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Upgrading and First Build

PseudoSim
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1. Budget & Location

Below 900$ preferably, I'm not strapped but I don't want to go overboard. I'm intending on adding to it over time.

Southern California

 

2. Aim

Photo Editing (photoshop), Casual Gaming (BF4, Borderlands, Etc), Massive amounts of tabs for Firefox and Chrome (IE: Tabfiend), Media (Movies, music), Sketchup, Drawing.

 

3. Monitors

I have an old 60htz monitor I intend to be using for the future until I start filling out the rest of the build.

Not sure what I want to upgrade to. Maybe one 1440 for gaming and a 1080 to go with my current monitor for a triple setup.

 
 

4. Peripherals

I have a Keyboard and Mouse. 

-The Keyboard is just an old Dell keyboard Ill probobly be using for a while more.

-The mouse is a Logitech Trackman Marble that somehow works with most games I play (like a champ) so Ill be using that for a while until I find a better mouse.

 

5. Why are you upgrading?

I currently have a desktop replacement laptop [THIS ONE] that isnt fulfilling my needs and I dont want to waste any more money on it than I did in buying it. I can upgrade the Memory to 16gb and bought an SSD for it but installing the damn thing was next to impossible and I have gotten tired of simply dicking around with it (6 months and counting).

 

 

 

The Current Build Components That I Would Then Build From.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($222.75 @ OutletPC) 
 
 
Motherboard: Asus GRYPHON Z87 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($91.98 @ Newegg) 
 
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($120.89 @ OutletPC) 
 
 
 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI)  ($193.98 @ Newegg) 
 
Case: Corsair Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ Micro Center) 
 
 
 
Total: $784.58
 
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-14 19:04 EDT-0400

 

 

 

Note:

The water cooler is currently not added to the price becasue I am planning to do THIS (source)with it am not certain on measurements for the cable management holes yet. 

I may or may not decide on a Wifi card as I may end up being able to use an Ethernet cable.

I already have the SSD and I already have the baracuda I salvaged from a busted external storage.

I plan on overclocking

 

 

 

 

This is the the theorized ultimate outlook.



 
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($222.75 @ OutletPC) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120M 86.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($64.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Asus GRYPHON Z87 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($91.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($120.89 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($120.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI)  ($193.98 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI)  ($193.98 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ Micro Center) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($20.55 @ Amazon) 
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($20.55 @ Amazon) 
Monitor: BenQ GW2255 60Hz 21.5" Monitor  ($119.00 @ Amazon) 
Monitor: BenQ RL2455HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($184.99 @ NCIX US) 
Monitor: BenQ RL2460HT 60Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($218.99 @ NCIX US) 
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($127.99 @ Amazon) 
Mouse: Cooler Master CM Storm Havoc Wired Laser Mouse  ($53.98 @ Directron) 
Total: $2395.37
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-14 19:16 EDT-0400

 

 

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Respect for the Trackman Marble.

 

I'd kinda go all OCD over not having the same screens.

Sig under construction.

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   You won't be able to use that water cooling config unless you drop the HDD bays that go above the PSU, I hope you've thought of that.  If your max budget is 900, I would save a little bit more and pick up a 970 rather than the 960.

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a xeon 1231 while not overclockable will be better because its basically a i7 without overclocking. especially for your workload

Rigs I've Built

The Striker i5 4590 @ 3.7 ||  MSI GTX 980 Armor X2 || Corsair RMX 750 || Team Elite Plus 8 GB || Define S || MSI Z97S SLI Krait

The Office PC i3 4160 @ 3.6 || Intel 4600 || EVGA 500B || G.Skill 8 GB || Cooler Master N200 || ASRock H97M Pro4

The Friend PC G3258 @ 4.3 || Sapphire R9 280X Tri-X || EVGA 600B || 8 GB Dell Ram || Cooler Master N200 || ASRock H97M- iTX/ac

The Mom Gaming PC A10-7890K @ 4.4 || iGPU + ASUS R7 250 ||  8 GB Klevv DDR3-2800 Mhz

 

 

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a xeon 1231 while not overclockable will be better because its basically a i7 without overclocking. especially for your workload

 

   You don't need that for Photoshop, the top of the line i5 will be great for what he plans to do.

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Do you need 32 GBs of ram. If you are gaming you need a max of 16 GBs

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Do you need 32 GBs of ram. If you are gaming you need a max of 16 GBs

I benefit from 24GB of RAM with gaming...and a couple hundred chrome tabs...and virtualization...

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I benefit from 24GB of RAM with gaming...and a couple hundred chrome tabs...and virtualization...

24 never heard of that config before. 100 Tabs!!! I can only stand 8 Max

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   You won't be able to use that water cooling config unless you drop the HDD bays that go above the PSU, I hope you've thought of that.  If your max budget is 900, I would save a little bit more and pick up a 970 rather than the 960.

This is why Im waiting to get the water cooling, I'm thinking super tight cable management may make it work but I wont know until I get my hands on the case. If not I may go with a 240mm rad in the front.

 

The 960 is a big NONO

Get a R9 290/970

Graphics cards are one of the points im a bit stuck on. I dont need the highest performance and I really only game every few days or when I get in the mood for a few days or weeks.

 

Do you need 32 GBs of ram. If you are gaming you need a max of 16 GBs

Tabs... so many tabs. Rule of thumb I've figured is you can never have enough memory when it comes to multitasking.

 

I benefit from 24GB of RAM with gaming...and a couple hundred chrome tabs...and virtualization...

This. I currently have to close out of everything (includeing my 3-400 tabs on firefox) to play anything.

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Respect for the Trackman Marble.

 

I'd kinda go all OCD over not having the same screens.

 

Something Im still working out as well. I would have the monitor I have at any rate and go from there.

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-snip-

 

   Trust me, I've worked in that case before there is not enough room for that watercooling config unless you move the HDD bay.

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