Help a Mac user Build a PC for Graphic Design

[PowerBeard]

I'm not a Mac fan-boy but I have been using them since 1996.

 

The problem is, recently I have not been happy with the direction Apple is taking with their desktops. The lack of choice, the price, and lack of upgradable products is very bothersome.

 

In order to get the stuff I need (for graphic design & desktop publishing) I need to drop $3500 on a new Apple. And I will not get everything I want, just what I can get.

 

I use Adobe software so there is no reason to stick with a Mac.

 

Can someone help me speck out a PC (built or I can build) that would be powerful above all STABLE!

I do not WANT to drop $3500 if I can help it.

 

What I need in a Computer:

 

16GB of RAM (min.)

i7 processor

256 GB SSD (for the OS)

2TB storage (SSD or SATA but maybe with room to expand)

   (I'd like to run an internal RAID, right now I use an external software driven raid.)

Memory card reader

Professional Graphics Card with DisplayPort  (min. 2GB, I do not know that much about them)

WiFi

Bluetooth

Ethernet

I'd like a Thunderbolt port (or two)

 

I watch Linus all the time and I see all the cool things a PC user can get for his machine, and I'd like some of that goodness.

 

My experience with daily work on a Windows machine is based on my experiences 12 years ago and it was FILLED with the blue screen of death!

Is Windows as stable as Mac OS today???

 

Any advice would be great!

 

 

[pwn_intended]

Welcome to the forums!

Glad to see that you have seen the light at the end of the tunnel. For $3000ish, you can build a great system, that will remain upgradeable for years to come! Will you also require any accessories (monitors, kb+mouse, etc)

I'm working on a component list right now and will post soon. (assuming US currency)

[AkiraDaarkst]

6 minutes ago, PowerBeard said:

 

So let's get a few items clarified.

• You don't want to work with a 5K iMac or a Mac Pro?
• You want a professional GPU, as in something like a Quadro card for 10-bit color support?
• What's your budget?
• I assume you work with software like Indesign and Illustrator?
• Do you also have a professional grade monitor to take advantage of that Quadro GPU?

[mattk]

1 minute ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

So let's get a few items clarified.

• You don't want to work with a 5K iMac or a Mac Pro?
• You want a professional GPU, as in something like a Quadro card for 10-bit color support?
• What's your budget?
• I assume you work with software like Indesign and Illustrator?
• Do you also have a professional grade monitor to take advantage of that Quadro GPU?

Did you even read the post?

[PowerBeard]

I've got a good, newish ASUS 27" monitor I like so I'm good there.

 

I'd like a new keyboard.

 

I currently use the Apple Magic trackpad but I could go back to a mouse (I guess).

 

 

[Unexas.]

8 minutes ago, PowerBeard said:

-Snip-

 

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

CPU: Intel Core i7-6800K 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor  ($379.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($96.99 @ Best Buy) 
Motherboard: Asus X99-DELUXE II ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($393.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($279.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 960 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($329.00 @ B&H) 
Storage: Western Digital Red Pro 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($167.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1080 8GB STRIX Video Card  ($678.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase Pro 5 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 G2 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: Dell P2715Q 27.0" 60Hz Monitor  ($463.99 @ B&H) 
Monitor: Dell P2715Q 27.0" 60Hz Monitor  ($463.99 @ B&H) 
Total: $3474.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-18 14:15 EST-0500

 

 

This is what i put together. You will still need the bluetooth card if you really need it. If there is anything specific you absolutely need then you can switch it out for it.

[AkiraDaarkst]

1 minute ago, mattk said:

Did you even read the post?

Yeah I did, I'm asking the OP to clarify what he wants.

[Trav_X]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6900K 3.2GHz 8-Core Processor  ($1044.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($96.99 @ Best Buy) 
Motherboard: Asus X99-A II ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($223.99 @ B&H) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($78.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($94.89 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($72.88 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: NVIDIA Quadro M4000 8GB Video Card  ($766.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: NZXT S340 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($74.99 @ Jet) 
Monitor: HP Z27s 27.0" 60Hz Monitor  ($466.74 @ B&H) 
Total: $3011.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-18 14:16 EST-0500

 

Here is a decent build around $3000 that has thunderbolt, a good Quadro, a great 8 core CPU and a great cooler if you want to overclock. Lots of USB ports, a lot of storage, and the minimum amount of ram you wanted which can easily be upgraded later. I included a good IPS color accurate monitor that is 4K, but there are lots of other great monitor choices.

 

If you don't need the monitor you can easily get a better Quadro in the $900-$1100 price range or change the CPU from a 6900k to a 6950X for two more cores.

[PowerBeard]

2 minutes ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

So let's get a few items clarified.

• You don't want to work with a 5K iMac or a Mac Pro?
• You want a professional GPU, as in something like a Quadro card for 10-bit color support?
• What's your budget?
• I assume you work with software like Indesign and Illustrator?
• Do you also have a professional grade monitor to take advantage of that Quadro GPU?

The "Trash Can" Mac Pro is WAY old for the price.
I use Adobe Subscription, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.

My ASUS PB278 27" monitor is fine for me, but it would be nice to have 2.

[Unexas.]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/vwH9tJ
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/vwH9tJ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-6900K 3.2GHz 8-Core Processor  ($1044.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($96.99 @ Best Buy) 
Motherboard: Asus X99-DELUXE II ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($393.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($279.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 960 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($329.00 @ B&H) 
Storage: Western Digital Red Pro 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($167.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1080 8GB STRIX Video Card  ($678.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase Pro 5 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 G2 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit  ($98.99 @ My Choice Software) 
Total: $3310.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-18 14:18 EST-0500

 

This is updated to and 8 core CPU after seeing you don't need a monitor.

[AkiraDaarkst]

42 minutes ago, Unexas. said:

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

CPU: Intel Core i7-6800K 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor  ($379.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($96.99 @ Best Buy) 
Motherboard: Asus X99-DELUXE II ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($393.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($279.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 960 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($329.00 @ B&H) 
Storage: Western Digital Red Pro 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($167.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1080 8GB STRIX Video Card  ($678.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase Pro 5 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 G2 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: Dell P2715Q 27.0" 60Hz Monitor  ($463.99 @ B&H) 
Monitor: Dell P2715Q 27.0" 60Hz Monitor  ($463.99 @ B&H) 
Total: $3474.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-18 14:15 EST-0500

 

 

This is what i put together. You will still need the bluetooth card if you really need it. If there is anything specific you absolutely need then you can switch it out for it.

 

41 minutes ago, Trav_X said:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6900K 3.2GHz 8-Core Processor  ($1044.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($96.99 @ Best Buy) 
Motherboard: Asus X99-A II ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($223.99 @ B&H) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($78.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($94.89 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($72.88 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: NVIDIA Quadro M4000 8GB Video Card  ($766.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: NZXT S340 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($74.99 @ Jet) 
Monitor: HP Z27s 27.0" 60Hz Monitor  ($466.74 @ B&H) 
Total: $3011.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-18 14:16 EST-0500

 

Here is a decent build around $3000 that has thunderbolt, a good Quadro, a great 8 core CPU and a great cooler if you want to overclock. Lots of USB ports, a lot of storage, and the minimum amount of ram you wanted which can easily be upgraded later. I included a good IPS color accurate monitor that is 4K, but there are lots of other great monitor choices.

Both these configurations are fucking retarded way overkill for someone who wants a machine for graphics design.  The above one is configured with a gaming GPU and the bottom one is overpowered.

[mattk]

6 minutes ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

 

Both these configurations are fucking retarded for someone who wants a machine for graphics design.  The above one is configured with a gaming GPU and the bottom one is overpowered.

Gaming cpu? lol *edit Whoops, thought it said CPU, not GPU

 

That is no gaming cpu, the only thing you might be correct about is that they are overpowered.

Edited November 18, 2016 by mattk

[Trav_X]

3 minutes ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

 

Both these configurations are fucking retarded for someone who wants a machine for graphics design.  The above one is configured with a gaming GPU and the bottom one is overpowered.

If he has a budget of $3000, why not spend that money to get the best equipment he can? Why would he only spend $1000 and then have to eventually keep upgrading it to meet his needs? If he is willing to spend $3000, then this would be the best build he could get with that money.

[AkiraDaarkst]

5 minutes ago, PowerBeard said:

The "Trash Can" Mac Pro is WAY old for the price.
I use Adobe Subscription, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.

My ASUS PB278 27" monitor is fine for me, but it would be nice to have 2.

How much are you willing to spend, because you don't need to spend $3000 for a graphics design workstation.  But if you do need a professional GPU (like a Quadro) you will need a professional grade monitor to take advantage of the Quadro's 10-bit color support capability.  And professional grade monitors with 10-bit color capability cost somewhere in the $1000+ region.

 

But if you don't need 10-bit color support, you can use a consumer grade GPU.

 

You're not using 3D CAD type of software that will take advantage of a workstation GPU's floating point precision calculation capabilities.  But software like Photoshop can benefit from the 10-bit color support... if you really need it.

 

A workstation GPU + 10-bit monitor will cost around $1800 minimum.

[PowerBeard]

1 minute ago, mattk said:

Gaming cpu? lol

 

That is no gaming cpu, the only thing you might be correct about is that they are overpowered.

Yeah, I don't WANT to drop $3500, thats not my goal here.

 

I am getting by with a late 2012 Mac Mini with i7 2.3 GHz, 16GB of RAM, and a Intel HD Graphics 4000 1536MB.

 

 

 

[AkiraDaarkst]

3 minutes ago, mattk said:

Gaming cpu? lol

 

That is no gaming cpu, the only thing you might be correct about is that they are overpowered.

Asus GeForce GTX 1080 8GB STRIX Video Card <-- this is a fucking gaming GPU.

[Unexas.]

4 minutes ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

 

Both these configurations are fucking retarded for someone who wants a machine for graphics design.  The above one is configured with a gaming GPU and the bottom one is overpowered.

Did you even read all of it? The 1080 has more CUDA cores and uses Pascal. If he needs the specific features that Quadro offers then he can switch it out.

8 minutes ago, Unexas. said:

If there is anything specific you absolutely need then you can switch it out for it.

 

[AkiraDaarkst]

3 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

For people trying put these together.  For one Different Quadros and FirePros are meant for different tasks.  A gaming GPU is kinda useless for someone doing graphics design where a FirePro or Quadro is a tad more ideal.  However, as stated above the Quadro added is probably overkill as is the i7.  It's not just the power of the GPU you need to look at it, but instructions and tasks the GPU is capable of doing.

Not to mention that for a graphics designer, if one gets a workstation GPU, one should also get a 10-bit monitor.  Otherwise it's pointless.  Software like AutoCAD takes advantage of a workstation GPU's capability for floating point precision, but software like Photoshop, Illustrator do not.

[AkiraDaarkst]

1 minute ago, Unexas. said:

Did you even read all of it? The 1080 has more CUDA cores and uses Pascal. If he needs the specific features that Quadro offers then he can switch it out.

 

No point in having that many CUDA cores for software like Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign.  He's not editing video.

[Trav_X]

4 minutes ago, PowerBeard said:

Yeah, I don't WANT to drop $3500, thats not my goal here.

 

I am getting by with a late 2012 Mac Mini with i7 2.3 GHz, 16GB of RAM, and a Intel HD Graphics 4000 1536MB.

 

 

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6800K 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor  ($379.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($96.99 @ Best Buy) 
Motherboard: Asus X99-A II ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($223.99 @ B&H) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($78.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($94.89 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($72.88 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: PNY Quadro K2200 4GB Video Card  ($377.16 @ Jet) 
Case: NZXT S340 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($74.99 @ NCIX US) 
Total: $1489.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-18 14:29 EST-0500

 

here is a toned down version of the initial build I posted. Half the price, should be sufficient enough for you. Just find yourself the right GPU, whether you want CUDA or Stream Processors for whatever you need for certain programs. You could easily just get a Hyper 212 EVO or a Cryorig H5 Ultimate if you aren't someone who needs to overclock their CPU, both of those air coolers would save you around $50 if you didn't want to liquid cool your processor.

[PowerBeard]

1 minute ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

No point in having that many CUDA cores for software like Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign.  He's not editing video.

I do small simple stuff with video, just tutorials for clients or for Youtube. Nothing "professional".

 

I do websites, print media (business cards, letterhead, etc.) and I publish books and magazines.

 

 

[pwn_intended]

Here is a list with a good Quadro based GPU, and a 10 core xeon. The GPU can be switched with a "gaming" card as most of the newer "gaming" cards outperform Quadros in Adobe. This is because of more cuda cores and higher clock speeds. Quadro is something you want when the software you use REQUIRES validated hardware and you need 10-bit colour and ECC-vram. The motherboard also supports ECC RAM if you want to go that route since this build is WELL under your budget.

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/gFqqBP
I have not included an HDD as those are cheap as hell and easy to come by, and I also did not include Bluetooth or wifi since those are also cheap to come by. Also, change out the CPU cooler and case as you see fit, these were just my "go to" options.

[AkiraDaarkst]

3 minutes ago, PowerBeard said:

Yeah, I don't WANT to drop $3500, thats not my goal here.

 

I am getting by with a late 2012 Mac Mini with i7 2.3 GHz, 16GB of RAM, and a Intel HD Graphics 4000 1536MB.

 

 

 

OK then for starters, you don't really need the best or latest of everything.  You're not working as a video editor, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign doesn't really benefit from having so many CUDA cores or a ton of RAM and CPU horsepower.

 

I recommend going with something like an i5 6500, with a GTX 1050 with 4GB (even an older 980 or something).

 

1 minute ago, PowerBeard said:

I do small simple stuff with video, just tutorials for clients or for Youtube. Nothing "professional".

Yeah, I have a feeling you don't really need that much horsepower.

[AkiraDaarkst]

4 minutes ago, Trav_X said:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6800K 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor  ($379.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($96.99 @ Best Buy) 
Motherboard: Asus X99-A II ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($223.99 @ B&H) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($78.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($94.89 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($72.88 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: PNY Quadro K2200 4GB Video Card  ($377.16 @ Jet) 
Case: NZXT S340 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($74.99 @ NCIX US) 
Total: $1489.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-18 14:29 EST-0500

 

here is a toned down version of the initial build I posted. Half the price, should be sufficient enough for you. Just find yourself the right GPU, whether you want CUDA or Stream Processors for whatever you need for certain programs. You could easily just get a Hyper 212 EVO or a Cryorig H5 Ultimate if you aren't someone who needs to overclock their CPU, both of those air coolers would save you around $50 if you didn't want to liquid cool your processor.

This is actually a more reasonable build, though I'd get the Quadro M4000 instead.  Switch out the CPU for a 6700.  You might be able to use a cheaper Mobo.

[NTDaws]

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/JKbtKZ

 

My parts list for you.