Computer Building Advice

mospheric · Jan 2015

Hey guys! There are many tech saavy people here, so I thought I'd ask about my next investment: a new computer! My current Dell is over six years old and really feeling the age. I've never built a computer before, but I'm going to give it a shot soon. I've already assembled a part list. If anyone has some time, please look it over and make sure I didn't make any horrible mistakes.

My main concern is that all the parts work well together. I have a horrible fear of getting everything in the case, only to push the power button and nothing happens. I'm also open to suggestions of better parts. My list is mostly comprised of good to great parts (nothing super fantastic) to keep the cost in a reasonable range.

Thanks for the help in advance!

UPDATED

beefaroni · Jan 2015

Real quick, if you can swing a I7, go for it.

My 3570K struggled with Substance, Photoshop, and UE4 open. I usually had to close one of the three.

What exactly do you want to do with it?

ZacD · Jan 2015

Yeah, what applications? If you are doing a lot of baking/rendering, a i7 would definitely be worth it.

Justin Meisse · Jan 2015

Maybe we should just have one master thread in Tech talk where everyone fights till a consensus forms and the first post has a Polycount Build guide that gets updated on a quarterly or semi quarterly basis.

mospheric · Jan 2015

Heh, guess I should have stated. I work with Photoshop, Substance, UE4, 3DS Max, Unity, etc. So mostly this is going to be my work computer (since I currently telecommute too). I also plan on playing the occasional game on it (not really interested in Ultra-High-must-max-everything mentality when playing PC games).

As for the i5 vs. i7, I read this article that mentioned diminishing returns on cpu higher than $240. Maybe it's a good idea to swing for the i7-4790k just to future-proof my build for a while?

mospheric · Jan 2015

If you are doing a lot of baking/rendering, a i7 would definitely be worth it.

Yeah I'm starting to feel that I should get an i7. Do you know which applications/processes would benefit from the hyper-threading?

I'm hoping this doesn't turn into a big fiasco of a discussion. Just looking to build a decent work system that will last me for a good while. Also any building tips would be appreciated. I've already watched several videos on installing the CPU cooler, so I feel pretty good about that. Other than that, I guess it's making sure that everything is connected properly to the motherboard.

Joost · Jan 2015

Get the 4790k IMO. stock speed is 4.0Ghz and you should be able to get 4.6 with that cooler.
Also is the ram 4x4gb or 2x8gb? I'd go with 2x8 for future proofing.

A master thread would be nice!

edit:

mospheric wrote: »

Yeah I'm starting to feel that I should get an i7. Do you know which applications/processes would benefit from the hyper-threading?

If you're doing game art then it will mostly be baking. I guess multitasking will be better as well.

beefaroni · Jan 2015

Justin Meisse wrote: »

Maybe we should just have one master thread in Tech talk where everyone fights till a consensus forms and the first post has a Polycount Build guide that gets updated on a quarterly or semi quarterly basis.

Ya with all the threads recently that'd be a good idea

It could potentially cover monitors as well.

mospheric · Jan 2015

Also is the ram 4x4gb or 2x8gb? I'd go with 2x8 for future proofing.

It's going to be 2x8. That way I can just stick more in later for an easy upgrade.

whats_true · Jan 2015

Use this web site to figure out if your parts are compatible with each other.

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/

Its how I built my computer. Helps especially for motherboard stuff that I'm oblivious too.

ZacD · Jan 2015

Quarterly PC builds wouldn't be a great idea. I prefer just having guidelines.

-Basically you want as many cores as possible (Intel processors give the best single core performance as well). Socket 2011v3 now has affordable 6 core i6 processors, but the rest of the build will be more expensive, it's worth looking at as an option.

-The best gpu in your budget that part of the newest series of Nvidia GPUs (for best 3d application compatibility in most artists experience). Avoid SLI.

-At least 8 gigs of ram, preferably 16 gigs.

-If you are spending more than $700, it's probably worth it to throw in a 256 gig ssd. Also always have a backup plan for storage.

-PSU, it's probably worth it getting a gold rated one. Stick to a good brand and don't go overboard on wattage. You don't need SLI, so 600 watts is often way more than enough.

-CPU cooling, personally I prefer normal heat sinks, they are more reliable and can be much quieter. AIO liquid coolers are mostly for show or cases where you can't fit a big cooler above the CPU.

-Case, you will want positive pressure (more fans blowing air in than blowing out), that reduces dust build up. Otherwise it's mostly preference. How much storage do you need? Do you care about size? Do you want a silent case? How much are you willing to spend? Do you care about looks? Or ease of upgrades?

-Sound cards, just get an external DAC.

-Motherboard, Look at mATX motherboards, they often have all the features you need, and can be cheaper, but don't exclusively look there.

Kovac · Jan 2015

This is pretty much my exact PC and it's a beast. My advice - BE PATIENT. Keep an eye on reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/ for either those exact components or the close enough equivalent. I ended up saving a butt load (I got the Fractal R4 for $70 on sale). Plan to order pieces over a month or 2 and let them trickle in when the deal is right.

Computer Building Advice

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