New Gaming/Editing PC..Help?!

Cabal

Hi Guys,

My current PC is starting to give me some grief, and although I'm not really a gamer, I would love to be able to play something released in the last 5 years
It is a fairly general build, but I would like it to be a bit higher end. It will be used for some gaming, video editing/rendering, photo editing, animation.

I see there is a template, so I'll give that a bash...

1. What is your budget? [€1000 - but I'm flexible either way]

2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? [Some gaming, video editing/rendering, animation, photo editing]

3. Do you need a copy of Windows? [Yes - I have Win10 Pro on my current Dell, but I'm guessing I can't use that?]

4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? [Maybe - I have no clue if anything is worth using from my current PC. I currently have an Intel i7 860 @ 2.80GHz? I have 8GB RAM (4x2GB), but they are fairly old, and I would like 16GB if possible. I have a couple of internal HDD, I think they are 1TB each.]

5. Do you need a monitor? [I have a Dell ST2010 20". Do I need a new monitor?]

6. Do you need any of these peripherals? [I would need a decent wireless card]

7. Are you willing to try overclocking? [Not unless it was super safe, and necessary?]

8. How can you pay? [Debit Card, Credit Card, PayPal (I think), Bank Transfer]

9. When are you purchasing? [Anytime really]

10. If you need help building it, where are you based? [I am in Dublin 15. Is it possible to have it assembled by the company you buy the parts from?]

I would really like the PC to be as quiet as possible. My current one wasn't too loud, but you can hear it on audio recordings made in the same room.

You can probably tell, I don't know much about building PCs, and was going to buy another Dell, but I saw the kinda things you guys were putting together for a much better price, so I thought I should ask for some advice

Thanks in advance!

MarkAnthony

I'm not great on video editing so just some general advice.

3. No you probably can't. You can get keys fairly cheap, they're usually not legit but they do the job.

4. Move at least one of the HDDs over and leave at least one in the machine and sell it as a complete system

5. You don't need a new monitor unless it's just got a D-sub on it but 20" is a bit small for editing, no?

7 . No real point in spending money on overclocking these days. Go with the business class motherboards that don't allow OCing anyway.

8. Avoid bank transfer - no comeback.

10. Don't get the machine assembled, it's very easy to do and people here will be willing to help if needed. PC's don't travel well assembled, especially when what most component sellers do is just throw it back in the box the case came in and ship it.

Go with a decent sized case and 140mm fans with PWM (fan control). You'll be able to set the fans really low for when you're recording and have them ramp up when you're doing rendering work.

Cabal

MarkAnthony wrote: »

I'm not great on video editing so just some general advice.

3. No you probably can't. You can get keys fairly cheap, they're usually not legit but they do the job.

4. Move at least one of the HDDs over and leave at least one in the machine and sell it as a complete system

5. You don't need a new monitor unless it's just got a D-sub on it but 20" is a bit small for editing, no?

7 . No real point in spending money on overclocking these days. Go with the business class motherboards that don't allow OCing anyway.

8. Avoid bank transfer - no comeback.

10. Don't get the machine assembled, it's very easy to do and people here will be willing to help if needed. PC's don't travel well assembled, especially when what most component sellers do is just throw it back in the box the case came in and ship it.

Go with a decent sized case and 140mm fans with PWM (fan control). You'll be able to set the fans really low for when you're recording and have them ramp up when you're doing rendering work.

Thanks Mark!

I really appreciate the advice.
General advice is good My current setup allows me to edit video, but it's slow enough and I'd like to get better previews while I'm working, so I figure if my new setup can handle any kind of recent games, it'll be grand for what I need.

I'll have a look this morning and try and get some ideas. The idea of putting it together... if anyone can fudge it, it's me

Thanks again!

**edit** The 20" Monitor has HDMI. A new monitor would be great, but if it meant a better build, I'd be happy to wait a month or 2 and then upgrade the monitor?

Xenoronin

Here is something to look at. I am uncertain as to if the higher frequency RAM will actually affect real world performance... So I've put this in just to avoid any bottleneck.

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/6LDjpb

The new Radeon cards like the RX 470 (whenever that is available) may be a better option than the 950 for 1080p gaming from what few benchmarks i've seen. It will also be a bit better for video editing i'd say.

Some options. Drop the motherboard down to a B150 and the RAM down to 2133MHz DDR4. Which should save some money.
You could also look at a mATX build with a smaller case.

Definitely recommend saving up for a good monitor. It will be worth your while in the long run.

Cabal

Xenoronin wrote: »

Here is something to look at. I am uncertain as to if the higher frequency RAM will actually affect real world performance... So I've put this in just to avoid any bottleneck.

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/6LDjpb

The new Radeon cards like the RX 470 (whenever that is available) may be a better option than the 950 for 1080p gaming from what few benchmarks i've seen. It will also be a bit better for video editing i'd say.

Some options. Drop the motherboard down to a B150 and the RAM down to 2133MHz DDR4. Which should save some money.
You could also look at a mATX build with a smaller case.

Definitely recommend saving up for a good monitor. It will be worth your while in the long run.

Awesome!!
I'm sitting here looking at parts, and feeling totally overwhelmed :eek:
Thanks Xenoronin, I'll have a look at the list now (I'll probably have questions!).
I had just been looking at a B150, and they seem very reasonable.

Xenoronin

Ask away Just think of it as buying a really expensive lego kit.

You can buy from amazon.co.uk, overclockers.co.uk, mindfactory.de (just not the case due to shipping).
I've used PC Part picker for convenience. Always check that the parts I've selected suit your needs and check reviews on google, don't feel tied to those specific parts.

MarkAnthony

You could probably find another 20" second hand on adverts. Then I'd suggest look at 34" UW - they're a huge investment but well worth it long term as you'll be able to use it until it dies.

Cabal

Xenoronin, I just saw this;
http://wccftech.com/amd-rx-470-460-specs-performance-launch-dates/
Seems they are launching on the 4th and 8th of August.
The RX 470 looks great. I might hold out for that one.
mATX cases... I'd never considered that before. Are they ok for space/cooling etc? Do you know are they better or worse for keeping noise levels down?
Cheers

Xenoronin

Yup, the 470 is looking pretty damn good tbh. Most cases are just fine as long as you buy a decent brand. I always find "best 'x' 2016" to be a great search term for finding what is out there. Loads of tech websites have these lists.
A quick search (curiosity got the better of me) beings up this: https://www.quietpc.com/na-ds4
Nanoxia are well known for good, silent cases. It's nice to see they have a smaller model. A review says the included fan isn't the best, if that rubs you the wrong way, Corsair and Noctua make some excellent silent fans.

Another interesting article: http://www.silentpcreview.com/Journey_to_a_Silent_MicroATX_Gamer

Cabal

Thanks again Xenoronin!
I'll have a look and see what I can find out about those cases. I guess I'm happy to change out whatever fans etc. to make it suit my needs
I'll try and get a finished list of parts together over the weekend and post it here for anyone to comment on.