AutoCAD/Revit New Build Advice

Dabzarch

Hi,

Looking for advice on components/spec for a new build for a friend who is looking to upgrade their work PC. I have attempted to set-out the requirements below. I'm not sure where to start with regards to selecting the precise components so I hope ye don't mind me picking yer brains.

I built a similar machine for myself about two years ago but I know things have moved on and components have upgraded since .

Went for the i7 4470K at the time as I had a bit of room in the budget. From memory a few people recommended an alternative i5 processor which would have been more than enough.

Is it better to go with the i7 over the i5 or is it a waste for what the computer will be used for? Same applies for the graphics card - Is there any need to go for a high end card if a €100approx. is all they will need?

1. What is your budget? [€800-1000]
2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? AutoCAD/Revit, Sketchup, a small bit of Photoshop, MS Office Suite, Internet. no requirements for gaming - Work PC only
3. Do you need a copy of Windows? [Yes, Preferably Win 7 Pro but willing to try version 10 if it's stable.]
4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? [No]
5. Do you need a monitor? [No, Happy with current monitor]
5. If yes, what size do you need. -
6. Do you need any of these peripherals? DVD/Writer, Graphics Card with duel output. It would be good to have approx four usb ports on the front of the case if possible?
7. Are you willing to try overclocking? [No] would like to avoid AMD Cpu
8. How can you pay? [Paypal/Credit Card]
9. When are you purchasing? Within the next few weeks.
10. Other Request? SSD for operating system and 1Tb hard drive for file storage.

Cheers.

Digital Solitude

i7 6700 €330
H110 board €100
2tb HDD €90
250gb SSD €90
Case €100
300w PSU €40
GTX750 €100
16gb DDR4 €100
Total €950

Any questions ask away

Dabzarch

Cheers Digital Solitude!

Looks good, attempted to add them to mindfactory.

I'm a little unsure which board i should go with - the H170 or Z170 seems to be in greater availability than the H110. Are they all compatible with the i7-6700? How are ASRock with regards to reliability? Also can you advise a suitable cooling fan for the cpu that would fit the Fractal R5 case?

http://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/ASRock-H170M-Pro4S-Intel-H170-So-1151-Dual-Channel-DDR4-mATX-Retail_1011766.html.

Case:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fractal-Design-Define-Pearl-Computer-x/dp/B00Q2Z11QE/ref=lp_430498031_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1446665004&sr=1-2

grindle

Dabzarch wrote: »

Also can you advise a suitable cooling fan for the cpu that would fit the Fractal R5 case?

Any cooler at all, the R5 has an obnoxious amount of space.
Your main concern with the cooler should be "Will my RAM fit underneath it?"

Edit: having said that, your mobo that you've linked only supports the slowest DDR4 RAM.

Digital Solitude

All the same, whichever is cleaper basically

ASRock are fine

Dabzarch

Ah yes I remember now. I have the Fractal R4 case which is great. I was worried when i was building mine at the time the RAM might have been an issue. I was also looking at the Corsiar Carbide 300r but wasnt sure if it is big enough?

@grindle - what do i need to look for on a board to suit a faster DDR4 RAM

Apologies for all the questions - Its been a while since i knew anything about this stuff.

grindle

Dabzarch wrote: »

I have the Fractal R4 case which is great. I was worried when i was building mine at the time the RAM might have been an issue. I was also looking at the Corsiar Carbide 300r but wasnt sure if it is big enough?

Depends on the cooler for the 300r but 160mm tolerance rules out a few of the larger coolers alright. There are still great coolers under 160mm though - 160mm+ coolers are meant for extreme overclocking.
If you don't mind me asking, why go for a separate cooler when you're thinking of a non-K CPU?
Seems like a buying strategy for someone who lives in a very hot country but would make no difference presuming you live in Ireland.

Dabzarch wrote: »

what do i need to look for on a board to suit a faster DDR4 RAM

Mindfactory has a pretty good granular filter for products including what mobos might support - H series is fairly limited this time around to 2133mhz DDR4 which is the equivalent to 1333mhz in DDR3.
€20 extra gets you a nice bit of an upgrade path and 2400mhz in DDR4 is about equivalent to 1600mhz which is the standard by now in powerful builds, but a board like this goes well beyond that should RAM speed become an issue (which isn't likely before the next RAM generation barring an unforeseeable push into RAMdisks becoming a norm).

Dabzarch

grindle wrote: »

Depends on the cooler for the 300r but 160mm tolerance rules out a few of the larger coolers alright. There are still great coolers under 160mm though - 160mm+ coolers are meant for extreme overclocking.
If you don't mind me asking, why go for a separate cooler when you're thinking of a non-K CPU?
Seems like a buying strategy for someone who lives in a very hot country but would make no difference presuming you live in Ireland.



Mindfactory has a pretty good granular filter for products including what mobos might support - H series is fairly limited this time around to 2133mhz DDR4 which is the equivalent to 1333mhz in DDR3.
€20 extra gets you a nice bit of an upgrade path and 2400mhz in DDR4 is about equivalent to 1600mhz which is the standard by now in powerful builds, but a board like this goes well beyond that should RAM speed become an issue (which isn't likely before the next RAM generation barring an unforeseeable push into RAMdisks becoming a norm).

To be honest its probably more my lack of knowledge. I have a K processor which i used a decent fan for the CPU. I suppose I just don't want to put something unsuitable on the chip if it means i just need to spend a few quid more for a better fan.

That board looks good. Cheer for the heads up on the RAM speed.

Am i right in saying I should avoide buying a case off mindfactory due to delivery cost? Also is a 300W PSU sufficient in the long run or would it be beneficial to go for a 4-500W?

Cheers

Digital Solitude

If you'll be adding a bigger GPU in future, bump it up a little I suppose

grindle

Dabzarch wrote: »

To be honest its probably more my lack of knowledge. I have a K processor which i used a decent fan for the CPU. I suppose I just don't want to put something unsuitable on the chip if it means i just need to spend a few quid more for a better fan.

Getting a cooler will only give benefits for overclocking or tiny builds. Some would say it's good for reducing noise as well but the R5 will essentially deaden the stock fan's whirr.

Dabzarch wrote: »

Am i right in saying I should avoid buying a case off mindfactory due to delivery cost?

Yes, unless they have a steep enough discount on the case to justify the delivery charge, but that would probably only ever happen with the much more expensive cases.