How much memory is enough?

[Derekl1988]

I'm building a new sky lake rig right now.  My budget has increased and I have pretty much settled on everything except the storage.   I got a Samsung 850 evo 500gb as a boot drive and I just planned on using old drives from failed computers to supplement those.   I have a 1tb wd green along with a black 1.5tb from older computers.   Will this be efficient?  My rig will be used primarily for high end gaming and photoshop/3D image creation.   Would I be better off with just one other drive with a large capacity or will it be something I even notice?  I have an SSD on my parts list here because I thought maybe that's the route I would go.  Not sure so I figured I'd ask the community. 

 

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/mPpRkT
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/mPpRkT/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($344.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($149.39 @ B&H) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($139.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($143.00 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($56.00 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1.5TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($109.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive  ($96.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW DT GAMING Video Card 
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe ATX Full Tower Case  ($169.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($176.98 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($92.95 @ B&H) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050017-BLED 66.4 CFM  140mm Fan  ($15.79 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050017-BLED 66.4 CFM  140mm Fan  ($15.79 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050016-BLED 52.2 CFM  120mm Fans  ($18.69 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050016-BLED 52.2 CFM  120mm Fans  ($18.69 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050016-BLED 52.2 CFM  120mm Fans  ($18.69 @ OutletPC) 
Total: $1567.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-06 22:58 EDT-0400

[Vasllo]

RAM memory is quite straightforward to say, but storage depends a lot on your usage. For me, a 500GB SSD and a 1TB HDD for movies/series would be enough, but that may not be for you.

[FanBlade]

2 minutes ago, Derekl1988 said:

I'm building a new sky lake rig right now.  My budget has increased and I have pretty much settled on everything except the storage.   I got a Samsung 850 evo 500gb as a boot drive and I just planned on using old drives from failed computers to supplement those.   I have a 1tb wd green along with a black 1.5tb from older computers.   Will this be efficient?  My rig will be used primarily for high end gaming and photoshop/3D image creation.   Would I be better off with just one other drive with a large capacity or will it be something I even notice?  I have an SSD on my parts list here because I thought maybe that's the route I would go.  Not sure so I figured I'd ask the community. 

 

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/mPpRkT
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/mPpRkT/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($344.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($149.39 @ B&H) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($139.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($143.00 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($56.00 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1.5TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($109.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive  ($96.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW DT GAMING Video Card 
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe ATX Full Tower Case  ($169.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($176.98 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($92.95 @ B&H) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050017-BLED 66.4 CFM  140mm Fan  ($15.79 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050017-BLED 66.4 CFM  140mm Fan  ($15.79 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050016-BLED 52.2 CFM  120mm Fans  ($18.69 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050016-BLED 52.2 CFM  120mm Fans  ($18.69 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050016-BLED 52.2 CFM  120mm Fans  ($18.69 @ OutletPC) 
Total: $1567.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-06 22:58 EDT-0400

It is mostly upto you. If the hdds are in good shape it would be pretty good as you could organize your files among the drives or use them in a RAID array

[Vasllo]

3 minutes ago, EnemySp0tt3d said:

Yes. A ssd is worth it. If you really could use the extra cores, you can get a 6800k.

 

[masterkickass7]

1 hour ago, Derekl1988 said:

I'm building a new sky lake rig right now.  My budget has increased and I have pretty much settled on everything except the storage.   I got a Samsung 850 evo 500gb as a boot drive and I just planned on using old drives from failed computers to supplement those.   I have a 1tb wd green along with a black 1.5tb from older computers.   Will this be efficient?  My rig will be used primarily for high end gaming and photoshop/3D image creation.   Would I be better off with just one other drive with a large capacity or will it be something I even notice?  I have an SSD on my parts list here because I thought maybe that's the route I would go.  Not sure so I figured I'd ask the community. 

 

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/mPpRkT
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/mPpRkT/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($344.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($149.39 @ B&H) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($139.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($143.00 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($56.00 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1.5TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($109.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive  ($96.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW DT GAMING Video Card 
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe ATX Full Tower Case  ($169.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($176.98 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($92.95 @ B&H) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050017-BLED 66.4 CFM  140mm Fan  ($15.79 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050017-BLED 66.4 CFM  140mm Fan  ($15.79 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050016-BLED 52.2 CFM  120mm Fans  ($18.69 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050016-BLED 52.2 CFM  120mm Fans  ($18.69 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050016-BLED 52.2 CFM  120mm Fans  ($18.69 @ OutletPC) 
Total: $1567.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-06 22:58 EDT-0400

yeah 8gb of ram thats enough storage form the old harddrives

Edited August 7, 2016 by masterkickass7

[Vasllo]

5 minutes ago, masterkickass7 said:

yeah 8gb of ram thats enough storage form the old harddrives

For a 1.5k PC being built now, 8GB would be a bad choice. I would say 16GB would be the best choice, unless you know a scenario where you'll need the 32GB of RAM, it's overkill.

[masterkickass7]

1 hour ago, Mateus Campello said:

For a 1.5k PC being built now, 8GB would be a bad choice. I would say 16GB would be the best choice, unless you know a scenario where you'll need the 32GB of RAM, it's overkill.

yeah I have 16 in my system

[AlTech]

47 minutes ago, Derekl1988 said:

I'm building a new sky lake rig right now.  My budget has increased and I have pretty much settled on everything except the storage.   I got a Samsung 850 evo 500gb as a boot drive and I just planned on using old drives from failed computers to supplement those.   I have a 1tb wd green along with a black 1.5tb from older computers.   Will this be efficient?  My rig will be used primarily for high end gaming and photoshop/3D image creation.   Would I be better off with just one other drive with a large capacity or will it be something I even notice?  I have an SSD on my parts list here because I thought maybe that's the route I would go.  Not sure so I figured I'd ask the community. 

 

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/mPpRkT
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/mPpRkT/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($344.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($149.39 @ B&H) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($139.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($143.00 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($56.00 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1.5TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($109.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive  ($96.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW DT GAMING Video Card 
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe ATX Full Tower Case  ($169.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($176.98 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($92.95 @ B&H) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050017-BLED 66.4 CFM  140mm Fan  ($15.79 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050017-BLED 66.4 CFM  140mm Fan  ($15.79 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050016-BLED 52.2 CFM  120mm Fans  ($18.69 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050016-BLED 52.2 CFM  120mm Fans  ($18.69 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair CO-9050016-BLED 52.2 CFM  120mm Fans  ($18.69 @ OutletPC) 
Total: $1567.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-06 22:58 EDT-0400

I would personally get a 128GB SSD and get a 1TB HDD

[BuckGup]

If you plan to video edit get 32gb of RAM

[Captain_WD]

On 7.08.2016 г. at 5:59 AM, Derekl1988 said:

~snip~

Hi there

 

My two cents here:

- The memory (which is your RAM) depends on the usage type. Most games would be fine with 8GB and if you have 2x8GB you should be able to run pretty much everything. Since you are doing content creation and editing that would depend on the applications that you use. Some applications can use s much memory as you have so you should be good with those 32GB. 

 

- In terms of storage (which are your SSDs, HDDs and other storage drives) you should be fine with that 500GB SSD. Gaming generally doesn't really rely on the storage's performance for anything but the loading times so you don't have to put them on the SSD. I would use it for the OS, the editing/creating applications and the current projects that you will be working on. I'd put everything else on HDDs. 

 

One note from me: since you are reusing old HDDs I would strongly recommend checking their health before you start using them in the new build. For the WD drives a good thing to do is to check if they pass both the quick and the extended tests of the WD Data Lifeguard Diagnostic tool.  

 

Let me know if you have any questions! 

 

Captain_WD.

[AlTech]

2 minutes ago, Captain_WD said:

Hi there

 

My two cents here:

- The memory (which is your RAM) depends on the usage type. Most games would be fine with 8GB and if you have 2x8GB you should be able to run pretty much everything. Since you are doing content creation and editing that would depend on the applications that you use. Some applications can use s much memory as you have so you should be good with those 32GB. 

 

- In terms of storage (which are your SSDs, HDDs and other storage drives) you should be fine with that 500GB SSD. Gaming generally doesn't really rely on the storage's performance for anything but the loading times so you don't have to put them on the SSD. I would use it for the OS, the editing/creating applications and the current projects that you will be working on. I'd put everything else on HDDs. 

 

One note from me: since you are reusing old HDDs I would strongly recommend checking their health before you start using them in the new build. For the WD drives a good thing to do is to check if they pass both the quick and the extended tests of the WD Data Lifeguard Diagnostic tool.  

 

Let me know if you have any questions! 

 

Captain_WD.

What about for CAD, programming, office kind of use case?

 

Would 8GB RAM still be good?

[Captain_WD]

53 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

~snip~

Well, depends on what you see as good. As long as you cover the minimum requirements for an application it will work. HOW it will work is a whole different matter. Some applications can utilize as much of the resources as you have until they reach a bottleneck with one of the parts. If your CPU, for example, can't really keep up with the rest of the parts and they have to "wait" for it to do its job you won't see much of a difference if you add another GPU or more memory. Same goes with every other parts. This is why you have to balance your system for the budget you have.

 

IMHO 8GB of memory can usually do the job for pretty much any usage type. Having more than that would surely enable you to work better/faster but 8 would still get to job done. Really depends on the specific case with the budget, desired results, usage type and other hardware.  

 

Captain_WD.