New Photo Editing/Moderate Gaming Build Advice

[LachDann]

Hello,
I'm looking to build a new PC, first one since early 2000s and then I had help from a coworker. Been using macs (please don't hate me for it) for the last 7 years so a bit out of the PC world. I'm looking to use the system to edit photos (Adobe Lightroom mainly but tinkering with Photoshop), to do some web development, moderate gaming and office type stuff. I'm aiming for a small system as it's not a large desk (Z-Line Trinity).

**What is your intended use for this build? The more details the better.**

I'm not a hardcore gamer but do multi-box EVE Online (3-Clients), play Steam games (Cities Skylines, Civ 5 & Beyond Earth, XCOM, and others) and if my friends have anything to do with it probably will get back into WoW after 6 years of not playing. None of these are extremely graphic intensive although I have problems running at max settings when multi-boxing on the mac (60Hz refresh rate on a 27" iMac w/ i5 & 8GB ram).

Current config: PCPartsPicker

**If gaming, what kind of performance are you looking for? (Screen resolution, FPS, game settings)**

I'm not hardcore and have only experienced 60Hz refresh rate so I think the monitor should be okay even though limited to 60fps due to the refresh rate. I want the screen Realestate as a small glass desk limits having a mount and dual monitor setup. I'm more interested in the resolution for photo editing over frame rate as long as I'm close to 60 fps typically. The dual inputs on the LG monitor will be nice when working off my Surface Pro 3.

**What is your budget (ballpark is okay)?**

I haven't really set a budget and I aim to start getting the parts mid-Oct with an aim to start building early-Nov.

**In what country are you purchasing your parts?**

Everything will be sourced in the US, ideally from NewEgg & Amazon although I may hit Microcenter as well.

**Post a draft of your potential build here (specific parts please).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($248.95 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170I PRO GAMING Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($283.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($132.02 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Green 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($664.98 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($87.78 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($173.04 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Archgon CB-5021-GB Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM (64-bit)
Case Fan: BitFenix Spectre Pro LED 56.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($14.03 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: BitFenix Spectre Pro LED 156.3 CFM 230mm Fan ($21.97 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: BitFenix Spectre Pro LED 86.7 CFM 140mm Fan ($16.90 @ Amazon)
Monitor: LG 34UC87C 60Hz 34.0" Monitor ($883.28 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech G105 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Razer Mamba 2012 Elite Wireless Laser Mouse ($100.00 @ Amazon)
Other: BitFenix Essentials Pro Pack - ATX 24pin, EPS 8pin, 2x PCI-E 8pin Set - Blue/Black ($34.95)
Total: $3171.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-30 23:46 EDT-0400


**Provide any additional details you wish below.**

I've been tinkering with this build for quite some time and I'm looking to start building in Nov'15 if the Motherboards have been released. If the Asus motherboard isn't out by mid-Oct I'll look to switch over to the ASRock Z170m-ITX/ac NewEgg Link .

As for the drives, I plan to use the M.2 for OS and main programs, the SSD will be for games and the HDD will be for music, photo and documents. I'm thinking I may look into ripping all my movies from DVD/BluRay as well but that's of minor concern and could be moved to a NAS.

Oh, I'll be switching out the stock fans throughout for BitFenix fans. I'm aiming to have blue lights and drill out the side panels (a first for me but been scouring YouTube for instruction vids) to add windows and ventilation.

I'll purchase Windows 10 and the listed monitor (unless there are suggestions for a better large monitor). Due to the limitations of an mITX board SLI is out (looked at going mATX but didn't think SLI was enough of a reason).

Anything I've missed?

Thanks for your insight

 

[User3335]

Get the i7 6700k for workstation builds but stick to the i5 for just gaming.

 

[itmoba]

Hello,
I'm looking to build a new PC, first one since early 2000s and then I had help from a coworker. Been using macs (please don't hate me for it) for the last 7 years so a bit out of the PC world. I'm looking to use the system to edit photos (Adobe Lightroom mainly but tinkering with Photoshop), to do some web development, moderate gaming and office type stuff. I'm aiming for a small system as it's not a large desk (Z-Line Trinity).

**What is your intended use for this build? The more details the better.**

I'm not a hardcore gamer but do multi-box EVE Online (3-Clients), play Steam games (Cities Skylines, Civ 5 & Beyond Earth, XCOM, and others) and if my friends have anything to do with it probably will get back into WoW after 6 years of not playing. None of these are extremely graphic intensive although I have problems running at max settings when multi-boxing on the mac (60Hz refresh rate on a 27" iMac w/ i5 & 8GB ram).

Current config: PCPartsPicker

**If gaming, what kind of performance are you looking for? (Screen resolution, FPS, game settings)**

I'm not hardcore and have only experienced 60Hz refresh rate so I think the monitor should be okay even though limited to 60fps due to the refresh rate. I want the screen Realestate as a small glass desk limits having a mount and dual monitor setup. I'm more interested in the resolution for photo editing over frame rate as long as I'm close to 60 fps typically. The dual inputs on the LG monitor will be nice when working off my Surface Pro 3.

**What is your budget (ballpark is okay)?**

I haven't really set a budget and I aim to start getting the parts mid-Oct with an aim to start building early-Nov.

**In what country are you purchasing your parts?**

Everything will be sourced in the US, ideally from NewEgg & Amazon although I may hit Microcenter as well.

**Post a draft of your potential build here (specific parts please).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($248.95 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170I PRO GAMING Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($283.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($132.02 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Green 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($664.98 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($87.78 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($173.04 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Archgon CB-5021-GB Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM (64-bit)
Case Fan: BitFenix Spectre Pro LED 56.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($14.03 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: BitFenix Spectre Pro LED 156.3 CFM 230mm Fan ($21.97 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: BitFenix Spectre Pro LED 86.7 CFM 140mm Fan ($16.90 @ Amazon)
Monitor: LG 34UC87C 60Hz 34.0" Monitor ($883.28 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech G105 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Razer Mamba 2012 Elite Wireless Laser Mouse ($100.00 @ Amazon)
Other: BitFenix Essentials Pro Pack - ATX 24pin, EPS 8pin, 2x PCI-E 8pin Set - Blue/Black ($34.95)
Total: $3171.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-30 23:46 EDT-0400


**Provide any additional details you wish below.**

I've been tinkering with this build for quite some time and I'm looking to start building in Nov'15 if the Motherboards have been released. If the Asus motherboard isn't out by mid-Oct I'll look to switch over to the ASRock Z170m-ITX/ac NewEgg Link .

As for the drives, I plan to use the M.2 for OS and main programs, the SSD will be for games and the HDD will be for music, photo and documents. I'm thinking I may look into ripping all my movies from DVD/BluRay as well but that's of minor concern and could be moved to a NAS.

Oh, I'll be switching out the stock fans throughout for BitFenix fans. I'm aiming to have blue lights and drill out the side panels (a first for me but been scouring YouTube for instruction vids) to add windows and ventilation.

I'll purchase Windows 10 and the listed monitor (unless there are suggestions for a better large monitor). Due to the limitations of an mITX board SLI is out (looked at going mATX but didn't think SLI was enough of a reason).

Anything I've missed?

Thanks for your insight

(1) CPU -> I'm partial when it comes to the i5; I recommend the i7.

(2) RAM -> The size is definitely overkill, but it's your money. I'd rather shrink down to 16 GB and use the rest of the money saved to upgrade to an i7.

(3) Storage -> There's no reason to have 2 SSDs. Stick to the Samsung 850 EVO. The WD, again, seems to be overkill for storage.

(4) PSU -> Needs to be upgraded because of the Nvidia GTX 980. You'll need at least 750 W for reliable performance.

(5) OS -> Buy Retail, not OEM -- especially if you ever want to upgrade in the future or transfer the OS.

 

[azaran]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($248.95 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170I PRO GAMING Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($283.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($132.02 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Green 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($664.98 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($87.78 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($173.04 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Archgon CB-5021-GB Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM (64-bit)
Case Fan: BitFenix Spectre Pro LED 56.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($14.03 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: BitFenix Spectre Pro LED 156.3 CFM 230mm Fan ($21.97 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: BitFenix Spectre Pro LED 86.7 CFM 140mm Fan ($16.90 @ Amazon)
Monitor: LG 34UC87C 60Hz 34.0" Monitor ($883.28 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech G105 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Razer Mamba 2012 Elite Wireless Laser Mouse ($100.00 @ Amazon)
Other: BitFenix Essentials Pro Pack - ATX 24pin, EPS 8pin, 2x PCI-E 8pin Set - Blue/Black ($34.95)
Total: $3171.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-30 23:46 EDT-0400

CPU - If you can, move that up to an i7. All your editing programs will love you. Any hit you take on single thread applications will pale in comparison to the gain you'll get for it in the multi threaded applications.

SSD - You really only need the one for OS and applications. Spreading them around to different drives isnt really going to help matters any. Look at the new line of high capacity EVO's. They're outperforming the Pro lineup. I run a crap ton of Adobe products and games and the 500GB works pretty well for me so you may not need to go huge on it.

HHD - Avoid the greens. Crap performance, nearly negligible power/cost savings. Go with WD Blacks if you want the warranty or switch over to Seagate or HGST drives for high capacity 7200RPM drives.

RAM - Since you only have 2 slots to work with, I understand the want to go with maxing out the board. Honestly its what I'd recommend for the rig you're trying to build, you'll never have to worry about upgrading later and having to either have those orig sticks of RAM sitting around collecting dust or selling them. The downside is of course cost, you're paying more than double the price of 16GB. I run Adobe apps a lot and having 32GB... yeah there's no going back after that.

PSU - For the video card you're looking at you may want to aim higher and have a better power ceiling. There's a ton of resources to look at for PSU's and how much power you want but basics are efficiency starts declining when you pass 50% load. Go with a 750w if you can, keep to a bare minimum of semi modular. Small cases and a ton of wiring makes for a nightmare. A good resources for models to look at can be found here http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

OS - Been using Win10 since it came out and have had zero issues with Photoshop and assorted other Adobe products. Just make sure the games you want to play aren't having issues with it. As for retail vs OEM, retail is more flexible if you intend on using the OS for more than this build since OEM technically ties itself to the MB you install on as per license agreement. Having said that, I've talked with MS many, many times over the years migrating an OEM licenses between builds (professional and personal builds) and it is possible to do legally. It can just be a pain to do it sometimes.

Mouse - I have the Mamba 2012. Its one of the best feeling mice on the market for my hand, and I love the functions on it. It also has a pretty crap battery and getting replacements is a bitch and expensive, especially for the high capacity models. However their tech support is great should you run in to problems. Just a heads up.

Other things - Kind of an odd mention, something to think about. You're going with a big ol monitor, thats going to have a pretty big footprint on your desk. You may want to look at a desk or wall mounted monitor arm for that beast. I use an Ergotron model for my dual monitor setup and love it.

 

[LachDann]

(1) CPU -> I'm partial when it comes to the i5; I recommend the i7.

(2) RAM -> The size is definitely overkill, but it's your money. I'd rather shrink down to 16 GB and use the rest of the money saved to upgrade to an i7.

(3) Storage -> There's no reason to have 2 SSDs. Stick to the Samsung 850 EVO. The WD, again, seems to be overkill for storage.

(4) PSU -> Needs to be upgraded because of the Nvidia GTX 980. You'll need at least 750 W for reliable performance.

(5) OS -> Buy Retail, not OEM -- especially if you ever want to upgrade in the future or transfer the OS.

Thank you,
I went back and scoured spec sheets. Found I can use the Corsair AX760; the case I chose has a limit of 160mm depth for a PSU. It will be tight but there should be enough room to work with.

Yeah I dropped the SSD and will be going with just the M.2 and HDD for storage...if needed I can always add more right.

Lach

 

[LachDann]

CPU - If you can, move that up to an i7. All your editing programs will love you. Any hit you take on single thread applications will pale in comparison to the gain you'll get for it in the multi threaded applications.

SSD - You really only need the one for OS and applications. Spreading them around to different drives isnt really going to help matters any. Look at the new line of high capacity EVO's. They're outperforming the Pro lineup. I run a crap ton of Adobe products and games and the 500GB works pretty well for me so you may not need to go huge on it.

HHD - Avoid the greens. Crap performance, nearly negligible power/cost savings. Go with WD Blacks if you want the warranty or switch over to Seagate or HGST drives for high capacity 7200RPM drives.

RAM - Since you only have 2 slots to work with, I understand the want to go with maxing out the board. Honestly its what I'd recommend for the rig you're trying to build, you'll never have to worry about upgrading later and having to either have those orig sticks of RAM sitting around collecting dust or selling them. The downside is of course cost, you're paying more than double the price of 16GB. I run Adobe apps a lot and having 32GB... yeah there's no going back after that.

PSU - For the video card you're looking at you may want to aim higher and have a better power ceiling. There's a ton of resources to look at for PSU's and how much power you want but basics are efficiency starts declining when you pass 50% load. Go with a 750w if you can, keep to a bare minimum of semi modular. Small cases and a ton of wiring makes for a nightmare. A good resources for models to look at can be found here http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

OS - Been using Win10 since it came out and have had zero issues with Photoshop and assorted other Adobe products. Just make sure the games you want to play aren't having issues with it. As for retail vs OEM, retail is more flexible if you intend on using the OS for more than this build since OEM technically ties itself to the MB you install on as per license agreement. Having said that, I've talked with MS many, many times over the years migrating an OEM licenses between builds (professional and personal builds) and it is possible to do legally. It can just be a pain to do it sometimes.

Mouse - I have the Mamba 2012. Its one of the best feeling mice on the market for my hand, and I love the functions on it. It also has a pretty crap battery and getting replacements is a bitch and expensive, especially for the high capacity models. However their tech support is great should you run in to problems. Just a heads up.

Other things - Kind of an odd mention, something to think about. You're going with a big ol monitor, thats going to have a pretty big footprint on your desk. You may want to look at a desk or wall mounted monitor arm for that beast. I use an Ergotron model for my dual monitor setup and love it.

So I made updates, I think this will work.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($373.98 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170I PRO GAMING Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($283.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($195.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($664.98 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($87.78 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair 760W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Archgon CB-5021-GB Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM (64-bit)
Case Fan: BitFenix Spectre Pro LED 56.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($15.47 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: BitFenix Spectre Pro LED 156.3 CFM 230mm Fan ($21.97 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: BitFenix Spectre Pro LED 86.7 CFM 140mm Fan ($16.90 @ Amazon)
Monitor: LG 34UM95 60Hz 34.0" Monitor ($907.58 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Logitech G105 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Razer Mamba 2012 Elite Wireless Laser Mouse ($100.00 @ Amazon)
Other: BitFenix Essentials Pro Pack - ATX 24pin, EPS 8pin, 2x PCI-E 8pin Set - Blue/Black ($34.95)
Total: $3213.54
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-01 21:42 EDT-0400

After sitting watching my current i5 slowly crunch thru a large Illustrator conversion I upped the CPU to the i7, I took what you said and what itmoba pointed out and found a larger PSU that will fit the case.

As for the monitor, it will dominate the desk but it's fine. I currently have a 27" iMac sitting on it and it's not to bad so looking forward to the real estate. I wish I could mount a monitor--I rent so don't feel like I could wall mount it and with a glass desktop I don't want to chance a desk mount (I even looked up how to distribute the force but don't think it will be feasible). Only think I think I could do would be the multi-monitor free standing mount but those get pricey.

 

[azaran]

Yeah it looks good. Good luck with the build!