New build

F

Focusun

n00b
Joined
Sep 21, 2007
Messages
39
In a recent post I read the question "why didn't you ask our opinion before you bought. Sounds like good advise. So here is my request for helpful/critical opinions. I have been using a Dell 4600 for the last 3 yrs. I am a photographer who works with large raw files (often 400 at a time). I am considering the following for a new build.
Lian Li v1000 Plus 2 case, Corsair Hx620 psu, Asus P5wdg2 WS Pro T mobo, Q 6600 go, gigabyte 8600GT silent, 2gb Crucial Ballis ddr2 800 pc6400, Seagate st3500i630ns Sata2 hd. Hanns G 19 mon, New mouse,keyboard, 2burners. I have a VP2030b 20"
and a Lacie 160 gig ext hd. please note that I am not a gamer, but have do wish to build a new system. Am I doing anything wrong here? Thanks.
Tom
 
Tom Kirkpatrick said:
I am a photographer who works with large raw files (often 400 at a time). I am considering the following for a new build.

Lian Li v1000 Plus 2 case,
Corsair Hx620 psu,
Asus P5wdg2 WS Pro T mobo,
Q 6600 go,
gigabyte 8600GT silent,
2gb Crucial Ballis ddr2 800 pc6400,
Seagate st3500i630ns Sata2 hd.
Hanns G 19 mon,
New mouse,keyboard,
2burners.

I have a VP2030b 20" and a Lacie 160 gig ext hd. please note that I am not a gamer, but have do wish to build a new system.
Click to expand...

What features of that Asus board make you want to pay that price for a motherboard?

Since you're a photographer, you may want to research LCD panels more, and find out what kind of panel that Hanns G uses. IPS panels are far better at color reproduction than TN panels. I'm not sure which panel the hanns G uses, though.

How many hard drives do you plan on running?

I agree, go with 4GB of ram.
 
Enginurd - I agree and will go with 4 gig. My thinking on the Hanns G was strictly price.
I have the 20 VP2030b and use a second monitor as a place to park bridge etc. so I don't have to close/reopen windows while editing something at 100%.
I am considering the ASUS primarily for system stability and (I think) upgradability. I will look into that a bit deeper. Do you feel it is a "bad choice" ?
Thanks for your questions.
Tom
 
Enginurd - Oops, missed your last question. I am thinking Seagate Barracuda (es3500630NS) 500 gig 7200 sata & using my existing LaCie 160 gig external. I don't think speed is a huge issue here. Speed does become important, however, when batching say three or four hundred files. Also I will continue to use CS3 optimized for best memory allocation. Thanks for your imput, this is exactly what I was looking for.
Tom
 
I was in a similar situation as you, being a photographer, dealing with 1000+ at upload and using lightroom with 50k+ images.

I built my box about a month ago, and my main need was silence. heres what i went with

Q6600
Tuniq Tower 120
4 gig RAM ddr2 800 OCZ
8800 GTS 640
Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R LGA 775
Corsair 520
1 Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500 gig
1 DVD burner\
Antec P180B
Vista Home Premium x64

After i built this little beast, i upgraded from CS2 suite to design Premium CS3 and added Lightroom. The difference has been night and day when dealing with the two software packages on a tricked out machine.

What i like is it doesnt take any time to open a file and start working on it, and if it hangs for some reason, vista usually resolves the issues. I Wish i had a large raid array in my workstation instead of having it located in two servers, but its just the way i have it setup. I really like my 500 gig hard drive and will soon add another terrabyte to my server and at least another terrabyte to my workstation. I have found that with two monitors that im still running out of space. I wish i could add another video card and one more monitor. I am running a dell 24 wfp and a 20 wfp. Also i am thinking about adding another 4 gigs of ram to really beef up the system. i wouldnt start with eight gigs, but some of my psd's are getting huge, and the fact that a 21 megapixel camera is coming out, means that i will need a lot more horse power when i step up to that size of sensor.

I would really recommend Vista x64. A lot of folks around here seem to bash it, but its been nothing but a dream to use. As for monitors, if you want the best you can get for money, an Ezio will be the best. Other then that make sure you get quality, name branded RAM. Everything else you have listed is high quality, and when you get your RAM, get 2 gig sticks so you can add more if you want

Cheers
Ryan
 
I'm thinking Gigabyte GV-NX86T246H Geforce 8600 Gt PCI express SLI ready.
I'm not a gamer, but do want somewhat kicked up card. Any suggestion here?
Thanks
Tom
 
Hollow 4 - We must think somewhat alike. Great build. I am glad for the input on Vista, as I am actually leaning toward XP Pro. Not sure on 32 or 64, but now may look into Vista some more. I agree about CS3, but have only used Lightroom on a fellow photog's
machine. I'm sure I will add after I get something built. Plan to order in the next couple weeks. Don't see myself going to a larger sensor that the Mk3 for some time. $$$
Any thoughts let me know. Thanks Tom
 
Tom Kirkpatrick said:
I am considering the ASUS primarily for system stability and (I think) upgradability. I will look into that a bit deeper. Do you feel it is a "bad choice" ?
Click to expand...

Its a really overpriced board. The board Hollow4 used in his build is a nice compromise of features and price. Almost any board in the $100+ range will last you a while, especially from the DS3/DQ6 series and any other board using solid caps.

I went with the DS3R because of the RAID and 8 SATA ports, and its price. If you don't need RAID but need Firewire instead, the Asus P5K is nicely priced. If you want both RAID and Firewire, the Abit IP35 Pro is probably your best bet if you don't need legacy ports. If you do, the Gigabyte DS3P is good, or the Asus P5K-E.

Figure out what your needs are and don't spend a fortune on a board unless you really need its featureset.

Tom Kirkpatrick said:
I am thinking Seagate Barracuda (es3500630NS) 500 gig 7200 sata & using my existing LaCie 160 gig external. I don't think speed is a huge issue here. Speed does become important, however, when batching say three or four hundred files.
Click to expand...

I'd suggest running at least two internal drives: a main OS/Apps drive and a storage drive. Also, keep a small backup OS partition on the storage drive, in case your main drive goes out (minimize downtime). Be sure to backup your files to your external regularly. You may even want a larger external.

I can't seem to find the model 'cuda you're planning on getting. Do you have a link? I'd suggest going with the same internals that Hollow4 went with, aside from the vidcard, since you don't game much. Also, Vista 64 has gotten a lot better, or so I've heard.

Since you don't plan on running many HDDs, check out the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L or Abit IP35-E instead. Both are budget boards but they will still last you a while. The DS3 has all solid caps, but I'm unsure of the IP35-E.

Also, with what you're planning on running, the Corsair 520W would be more than enough, since you don't need a high powered video card.

They finally lowered the prices a bit for the midrange DX10 cards. So, the 8600GT for around $100 isn't too bad. It slightly outperforms the 7600GT, which is around $75AR. Keep in mind, all the newer DX10 games will also be playable in DX9... and the difference in detail between the two isn't that much, imo. What games do you play?
 
Enginurd - The info on the cuda is from New Egg as follows:
Seagate Baracuda ES ST 3500630NS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive OEM
149.99 It is a perpendicular write. Model #ST3500630NS Item#N82E16820309001.
The primary reason for the WS mobo was it was rated extremely high for stability in various configurations. I don't mind paying more for high stability, but don't want to do so if the other boards are considered highly stable under various configurations. I don't currently play an games, but would like to try a few to see. (Hope I don't develop another bad habit) I probably won't oc, but wan to keep the option available. I do understand I should replace the sink/fan regardless, and that is one of the few areas I haven't looked into very much. Appreciate your thoughts on the above.
Tom
 
With desktop HDDs, I doubt that overpriced 'cuda will last any longer than a standard 7200.10 model (non ES). But hey, whatever floats your boat. I've been running a couple of those 'cudas for a little over a year now, and they're great. Of course, that says nothing about the longterm, so go with what you're comfortable with.

I've always bought boards that are around $100 - $150, and I've yet to have one die on me. One of my oldest boards still in service today is an Abit BE6-II (cost me around $110), and its still goin strong since '99. I'm using it as a file server with all my old HDDs, lol. You don't need to spend a lot for something to last long. Just stick to the higher end manufacturers and you'll be fine.

Quad cores run HOT, so yes, I'd suggest changing the stock cooler. The Tuniq Tower that Hollow4 used is nice, and I'm also using it. Another good option (probably the best for air cooling) is the Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme for $55. It doesnt come with a fan, so you should pickup a Scythe S-Flex 1200RPM fan for around $14 (jab-tech.com).
 
Enginurd - Thanks for info. Yes, cool is good! The thermalite sound about right.
I'll post when I get the system together.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top