My First Build (help wanted)

[rssanchez]

Hello Everyone! I'm a recent architecture graduate and I'm in the market for a new desktop, i'll be using it for AutoCAD, Sketchup, Vray and Photoshop. I would like to build or buy a medium level/high end tower desktop. I wanted to get an AIO but realized that most all in ones today don't have the GPU power and the closest AIO with good GPU power would be Apples new imac 27" with optional nvidias GTx 680MX w/ 2gb but it's way to expensive! So I'm going to be sticking with building my own tower.

 

Can someone please help me start, I'm fairly new to this. Any advise is greatly appreciated.

 

Starting budget: $1,600

 

Tower/case?

CPU? AMD or Intel

GPU?

Mobo?

SSD?

Ram?

Cooling?

Monitor? would like a thin monitor.

 

Again I'm fairly new to building and only know the basics but I'm willing to learn.

 

Thank you in advance

[etoradamaley]

Hi there. What would you rate your technical ability as? If above average, I'll suggest reading up on some PC building tutorials. If low, you may want to commission someone to build for you. Regarding the parts for the build, I'd recommend the Intel I7 3770k, which I consider to be the sweet spot for the current crop of processors. It is overclockable up to 5 GHZ on liquid cooling and gives you 8 threads for rendering. Shoot for at least 256GB for an SSD drive for your OS and applications. I recently got a 128GB a month ago, and regret it as I am already micromanaging my space. With your budget, you should be able to max out at 32GB RAM. Also, be sure to get at least an Nvidia Kepler video card, with as much memory as possible. I've been looking at the GTX 670 myself. Snap up one that's overclocked with 4GB and it will compete with a standard 680. You may not need 4GB if your scale of models in AutoCAD and texturing in sketchup doesn't call for it, but just keep in mind if you do need it at some point in the future, you'll have no regrets.

[Dimitris Tolios]

It is not perfect, but a nice starting point.

 

 

The 256GB SSD is not needed, it is a luxury. You can find some of the best 256GB SSDs @ $170-180 quite often on offers. I would not deviate from a Samsung 840 Pro or OCZ Vertex 4. Plextor M5s are also excellent, but it is harder to be found on offers. Samsung 830 and Crucial m4 are also great drives, but the above are newer/faster.

 

The HDD is not specified. I would go Seagate 7200.14 1TB (or bigger) if I wanted the fastest, and WD Caviar Black if I've wanted the best warranty.

 

Cooler is not required if you won't OC the CPU.

 

The GPU/PSU/Case etc are priced after the current rebates.

 

660ti is a decent card. 3GB versions are available, but considerably more expensive for its class.

 

The case is elegant and well organized. Can fit 2x120mm water loops easily, and has front USB 3.0 ports.

 

The monitor is great for that price point. I don't get what you mean by "thin"...it is not very thin but offers a great base, good color and it is a nicely calibrated 1200p IPS.

[heni30]

If you're here in the states I would seriously look into gaming systems on Craigslist. You can find some excellent setups for 30% less than what you would pay new. And it's ready to go and burned in. Gamers are quite demanding with their specs and take pride in their machines.

Edited December 11, 2012 by heni30

[Dimitris Tolios]

Another decent monitor for the money, is the ASUS VS239H-P 23-Inch Full-HD LED IPS Monitor.

This was recently @ $165 on Amazon.

Yes, it is 1080p, it does not have the versatile base the Dell has, etc. but you can almost have 2x of them for the same price.

 

I am a big advocate for dual monitors, and if I was on a tight budget, I would really consider two "lesser" monitors than a single one - even a higher res.