[ibejustin]

Hey guys,

This is my first time posting on this forum and my first time building my own PC. I'm heading off to college this fall to study film and digital effects/animation and I decided to use a 1500 dollar scholarship I was recently awarded for a PSA I made to begin what I hope will be the ultimate computer to suit my needs. I spend the bulk of my time editing with Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects and 3DS Max, but it can be quite a challenge on my 13-inch Macbook Pro. Don't get me wrong, she's a [bleep] of a machine and has always gotten the job done (despite hours and hours of painfully slow rendering), but it's time to give her a break and get a computer that is designed specifically for what I need. However I'm not all work and no play. I'm also an avid gamer and I expect this computer to be able to run games like Skyrim, Borderlands 2, Battlefield 3, Minecraft, etc. with average to above average performance and graphics.

So now that you know my backstory, let me show you what I've researched and put together so far. When putting this list together I used two sources:

- Corridor Digital and Freddiew are my favorite YouTubers and my personal heroes, and I knew I would be using my computer the same way that they use theirs.

http://www.custompcr...ds/best-phot... - This is a guide that I found online that seemed pretty informative and reliable.

Keep in mind that this is my first time building a PC so this is a learning experience for me, and while I may not have much knowledge on the subject I am very excited and enthusiastic about starting this project - just like when I start a new video project. I'm hoping to keep my costs relatively low so I have a little left over for monitors, speakers, keyboard etc. Let me know what you think and if there is anything I need to add/replace/remove on my list.

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UP4 TH LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with Dual Thunderbolt - http://www.newegg.co...Item=N82E168...

Processor: Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 - http://www.newegg.co...Item=N82E168...

Memory:
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) - http://www.newegg.co...Item=N82E168...

GPU: EVGA 02G-P4-2643-KR GeForce GT 640 2GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card - http://www.newegg.co...Item=N82E168...

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 ST3000DM001 3TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - http://www.newegg.co...Item=N82E168...

SSD: SAMSUNG 840 Pro Series MZ-7PD128BW 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC - http://www.newegg.co...Item=N82E168...

Optical Drive: ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - http://www.newegg.co...Item=N82E168...

Power Supply: Antec VP-450 450W ATX 12V v2.3 - http://www.newegg.co...Item=N82E168...

Case: Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm... - http://www.newegg.co...Item=N82E168...

I plan on making my final purchase by the end of the month, and adding on to it over time. I'll probably pick up a monitor from ebay or hit up Best Buy sometime before everything arrives. I already have my OS discs (Windows 7) and I have no preference towards Newegg - it just seemed like the best site. I am located in Tallahassee, FL and have no brand preference. I DO plan on Overclocking and my monitor resolution will be at least 1920x1080.

Thanks so much,

Justin

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Gday ibejustin,
Below is a build for your considertion. Ideally it should have another 4 drives, 2 x 2 RAID 0, + external backup drive. I have not included a SSD, Capacity for the boot drive is on this build more important than load time


http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KKt2 Does not include any state taxes that may apply.

I am sure you will have questions.

[iammykyl]

Gday ibejustin,
Below is a build for your considertion. Ideally it should have another 4 drives, 2 x 2 RAID 0, + external backup drive. I have not included a SSD, Capacity for the boot drive is on this build more important than load time


http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KKt2 Does not include any state taxes that may apply.

I am sure you will have questions.

[ibejustin]

Thanks for the reply!

If you don't mind me asking, what makes the parts you've chosen superior to the ones I listed? I'm totally open to suggestions but I was also wanting to know if I did a good job selecting the parts I did.

[iammykyl]

Q. If you don't mind me asking,

A. Ask away, as many as you need to be satisfied you are getting what you want.

Q. what makes the parts you've chosen superior to the ones I listed?
A. I would not say they are superior, just put the $ in different places and prioritising the functions you need for this kind of build.

Q. I'm totally open to suggestions but I was also wanting to know if I did a good job selecting the parts I did
A. You did OK, it would have worked but needed to be balanced more.

**********************

Please understand that the following is in no way a criticism of you or your capabilities..
MB. All start off as a reference boards and what you pay for is the extras that each brand has added, in the case of the Gigabyte what I think you do not need.
Extra PCI Express x 16 slot, Thunderbolt, S/PDIF In header, It does have eSata, can be added to the Asrock if you need it. It only has 6 SATA ports, one disable if you use the rear eSata, no Display port. Compare, > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007627%2050001944%20600315497&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&CompareItemList=280%7C13-128-558%5E13-128-558-TS%2C13-157-300%5E13-157-300-TS%2C13-157-293%5E13-157-293-TS&percm=13-157-300%3A%24%24%24%24%24%24%24%3B13-157-293%3A%24%24%24%24%24%24%24
RAM.The G.Skill will perform exactly the same as your choice but is low profile ensuring it will not interfere with CPU coolers.
HDD/SSD. Best use of funds is to stay with mechanic drives. Start with the 2 selected, add the RAID drives later as required, you will need the software to make full use of them.
GPU, Changed, the 640 it would under perform for both gaming and video work.
Case. Challenger is good for a gamer, not very robust, no USB 3.0 front ports not enough internal drive bays, would not support enough fans for a fully loaded case. so chosen to last and can be used again and again for future builds. A couple of alternatives for you to look at,
> http://www.newegg.co...%24%24%24%24%24
PSU. The heart of a system. The VP450 just too small. By the time you have a full system it will need about 480 w, so you need extra so it is not running flat out, and some for over-clocking.

NB. Changed the MB from the ASrock Pro mATX to Asrock Extreme4 ATX, loosing the Display Port on the MB..
Update. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KUbs