Build Help-Graphic Design/Gaming rig

[Matt D.]

First things first I'm on a tight budget, so let me know if I'm asking too much. My budget is about $600 for a new PC or rebuild (I can go a bit further) Okay, so first off I need to decide to upgrade this PC or to just scrap the one I'm using. What I mean by upgrade is to upgrade the motherboard, CPU, Video Card, and RAM. The problem is that I don't know enough about the internals of a computer to determine what I need. What I want to do with my PC is to do gaming, D3, Portal 2, BF3, etc. I don't need the graphics all set on high, I just want the games to run smoothly. I also do alot of Photoshop and Permier work, so I would like some smooth rendering. I don't want the BEST, but I want it to be decent. I know I will need to get rid of my motherboard, CPU, and video card, but the parts I'm not sure about (if a rebuild is possible) is my
Power supply: Newegg.com - COOLMAX CU-700B 700W ATX 12V v2.2 / EPS12V v2.91 SLI Ready / CrossFire Ready Modular and Compatible with Core i3/i5/i7 Power Supply
Is that good enough? or do I need a new power supply as well?
I just got a new CPU cooler: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER RR-H612-20PK-R3 120mm Sleeve with 6 Heat Pipes Hyper 612 PWM CPU Cooler (LGA 2011 Version) and I don't need a new hard drive (although I want to get an SSD later) I also want a video card that supports dual monitors. (One DVI and one HDMI if possible)
I've done a bit of research and I kind of have a idea as to what parts I want, but I am still somewhat clueless. Any help is much appreciated.
-Thanks, Matt.

[jdeb]

600.00 is not gonna be enough for an IVY Bridge setup but here it goes, I will give you two choices. I assume your old hard drive is sata. Coolmax are junk power supplies. For smooth rendering while giving you gaming is not easy, this card will do it and probably the only one within price range that will. Lifetime warranty on the card when registered.

750.00

Intel Core i5-3450 Ivy Bridge 3.1GHz
Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-3450 Ivy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.5GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2500 BX80637I53450

ASUS P8Z77-V LX LGA 1155
Newegg.com - ASUS P8Z77-V LX LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory Model CML8GX3M2A1600C9

EVGA 012-P3-1570-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Newegg.com - EVGA 012-P3-1570-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

or a step down in CPU performance which won't matter a huge amount with gaming. Replacing the board and CPU from above to get the cost down close to your budget.

640.00

Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz
Newegg.com - Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I32100

BIOSTAR TZ68A+ LGA 1155 Intel Z68
Newegg.com - BIOSTAR TZ68A+ LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

[Matt D.]

Hmm, Okay. I thought I would have to go over $600. The $750 one seems pritty solid. Would you reccomend getting a barebones kit? I didn't think that the rendering was going to be that big of a problem, what if we take the rendering out of the question? Thanks for the help!

[glc]

No, most barebones kits have one or more substandard components.

You could downgrade the video card:

Newegg.com - EVGA 01G-P3-1561-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by glc No, most barebones kits have one or more substandard components. You could downgrade the video card: Newegg.com - EVGA 01G-P3-1561-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

He could but rendering will be a noticeably longer with that card. Additionally, the GTX570 is a CS5/6 recommended GPU.

[Matt D.]

I would spend the extra $40 for the video card. What if I get a 2500k instead?

[glc]

Why? It costs more than an Ivy Bridge.

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by Matt D. I would spend the extra $40 for the video card. What if I get a 2500k instead?

It would be cheaper to go with the Intel Core i5-3450 Ivy Bridge and better.

[Matt D.]

Can I get this processor instead? Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-3550 Ivy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2500 BX80637I53550

And switch for this PSU? Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Silent Pro M700 RS-700-AMBA-D3 700W ATX12V V2.3 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

THanks fo all the help.

[glc]

The 3550 is even better than the 3450. In fact, you might as well get the 3570K being that you bought that high-end cooler.

We don't recommend Coolermaster power supplies. You might as well just keep the Coolmax if it works okay.

[Matt D.]

Okay, so for now the power supply I have now would work for at least a couple of months? If that's the case I'll pick a new one up when I get an SSD.

[glc]

If it's not giving you any problems now, it should be okay for a while.

[Matt D.]

Okay, last question, what cooler do you recommend? I want to say liquid cooling, but I don't know too much.

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by Matt D. Okay, last question, what cooler do you recommend? I want to say liquid cooling, but I don't know too much.

The one you bought is fine or you can use the stock cooler that comes with the CPU. If you plan on overclocking, then the one you have is going to be the choice. The easiest liquid cooling would be a closed loop system like these
Newegg.com - Computer Hardware, Corsair, liquid cooling

Liquid cooling is pretty complex / specialised and you can easily spend $300.00 +. There are many choices for pumps, blocks, connections, tubing, coolant, and radiators. I have purchased from FrozenCPU.com in the past and they have a huge selection. Keep in mind, great attention to detail and planning are required to put together an effective water cooling solution.
http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l1/g30/Liquid_Cooling.html

[Matt D.]

I have posted here requesting build help not too long ago, and now I'm about 3 weeks out of having enough money to order the parts and I need the extra incentive and I did change a couple of things over time.
I am going to be buying a new
(CPU) Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K


(Motherboard) Newegg.com - ASUS Maximus IV Gene-Z/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard


(Graphics card) Newegg.com - EVGA 012-P3-1570-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card


(RAM) Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C8R

I will be buying these first, just to get a fast PC that can run Illustrator smoothly before school starts (my current PC can't even run Illustrator at all). Later will be upgrading everything else.
What I will be keeping (for now)

(OLD PSU) Newegg.com - COOLMAX CU-700B 700W ATX 12V v2.2 / EPS12V v2.91 SLI Ready / CrossFire Ready Modular and Compatible with Core i3/i5/i7 Power Supply and,


(OLD cooler) Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel 2011/1366/1155 and AMD FM1/AM3+
I know these components aren't good I am holding off on upgrading not too long after.

And what I will be upgrading later:


(NEW PSU) Newegg.com - CORSAIR Professional Series HX650 (CMPSU-650HX) 650W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply


(NEW COOLER) XSPC Rasa 750 RS240 Universal CPU Water Cooling Kit w/ Updated Pump and Free Kill Coil! - FrozenCPU.com

What I plan on doing with the PC is lots of Photoshop and Illustrator work, and gaming. I don't want games at full graphics settings, I just want to be able to run all of the current games. I mainly want to run Photoshop and Illustrator smoothly and quickly.
My budget for the Motherboard, CPU, Graphics card ,and RAM is $700. I know, it is low, but after the research I've done, this seems to work. Is there a better build for the money? I really like the i5 3570k, but change and tweak as you please!
Also, please ask if something isn't clear to you and I'll be happy to answer.
Thanks for the help!

[glc]

Threads merged for continuity.

Why did you change the ram and motherboard from the previous list? You need the LOW PROFILE ram to clear your CPU cooler (which is an EXCELLENT cooler, by the way). That motherboard is a micro-ATX Z68 board, you should use a full size ATX Z77 board with Ivy Bridge.

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory Model CML8GX3M2A1600C9

Newegg.com - ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

[Matt D.]

I chose that motherboard because I know nothing about motherboards and it was red. And I am going for liquid cooling just because it's always been a silly goal of mine to have a liquid cooled PC. Oh, and one more thing; what fully modular PSU would you reccomend for this build? (I'm going to be modding my old case and I want it to be visually pleasing)

[jdeb]

The Asus red board you chose is an enthusiast gaming type board, it will require some tweaking to get it to shine. If your into overclocking it is a good one. The Z77 board glc linked is a great mainstream board with plenty of expansion and ready to fly out of the box.

SeaSonic X Series X650 Gold
Newegg.com - SeaSonic X Series X650 Gold ((SS-650KM Active PFC F3)) 650W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Active PFC Power Supply

[glc]

Nothing wrong with that Corsair HX you picked. It's made by Seasonic.

If you want a Gene board, get this one instead:

Newegg.com - ASUS Maximus V Gene LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

If you want a great premium board, look at this:

Newegg.com - ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

You should still get the low profile ram - it's available in blue and black.

[jdeb]

I can vouch for the Sabertooth board. Great board for features, stability, and performance.

I missed that the OP's board was a z68

[Matt D.]

Wow. Boards get expensive. I know this sounds stupid, but is there a red board fro about $140? I've got a huge window on the side of my PC, and having components not all the same color would kill me.
Thanks for all the help.

[jdeb]

Nothing except Biostar but they are not all red. Their newest Z77 board is black and orange.

[glc]

The P8Z77-V LK I linked is blue, and is less than $140. Here is the blue low profile ram:

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CML8GX3M2A1600C9B