New Build - Upgrade from Dell Precision 690

Dabzarch

Hi,

Looking to build a new workstation/desktop mainly for running AutoCAD, REVIT, Sketchup, Photoshop and a couple of rendering programmes. I am currently running a Dell Precision 690 with:

Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU 5160 @ 3.00GHz,
NVIDIA GTX 460 1GB,
6GB ram,
1 x 3o0GB WD HD (O.S. runs of this),
1 x 1TB Samsung F1 HD (storage),
Win XP PRO

I previously got some advice on upgrading: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=70090134 and made most of the changes recommended except the OS system as finances didn't allow me at the time but i will up grade to win 7 pro to have it as a second machine.

I am looking to upgrade to a new machine as i find the 690 is breaking my heart! It takes almost 15mins to load up to the point i can use it...and i have it running as smoothly as possible in terms of startup. I have disabled all the hidden startup programs in MSCONFIG etc.

I am really out of touch with hardware and I don't want to overspec a build if i dont need it any advice would be appreciated...

1. What is your budget? [~1400Euro]

2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? [Architectural - AutoCAD, REVIT, Sketchup, Photoshop, Kerkythea/THEA Render possible vray in the future )

3. Do you need a copy of Windows? [Yes, Win 7 Pro 64 bit]

4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? Yes, 1TB Samsung f1 drive (for storage), GTX 460 Graphics.

5. Do you need a monitor? [No,I am happy enough with my monitor setup for the time being. I use a 19' & 17' Dell. I will probably upgrade once i have hardware sorted.]

6. Do you need any of these peripherals? [No, Ok here.]

7. Are you willing to try overclocking? [no. i am looking for a machine that will be as stable and quite as possible.]

8. How can you pay? [Credit Card/Laser any of those]

9. When are you purchasing? [during the next month]

10. If you need help building it, where are you based? [I will give it a go ]


Cheers.

deconduo

Honestly you probably don't need to spend much more than this:

Item|Price
Intel Core i7-3770 Box, LGA1155|€287.76
ASRock B75 Pro3, Sockel 1155, ATX|€72.07
2 x 8GB-Kit G.Skill PC3-10667U CL9|€74.48
Samsung SSD 830 128GB SATA 6GB's Paper Box|€102.51
Corsair Carbide Series 300R, ATX, ohne Netzteil|€65.51
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 550W|€53.58
LG GH24NS bare schwarz|€18.16
MS Windows 7 Pro 64bit SB-Version Englisch|€129.00
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€822.06


You could get maybe a quieter case and cooler, but that's about it if you aren't overclocking. Only other thing I can think of is more RAM or a workstation GPU.

Dabzarch

Cheers for the breakdown. Looks great! really good price

Have a few questions...

from doing a bit of research earlier would it be of any benefit to go with an ASUS board over the ASrock for the sake of a few extra quid? The ASUS boards seem to have very good reviews but if it really isn't necessary even better.

With the case could you recommend a cooler quieter case/fan setup? I do like the style of case you have picked. The room that i work in can get fairly hot during the summer and i find the Dell i have can sound like jet taking off at times.

I hope to upgrade to the GTX 570 or 670 card at some stage or possibly a Quattro/Firepro (midrange) card. Will the power supply be able to cope with either of these?

Is there any benefit in going with a 1600MHz+ over the 1333MHz RAM set? I cant see myself ever needing more than the 16GB kit but would love to future proof myself as much as possible.

I had looked at purchasing an ASUS VE 278Q 27in monitor Link and use the Dell 1907FP 19in along side it. One problem i have with the dell is when i do stuff in photoshop with colours etc it never prints the same. I would love to get an affordable screen that could provide a fairly good representation of how the colours may print. Any ideas on an alternative monitor 24 - 27in in or around the same price range?

Cheers.

Monotype

You could get the Fractal Design Define R3 if you're after a quiet case.
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/Midi/36379/FRACTAL+DESIGN+Gehäuse+DEFINE+R3+Black+Pearl.article

or the new R4, but not everywhere stocks that yet.
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/fractal-design-define-r4-black-pearl-usb-30-140mm-fans-low-noise-mid-case

If you're not overclocking like mad or throwing in a load of graphics cards in there, the airflow should be sufficient.

Given that your budget is fairly high, I'd spend the extra €40 on overclockable CPU and motherboard anyway - it's extremely easy and low risk on these CPUs and won't make that much noise if you go up a little with a good cooler. It should also keep its value for a little be longer. So you'd be looking for Z77 motherboards and the 3770K.
CPU: http://www2.hardwareversand.de/Socket+1155/56294/Intel+Core+i7-3770K+Box%2C+LGA1155.article
Motherboard, maybe something like http://www2.hardwareversand.de/DDR3/59321/ASRock+Z77+Pro4-M%2C+Sockel+1155%2C+mATX.article
or http://www2.hardwareversand.de/DDR3/59322/ASRock+Z77+Pro3%2C+Sockel+1155%2C+ATX.article
but there's higher end ones with many extra features.

A good CPU cooler will cut down your noise a lot. The Thermalright macho is apparently very good at doing its job but quite a challenge to install.
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/Intel+AMD/52671/Thermalright+HR-02+Macho.article
Alternatively, you could consider the corsair hydro semi-water cooling heatsinks - not especially quiet, but they're effective at doing their job.

Most gains to be seen with regard to high frequency RAM are usually seen in overclocked systems or are program specific. I think it would be no harm in putting in a little extra money for it.
For 16GB, you can get two sets of these:
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/1600+Low+Voltage/56826/8GB-Kit+G.Skill+Ares+PC3-12800U+CL9-9-9-24.article
Or to keep it as two modules, allowing for possible upgrades (although 16GB is ridiculous enough),
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/1600+Low+Voltage/58862/16GB-Kit+Corsair+XMS3+PC3-12800U+CL11-11-11-30.article

Bear in mind that the F1 is a fairly slow drive by today's standards, although the SSD will make a huge difference to the system overall.

Dabzarch

Item|Price
16GB-Kit Corsair XMS3 PC3-12800U CL11-11-11-30|€90.85
Thermalright HR-02 Macho|€33.89
LG GH24NS bare schwarz|€18.16
Intel Core i7-3770K Box, LGA1155|€320.32
Samsung SSD 830 128GB SATA 6GB's Paper Box|€102.51
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 550W|€53.58
MS Windows 7 Pro 64bit SB-Version Englisch|€129.00
ASRock Z77 Extreme4, Sockel 1155, ATX|€134.39
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€901.69Finally figured out how to use Fluffy88 basket to post script! Excellent.

Cheers for the links Monotype.

Ive ended up with the above configuration excluding the case (apologies for the order). It makes sense to have the option to O.C. if need be. I'm leaning towards the Fractal Design Define R4, like the idea of the 4x usb ports on the top (2x 2.0 2x3.0) as i use them quite a lot, and the reviews are great.
Dabs works out same price as scan €130

http://www.dabs.ie/products/fractal-design-define-r4-black-pearl-mid-tower-case-86VW.html?q=r4&src=16

@Monotype, I just checked the hard drive and it is an F3, my mistake. Would this be ok to transfer? I only use it for backup/storage. Is the PSU sufficient at 550W for future proofing?

Any good recommendations for a good monitor 24in-27in? I saw the Catleap and it looks amazing but i noticed it has a glossy screen which wouldn't work for me i much prefer a matte finish.

Procrastastudy

Dabzarch wrote: »

Any good recommendations for a good monitor 24in-27in? I saw the Catleap and it looks amazing but i noticed it has a glossy screen which wouldn't work for me i much prefer a matte finish.

BLASPHEMY!

Get a Catleap and get a coating for it.

Dabzarch

GCDLawstudent wrote: »

BLASPHEMY!

Get a Catleap and get a coating for it.

looking at your review/image earlier in another thread it is hard not to be swayed!:)

How glossy is it in real life now that you have it? How is it with glare?

In fairness it is a nice bit of kit for the money.

Procrastastudy

In all honesty if I needed to do (whats left of) my hair in it I could. Its very glossy - I like glossy though so I'm biased.

The image quality is amazing though!

Dabzarch

hmm that would not be good for me... I have a Sony laptop with one of those glossy screens and it becomes a bit of a nightmare after a few hours looking at multicoloured lines in AutoCAD. I start to see the room around me and not the drawing!:D Saying that it would be fantasic for photoshop and the like...

Procrastastudy

I'd be surprised if there isn't a matte 3rd party one (like Hazro).

Basically look for a 27" IPS panel but dont pay mad Dell or Apple :eek: prices.

Monotype

U2412M or U2312HM? - These aren't glossy but are a bit more reflective than usual with matte screens.

F3 is still a good hard drive. 550W is plenty for most graphics cards.

Dabzarch

Dabzarch wrote: »

Item|Price
16GB-Kit Corsair XMS3 PC3-12800U CL11-11-11-30|€90.85
Thermalright HR-02 Macho|€33.89
LG GH24NS bare schwarz|€18.16
Intel Core i7-3770K Box, LGA1155|€320.32
Samsung SSD 830 128GB SATA 6GB's Paper Box|€102.51
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 550W|€53.58
MS Windows 7 Pro 64bit SB-Version Englisch|€129.00
ASRock Z77 Extreme4, Sockel 1155, ATX|€134.39
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€901.69Finally figured out how to use Fluffy88 basket to post script! Excellent.

Cheers for the links Monotype.

Ive ended up with the above configuration excluding the case (apologies for the order). It makes sense to have the option to O.C. if need be. I'm leaning towards the Fractal Design Define R4, like the idea of the 4x usb ports on the top (2x 2.0 2x3.0) as i use them quite a lot, and the reviews are great.
Dabs works out same price as scan €130

http://www.dabs.ie/products/fractal-design-define-r4-black-pearl-mid-tower-case-86VW.html?q=r4&src=16

@Monotype, I just checked the hard drive and it is an F3, my mistake. Would this be ok to transfer? I only use it for backup/storage. Is the PSU sufficient at 550W for future proofing?

Any good recommendations for a good monitor 24in-27in? I saw the Catleap and it looks amazing but i noticed it has a glossy screen which wouldn't work for me i much prefer a matte finish.

Item|Price
Intel Core i7-3770K Box, LGA1155|€302.81
ASRock Z77 Extreme4, Sockel 1155, ATX|€131.24
LG GH24NS bare schwarz|€17.03
16GB-Kit Corsair XMS3 PC3-12800U CL11-11-11-30|€70.88
Samsung SSD 830 128GB SATA 6GB's Paper Box|€88.03
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 550W|€54.98
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit (SB-Version)|€124.94
Thermalright HR-02 Macho Rev.A (BW)|€39.61
FRACTAL DESIGN Define R4 Black Pearl|€107.10
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€955.61Hi Folks,

Finally getting around to buying the components for my new build! After reviewing the build as discussed previously I noticed the ASRock Extreme 4 is now discontinued stock. I'm a little weary of buying this board now.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a different motherboard to go alongside the i7 3770K. (or even a review of the components if anyone has any suggestions) My main use will be for 3D rendering, AutoCAD, REVIT, Photoshop etc.

Thanks again