System specification suggestion please

[SroyC]

Hello friends

I need to upgrade my system and would like to future proof it as much as possible (components are rather costly, so I can not afford to change my system in every 4~5 years).

My requirements are as follows:

1. General PC usage

2. Extensive use for editing Photos and Videos (I am a professional photographer). So I use resource heavy software like Ps, Lr etc.

3. Gaming - very rare

4. Movie watching

My present system is as follows:

1. Intel Core2Duo 1.8GHz+ASUS P5B-VM MB+CoolerMaster Processor Fan
2. HDDs- 1 IDE (80GB), 3 SATAII (160GB, 250GB, 500GB), 1 SATAIII (1TB)
3. 5GB DDR2 RAM (1+1+1+2)
4. XFX HD4700 ATi GPU with 512MB DDR5 RAM
5. SMPS- 460W Dual rail power supply (CoolerMaster)
6. LG 25" IPS monitor
7. JBL speakers


I intend to retain the Monitor, SMPS, Speakers and HDDs for sure. Though I may have to ditch the IDE one, as it seems newer MBs do not incorporate IDE ports. I am not so sure about the Graphics card, whether to keep it or not.

My budget is not unlimited.


Please suggest a system for me.

Is it mandatory to reinstall the OS (and hence all the software) if I upgrade the system? Even when I am retaining my OS containing HDD? It would be much easier for me to get rid of the old drivers and install the new ones rather than installing the software as the software are customized for my work and re-customization after new install would be nothing less than a horrible nightmare, not to mention time consuming. Presently I use Windows 7.


Thank you in advance.

 

[Geekwad]

For a budget CS workstation, I would consider something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8320E 3.2GHz 8-Core Processor ($118.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock 970M PRO3 Micro ATX AM3+/AM3 Motherboard ($51.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($62.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($92.00 @ B&H)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 750 Ti 4GB Video Card ($131.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Antec P50 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green 380W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($38.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $526.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Professional multitasking workflows benefit from having more processing threads available, and these offer great value-to-performance.

I would, very much, recommend you to just take the pain and reinstall the OS clean and fresh on SSD though (note: you can use a Win7 key to clean-install Win10 still, so could be a great way to knock that eventual forced-step out at the same time), and go through the re-customization process (and I truly know how time consuming it is). It will ensure the best experience with the new hardware for years to come, and minimize the insidious bugs that tend to crop up......something you really don't want on a machine trying to produce professional results.

 

[SroyC]

Thank you for your reply. Are you suggesting that I can not retain my old CoolerMaster SMPS?

 

[Geekwad]

Correct. I would leave it with the old system, and get a new one to protect your new equipment:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

The old one could then, being complete, still serve as a NAS device for you or you could transition it to a HTPC.

 

[SroyC]

Correct. I would leave it with the old system, and get a new one to protect your new equipment:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

The old one could then, being complete, still serve as a NAS device for you or you could transition it to a HTPC.

Thank you again.

Why should I need an SSD? Actually these are pretty costly in our country. Won't the old HDDs suffice?

 

[Geekwad]

An SSD will do more to increase the responsiveness of the computer than almost any other component. For professionals, it can be a real boost to productivity if you spend a lot of time working at the machine. A 250Gb is not entirely necessary though, so if you can find an affordable 120Gb option it will be well worth it.

 

[SroyC]

Thank you again for your reply.

I have been looking at the review of the AMD processor that you have suggested. It does not seem to be received a favorable review. Will it be better than Core i3 or Core i5? Actually, it is very important to save my time on processing photos and the machine should be able to smoothly handle process 24MB 16bit RAW files and 1080p Video files obtained from my DSLR.

 

[Geekwad]

It's all relative to budget of course. For a workstation close to $500 total, the 8320E has great value to performance (my opinion). Many reviews focused on game use for the FX processors, or focused on launch price.....but at today's prices, I think it's a good deal for a workstation that will be doing highly multi-threaded tasks for it's principle use.

However it is entry level......so if you have a bit more in your budget, this would be very good to consider:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY Anarchy 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($92.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 750 Ti 4GB Video Card ($141.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1100 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green 380W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($42.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $639.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

And you could cut back a bit on GPU to get there (while still allowing for GPGPU acceleration within Adobe, when available):

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY Anarchy 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($92.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GT 730 4GB Video Card ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1100 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green 380W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($42.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $567.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

EDIT: Even something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY Anarchy 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: PNY CS1311 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GT 710 2GB Video Card ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1100 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green 380W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($42.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $480.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

This would bring you the i7 like performance in these charts:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6396/the-vishera-review-amd-fx8350-fx8320-fx6300-and-fx4300-tested/4

But I know it's hard trying to translate that to different countries where availability and exchange rates can easily change the value-to-performance considerations when making a purchasing decision.

I'll still stick with my opinion though; The FX processors (given the right deal in comparison to other typically available equipment in the same price category) can make good workstations.

 

[SroyC]

It's all relative to budget of course. For a workstation close to $500 total, the 8320E has great value to performance (my opinion). ...
I'll still stick with my opinion though; The FX processors (given the right deal in comparison to other typically available equipment in the same price category) can make good workstations.

Thank you so much. Unfortunately these Xeon processors are very costly in my country. I understand your point regarding the reviews, and I think it is a very important point to ponder over. I have no need for gaming, I just need a smooth and fast still and video processing capabilities. If AMD delivers that at lower cost, I shall surely go with AMD. I was thinking whether in the same price point Intel Core i3/i5 would deliver better performance. If I understood correctly, AMD FX series CPUs do not have native USB 3.0 support. Will that not be a performance hindrance?

Also what about AMD APUs?

 

[Geekwad]

Implemented on board, you'll not have any USB 3.0 performance problems:

http://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/970M%20Pro3/

AMD APUs are geared more towards the general computer user, so would not be as good a tool for you. Of course it all depends on what you can find where you are.