New build or scavenge old PC...

ATMINSIDE said:

Hate to tell you, but just the i5 and 770 would be the entire budget...

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Manu and me live on another planet... We have trouble with budgets.
I think Manu was just trying to say that "ideally, the OP should get X and Y". We realize that the reality of the situation is a little different.

Thinking about this thread-- I wonder if used parts would be a possibility? I see 2500Ks for under $100 on the 'Bay. GTX 580s for $100. Decent P67 boards for $50. Just sayin. Not a bad option.

Yes, used parts.

3 years warranty on CPU...

That's how I get most of my stuff.

3470+DP7BG, one year old, €100...

290X, open box, 1 year ago, €280, when it was €529...

okay let me reboot this thing. there is way too much emphasis on how much she uses Photoshop. Her #1 problem is that her system hangs; lots of "not responding" as she searches for files, opens programs, does this or that. I think it is half (or more) that her PC is too old and doesn't have good components (It an HP). and the other half is that she rarely reboots and has bad habits -- 10-12 browser pages open constantly, 10 emails open at the same time, 4-5 programs at the same time, Itunes, etc.

About a year ago I wiped her hard drive, scanned it and re installed windows. I also did a memory test which didn't show any issues with her ram. I updated the BIOS and all drivers, and did everything I could think of to make it faster. it helped but not as much as I had hoped.

She has one 2008 1 tb hardrive (7200 rpm) that came with the PC. She also has a 6 month old 1 tb western digital 7200 drive. I will use these as drive #2 and #3 with the SSD as the OS and program ONLY drive. No files will be stored on this drive other than those required by OS or programs. It takes her PC a crazy long time to reboot which is part of why she hates rebooting. I am hoping with a 30 second reboot that it might encourage her to do it at least once a day or two.


She already has a good EVGA GTX GPU that is on Adobe's list and has great reviews for improving Photoshop. So lets not focus on the GPU anymore please.

I have an email out to someone who has an i5-3300 for $100. I may grab that for her.

What GPU? The first post listed integrated graphics.

evga gtx460
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130591

So the $500 doesn't need to include a GPU now?

ATMINSIDE said:

So the $500 doesn't need to include a GPU now?

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Sort of...now the GPU is taken care of so hopefully the debate over whether or not a GPU is necessary will stop and we can focus on CPU and MOBO. It seemed that no matter which CPU I pciedk, I would need a GPU. She got it for $40.

I want to give her an Intel build and and AMD build and let her choose based on her budget.

Intel: (maybe be the i5-3300 if the Craigslist guy emails me back - same MOBO thought regardless)
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6wHVLk

AMD:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/b3QXhM

The i5-3330 won't use the same motherboard, it is for a different socket.

rbico said:

Sort of...now the GPU is taken care of so hopefully the debate over whether or not a GPU is necessary will stop and we can focus on CPU and MOBO. It seemed that no matter which CPU I pciedk, I would need a GPU. She got it for $40.

I want to give her an Intel build and and AMD build and let her choose based on her budget.

Intel: (maybe be the i5-3300 if the Craigslist guy emails me back - same MOBO thought regardless)
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6wHVLk

AMD:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/b3QXhM

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The Intel build obliterates the AMD build. Btw a 3XXX cpu will not fit on an 8 or 9 series board. Wrong number of pins, incompatible chipset. 3XXX CPUs use Z77/H77/H75/B75. That's an inferior platform in so many ways, especially that you only get 2 6gbps SATA ports on chipset vs 6. I would urge you to use all new parts. If cash is really tight though, you could track down a cheap Z77 or H77 board and use the 3XXX i5. But you won't get SATA express, m.2, not as many SATA 3 ports... it's pretty blurgh...

If I were you I wouldn't even show her the AMD build. Intel will outperform across the board.

ATMINSIDE said:

The i5-3330 won't use the same motherboard, it is for a different socket.

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Thanks for pointing that out.

Theocnoob said:

The Intel build obliterates the AMD build. Btw a 3XXX cpu will not fit on an 8 or 9 series board. Wrong number of pins, incompatible chipset. 3XXX CPUs use Z77/H77/H75/B75. That's an inferior platform in so many ways, especially that you only get 2 6gbps SATA ports on chipset vs 6. I would urge you to use all new parts. If cash is really tight though, you could track down a cheap Z77 or H77 board and use the 3XXX i5. But you won't get SATA express, m.2, not as many SATA 3 ports... it's pretty blurgh...

If I were you I wouldn't even show her the AMD build. Intel will outperform across the board.

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Thanks for the details. I will show her both, but I am confident she'll go with the Intel.

She went with the Intel build here:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/BpzN23

and the EVGA GTX 460 for GPU

I will post a follow-up after I have put everything together. Thank you for all of your help!

Awesome build, she'll hug you!

Duuuude you bought an Antec 300 case in 2014? For over $40? That case doesn't even have USB 3.0 ports. The INFINITELY superior Corsair 200R is the same price. Do you have time to change it?

Also, 4GB of RAM... Not gonna cut it for her tasks IMO. Do you have time to change it to 2X4 1600? Those would be my suggestions.

Who told you to get the Antec 300 case? That was a terrible move, with all due respect...

attack said:

Awesome build, she'll hug you!

Click to expand...

Theocnoob said:

Duuuude you bought an Antec 300 case in 2014? For over $40? That case doesn't even have USB 3.0 ports. The INFINITELY superior Corsair 200R is the same price. Do you have time to change it?

Also, 4GB of RAM... Not gonna cut it for her tasks IMO. Do you have time to change it to 2X4 1600? Those would be my suggestions.

Who told you to get the Antec 300 case? That was a terrible move, with all due respect...

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I have this case and I love it. I didn't realize that the USB function was case-sensitive. And it was one of the few I could find that didn't have goofy LEDS and flashing lights, Nike stripes and junk all over it. I see now just the front ports are USB2. She'll live.

The OS will be 32 bit, so 4gb is all she can have.

4th gen i5 on a 32 bit OS...
To each their own I guess. It'd be nice to get another 4GB of RAM and a 64 bit OS in there though. Almost worth using the preview of Win 10 honestly if price is an issue. Or a (cough cough, eherm) copy of 8.1

4GB of RAM is a really big handicap when working with Photoshop/Illustrator.

16GB recommended and 8GB is the bare minimum.

She definetly needs a 64bits OS and 4 more GB of ram.

she has an old 16 bit program that she has to use. The work around for this are far too clunky.

I photoshop work almost everyday on a 32bit and 4gb of Ram and have no problems 9we both use the 32 bit program). She is doing work similar to what I do so I don't see what the problem is.

are you both saying the i-5 wont be good with 32 bit OS?

No. The RAM, over 4GB, is not good (possible to use) on a 32bit OS. I would imagine that you are not doing a lot of heavy PS work if you are not hitting 4GB of ram.

rbico said:

she has an old 16 bit program that she has to use. The work around for this are far too clunky.

I photoshop work almost everyday on a 32bit and 4gb of Ram and have no problems 9we both use the 32 bit program). She is doing work similar to what I do so I don't see what the problem is.

are you both saying the i-5 wont be good with 32 bit OS?

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In the simplest terms, the i5 won't "it its full potential" in a 32 bit OS.

From a less experienced perspective:
Find a used