New Ivy Bridge Work Build $1,500

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josejones

josejones

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Oct 27, 2010
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New Ivy Bridge Work Build $1,500

We need a new computer mostly for work (personal as well). We use Adobe CS, Word, Photo Shop, Office, XSite Pro and more almost everyday. We have to build our own websites create our own product description videos and DVD's and do fairly large uploads to our manufacturer.

I'm a bit confused with some of the new stuff out now and not sure what to get that would be best for our needs at a decent price. I don't know which would be best for us at this point between Intel or the AMD F1 or APU thing or what.

In following the article *How To Ask For New Build Advice*:

Purchase date: around June/July 2012 (after the bios, drivers and bugs have been worked out on the z77 & Ivy Bridge)

Budget Range: $1,000 to $1,500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: For work - Adobe CS, Office, Word, Photo Shop, XSite Pro, powerpoint lectures, making/rendering HD videos and music, watching movies, occasional minor online gaming.

Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers... We got a new Asus VH222 monitor 1.5 years ago. 500g HD 6 months old but, would love a new SSD.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg is fine

Country: USA

Parts Preferences: Unsure, I think I want...

Case with removable dust filters, great air flow, quite
at least a quad-core CPU
8g minimum preferably 16g DDR3 1600 RAM

Overclocking: We will never overclock anything, we want a long lifespan.

SLI or Crossfire: We will never use more than one GPU

Additional Comments:

Quite, low energy consumption (we're always working), low heat &/or great air flow, reliable PC with no compatibility or downtime issues, lots of multi-tasking capability. It would be great if we could network between the desktop & a laptop (don't have laptop yet) at some point. We will need a laptop to do powerpoint lectures across several countries at the end of this year.

Price is an issue, I might be able to stretch to $1,500 max by July if it's really worth it (I'm curious about Ivy Bridge)... we'll see. I wanted the new, next generation hardware i.e. USB 3 (pretty standard now) and PCIe 3.0 (still not available by AMD). I was hoping for a mobo that included all gen 3 features and lose all the USB 2, PCIe 2 sata 2 etc and go all gen 3 since it's all backwards compatible but, that may not happen until Haswell.
 
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Who knows the specs of the nvidia 650, or 7890?
It is doubtful with 28nm construction that they would require more than two 8 pin pci-e connectors.
Still, if you want to plan on them, I would change the 560w unit to a X750 or X850 unit which is similar, but with more power reserve.

3.5" adapters will come with many ssd's, so you can mount them like a normal hard drive. Worst comes to worst, you can duct tape a ssd anywhere.

Defer your decision on front fans. It is easy to add them later if you need to. Normally, you need either front intake fans, or rear/top exhaust fans, but not both.
 
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Worth is something that only YOU can assess.

From a monetary point of view, even with very high electricity rates, I doubt that you could ever pay off the price premium of gold, platinum or silver rating.

From a "save the planet" point of view, the differences are miniscule.

To me, the prospect of a quieter psu is the most important thing.

If you have the budget and don't mind spending it, why not splurge on a gold or platinum psu? At the very least, you will get a top quality psu.
 
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Jose-
Here is my recommendation.
CPU- Intel I7-3820 $325 OR Ivy Bridge equivalent
GPU-Radeon 6850 $150 -MIR
Mobo- X79 mobo $350
OR Ivy Bridge/Z77 equivalent $250
RAM- Your preferred manufacturer, 16 gig of 1600 mhz. Could go 1333, but you want 1600, so that's your call. $115
SSD- 120 gig Crucial M4 $150 (almost as fast/reliable as Intel or Samsung's, way better than OCZ)
HDD- Whatever you want, 500 gig + 7200 RPM $150
PSU- That Seasonic looks fine. $130
Case- Any case up to $150- I have a few suggestions



$1,520 + shippping - any MIRs. That's a damn good build for what you're going to be doing. Could drop the GPU, and spend more on a bigger SSD, or whatever else, but the 6850 is waaaay better than even HD4000 graphics will be. You could also go for an I5-2500K and cheaper Z68 mobo, and be ready for Ivy Bridge under budget. If power efficiency is a big thing, the new Radeon 7750 is very power efficient for around $110, and slightly better performance than a Radeon 6770. You could also look at 'Professional' GPUs, ie Firepro or Quaddro, but those are generally less performance/$.
 
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Here's where I'm at for now but, things could still change:

I'm definetely going with an Ivy Bridge CPU as it has around a 15% to 20% performance increase over SB, plus has several new features. I'm just trying to sus out which one at this point. I'm trying to decide between the 3770S or save about $100 by going with the 3475S. They are the same wattage so I'm unclear if I'd be better off with 4 threads or 8 as that seems to be one difference.

CPU: Ivy Bridge 3770S or 3475S

GPU: I may try the integrated HD4000; later get a 650 or 7890

MB: I'm leaning towards a Gigabyte z77 board but, not sure which one yet

SSD: I'm leaning towards a 120g by Intel

HD: I'll use my 1 year old 500g HD

RAM: haven't decided yet

PSU: haven't decided yet

Case: I'm leaning towards the Antec 302

Antec 302 at Newegg

Antec 302 video Review

OS: Windows 7, 64-bit

Any thoughts?
 
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A commenter said (I'm not sure how to link to a direct post here):

"The Intel HD 3000 is basically equal to the Radeon HD 5450.

If Anandtech's early estimate of a 60% increase in performance is correct, then the Intel HD 4000 should more or less be equal to the Radeon HD 5550 (which is faster than a Radeon HD 6450). To throw nVidia into the mix, that means the Intel HD 4000 would be around 10% - 15% slower than the GT 430. "
Click to expand...

My question on page 54

Do I need a discrete GPU to do occasional video rendering or will the Ivy Bridge integrated graphics HD 4000 be okay? What or where is the line drawn that helps one decide if they really need a discrete GPU or not?
 
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If your using Adobe then go with an Nvidia card. Seeing how your purchasing in April you will have the advantage of seeing the benchmarks (hopefully) of the new Nvidia Kepler PCI-E 3.0 graphics cards along with Ivy Bridge cpu's. Better yet the new 1155 Z77 boards should be out on the shelves by then and they are bad to the bone. April/May seems to be the sweet spot for doing a new build. New cpu's (Ivy Bridge), new Nvidia PCI-E 3.0 cards, and new 1155 Z77 boards with Thunderbolt.
 
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I agree, Why_Me - I'm interested in CUDA by NVidia for HD video creation/rendering/ creating my own DVD's purposes. April/May certainly does appear to be a great time for a new build.

I wish Tom's (or some place) would do a type of Six $200-$260 LGA 2011 Motherboards, Reviewed and/or "Best mobo for the $," for the z77's. I'm leaning towards a Gigabyte z77 board but, not sure which one yet and I really haven't heard much about them.
 
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They did do one some months ago.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/z68a-gd80-p8z68-deluxe-z68xp-ud5,3025.html <---- here's just one of a few reviews they have done on 1155 boards. The thing is that the 1155 Z77 boards are due out about the same time as Ivy Bridge and those boards have all the newest / latest gizmo's and goodies. Reviews on those boards will be done on here after they have been out for a few weeks / months.
 
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Oh, that link is for Z68 Motherboards. I haven't really heard much at all about the z77's. I've heard plenty about the x79's on the 2011 socket, which are out of my price range and over-kill for my needs. It's getting pretty close so, I would think it's time for some z77 reviews and round-ups. It will be March in a few days. I'm going to have to wait for reviews so I can compare them to help me make a wise decision on which mobo to get.
 
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The only thing I can find about the z77 boards mostly comes from that early January convention, which merely provides a few images and not much info.

More MSI Z77 motherboards get previewed
http://vr-zone.com/articles/more-msi-z77-motherboards-get-previewed/14681.html

Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H, Z77X-UD3H & B75M-D3H
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1821/2/

I'm looking forward to some serious Gigabyte z77 reviews

I just ran across this latest news:

Intel Ivy Bridge Revised Launch-Schedule Revealed

"Citing issues with the 22 nm manufacturing process, Intel postponed the release of its 22 nm "Ivy Bridge" Core processor family by as much as 10 weeks. There still seems to exist some confusion surrounding this launch, which SweClockers sought to clear with its latest article containing important dates related to the launch.

8 April, 2012: This was supposed to be the day "everything" (all CPU models slated for April, compatible motherboards) launched. Instead on this day, motherboard vendors will launch their products based on Intel Z77, Z75, H77, and B75 chipsets. System builders (you) will have to use existing "Sandy Bridge" processors, which are very much compatible with those motherboards. You will not be able to buy "Ivy Bridge" processors from anywhere on this day.

29 April, 2012: This is when Intel will launch quad-core Core i5, Core i7 "Ivy Bridge". On this day, the media will be able to post reviews of the new processor platform. It's not clear if you'll be able to buy these chips on this day, either. Perhaps you might.

3 June, 2012: This is when Intel will launch Q77 and Q75 chipset. The notebook platform based on "Ivy Bridge", dual-core "Ivy Bridge" processors, and the much talked about Ultrabook "Ivy Bridge" form-factor are due for "sometime in June". "
Click to expand...
 
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That only affects laptop/note book users and people who purchase prebuilts. It's because they have too many SB notebook cpu's on hand atm that they want to get rid of (sell), and nothing to do with the manufacturing process. Intel has more on it on their website.
 
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That's what I originally thought too and that's the news that came out last week after the original announcement was vague but, now it appears even Intel isn't sure. I hope they come out in early April but, I guess we won't know for sure until the launch.
 
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Where is the very best place to purchase an Intel 520, 120G "Cherryville" from in order to get the best price? Is it Newegg or that ssdtracker website?

I have to play it safe and go with an Intel SSD for our small business. I'd rather get a cheaper one but, I can't afford to get cheap on reliability and lifespan.

I've never had an SSD before so, I'm curious about basic maintenance differences between HD's and SSD's. What all do I need to know before getting my first SSD? What do I need to know regarding basic maintenance like I used to perform with HD's such as defrag, clean and scan disk, virus scans etc? By having an SSD for my OS and programs only, while having a separate HD for documents etc, will that eliminate viruses from corrupting my OS and programs?

$225 Intel 520, 120G "Cherryville"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167093

 
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I posed the question below:

"What's the real difference between the LGA 2011 socket for the x79's compared to the LGA 1155 socket for the z77's and the new Ivy Bridge? Is one of these sockets really better than the other?

The socket issue with Intel really confuses the hell out of me. That's one thing I really liked about AMD for keeping those AM2 and AM3 sockets. Wish Intel would do that. Does a different socket have anything to do with performance at all? If not, then, why does Intel insist on having so many different sockets?

How do I know if a z77 board will be fine for me or, if I need an x79?"
Click to expand...
I thought ebalong, page 55, made a great response so I thought I'd quote it here for others
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/page-303971_28_2700.html

"Intel divides their processors into "Mainstream" and "Enthusiast". Mainstream, all the way from the lowly Celeron, to the "Mainstream Performance or Premium" 2600K is on 1155. 2011 is for the SB-E and IB-E processors which are subdivided further into "Extreme" and "non-Extreme". 2011 socket is "better" in the sense that it has nearly twice as many pins, supports a larger 6-core processor, 4-channel RAM, and some other goodies. Though, high-end chips for 1155 are more than enough for most people, hence the term "Enthusiast" to describe the 2011 socket. There may be value in the roughly $600 3930K (2011 socket) for people that multitask a lot, but it is questionable whether the pinnacle offering, the "Extreme" 3960X (also 2011 socket) is worth the $1,000 for not much more than pure bragging rights.

With 1155 and 2011, Intel continues with their "parallel" socket offerings that they began with the first gen i-series 1156/1366 sockets. I don't know how many other sockets were around during the 775 days....the upcoming Haswell will use 1150, and who knows what the Haswell-E will use....

People seem to perceive that AMD has some advantage with allowing backwards compatibility between some sockets, but it is not that much different than what Intel does when you really look at it. With Intel, a socket is around for roughly 2 generations of processors, or ~2 years. It looks like even some of the lower-end 1155 boards with the cheaper chipsets might even be able to support an Ivy Bridge chip with BIOS update. Despite AMD having their AM2-AM2+ compatibility (and so forth), it still depends upon the board. I haven't seen where you can take an AMD board that is about 2 years older or more, and have it support newer chips, despite socket compatibility. For example, I can't switch my Athlon 64 X2 6000+ out for even the lowliest of Phenom II's, despite the fact that AM2+ chips are supported by AM2 sockets, my board is too old. In this manner, AMD hasn't been much different than Intel, I really don't know why people insist on perpetuating this idea that AMD boards enable you to upgrade just the processor after more than ~2 years, there may be rare cases, but it doesn't seem to be the rule.

Research the difference between the Enthusiast line of Intel processors, and the Mainstream line; decide what you need, that will dictate what socket you go with. "
Click to expand...
I think that for my needs, the z77 board and 1155 socket Ivy Bridge will be just fine for me and it'll be much cheaper as well.
 
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Personally I would hold off to see what Ivy bridge MB pricing is like. If pricing is insane, you can always fall back on a z68 board and IB CPU.

For what your needs are, I don't think you need top end equipment. A mid-range MB, middle of the road IB/SB CPU should be plenty. I would focus my spending on a quality PSU, RAM, and an SSD for the best preformance gains.

When you say you want quite, do you really need silent, or just something that's noticably quieter than what you're currently using?

A respectable case which is good with noise levels and has decent airflow is the Cooler Master 690 II (692) and it's only $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119216
Cases for most folks are more about looks, so I'm not sure what look excites you.

You should be able to pick up a decent 850W PSU for under $100 these days. The Corsair Enthusiast series comes to mind.

IB or SB you should be able to find a decent CPU/MB pairing for under $500. If you were buying today I would recommend an i5-2500. I'd have to wait and see the pricing on the IB parts when they come out. For a motherboard, since you're not overclocking, performance is going to be the same for almost all brands in the z68 platform. You stated you wanted PCIe 3, but realistically there won't be any devices out any time soon that will even support it. If you can get it for the same price as not having it, then fine, but I wouldn't let that be a deciding factor for you. You really want to focus on what features are important to you. Do you need lots of USB ports, lots of SATA connections? Maybe you could use built-in Wifi or bluetooth? Stop and think about what features would be beneficial for you, then narrow your choices down to MB's with those features. Things like 12-phase power are great, but if you're not overclocking your spending money on features you'll never use. Gigabyte, ASRock, and ASUS all make high quality boards, in every price range.

If you don't require any features, you can go with a board like the AsRock z68M, which has plenty of bells and whistles all for under $100.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157270
The AsRock Z68 pro3 ups the ante with PCIe 3 slots, and better components, and more features, while still hovering around the $100 price point.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157270

Since you're not planning on Overclocking, value ram would be more than adaquate for your needs. By going with Value ram, you can save a few bucks and bump up to a nice 16GB kit. Mushkin, GSkill, and Corsair all carry value lines which offer outstanding performance for under $100.

Next I would go with a nice 120GB SSD. You want reliability, so this is where I would spend the cash. I'm a fan of the Corsair Force series, but Samsung makes a nice 128GB SSD too. You're probably looking at close to $200 for this component. You might be able to find a deal, or get something with a rebate to save a few bucks.

You'll probably want to add an extra HD to cover the limited storage from the SSD. You can pick up a Seagate Green drive for $100. It will be low power and pretty quite to boot.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148725


Seriously, for what you need there's no reason you couldn't put together a very compelling PC for under $1200. I recently built an HTPC with similar requirements as you. I was able to do the entire thing for about $1000. It handles encoding tasks, surfing, basic office work, severs as a media center, and I even play classic games on it. Honestly if I had to do it again, I would have probably spent less money on the components.

Keep us posted as to how you make out.
 
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I'm pretty much onboard with ya, mfarlow. I'll wait to see the prices on those z77's. I really, really want Ivy Bridge with the HD 4000 graphics since it's suppose to be better than the HD 3000 on Sandy Bridge. I'm hoping the HD 4000 might get me by until Christmas or so. Maybe I'll get a GPU then, we'll see.
"When you say you want quite, do you really need silent, or just something that's noticably quieter than what you're currently using? "
Click to expand...
Since our guy who used to make our product videos has died a few months ago, we need to start doing our own videos so, I need a silent system at least at around 30% load and below while recording, which takes very little, so we can record without computer sounds and interference going on in the background. Those Seasonic PSU's do that due to the hybrid fan system.

"You stated you wanted PCIe 3, but realistically there won't be any devices out any time soon that will even support it."
Click to expand...
Agreed. I just want all that bandwidth so it's there when it is out since I will keep this system until it dies. That's why I also want to get a quality mobo, PSU, CPU, SSD etc. within reasonable cost.

"Do you need lots of USB ports, lots of SATA connections?"
Click to expand...
I do need a minimum of 4 USB ports in the back plus two for the mouse & keyboard, preferably all USB 3. I also need two USB up front of the case along with headphone and mic jacks.

I've never used raid before or an SSD. I do have a SATA 500g HD now I'll use with this new system.

I doubt I will use Wifi or bluetooth. I don't have any of that right now.

So, I'm leaning towards:

CPU: Ivy Bridge 3770S or 3475S

GPU: integrated HD4000 in Ivy Bridge; later maybe get a 650 or 7890

MB: Gigabyte z77 probably a UD3 or UD5

SSD: 120g by Intel 520

HD: I'll use my 1 year old 500g HD

Case: I'm leaning towards the Antec 302

OS: Windows 7, 64-bit

RAM: haven't decided yet

PSU: haven't decided yet
 
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