If money was no object, I would just buy a MacPro desktop for my graphic design work. But it looks like my budget will only get me a PC. So I'd appreciate some solid and simple advice for a brand of PC that will work for me. I'll be using the Adobe Creative Suite CS4 (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, DreamWeaver, Flash) and then probably Microsoft apps thrown in there. I've been thinking minimum - Intel Quad Core, 6GB ram, 2 HDs. What graphics card should I get? And other suggestions. I need this computer to CRANK! I'm not very techy, so make it simple for me please.....thanks.
Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!
Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations SkipVought on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
Best PC for Graphic Designer 1
- Thread starter Pixelchik
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #3
-
1
- #4
Or, if you got the parts, would this techie friend of yours be able to, and want to put it together? Some techies would love the opportunity at times. ![[wink]](/data/assets/smilies/wink.gif "[wink] [wink]")
But if you're certain you want to just buy a prebuilt system, there are tons of options out there as well.
Here are the basics of what I'd look for:
CPU:
Intel Quad Core? At this point with your budget, I'd go Intel Core i5. I would say Core i7, but the price/performance difference seems to lean towards i5, and it is a nice processor - just get whichever is the cheapest, or if there isn't much diff between 2, get the better of the 2.
RAM:
6GB is Good. The faster the better, to some extent.
Hard Drive/Storage:
If you get the RIGHT one, an SSD now would be excellent for the system drive. Intel recently released a new line of SSDs which seem to have the market buzzing. The hard part is finding one. Or if you don't to go SSD just yet, you could get a Velociraptor for the main drive... then again, there are some new drives out from WD which actually tested faster than the Velociraptor... same manufacturer, go figure... and those new drives are standard 7200 instead of 10,000 RPM drives.
2nd Hard Drive
I'd go with a WD Black, whatever size fits your needs. You can find 1TB drives easily, but you may can find a 2TB drive now, as I see they've been released.
Graphics:
nVidia has been king in this area for a while, but from what I've seen of late, the ATi series cards have moved on top. Look at the higher-end 5xxx series cards, I'd say.
PSU (power supply):
If you're going to invest in a good machine, it really needs a good PSU. If you build, then you'll have a logical choice, and you can get good ones fairly reasonable. If you get an OEM system, such as Dell or HP, then you could still get your own power supply, but you'd want to make sure it didn't void your warranty if you do.
That about covers it, if you're buying a pre-built system. But of course, you don't have the luxury of hand-picking all those components if you do buy pre-built. I'd suggest that if you get OEM, just try to get as close to those as possible. In your case, the CPU will probably be the most important. I'd highly suggest you stick to a system that has a Core i5 or Core i7 installed.
It wouldn't hurt looking around at the different parts at And you can of course purchase whole systems there as well, but I generally just look at the components.
If you do find a whole system you like online, you can always post a link here, and get some opinions.
--
"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
But if you're certain you want to just buy a prebuilt system, there are tons of options out there as well.
Here are the basics of what I'd look for:
CPU:
Intel Quad Core? At this point with your budget, I'd go Intel Core i5. I would say Core i7, but the price/performance difference seems to lean towards i5, and it is a nice processor - just get whichever is the cheapest, or if there isn't much diff between 2, get the better of the 2.
RAM:
6GB is Good. The faster the better, to some extent.
Hard Drive/Storage:
If you get the RIGHT one, an SSD now would be excellent for the system drive. Intel recently released a new line of SSDs which seem to have the market buzzing. The hard part is finding one.
Or if you don't to go SSD just yet, you could get a Velociraptor for the main drive... then again, there are some new drives out from WD which actually tested faster than the Velociraptor... same manufacturer, go figure... and those new drives are standard 7200 instead of 10,000 RPM drives.2nd Hard Drive
I'd go with a WD Black, whatever size fits your needs. You can find 1TB drives easily, but you may can find a 2TB drive now, as I see they've been released.
Graphics:
nVidia has been king in this area for a while, but from what I've seen of late, the ATi series cards have moved on top. Look at the higher-end 5xxx series cards, I'd say.
PSU (power supply):
If you're going to invest in a good machine, it really needs a good PSU. If you build, then you'll have a logical choice, and you can get good ones fairly reasonable. If you get an OEM system, such as Dell or HP, then you could still get your own power supply, but you'd want to make sure it didn't void your warranty if you do.
That about covers it, if you're buying a pre-built system. But of course, you don't have the luxury of hand-picking all those components if you do buy pre-built. I'd suggest that if you get OEM, just try to get as close to those as possible. In your case, the CPU will probably be the most important. I'd highly suggest you stick to a system that has a Core i5 or Core i7 installed.
It wouldn't hurt looking around at the different parts at And you can of course purchase whole systems there as well, but I generally just look at the components.
If you do find a whole system you like online, you can always post a link here, and get some opinions.
--
"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
- Moderator
- #5
Welcome back from the dark side.
**Smirk**
OK, seriously? Good choice. Since the Macs are now all running on PC Boards anyway. Heck, you can install OSX on a number of PC's out there.....
So other than the fact that it's shiny, there's not much point in buying a Mac nowadays.
Just my 2¢
"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."
--Greg
**Smirk**
OK, seriously? Good choice. Since the Macs are now all running on PC Boards anyway. Heck, you can install OSX on a number of PC's out there.....
So other than the fact that it's shiny, there's not much point in buying a Mac nowadays.
Just my 2¢
"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."
--Greg
Oh, as far as a brand of PC, I really didn't go into that.
Generally speaking, it seems that HP and Dell both make the best overall PCs. Some better than others, and lately, it seems that none of them are built too terrible anymore.
Right now, of what I've seen of late, I think I'd prefer them in this order:
1. HP
2. (close #2 at that) Dell
3. Acer/Gateway - yeah, I've been shocked of late, they have been pretty decent machines. ... Still shocked. ;p
4. eMachine - I think these have been the bottom of the barrel of late.
All the others (unless I'm not thinking of one of the main ones) are really overpriced. You're not going to notice enough difference to make it worth getting say an Alienware PC, or a Sony PC most likely. Both those and other niche vendors make good machines, but they are usually way too overpriced.
--
"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
Generally speaking, it seems that HP and Dell both make the best overall PCs. Some better than others, and lately, it seems that none of them are built too terrible anymore.
Right now, of what I've seen of late, I think I'd prefer them in this order:
1. HP
2. (close #2 at that) Dell
3. Acer/Gateway - yeah, I've been shocked of late, they have been pretty decent machines. ... Still shocked. ;p
4. eMachine - I think these have been the bottom of the barrel of late.
All the others (unless I'm not thinking of one of the main ones) are really overpriced. You're not going to notice enough difference to make it worth getting say an Alienware PC, or a Sony PC most likely. Both those and other niche vendors make good machines, but they are usually way too overpriced.
--
"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
- Thread starter
- #7
Thanks everyone....that gives me a much better idea of what to look for. I was leaning towards an HP since I had a customized one at my job several years ago and it was pretty solid. Other than the $$$, why would a Core i7 or i5 be better choice than a Quad core?
Nelviticus
Programmer
If you don't want to do CAD or gaming then you can save money on the graphics card and spend more on the rest. Avoid 'integrated' graphics and make sure the machine you buy has a dedicated graphics card from nVidia or ATI with at least 512MB memory - you don't need a souped-up gaming card.
I just went to Dell's US site and came up with a monster Studio XPS 9000 system for $1,849:
PROCESSOR: Intel® Core™ i7-920 processor(8MB L3 Cache, 2.66GHz)
OPERATING SYSTEM: Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit
MEMORY: 9GB DDR3
HARD DRIVES: 2 x 1TB 7200 RPM SATA
OPTICAL DRIVE: 16X DVD+/-RW Drive
VIDEO CARD: nVidia GeForce GTS 240 1024MB
It also comes with a 22" Samsung monitor (and, inexplicably, some 3D glasses). I didn't add Adobe CS4 and I'm not sure whether you already own it, but I think it was about $700 from Dell.
That would be an awesome PC for graphic design.
Regards
Nelviticus
I just went to Dell's US site and came up with a monster Studio XPS 9000 system for $1,849:
PROCESSOR: Intel® Core™ i7-920 processor(8MB L3 Cache, 2.66GHz)
OPERATING SYSTEM: Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit
MEMORY: 9GB DDR3
HARD DRIVES: 2 x 1TB 7200 RPM SATA
OPTICAL DRIVE: 16X DVD+/-RW Drive
VIDEO CARD: nVidia GeForce GTS 240 1024MB
It also comes with a 22" Samsung monitor (and, inexplicably, some 3D glasses). I didn't add Adobe CS4 and I'm not sure whether you already own it, but I think it was about $700 from Dell.
That would be an awesome PC for graphic design.
Regards
Nelviticus
Nelviticus
Programmer
To answer your last question Core i5 and Core i7 are quad-core CPUs. They're the successors to Intel's Core 2 Quad range (yes, the names are confusing) and competitors to AMD's Athlon X4 and Phenom X4 quad-core CPUs. The Core i5 and i7 range are very fast but comparatively very expensive.
If you don't have one already you should budget for a very large, high-quality monitor. Dell's monitors are highly regarded; I don't know about HP.
Regards
Nelviticus
If you don't have one already you should budget for a very large, high-quality monitor. Dell's monitors are highly regarded; I don't know about HP.
Regards
Nelviticus
If you want to know why I suggest the Core i5/i7 now over Core 2 Quad, it is performance. But also, you'd spend maybe a couple hundred difference between the Core 2 Quad and the Core i5/i7, but the machine would probably do more for you, and over a longer time period. The Core 2 Quad series now has a little age on it.
Look over at the reviews on Tom's Hardware of late, and at the CPU charts there. You have to actually look bottom to top on the CPU test I have linked here - not sure why it's that way there right now:
The review mentioning the new Core i5 CPUs is here:
They have plenty of charts/tests in their reviews, generally. And of course, you can find similar info in other places, like and others.
I also liked the sound of the Dell configuration posted above. XPS will give you supposedly better support, but I've heard more and more complaints from end users. Personally, I'd stay away from XPS with Dell, and just go with a mainstream desktop that uses the same CPU, etc. From what I've seen, the components can be had much cheaper that way. Then again, that's not from my personal experience. Everything I've owned, other than a laptop, has been custom-built, and I prefer it that way, still...
I've seen some new Dells and HPs in operation with new processors. They do seem to run much better and have fewer issues than at any time I can remember. My dad-in-law just got a new Dell for $700 or less with a 23 inch LCD monitor and a Pentium Dual Core CPU. Even with that processor, that system really "snaps". It came with Vista installed, and a free 7 upgrade (b/c it was before the official Windows 7 release).
So, if you want to cut back a little, you can go with the Intel Core 2 Quad series, or even the AMD offerings. If it were me, I'd go with a Core i5 or Core i7 all the way.
Oh, by the way, the first link I gave didn't list the Core i5, b/c it hasn't been updated since the recent release of that line. It's basically a slightely toned down Core i7, which also makes it cheaper. In the tests I saw, it rated pretty close to the i7, sometimes better, so to me, I'd just go with the Core i5... less money, no noticeable performance loss.
--
"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
Look over at the reviews on Tom's Hardware of late, and at the CPU charts there. You have to actually look bottom to top on the CPU test I have linked here - not sure why it's that way there right now:
The review mentioning the new Core i5 CPUs is here:
They have plenty of charts/tests in their reviews, generally. And of course, you can find similar info in other places, like and others.
I also liked the sound of the Dell configuration posted above. XPS will give you supposedly better support, but I've heard more and more complaints from end users. Personally, I'd stay away from XPS with Dell, and just go with a mainstream desktop that uses the same CPU, etc. From what I've seen, the components can be had much cheaper that way. Then again, that's not from my personal experience. Everything I've owned, other than a laptop, has been custom-built, and I prefer it that way, still...
I've seen some new Dells and HPs in operation with new processors. They do seem to run much better and have fewer issues than at any time I can remember. My dad-in-law just got a new Dell for $700 or less with a 23 inch LCD monitor and a Pentium Dual Core CPU. Even with that processor, that system really "snaps". It came with Vista installed, and a free 7 upgrade (b/c it was before the official Windows 7 release).
So, if you want to cut back a little, you can go with the Intel Core 2 Quad series, or even the AMD offerings. If it were me, I'd go with a Core i5 or Core i7 all the way.
Oh, by the way, the first link I gave didn't list the Core i5, b/c it hasn't been updated since the recent release of that line. It's basically a slightely toned down Core i7, which also makes it cheaper. In the tests I saw, it rated pretty close to the i7, sometimes better, so to me, I'd just go with the Core i5... less money, no noticeable performance loss.
--
"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
- Thread starter
- #11
$99
$25.99
$288.99
2 X $79.99
$139.99
$199.99
$74.99
$208.99
$154.99
$139.99
Better case/better power supply/better graphics/2 fast hard drives/Faster quality memory/bigger and better monitor/Windows 7 Pro better version
Better/better/better and for less than $1500.00
Martin
On wings like angels whispers sweet
my heart it feels a broken beat
Touched soul and hurt lay wounded deep
Brown eyes are lost afar and sleep
$25.99
$288.99
2 X $79.99
$139.99
$199.99
$74.99
$208.99
$154.99
$139.99
Better case/better power supply/better graphics/2 fast hard drives/Faster quality memory/bigger and better monitor/Windows 7 Pro better version
Better/better/better and for less than $1500.00
Martin
On wings like angels whispers sweet
my heart it feels a broken beat
Touched soul and hurt lay wounded deep
Brown eyes are lost afar and sleep
- Thread starter
- #13
I agree on papa's suggestions, that they would make for a good system. However, I would personally prefer some a few differences. Total price would be about the same.
Okay, here we go, I'll lay it out a little easier to read, I hope:
Case:
Papa's rec: Antec 900 $99
My rec: CoolerMaster Storm Scout $99
PSU:
Papa's rec: Antec EarthWatts 650Watt $79.99
My rec: Corsair 750Watt - $109.99 - $10 mail-in-rebate = $99.99
Motherboard:
Papa's rec: (Open Box) Asus P6T Deluxe - $208.99
My rec: Either same or the retail: Retail same board - $289.99
I would probably go with the open box, but the retail will give a better warranty, and all your cables. For the cables, though, I'd just buy them separate at that price diff. Just keep that in mind - open box does have more risk. I've not had any problems there, but you never know.
CPU:
Papa's rec: Core i7 920 - $289.99
My rec: Core i5 750 - $199.99
RAM/Memory:
Papa's rec: GSkill 6GB (3x2GB)[/LINK] $169.99
My rec: I concur, if in stock - not at moment. There are others similar of course. GSkill is one of a handful of good memory manufacturers. They're one of the best, I think.
Graphics:
Papa's rec: [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150437]XFX GeForce GTS 250 - $154.99
My rec: MSI ATi 5770 - $169.99
Honestly, any card at this level will be good. If I were to go nVidia, I'd first choose eVGA for the brand. I like MSI as a brand in general, performance wise, so that's why I picked that for the ATi card. However, they haven't been making ATi cards for that long. They've made nVidia cards seemingly forever. The ATi series, overall, is top dog at the moment, last I checked. It's a newer architecture, and also ATi tends to be better at things like video, whereas nVidia tends to be better towards gaming (model to model comparisons will differ, of course). Also the new ATi 5xxx line is yet to show its true colors - just waiting on the software side to catch up, really.
Hard Drive / Storage:
Papa's rec: Samsung SpinPoint 1TB x2 - $79.99 ($159.98)
My rec: (2 parts):
1: System Drive: Intel X25M (G2) 80GB - $289.00
If you have too much software to fit on 80GB (windows and programs only), then you could consider it's big brother. But be sure you need that extra space, 'cause that one costs one pretty penney at $659.
2: Data Drive: WD Black 1TB - $109.99, not in stock at moment.
Optical/DVD Burner:
Papa's rec: Samsung 22X DVDRW[/LINK] - $25.99
My rec: Probably any is fine. I didn't like what I read on a couple of the newer LGs, but I've generally REALLY liked their drives.. I'll have to check up on their new ones though... one reviewer mentioned something about some ad software built into the drive or something? But, unless you'll be burning a lot, then any drive should do.
Operating System (OS):
Papa's rec: [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116758]Windows 7 64bit OEM - $139.99
My rec: I concur. You could get retail, but it's MUCH more expensive. The benefit is you can legally move it to a new PC in the future if you want. If you plan to stick with this machine for at least a few years then OEM is fine. Especially since there is pretty good evidence/rumors out that M$ is already working on Windows 8.
Monitor:
Papa's rec: LG 23 in LCD - $199.95
My rec: I concur. You may can find a better one/better deal, but it looks to be a good monitor for photography based on colors and pixel pitch. Also, LG seems to make really nice screens, period.
My reasons for differences:
Case = I just think the one I picked out looks a little less "alien" like, less like a gamer, more like a professional. The only caviat is the handle on top. Also, the ports may be a little easier to access/reach.
Hard Drive/Storage - from everyone who has actually used an SSD of late, and written about it, they've stated it's the biggest upgrade they've ever made on a computer. From all the tests/reviews I've seen/read, I say if you can afford it at all, then SSD is just about a necessity... especially since Intel just released these cheaper models that still perform with the "big boys."
Processor - I think the Core i5 is close enough to the Core i7 that you won't know the difference, but it'll save $100, and be more energy efficient, so it'll cost less in the long run.
Graphics card - I think the ATi 5xxx series is more "future proof" than the nVidia 2xx series. Both are good cards/lines, really. Also, the new ATi series (I think) will give better color renditions anyway. Even with ATi didn't have the performance crows in the past, they typically had competitive if not better color rendition - more important than gaming performance for you anyway. You could always get a lower en done, as well, and save $60 to $100, without sacrificing much in color quality.
Total Price compare (Chart):[TT]
papa kjv XPS
Case 99 99 NA
PSU 79.99 109.99 NA
Mobo 208.99 208.99 NA
CPU 289.99 199.99 NA
RAM 169.99 169.99 NA
GFX 154.99 169.99 NA
HDD 159.98 398.99 NA
DVD 25.99 25.99 NA
OS 139.99 139.99 NA
Mon 199.95 199.95 NA
Total 1528.66 1722.87 1849.00
[/TT]
Performance Diff? (My opinions - by Category only)
[TT]
papa kjv XPS
Case 0 0 0
PSU 0 0 0
Mobo +1 +1 0
CPU +1 0 +1
RAM 0 0 +1
GFX 0 +1 0
HDD 0 +1 0
DVD 0 0 0
OS 0 0 0
Mon 0 0 0
Total 2 3 2
[/TT]
Well, could do more charts/comparisons, but honestly, I'm sure you'd be happy with any of the above.
If you wanted to get nitpicky to be sure, you could do some searching about which case is quietest/noisiest, and which drives are quieter/noisier, and which fans, PSUs, etc...
Whatever you do, I think the Core i5 and SSD/black combination will be the best. You'll see a MUCH bitter performance increase from the SSD over hard drive than you will between the Core i7/i5. Of course, that runs the price up, obviously.
Well, happy shopping/dreaming/thinking. And if your friend enjoys this kind of stuff, get his input as well. He being your friend, he'd appreciate the confidence, and if he's like most of us, would kill to build this sort of system. Most of the time, I find that anything on the market will pretty much be fine for most everybody. Also, most people offer up budgets much smaller, so it's not as "fun" to build/order/customize their systems most of the time.![[smile]](/data/assets/smilies/smile.gif "[smile] [smile]")
Now, I must hush.
--
"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
However, I would personally prefer some a few differences. Total price would be about the same.Okay, here we go, I'll lay it out a little easier to read, I hope:
Case:
Papa's rec: Antec 900 $99
My rec: CoolerMaster Storm Scout $99
PSU:
Papa's rec: Antec EarthWatts 650Watt $79.99
My rec: Corsair 750Watt - $109.99 - $10 mail-in-rebate = $99.99
Motherboard:
Papa's rec: (Open Box) Asus P6T Deluxe - $208.99
My rec: Either same or the retail: Retail same board - $289.99
I would probably go with the open box, but the retail will give a better warranty, and all your cables. For the cables, though, I'd just buy them separate at that price diff. Just keep that in mind - open box does have more risk. I've not had any problems there, but you never know.
CPU:
Papa's rec: Core i7 920 - $289.99
My rec: Core i5 750 - $199.99
RAM/Memory:
Papa's rec: GSkill 6GB (3x2GB)[/LINK] $169.99
My rec: I concur, if in stock - not at moment. There are others similar of course. GSkill is one of a handful of good memory manufacturers. They're one of the best, I think.
Graphics:
Papa's rec: [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150437]XFX GeForce GTS 250 - $154.99
My rec: MSI ATi 5770 - $169.99
Honestly, any card at this level will be good. If I were to go nVidia, I'd first choose eVGA for the brand. I like MSI as a brand in general, performance wise, so that's why I picked that for the ATi card. However, they haven't been making ATi cards for that long. They've made nVidia cards seemingly forever. The ATi series, overall, is top dog at the moment, last I checked. It's a newer architecture, and also ATi tends to be better at things like video, whereas nVidia tends to be better towards gaming (model to model comparisons will differ, of course). Also the new ATi 5xxx line is yet to show its true colors - just waiting on the software side to catch up, really.
Hard Drive / Storage:
Papa's rec: Samsung SpinPoint 1TB x2 - $79.99 ($159.98)
My rec: (2 parts):
1: System Drive: Intel X25M (G2) 80GB - $289.00
If you have too much software to fit on 80GB (windows and programs only), then you could consider it's big brother. But be sure you need that extra space, 'cause that one costs one pretty penney at $659.
2: Data Drive: WD Black 1TB - $109.99, not in stock at moment.
Optical/DVD Burner:
Papa's rec: Samsung 22X DVDRW[/LINK] - $25.99
My rec: Probably any is fine. I didn't like what I read on a couple of the newer LGs, but I've generally REALLY liked their drives.. I'll have to check up on their new ones though... one reviewer mentioned something about some ad software built into the drive or something? But, unless you'll be burning a lot, then any drive should do.
Operating System (OS):
Papa's rec: [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116758]Windows 7 64bit OEM - $139.99
My rec: I concur. You could get retail, but it's MUCH more expensive. The benefit is you can legally move it to a new PC in the future if you want. If you plan to stick with this machine for at least a few years then OEM is fine. Especially since there is pretty good evidence/rumors out that M$ is already working on Windows 8.
Monitor:
Papa's rec: LG 23 in LCD - $199.95
My rec: I concur. You may can find a better one/better deal, but it looks to be a good monitor for photography based on colors and pixel pitch. Also, LG seems to make really nice screens, period.
My reasons for differences:
Case = I just think the one I picked out looks a little less "alien" like, less like a gamer, more like a professional. The only caviat is the handle on top. Also, the ports may be a little easier to access/reach.
Hard Drive/Storage - from everyone who has actually used an SSD of late, and written about it, they've stated it's the biggest upgrade they've ever made on a computer. From all the tests/reviews I've seen/read, I say if you can afford it at all, then SSD is just about a necessity... especially since Intel just released these cheaper models that still perform with the "big boys."
Processor - I think the Core i5 is close enough to the Core i7 that you won't know the difference, but it'll save $100, and be more energy efficient, so it'll cost less in the long run.
Graphics card - I think the ATi 5xxx series is more "future proof" than the nVidia 2xx series. Both are good cards/lines, really. Also, the new ATi series (I think) will give better color renditions anyway. Even with ATi didn't have the performance crows in the past, they typically had competitive if not better color rendition - more important than gaming performance for you anyway. You could always get a lower en done, as well, and save $60 to $100, without sacrificing much in color quality.
Total Price compare (Chart):[TT]
papa kjv XPS
Case 99 99 NA
PSU 79.99 109.99 NA
Mobo 208.99 208.99 NA
CPU 289.99 199.99 NA
RAM 169.99 169.99 NA
GFX 154.99 169.99 NA
HDD 159.98 398.99 NA
DVD 25.99 25.99 NA
OS 139.99 139.99 NA
Mon 199.95 199.95 NA
Total 1528.66 1722.87 1849.00
[/TT]
Performance Diff? (My opinions - by Category only)
[TT]
papa kjv XPS
Case 0 0 0
PSU 0 0 0
Mobo +1 +1 0
CPU +1 0 +1
RAM 0 0 +1
GFX 0 +1 0
HDD 0 +1 0
DVD 0 0 0
OS 0 0 0
Mon 0 0 0
Total 2 3 2
[/TT]
Well, could do more charts/comparisons, but honestly, I'm sure you'd be happy with any of the above.
If you wanted to get nitpicky to be sure, you could do some searching about which case is quietest/noisiest, and which drives are quieter/noisier, and which fans, PSUs, etc...
Whatever you do, I think the Core i5 and SSD/black combination will be the best. You'll see a MUCH bitter performance increase from the SSD over hard drive than you will between the Core i7/i5. Of course, that runs the price up, obviously.
Well, happy shopping/dreaming/thinking. And if your friend enjoys this kind of stuff, get his input as well. He being your friend, he'd appreciate the confidence, and if he's like most of us, would kill to build this sort of system. Most of the time, I find that anything on the market will pretty much be fine for most everybody. Also, most people offer up budgets much smaller, so it's not as "fun" to build/order/customize their systems most of the time.
Now, I must hush.
--
"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
- Thread starter
- #15
Thanks kjv1611....that was an awesome comparison. I know my friend would probably enjoy building that system...but I don't think he has the time. He has a very, very busy IT job that takes up all his time...but I will definately run this info by him and see if he is at all interested in doing this for me. I know a custom built machine is the best way to go, since the machine I'm using now was custom built for me, but it was also super expensive. Thanks again for the input.
My 2 cents on open box mother board.
I have bought 2 or 3 of these and I don't recall any of them coming with ANY hardware. I have tons of cables laying around, screws, etc so that is not a problem. But, the IO SHIELD that fits the IO ports of the mother board to the case was also missing. A real PIA for a missing 50 cent part.
I have bought 2 or 3 of these and I don't recall any of them coming with ANY hardware. I have tons of cables laying around, screws, etc so that is not a problem. But, the IO SHIELD that fits the IO ports of the mother board to the case was also missing. A real PIA for a missing 50 cent part.
KJV1611
I'd don't disagree with your choices but would change my GTS250 for a GTX260...think this beats your choice.
and
if you do go for the i5 is will need a different motherboard as it has a different socket type.
Solid state hard drives are good but I'm not sure I'm ready for the jump just yet with the price/capacity being an issue for me (and yes I run a similar i7 setup)
I missed the OPEN BOX on the motherboard and agree whilst you can get bargains this way I wouldn't have it without the I/O plate.
The big drawback though is that all of these i5 boards I can see only have 4 memory slots where as.... most of the i7 boards have 6 and for Photoshop lots of memory and the potential to add more is a big consideration.
Martin
On wings like angels whispers sweet
my heart it feels a broken beat
Touched soul and hurt lay wounded deep
Brown eyes are lost afar and sleep
I'd don't disagree with your choices but would change my GTS250 for a GTX260...think this beats your choice.
and
if you do go for the i5 is will need a different motherboard as it has a different socket type.
Solid state hard drives are good but I'm not sure I'm ready for the jump just yet with the price/capacity being an issue for me (and yes I run a similar i7 setup)
I missed the OPEN BOX on the motherboard and agree whilst you can get bargains this way I wouldn't have it without the I/O plate.
The big drawback though is that all of these i5 boards I can see only have 4 memory slots where as.... most of the i7 boards have 6 and for Photoshop lots of memory and the potential to add more is a big consideration.
Martin
On wings like angels whispers sweet
my heart it feels a broken beat
Touched soul and hurt lay wounded deep
Brown eyes are lost afar and sleep
I also noticed that you put a +1 in the XPS memory column...it might have more but it is much slower type.
and the i7 board does have the potential for 12GB if required.
BTW: Nvidia GTX260 and ATI 4870 cards are both more powerful options compared to the ATI 5770 although it does have DX11 for gaming.
I would love to build this for you...shame I'm in the UK![[2thumbsup]](/data/assets/smilies/2thumbsup.gif "[2thumbsup] [2thumbsup]")
Martin
On wings like angels whispers sweet
my heart it feels a broken beat
Touched soul and hurt lay wounded deep
Brown eyes are lost afar and sleep
and the i7 board does have the potential for 12GB if required.
BTW: Nvidia GTX260 and ATI 4870 cards are both more powerful options compared to the ATI 5770 although it does have DX11 for gaming.
I would love to build this for you...shame I'm in the UK
Martin
On wings like angels whispers sweet
my heart it feels a broken beat
Touched soul and hurt lay wounded deep
Brown eyes are lost afar and sleep
Good points, paparazi. I didn't look at the RAM speeds, or how far the systems could be upgraded. I was just running a quick "drive by" of the given main stats. Of course, even with the +1 for the RAM, the XPS system still pales in comparison.
And I didn't look at the socket differences on the motherboard - should have, but I just didn't.
I've seen some tests that showed some of the nVidia cards still beating out the new ATi 5xxx series (which really does say a lot for nVidia, given theirs are now the older hardware), but I've seen others which show that the new ATi series cards are really the better buy. They're about the same, practically speaking of current stuff, but will be more future proof for newer stuff. Well, I suppose that's almost always the case anyhow - newer better than older, as far as future-proofing.
Either way, you can't really go wrong with any of the modern video cards. There used to be a HUGE performance gap between nVidia and ATi back at least when the nVidia 8xxx series came out. But ATi seems to have caught back up rather nicely - that's good news for all of us, b/c it gives more incentive for pricing competition.
Of course, my suggestions come soley from research. I'm still running this as my main system, and it's still a GREAT system. Honestly, even with audio and video editing, and have done some gaming, I don't need anything else (I might WANT something else, but don't need it):
[UL][LI]Mobo: Abit AB-9 Pro (I like it mainly b/c it has SO MANY SATA connections - it's nice, never worrying about where I can plug this or that[/LI]
[LI]CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750[/LI]
[LI]RAM: 4GB DDR2-1066, If I remember correctly... I think it's one of the Patriot line-up, but can't remember for certain.[/LI]
[LI]Hard Drives: System on a WD Raptor, 74GB, 16MB Cache (got another connected, not really used at moment), 3 1TB WD Green drives for storage, backups, etc.[/LI]
[LI]Optical Drives: 4 LG DVDRW Drives[/LI]
[LI]Graphics: eVGA nVidia 8600GT, 256 OR 512MB DDR3 - don't remember for sure, and haven't been as concerend since haven't really touched gaming for a while. It's for the best, but oh how I could get into another game really quick if I let myself.[/LI]
[LI]PSU: Cooler Master 700 or 750Watt. Don't remember model #. I know it's quiet, and it's black, and it fits in my case real nice.[/LI]
[LI]Case: Antec P180b - One thing I can say, Antec is AMAZING at supporting their products. I never would have thought about this before dealing with them. I've had 2 problems so far, first one was mainly my fault, second one, I'm not sure - I think it's just been so much use - either way, they sent me the replacement part the first time, and said they're going to send the latest part as well - I've had the case around 3 years![/LI]
[LI]OS: Windows XP - ran a virtual machine of Windows 7, but haven't otherwise made the jump - just haven't wanted to take the time, nor spend the money yet.[/LI]
[LI]Sound Card: Creative Labs SoundBlaster xFi - one of the more expensive models. I now wish I never bought it.![[mad]](/data/assets/smilies/mad.gif "[mad] [mad]")
[/li]
[/UL]
Originally, I had the 2 Raptors, and a couple other drives for storage when I built this system. I started with 2GB of Ram, and a different PSU, otherwise it's all the same hardware. I later tried out one of the Green drives, liked it, and got 2 more just recently (I didn't have to pay for the latest 2).
I like the Abit board, but Abit is no longer making boards, so can't go there anymore. And I mainly like the SATA options. Otherwise, I would rather go with Asus, Gigabyte, or possibly MSI, based on past experiences. The Abit board is supposed to be a good overclocking board, but it's not stable for overclocking (at least not the one I got), and besides that, it's got a stinking PINK BIOS screen. yeah, not blue or black, but PINK! Who in the world thought of that one!?
Well, regardless of a few little hiccups here and there through the 3 years, I've not really had any problems. I've not HAD to replace anything, I've just done it b/c I wanted to. It does need a new reinstall of the system pretty badly, but I'm resisting. I really don't want to reinstall and reconfigure the various apps I use for various tasks. But eventually, I'll probably move to Windows 7, at which point I'll finally clean install again, and reconfigure everything. I'll be happy, but it'll take some time to get all the apps configured.
The only other changes to my main system anytime soon will only come if I pick up another piece here or there, but as much as I want to at times, I continually resist the urge to splurge and go out and actually buy a part. It's difficult, but I must resist!![[infinity]](/data/assets/smilies/infinity.gif "[infinity] [infinity]")
--
"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
And I didn't look at the socket differences on the motherboard - should have, but I just didn't.
I've seen some tests that showed some of the nVidia cards still beating out the new ATi 5xxx series (which really does say a lot for nVidia, given theirs are now the older hardware), but I've seen others which show that the new ATi series cards are really the better buy. They're about the same, practically speaking of current stuff, but will be more future proof for newer stuff. Well, I suppose that's almost always the case anyhow - newer better than older, as far as future-proofing.
Either way, you can't really go wrong with any of the modern video cards. There used to be a HUGE performance gap between nVidia and ATi back at least when the nVidia 8xxx series came out. But ATi seems to have caught back up rather nicely - that's good news for all of us, b/c it gives more incentive for pricing competition.
Of course, my suggestions come soley from research. I'm still running this as my main system, and it's still a GREAT system. Honestly, even with audio and video editing, and have done some gaming, I don't need anything else (I might WANT something else, but don't need it):
[UL][LI]Mobo: Abit AB-9 Pro (I like it mainly b/c it has SO MANY SATA connections - it's nice, never worrying about where I can plug this or that[/LI]
[LI]CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750[/LI]
[LI]RAM: 4GB DDR2-1066, If I remember correctly... I think it's one of the Patriot line-up, but can't remember for certain.[/LI]
[LI]Hard Drives: System on a WD Raptor, 74GB, 16MB Cache (got another connected, not really used at moment), 3 1TB WD Green drives for storage, backups, etc.[/LI]
[LI]Optical Drives: 4 LG DVDRW Drives[/LI]
[LI]Graphics: eVGA nVidia 8600GT, 256 OR 512MB DDR3 - don't remember for sure, and haven't been as concerend since haven't really touched gaming for a while. It's for the best, but oh how I could get into another game really quick if I let myself.
[/LI][LI]PSU: Cooler Master 700 or 750Watt. Don't remember model #. I know it's quiet, and it's black, and it fits in my case real nice.[/LI]
[LI]Case: Antec P180b - One thing I can say, Antec is AMAZING at supporting their products. I never would have thought about this before dealing with them. I've had 2 problems so far, first one was mainly my fault, second one, I'm not sure - I think it's just been so much use - either way, they sent me the replacement part the first time, and said they're going to send the latest part as well - I've had the case around 3 years![/LI]
[LI]OS: Windows XP - ran a virtual machine of Windows 7, but haven't otherwise made the jump - just haven't wanted to take the time, nor spend the money yet.[/LI]
[LI]Sound Card: Creative Labs SoundBlaster xFi - one of the more expensive models. I now wish I never bought it.
[/li][/UL]
Originally, I had the 2 Raptors, and a couple other drives for storage when I built this system. I started with 2GB of Ram, and a different PSU, otherwise it's all the same hardware. I later tried out one of the Green drives, liked it, and got 2 more just recently (I didn't have to pay for the latest 2).
I like the Abit board, but Abit is no longer making boards, so can't go there anymore. And I mainly like the SATA options. Otherwise, I would rather go with Asus, Gigabyte, or possibly MSI, based on past experiences. The Abit board is supposed to be a good overclocking board, but it's not stable for overclocking (at least not the one I got), and besides that, it's got a stinking PINK BIOS screen. yeah, not blue or black, but PINK! Who in the world thought of that one!?
Well, regardless of a few little hiccups here and there through the 3 years, I've not really had any problems. I've not HAD to replace anything, I've just done it b/c I wanted to. It does need a new reinstall of the system pretty badly, but I'm resisting. I really don't want to reinstall and reconfigure the various apps I use for various tasks.
But eventually, I'll probably move to Windows 7, at which point I'll finally clean install again, and reconfigure everything. I'll be happy, but it'll take some time to get all the apps configured.The only other changes to my main system anytime soon will only come if I pick up another piece here or there, but as much as I want to at times, I continually resist the urge to splurge and go out and actually buy a part. It's difficult, but I must resist!
--
"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
- Status
Similar threads
- Question
- Locked
- Question
