Advice on new PC build

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cookiedude

Posts: 160   +1
Hi all

Looking to build a new work PC (used mainly for 3ds Max, Photoshop and Illustrator) and have narrowed down my options to 3 systems based around the 3 main CPUs. It would be really helpful to get some impartial advice as to the pros and cons of each (basically looking for the best bang for buck). The price of Windows Vista Business 64bit is included in all options (Microsoft Windows Vista Business w/SP1 - W/ Windows 7 Upgrade Offer Form - licence and media - 1 PC - OEM - DVD - 64-bit - English - Ebuyer):

Core i7 (£1400 approx):

Intel Core i7 920 - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/151477
ASUS P6T SE iX58 - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/161061
NVIDIA Quadro FX 580 - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.pcwb.co.uk/catalogue/item/A0476781
Corsair 6GB (3x2GB) XMS3 - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/164762
Seagate 500GB Hard Drive X 2 (RAID) - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/158860
Antec P183 Case - Antec P183 Case - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/161660
Antec TruePower 550W - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/159918
HP LP2475W 24" TFT Monitor - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/148972

Core 2 Quad (£1120 approx):

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/141515
Asus P5Q Deluxe P45 - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145748
NVIDIA Quadro FX 580 - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.pcwb.co.uk/catalogue/item/A0476781
OCZ 4GB (2X2gb) x 2 - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/148036
Seagate 500GB Hard Drive X 2 (RAID) - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/158860
Antec Sonata Elite - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/158602
Antec TruePower 550W - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/159918
Samsung SM2443BW 24" TFT - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/150964

Phenom II (£1095 approx):

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/164047
ASUS M4A79T Deluxe - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/159769
NVIDIA Quadro FX 580 - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.pcwb.co.uk/catalogue/item/A0476781
OCZ 4GB KIT x 2 - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/146060
Seagate 500GB Hard Drive X 2 (RAID) - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/158860
Antec 300 Case - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/143854
Antec TruePower 550W - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/159918
Samsung SM2433BW 24" TFT - http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/150970

May also consider this Samsung monitor http://go.avforums.com/?id=223X354&url=http://www.ebuyer.com/product/141323, would it be worth the extra money for the extra screen size?

Sorry for such a long 1st post, any advice/suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
 
All are pretty good, but you seem to be in love with the Antec TruePower 550W, and we see huge numbers of them failing... on a variety of machines... Try a Corsair, or Seasonic, or PCPower&Cooling.
Yes the larger Samsung is a good choice.

It would really be a budget issue... if you have the bank account, go for the Intel i7 920
 
and i will second that, for what you use it for, the i7 920 would serve you the best. really depends on what premium you put on speed for those kind of task's as any of them would do well, however the type of work you describe is faster with Intels CPU arcitecture.
 
lol kitty, that's a long distance in between the phen2 and core2q, i think its more like Phen II>=core 2 quad
 
Thanks for the response guys

All are pretty good, but you seem to be in love with the Antec TruePower 550W, and we see huge numbers of them failing... on a variety of machines... Try a Corsair, or Seasonic, or PCPower&Cooling.
Yes the larger Samsung is a good choice.

It would really be a budget issue... if you have the bank account, go for the Intel i7 920

I picked the Antec just to fill in the gap, I wasn't entirely sure what power requirements these systems would need. I'm surprised to hear of them being unreliable though, I thought they were a reputable brand? Corsair was another brand I have looked at along with OCZ, any recommendations on a specific PSU (power rating and/or model)?

I think the Core i7 is my preferred option, as you say they are best for what I will be using it for, just hope we have the budget for it. Am I right in thinking the Phenom 2 option would be everyone's 2nd choice?

EDIT: How do you rate these?

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/152506
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/141006
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/135514
 
Antec is reputable; they have particular PSUs that are problematic and should be avoided.

That being said, the Corsair 650TX is a stellar PSU, and far superior to the Truepower in every way possible.

Also, I recommend this case instead of the P183. It's as silent, bigger, has more fans and is only £1 more. It also comes with free delivery, like the P183.
 
Antec is reputable; they have particular PSUs that are problematic and should be avoided.

That being said, the Corsair 650TX is a stellar PSU, and far superior to the Truepower in every way possible.

Also, I recommend this case instead of the P183. It's as silent, bigger, has more fans and is only £1 more. It also comes with free delivery, like the P183.
I looked at the P193 too, can't actually remember why I opted against it, may simply have been an aesthetic thing :) Do you think the premium of this over something like the Antec 300 case is worth it?
 
Only if you're looking for a very silent PC. Otherwise, I recommend this case. Add a 120mm fan in the front, and you've got a good cooling system, coupled with a large case to accomodate anything you want, and good looks to go with it. :)
 
Only if you're looking for a very silent PC. Otherwise, I recommend this case. Add a 120mm fan in the front, and you've got a good cooling system, coupled with a large case to accomodate anything you want, and good looks to go with it. :)
Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm afraid I have to disagree with you on the looks department ;) I'm aiming for a much more minimalist design.

Noise isn't really an issue as the office is usually fairly loud anyway, think I'll take a punt on the Antec 300 :)
 
I would recommend against a mid-tower case, mainly because the Quadro is a big card, and the CPU is also fairly hot.

If minimalist is what you want, either the P193, or this case (assuming it fits your criteria) would be my recommendations.
 
lol kitty, that's a long distance in between the phen2 and core2q, i think its more like Phen II>=core 2 quad
True, but I would much rather spend my money on a Phenom II or i7 than a similar Core 2 quad.
 
A cramped case can result in higher temps, even at idle speeds. Over at extreme overclockers there was a thread comparing two corei7 builds, with almost same exact specs, excluding ram and hdd, both builds had a gtx260, but the person with the antec 300, had a 9C degree case temp increase over another person with an antec 900. Just another testiment that opting for a case with better/more airflow can become a major issue, even at idle conditions.
 
A cramped case can result in higher temps, even at idle speeds. Over at extreme overclockers there was a thread comparing two corei7 builds, with almost same exact specs, excluding ram and hdd, both builds had a gtx260, but the person with the antec 300, had a 9C degree case temp increase over another person with an antec 900. Just another testiment that opting for a case with better/more airflow can become a major issue, even at idle conditions.
Will the Antec 300 actually be cramped though? Having checked the specs of it compared with the Chieftec (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/159014) there's only a small difference between the 2 in terms of size. As noise isn't an issue could I not ensure a cool running system by adding a decent fan to the front of the Antec?

EDIT:

Ok I've revised the specs and the new system looks like this:

Intel Core i7 920 D0 2.66GHz Socket 1366 8MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor - Ebuyer
ASUS P6T SE iX58 Socket 1366 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard - Ebuyer
http://www.pcwb.co.uk/catalogue/item/A0476781
Corsair 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz XMS3 Memory CL9(9-9-9-24) for i7 motherboards - Ebuyer
Antec 300 Three Hundred Black Case - No PSU - Ebuyer
Corsair 650W TX Series PSU - 120mm Fan, 80+% Efficiency, Single +12V Rail - Ebuyer
Seagate ST3500418AS 500GB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 16MB Cache - OEM - Ebuyer x 2
LG GH22NS50 22x SATA DVD±RW Dual Layer & RAM Black Bare Drive - OEM - Ebuyer
RANGEMAX NEXT WIRELESS PCI - ADAPTER 270MBPS UK - Ebuyer
Microsoft Windows Vista Business w/SP1 - W/ Windows 7 Upgrade Offer Form - licence and media - 1 PC - OEM - DVD - 64-bit - English - Ebuyer
Logitech Pro 2800 Black Wireless Desktop - 2.4Ghz USB - OEM - Ebuyer
Samsung SM2443BW 24" TFT Monitor 1920x1200 300cd/m2 20,000:1 5ms VGA/DVI-D H/Adjust W/Mount Black 3 Years Warranty - Ebuyer
Logitech Pro 2800 Black Wireless Desktop - 2.4Ghz USB - OEM - Ebuyer
Hiper 120mm Case Fan - Clear HiperFlow Frame & Blades - 3pin with Adaptor/Screws Included - Ebuyer
Plexus DVI-D Dual Link Flat Panel Replacement Cable (Black) 2m - Ebuyer

Total Now comes to £1250 approx.

In light of the benchmark tests red1776 posted I may spec up a decent phenom 2 system for comparison.
 
The P193 and Black Aegis are full-tower cases; the Antec Three Hundred is a mid-tower case. There is a pretty major size difference between the two. You can tell this easily by the weight. The full-tower cases are about 5-9kg heavier than the Three Hundred.
 
The P193 and Black Aegis are full-tower cases; the Antec Three Hundred is a mid-tower case. There is a pretty major size difference between the two. You can tell this easily by the weight. The full-tower cases are about 5-9kg heavier than the Three Hundred.
Going by the overall dimensions there doesn't seem to be a vast difference between the Antec and Chieftec:

Antec 300 = H 458mm W 205mm D 465mm
Chieftec = H 440mm W 205mm D 540mm

The latter is only 75mm deeper (would this make much difference?) and is actually shorter. The P193 on the other hand is considerably bigger (H 514 W 205 D 590mm), but it's also considerably more expensive :)
 
Then it is probably not a full-tower case, and eBuyer has mis-labeled it.

If you want a mid-tower case, this is a better buy compared to the Three Hundred.
 
Then it is probably not a full-tower case, and eBuyer has mis-labeled it.

That wouldn't surprise me in the least :)

If you want a mid-tower case, this is a better buy compared to the Three Hundred.

I don't necessarily want a mid-tower case (although my current workstation uses one and it seems more than adequate size wise) I'm just trying to get the best compromise between functionality and price. I think the Antec 900 looks quite good for a gaming rig but possibly a little over-the-top for a work machine, but thanks for the suggestion.
 
The cooling system is better on the Nine Hundred. But I agree, it doesn't suit an office environment.

If you're looking at an appropriate-looking case for an office environment with good cooling to match, this and this are what I'd recommend. I don't think it is worth paying the price premium for the P183\P193, considering the application.
 
The cooling system is better on the Nine Hundred. But I agree, it doesn't suit an office environment.

If you're looking at an appropriate-looking case for an office environment with good cooling to match, this and this are what I'd recommend. I don't think it is worth paying the price premium for the P183\P193, considering the application.
Thanks, think I'm settled on the Antec Sonata then (I have the Sonata 3 case at home). I like the look of the Coolermaster though, so if I need to squeeze the costs down I may switch to that one.
 
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