Should I buy or should I build? Design/Animation student with Gaming in mind.

[Wzyz]

Hello Tom's Hardware community. I am 19 years old, Australian and currently am studying design in animation.
I frequently need programs such as:

- Adobe Flash cs6
- Adobe Photoshop cs6
- Adobe After Effects cs6

I am also a somewhat occasional gamer.
Games I would like to play would be:

- Bioshock Infinite
- Team fortress 2

I need a computer that would run those programs/games really well. I have never built a computer in my life, all my previous ones were prebuilt Dells. My consideration for a Dell would be:

- Dell XPS 8500 ($1,018.97 AUD)
- Monitor; Dell UltraSharp U2713HM 27'' LED ($703.14 AUD)

Which would cost me $1,722.11 (including GST).

Which is a bit pricey. I am wondering would I be better off making my own computer? The problem with Dell XPS 8500 is that it has an i7 processor but a NVADIA 640 which I am told is a low-end graphics card not suited for games or i7.

I am not a computer literate person and know very little about the intricacies of building a computer. All I know is the name of the main parts of a computer and the purpose of some of them.

Thank you for reading.

EDIT: Oh btw, I'm only considering building because of the price. If you can somehow find all the parts and things I need to build and is cheaper than the $1,018.97 by a considerable margin, I would build.

So my main question is, "Would building a computer that would suit my needs, be a lot cheaper than the Dell XPS 8500 for $1,018.97 ?"

 

[Wzyz]

Find cases you like, for a decent price and I'll tell you if it will fit.

8 hours will be pushing it, that would be past midnight again for me and i gotta work tomorrow 😛

Wiring isnt too difficult, just about anyone can plug the right wires into the right holes, However cable management is an art and a skill, and if you could see the insides of my old pc you would know It's not my forte (lit. all wires routed over the motherboard rather than through cable management plates), something I hope to rectify in my own new build in a month or two.

I would like to buy a Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case. Is that good for my whole setup?

 

[drtoast]

That case will be fine, or possibly this may be slightly better coming with an extra fan, but i don't know if it's available in your country.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147161&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

obv, not from newegg, but an australian vendor might stock the case.

As a thought, I realised that motherboard wont make full use of that RAM, so consider

http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-m5a78lmusb3 - 3 dollars more, can use the faster RAM

or

http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-970extreme4 - 30 dollars more, can use the faster RAM, also is a larger board which might make wiring a bit simpler for you, giving you more space for your hands and wires. Also space and support for a second video card if you find one not to be enough for your college work.

Up to you if the convenience is worth the cost though.

 

[mastrom101]

Ok I have gathered all the US prices of the parts (althought I'm not sure I'm doing this right because I don't know what most of the terms mean)

Memory: CORSAIR DOMINATOR 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMP12GX3M3A1600C9

$129.99

Video card: ASUS GT640-1GD5-L GeForce GT 640 1GB 64-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready Low Profile Ready Video Card

$89.99

Processor: Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770

$289.99

Hard drive: Western Digital WD AV-GP WD20EURS 2TB 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM

$109.99

Optical drive: HP Half-Height 16x DVD-RW Optical Drive 16X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD-R 16X DVD-ROM 40X CD-R 32X CD-RW 40X CD-ROM Black SATA Model 447328-B21

$65.99

= $685.95 US or $683.74 AUD

But theres a lot more in the Dell XPS package, here's a screenshot of all the things they listed:

http://i.imgur.com/lbMdgOr.png OR

I meant that you should gather prices that you can achieve. I know what the American prices are and can use a converter to get AUD. I don't know how much you can actually acquire those parts for though.

For what you're doing, you CERTAINLY don't need the build malstrom purchased. This is an enthusiast forum, so a lot of the time you get more than you need.
I'm going to break it down by parts to explain how each will effect your build:
CPU:
Believe it or not, we've made HUGE advancements in the CPU age. Thus, spending a lot on this part yields VERY diminishing returns. Many people here spend 300+ on this part and then overclock it (raise clock speeds) a lot. Most reviews however show VERY diminishing returns for this added clockspeed. In fact, it may only add between 1-5 frames per second in gaming, and 15-20 second faster encoding times. To the average user, these do not warrant the huge price increases.
Most users on here will recommend you builds for overclocking and well, for the egoboost people get for having the best thing out on the internet which for the most part is the majority of parts that mastrom listed. Given I understand what most users want who aren't huge PC enthusiasts here is what I recommend
Recommendation: i5-4670
It's faster than anything you've ever owned and isn't an overclocking part.
CPU Cooler: Stock. Trust me, you don't need to spend an extra 35 dollars on it. Use the one intel ships with their CPU.
Motherboard: Asus Z-87A
This is a decent board. You do NOT need a board that costs over $200 dollars. The returns again are LARGELY diminishing. What you're paying for when you pay $200+ for a motherboard is to squeeze overclocking of the CPU an extra 100-200mhz. Again, you'll see EXTREMLY diminishing returns on this.
Ram: This is where you need to spend some cash. Based on your needs, get 16 GB of ram. This should only cost you $120 dollars tops though in US prices.
Storage: You'll have to tell explain to me more about what you're animating. Are you doing video heavy animation? This requires you to know a little more about how large the files you're working with are because this is your expertise.
Case: This is a personal thing. You need to look around. I recommend Fractal Design Define R4, or a case like it. The case he recommended works well too.
VideoCard: Now that you've saved tons of money picking lots of parts less expensive you can spend money where it counts. Most reviews have proven that CPU means very little for gaming. Anandtech just did a review showing the % change in performance between top of the line CPUs and low end CPUs and it was negligible at best. You can save money and go with the HD 7850. Or you can spend more and go with the $7950.
Power Supply: Get something that is 500W. Pick from Corsair, OCZ, Evga, Coolermaster, (I may have missed a brand or two). Just use a reputable brand like those though and you'll be good.
Optical Drive: I didn't even purchase one, but you'll probably want one. Really just pick one with a lot of reviews and good ratings. It's an optical drive, pretty much everyone knows how to make them at this point.
OS: You need Windows. You can find a good deal usually. I'm sure you know how to purchase this.

I didn't list prices because I'm not from Australia and don't know the prices. I would NOT go with a lot of the parts picked in the mastrom build as the CPU and mobo are definitely not what you need given what you said. Those are for enthusiasts who get performance parts, even if they don't necessarily need it to have the fastest latest tech.

Edit: In short I don't mean to attack anyone's recommended build. There just isn't a review in the world that will support the CPU or Mobo choices given what you've asked. You don't overclock from what I understand so those choices are ridiculous for what you asked. You can get a cheaper faster processor in the i5-4670k given the fact that it's newer. There's no reason you should have to spend more than $1000 AUD. The build I listed, should be under $1000 and be better.

I mostly agree with what you proposed, but an overclocked i7 will lead to massive performance advantages over a stock i5. At the very least, overclocking an i5 should be considered.

 

[drtoast]

I would agree but i couldnt fit it into the budget... your welcome to have a shot? 😛

 

[mastrom101]

Oh btw, I just realised the aesthetic design of the case in http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/14zQD

I don't really like. I much prefer a simpler design, with no visible ridges or the flashy red stuff they have on there. Do you know a case where it has the same cooling functionality and good reviews?

Fractal Design R3, R4, R4 XL
Corsair 200R, 300R, 400R, 500R

 

[Wzyz]

I actually prefer intel, so I've tweaked some stuff. What do you guys think of this setup? Would it work for me?

http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/14Npq

 

[mastrom101]

If you feel it's worth it, you can upgrade to Haswell instead. Otherwise looks good.

 

[Wzyz]

If you feel it's worth it, you can upgrade to Haswell instead. Otherwise looks good.

Thanks very much! I don't know what a haswell is though haha

 

[mastrom101]

It's the latest Intel CPU, the successor to the 3770

 

[Wzyz]

It's the latest Intel CPU, the successor to the 3770

Ah ok thanks. I finally have all the parts! WOOOOOOOOO!!!

Now I just need help building it.

 

[Wzyz]

Do I need a network adapter? Like those internet things?

 

[drtoast]

Do I need a network adapter? Like those internet things?

heh, so you tweaked your budget to gain the best for your purpose 😛 grats. The amd was only to allow the better gpu, but now you have the gpu and processor.

and the network adapter... is only if your trying to run your desktop on wireless internet, which kind of defeats the point of the desktop, but some people / situations require wireless desktops.

If your using a LAN connection, its built into the motherboard.

The trouble with the haswell, is at the moment the motherboards are still more expensive.

I do think though, your buying an overclocking motherboard in http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/14Npq,
might as well fork out the extra 10-20 dollars and buy the 'k' version of the processor so you can overclock it.

 

[loligo]

A few comments specific for the Australian.

1. PCPartpicker does not have a thorough list of stores.
Use:
http://www.staticice.com.au/
for searching prices and stores. Although
http://www.pccasegear.com/
and
greenboxit.com.au/
are the ones I use. PcPartpicker is a nice website, but you can easily do the same by hand and find a much greater selection of components at lower prices.

2. 2x 22" screens would be ~$280 AU, and it is a greater screen area than the 27" screen at ~$700AU. I would suggest this instead. (and you save ~400).

3. No need for LAN adapter (afterthought).

4. Good SETUP (Greenboxit prices, AU dollars - copied it from a spreadsheet, sorry no links):
CASE
$128 Antec P280
$143 Fractal Design R4

SCREENS 2x
$134 Samsung S22B300B 60Hz 21.5" Monitor

PSU
$95 Corsair CX600M

CD DVD writer
$21 Lite-On IHAS124-OEM(BLK) DVD+-24X8X8 4 DVDRAM12X CD48X32X48 SATA OEM PACK

RAM
Get 16GB

CPU Cooler
33.4 Cooler Master Hyper EVO 212

CPU & MOBO
$328 i7-3770K
$108 ASRock Z77 EXTREME4-M Z77

HDD
get an 128 GB SSD as suggested, and a large (2TB HD - Samsung or Western Digital).

With the savings from the screens and the rest, you are looking at a 1400 souped up machine here.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[drtoast]

Wizard right there ^

I was really struggling with AUS part suppliers, being in the UK they dont tend to show up even if i google them specifically xD

Then you can sink the $400 savings on screens into a single higher end GPU, a 670 /770 / 580 / 680.... Not sure how they translate into AUS dollars, but its a safe bet the 670 would probably be within budget

 

[Wzyz]

Oh crap I have already bought the pieces using PC Part picker for a total of $1205.23 AUD inc shipping. Thanks anyway though!

I'd like to thank all of you for being such a great help to someone who hasn't built a computer before and is a bit scared to try. You have made me a lot more comfortable and I really really appreciate that! It seems theres a "pick as solution" feature on here which I don't know how to use but I'd like to point out that Drtoast has been the most faithful to my cause and I would like to point that out to him. Should I choose pick as best solution for one of his answers?

 

[drtoast]

Heh, You would be my first one 😉

Although i would be highly tempted for loli- even though it came in late... his screen solution + ausi-suppliers.. blew me away 😛

Give yourself a hand too for managing to fit a SSD into your wallet 😛 :L

 

[Wzyz]

Heh, You would be my first one 😉

Although i would be highly tempted for loli- even though it came in late... his screen solution + ausi-suppliers.. blew me away 😛

Give yourself a hand too for managing to fit a SSD into your wallet 😛 :L

lol thanks.. enjoy your first solution thing

 

[loligo]

glad we could help. enjoy!