When to build

[Barbrich]

Hey Folks,
I have been lurking for a couple of weeks now because I need to build a new system. My P4PE motherboard has been going well for about eight years now. Thanks to GLC and a few other very helpful folks, I was able to order very dependable parts, mostly from Newegg. After reading many post here, I have a good idea of what I will want on the new build. My question, (probably a dumb one), is now a good time to order parts, or will I save more money in the next couple of months around the Holidays.
Thanks for your help.

[Nikon]

thats really a toss up. depending on the availability of certain things, you may see the price go up. its impossible to tell, unless you know how many of a product are available, and what the demand is.

[David M]

If you have the money to spend now then look for the deals that are out there now. There are good deals available throughout the year if you look around. Some prices come down on some things during the holidays just to tease you but the chances are not all the parts you need will be significantly discounted.

[Barbrich]

Thanks for the quick replies.... I will continue to check in each day and try to decide on parts. I have confidence that I can build this with your help.

[David M]

Tell us your budget, which country you are in and the purposes of you computer and the people here will help you. You can start by creating a shopping list of what you think you might like and we can go over your list.

[rwest]

I personally think now is a great time to buy. Just because of ram prices alone. All component prices tend to fluctuate somewhat depending on availability and demand, but ram prices have recently been slowly decreasing. When ram prices went up, they got crazy. I could not belive what some folks paid. My money says ram's gonna increase again this fall or for the holidays. It's just my guess though. .02cents worth

[Barbrich]

OK, thanks for the input. I am getting closer to trying to get this together. I want Asus for the motherboard and an Intel processor. This computer will be used for photo processing and internet surfing. My husband took over my other computer for Gamecock sports forums, so he will need good sound quality (I hear Carolina football blaring away sometimes). I want something really fast for all the pictures that I have taken. I have a second hard drive now that I hope to be able to use for a backup for photos. I kinda have a list of things in mind, but want your suggestions. Also, I have been reading others posts and problems and am waiting to see how they resolve them. The most thing that I fear about doing this is putting the processor on the motherboard. How hard is that? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Oh, budget is around $1000. I will use the monitor I have now, and upgrade that later.
Thanks

[Nuclear Krusader]

With Intel CPUs it's a cakewalk to put the CPU on the mobo, as long as you read the instructions first and follow them to the letter. It's pretty straightforward.

You definitely want to have your pictures off your operating system drive, so yes, put that secondary drive in.

[quartet-man]

That was the biggest thing I feared was putting the CPU on the motherboard. Getting the paste on right, not bending pins etc. was the biggest concern. Also, that was a work computer and I couldn't afford having things going wrong and being down a lot more.

[Nuclear Krusader]

Pins can always be straightened with a mechanical pencil. The ones on the CPU, that is.

Of course, best thing is to be careful.

[quartet-man]

Well, I have just seen things saying they wouldn't accept returns if pins on the motherboard or CPU were bent etc. It made it sound a whole lot like a permanent issue. I guess in regards to returns or replacement from the man. it would be. I have straightened out pins elsewhere before.

[glc]

Originally Posted by Nuclear Krusader Pins can always be straightened with a mechanical pencil. The ones on the CPU, that is. Of course, best thing is to be careful.

The current Intel processors have the pins on the motherboard.

[glc]

Here's a complete system with OS but no peripherals for around $900.

Newegg.com - Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply

Newegg.com - ASUS P7P55D-E LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-870 Lynnfield 2.93GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor BX80605I7870

Newegg.com - A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model AD3U1333B2G9-DRH

Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Newegg.com - LG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 5X DVD-RAM 12X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA 22X DVD Burner - Bulk - CD / DVD Burners

Newegg.com - PowerColor AX4670 1GBK3-PH Radeon HD 4670 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - Operating Systems

[Barbrich]

OK, Thanks GLC, I had already started a list. Here's what I had....

Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case (because the case I have now is pretty big, so I think I need room to work in there)

ASUS P7P55D-E LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

or (is there any reason to get the upgraded)

ASUS P7P55D-E Pro LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core i7-870 Lynnfield 2.93GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor BX80605I7870

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 ...

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

RAM ... I think I want to stick with Crucial because they were so good about helping me with replacement memory a while back. That is, unless there is a reason that I need to change now.

LG 22X DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model GH22NS40 - OEM

So, what do I need to change or add? I want this system to last a long time if possible. Are there any more suggestions on the video card?

[Nuclear Krusader]

Originally Posted by glc The current Intel processors have the pins on the motherboard.

Yup, and those can't really be straightened out with a mechanical pencil. At least I wouldn't be willing to try.

[glc]

No reason to get the Pro motherboard unless you are going to run 2 video cards in SLI or Crossfire for gaming.

Crucial ram is fine.

You are missing a video card in your list, and 650 watts is probably a lot more than you need unless you are putting a gaming card in it.

[Barbrich]

OK, list so far: Does all this work well together?

LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM
Item #: N82E16827106289

Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811129043

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT2KIT25664BA1339

ASUS P7P55D-E LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core i7-870 Lynnfield 2.93GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor BX80605I7870
Item #: N82E16819115213

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116758

1 - If I use Crucial, is this the correct RAM to get? (PC3 10600) the A-DATA is (PC3 10666) which is right?

2 - I still don't know about the video card. Since I will be editing photos, does it matter which card. I just want a good quality one that will last. Also, I want to add a better monitor later.
The total price so far is around $976 after specials. If I go a little over $1000, that will be OK, I just need to add a good video card.
Thanks for the help.

[David M]

A good bang for the buck gaming card within your budget is the Nvidia 460 with one gig of video RAM. Any Radeon 5000 series card would work as well.

If you never plan on gaming then an ATI 4000 series card would be fine. You don't need much graphics processing power for web surfing, watching movies or photo editing.
ATI Radeon

[Nuclear Krusader]

Which program are you using for your photo editing? Just what do you mean by photo editing? Do you shoot in jpeg or raw?

[glc]

I recommended a suitable inexpensive video card in post #13.

If you need to cut costs, here is a PSU that is an excellent value:

Newegg.com - Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 Modular Active PFC Power Supply

[Barbrich]

Thanks you two for the help.
I use Adobe Photoshop and, with my Nikon D40X I am able to shoot jpeg and raw. I am trying to learn about digital photography (got a long way to go). Does this make a big difference about the card type?

[Barbrich]

GLC, they will be the same price after rebate with newegg. Should I change and get the Antec

[Barbrich]

Also, I didn't mean to question your video card suggestion, I just need to know what works best for editing my digital photos, and do I need a different card?
Thanks for your help.

[David M]

Viewing digital still photos is not a demanding task for a graphics card. I think the choice comes down to personal preference.

The Corsair has a five year warranty and the Antec a three year warranty. They are both high quality units. For the same price, the choice is obvious.

[Barbrich]

Thanks,
Oh, I need to add one more thing, I still need to transfer old VCR tapes to DVD. Will this determine the video card? I am so sorry for all the questions. Any input would be appreciated.

[David M]

Either graphics card is fine for that. Videos are slightly more demanding than still photos, but not nearly as demanding as playing games. Your CPU will make the greater difference in how fast video files are converted and your CPU is fine for that.

[Nuclear Krusader]

You bet it makes a difference.

Photoshop uses OpenGL now and will most definitely take advantage of a graphics card with 3D acceleration. No, you don't need a gaming card, but you won't benefit from going cheap on this either.

A budget card from ATi would do wonders, and it will have the power necessary to run an extra monitor later on without the need to put in another videocard. Whilst I'm partial to nVidia, I recommend ATi because their cards have a greater picture quality, and you need that, not frames per second.

You will also benefit from as much RAM as you can put into that system, although there's no need to go overboard: 4-6 GB should suffice.

Since you are starting in photography, I cannot stress enough the need to think ahead and buy good equipment now: even equipment that is "too much right now" for your current needs. It'll save you the need to upgrade later. Photography grows on you and since you're not the average snapper that only wants to download pics from the last family gathering (onboard video is more than enough for that), it's possible that soon you'll see the need to invest in Adobe Lightroom to make your processing faster and better. LR is now a 64-bit application that will be able to use more than 4 GB of RAM, gives you the ability to shoot tethered, and supports more than one monitor.

Don't skimp on the video card now, it'd be 100-150 dollars well spent.

[glc]

Nuc, what's wrong with the 4670 I recommended? That should have PLENTY of power for Photoshop and video work, and it's only 40 bucks after rebate.

If the Corsair 650 is that cheap, it's a no-brainer. Being that you didn't post links or prices, I didn't know what the price was. I was thinking it was around 90 bucks or so.

[Barbrich]

OK,
1st, sorry I didn't post links & prices. I respect all of your help. I am out of the loop of computer building and digital photo is still new to me. I do know that Adobe Lightroom will probably be something to invest in down the road. I have recently retired, so I hope to spend more time with my camera. I have always liked to tinker, so that is the reason for this computer build. My husband has given the go ahead to start ordering parts, so I just need to get the best parts for my money and ordering parts that I will not have to replace later. I would rather spend the extra now. I really do need the help. Thanks again.

[Nuclear Krusader]

Originally Posted by glc Nuc, what's wrong with the 4670 I recommended? That should have PLENTY of power for Photoshop and video work, and it's only 40 bucks after rebate.

I missed that post G, I'm not entirely familiar with ATi's family, I know that the top dogs are the 5xxx line, but I trust your judgement that that model from the 4xxx line is alright.

Oh, and Barb, since you want advice: always shoot in RAW, and convert to DNG when you import the pictures from the camera to your hard drive.