or large quantities of number calculations (like you would do with rendering photos/encoding movies/3d modeling).

Also, if you are doing heavier usage of photoshop or other Adobe software, then having a GTX 950 or 960 will help because Adobe designs their software to utilize Cuda cores found in Nvidia cards.

 

[okcnaline]

If he's doing Photoshop, more cores will be better for rendering.

 

[Westpalmdan]

What for? Do you also need KVM?

Basics, What is a KVM?

KVM is Keyboard Video Mouse.
It is a switch that allows you to use 1 Keyboard/1 mouse/1 video monitor for multiple computers.

No, not keyboard/mouse/monitor. KVM is kernel virtual machine. It's used for servers where connecting a monitor to a computer is impossible (e.g.: no integrated graphics on LGA 2011-v3, then the GPU is a GPGPU with no I/O on the slot). A integrated chip on the motherboard allows remote into the machine for configuration.

For 3 monitors... Well, integrated graphics support it, doesn't mean all motherboards do.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($51.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($119.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $312.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-24 14:26 EDT-0400

This is way more fit to drive 3 monitors, assuming 2 of them aren't some old, 1024x768, Dell monitors. Do you also want recommendations on HDDs and PSUs?

So you think that this set up will work with Photoshop (which I have but yet to use) as well as all my other multitasking? Or would I need a Xeon 1225/1230 or I5 for that? HDD and PSU are all solid : 2TB Seagate ST2000DM001, Crucial CT256MX100SSD1 ATA Device (SSD) / Corsair AX 760 and my monitors are old but good enough for now DELL ST2010 / Hanns.G HG281

 

[okcnaline]

I knew you were doing Photoshop...
Alright, here goes...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus B85M-G R2.0 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($62.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Value Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($51.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $449.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-25 21:19 EDT-0400

 

[Westpalmdan]

I knew you were doing Photoshop...
Alright, here goes...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus B85M-G R2.0 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($62.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Value Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($51.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $449.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-25 21:19 EDT-0400

This looks like the build I may need. I think it will out perform my needs which is better than me possibly outgrowing the system. You strongly suggest a GPU for my needs? Finally, I am guessing that I would need a new copy of windows 10 as the one I have now is Dell OEM. Also some recommend going for 32gb since I may have this a while and going DDR4

 

[okcnaline]

Yes, I strongly suggest a GPU. Hardly worth having the iGPU lag while it pushes 2-3 1080P monitors.

 

[Westpalmdan]

I do have a GPU now a MSI 1024MB ATI AMD Radeon HD 7700. Is that not good enough?

 

[logainofhades]

The 1231v3 lacks IGP, so you have to have a dedicated card, regardless. It's a nice chip, for the money.

 

[Westpalmdan]

The 1231v3 lacks IGP, so you have to have a dedicated card, regardless. It's a nice chip, for the money.

Do you think that it would be wise to go with the newer gen xeon and utilize ddr4 as well as the on board graphics?

 

[Supernova1138]

The 1231v3 lacks IGP, so you have to have a dedicated card, regardless. It's a nice chip, for the money.

Do you think that it would be wise to go with the newer gen xeon and utilize ddr4 as well as the on board graphics?

If you do that, you have to track down a motherboard with a C232 or C236 chipset. Skylake based Xeons are locked to workstation and server chipsets and will not work on consumer motherboards.

 

[Westpalmdan]

I am learning something new with each post. So would it be better to opt for an I5 or I7 with ddr4?

 

[logainofhades]

If you want DDR4, then an i5/i7 is the better option. C232/C236 boards costs so much, that the CPU savings are negated quickly.

 

[Westpalmdan]

So which in your opinion should be a priority.....DDR4 over DDR3 or Xeon over the I5/I7 Set up?

 

[logainofhades]

There are not really much difference, from a performance perspective, between DDR3 and DDR4 platforms, at this time. Bang for buck, the 1231v3 is still pretty solid.

 

[Westpalmdan]

Can I use my MSI AMD Radeon HD 770 1gb as my GPU. And is it worth the extra to go for 32gb of ram, would that be useful down the road or simply overkill?

 

[okcnaline]

1) Which HD 7700 is it? 7750 or 7770 or 7790?
2) 32GB is overkill.

 

[Westpalmdan]

1) Which HD 7700 is it? 7750 or 7770 or 7790?
2) 32GB is overkill.

R7770

 

[okcnaline]

Oh. R7 250X. Should work fine.

 

[Westpalmdan]

Oh. R7 250X. Should work fine.

??? I do not follow

 

[okcnaline]

HD 7770 is the same as a R7 250X.

 

[Westpalmdan]

HD 7770 is the same as a R7 250X.

Gotchya. Do you think that I should just get the 16gb of ram or use the old ram 8gb 1066 from the old build.

 

[okcnaline]

Get new RAM. Unfortunately, I can't find any new DDR3-1066 RAM anymore.