Confused pc buyer

EDIT - having said that (and looked at some benchmarks), the CPU is actually not all that bad - your 8 cores would do the job for LR. But I'm an Intel snob.

It's probably just me, but I like to 'future proof' my builds as much as I can - but if you're not arsed about that, then it's fine.

Future proofing just depends on how soon you think you're going to need an upgrade.
The OP is upgrading from a 10yr old dual core machine. The AMD FX with 16GB of RAM is likely to be good enough for 3 years or more. So it will be fine.

If you happen to like having the absolute latest CPU and highest spec PC, then you can sink as much money as you like into new parts every year or so. It seems that socket design and RAM specs changes every couple of years, so you end up needing a motherboard change sooner or later. There is no future proofing ;)

Actually looking at the 2 bundles again, they are both the same price, but the Intel i5 bundle only has 8GB of RAM and the AMD bundle gets you 16GB of RAM. So, considering you get twice as much RAM and a (slightly) better performing CPU for the same price, the AMD bundle has the edge.
 
It might not have the right connector. But that will depend on the age of the power supply, which given that you said the PC is about 10 years old, it's probably worth just replacing it.

Here's a motherboard bundle (from the ebay seller I got mine from)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/INTEL-Cor...-A-8GB-DDR4-2133-CRUCIAL-Bundle-/121949163054

Then add a case with a PSU included:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CiT-Templ...SB-SATA-NEW-/191881203955?hash=item2cad02d0f3
Sorry for jumping in but there's some very good information in this thread and I'm looking at upgrade myself. Would that system be sufficient for 1080p and very occasional 2.7k video editing on a program like song Vegas? I would be willing to upgrade the RAM and buy a video card in the future.
 
Sorry for jumping in but there's some very good information in this thread and I'm looking at upgrade myself. Would that system be sufficient for 1080p and very occasional 2.7k video editing on a program like song Vegas? I would be willing to upgrade the RAM and buy a video card in the future.
Take a look at the other motherboard bundle that we've compared to in this thread: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AMD-X8-Co...8?clk_rvr_id=1190551703931&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true
It's the same price as the Intel i5 one, but has 16GB RAM instead of 8GB, which would be better for video editing and the CPU is slightly better in terms of plain benchmark score, probably because it's 8 core rather than 4 core.
Then just add a video card as required. I believe some video editing software requires a good graphics card for rendering previews, so it's worth checking before hand.
I've no experience of Sony Vegas and haven't done any video editing in ages, so others may have better information
 
Thanks for the help i think i will go for the and with 16gb ram. The build in graphic card is all i need for phone editing right?

I read that it's preferable to use a ssd to run programs then once edited archive them to a larger capacity HDD. How does this work in LR?
 
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Thanks for the help i think i will go for the and with 16gb ram. The build in graphic card is all i need for phone editing right?

I read that it's preferable to use a ssd to run programs then once edited archive them to a larger capacity HDD. How does this work in LR?

I use mine for photo editing with just the built in graphics card, though I may upgrade at a later date.


As for using an SSD;
You can install Windows and all other software to the SSD (c drive) and then have all your RAW files on another drive (D perhaps). Or you could use an SSD as your editing drive too then move the files afterwards.
just copy the files to the SSD from the memory card before you load LR, then import them into LR from the SSD. That's the way I would do it, but I don't know if moving the files to another drive afterwards is going to cause you a problem if you want to edit them again later.
There are other ways to import into LR that may work better in this work-flow.
 
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I use mine for photo editing with just the built in graphics card, though I may upgrade at a later date.


As for using an SSD;
You can install Windows and all other software to the SSD (c drive) and then have all your RAW files on another drive (D perhaps). Or you could use an SSD as your editing drive too then move the files afterwards.
just copy the files to the SSD from the memory card before you load LR, then import them into LR from the SSD. That's the way I would do it, but I don't know if moving the files to another drive afterwards is going to cause you a problem if you want to edit them again later.
There are other ways to import into LR that may work better in this work-flow.
I've never used LR so I'll worry about that when the time comes. First things first get the computer built.
 
I've just priced a machine on Ebuyer for a build I might go for, if you're interested, rjbell. I went for the i5 process because it's newer technology.

Mother board: Asus B150M-C D3 socket LGA1151 VGA DVI-D HDMI DisplayPort 7.1-Channel HD Audio uATX Motherboard £67.98 (has 4 slots as opposed to 2 in the ebay bundle, would also allow you to upgrade to iGen i7 in years to come)
Processor: Intel Core i5 6500 3.2GHz Socket 1151 6MB L3 Cache Retail Boxed Processor £184 on Amazon
SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB 2.5inch SSD £89
HD: Toshiba P300 1TB 3.5 £41
PSU & Case: CiT Templar £32.99
RAM: Crucial CT8G4DFD8213 8GB DDR4 2133MHz DIMM Memory £54.99 (amazon)
Total: £469.96

That leaves room to upgrade the RAM if needed. The only thing I'm not sure on is cooling, i.e how many fans it would need and where?

Future upgrade: Gfx: MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GAMING X 4GB GDDR5 Graphics Card GTX 1050 TI GAMING X 4G £123.33

EDIT: Just had a look at the case that ABTog linked too, I don't that that has any 2.5" internal bays or any USB3 external ports?
 
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I've just priced a machine on Ebuyer for a build I might go for, if you're interested, rjbell. I went for the i5 process because it's newer technology.

Mother board: Asus B150M-C D3 socket LGA1151 VGA DVI-D HDMI DisplayPort 7.1-Channel HD Audio uATX Motherboard £67.98 (has 4 slots as opposed to 2 in the ebay bundle, would also allow you to upgrade to iGen i7 in years to come)
Processor: Intel Core i5 6500 3.2GHz Socket 1151 6MB L3 Cache Retail Boxed Processor £184 on Amazon
SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB 2.5inch SSD £89
HD: Toshiba P300 1TB 3.5 £41
PSU & Case: CiT Templar £32.99
RAM: Crucial CT8G4DFD8213 8GB DDR4 2133MHz DIMM Memory £54.99 (amazon)
Total: £469.96

That leaves room to upgrade the RAM if needed. The only thing I'm not sure on is cooling, i.e how many fans it would need and where?

Future upgrade: Gfx: MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GAMING X 4GB GDDR5 Graphics Card GTX 1050 TI GAMING X 4G £123.33

EDIT: Just had a look at the case that ABTog linked too, I don't that that has any 2.5" internal bays or any USB3 external ports?

The motherboard you've selected, isn't compatible with DDR4 memory, unfortunately - something like this would - https://www.cclonline.com/product/2...13/?siteID=8BacdVP0GFs-yLG5uQs5PvGm7fgXfblEcQ

You can buy caddies that'll fit in a 3.5in bay, so you can mount your SSD - they cost about 5 quid on Amazon.

Personally I'd ditch the case and PSU combo and buy a case that fits your needs (USB 3.0 ports/2.5in caddies etc.). Means you'll need to buy a separate PSU, but you've got a bit of wiggle room in your budget to fund that.
 
Well yeah fair enough, the i5 is newer but is more expensive and again has a slightly lower score than the AMD FX8350. So the AMD is better value for money if that's what the OP is after.
Comparison: https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare.php?cmp[]=1780&cmp[]=2599

No Intel snobbery here, just preferences based on real world experience. That CPU might have 8 cores, but based on the Bulldozer architecture whether all 8 cores are used depends on the kind of task you are undertaking. Each pair of cores shares vital components, including the Maths co-processor so for lots of tasks, that means there's only really four cores available.

The TDP at 125W is rather high as well, so that means a lot of heat to dissipate when the machine is under load, not to mention electricity consumption.

Then I'll add to that the issues I've had with AMD APUs/chipsets - I originally built my backup server on an AMD chipset and I had all sorts of problems - more than 300 mb/s of network throughput would total the network stack and I had checksum errors (data corruption) on all my disks. I rebuilt the server with Intel hardware and it's been bulletproof since. I've also seen issues with additional instruction sets (virtualisation) and noticed limited support from software vendors as their testing is Intel biased.

Ryzen which is a newer brand new architecture might be much better but I'll reserve judgement on that until they've been tried and tested in the wild. In the meantime I'll recommend Intel.
 
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If I was a pro, working on a machine all the time or worked in IT with 24/7 systems, then I would be more concerned, but as a person who uses their computer for editing for maybe a few hours each time, it's not a problem.
I realise there will be some software that just works better on Intel, particularly when you get into server grade stuff, but at this level, running as a desktop, it's fine.

Besides, I didn't have a massive budget and the AMD system provided me with a massive jump in performance over my 8yr old Dell for a good price, it also uses less power and takes up less space.
 
I've never used LR so I'll worry about that when the time comes. First things first get the computer built.

I wouldn't bother putting the image files on an SSD, you won't notice any difference between the editing speed of having them on the HDD or SSD. But having your operating system and software installed on an SSD will make it faster.
 
I wouldn't bother putting the image files on an SSD, you won't notice any difference between the editing speed of having them on the HDD or SSD. But having your operating system and software installed on an SSD will make it faster.
So just a small ssd just for the is and software. Will 128gb suffice?
 
So just a small ssd just for the is and software. Will 128gb suffice?

I'd go with at least 240gb tbh, surprising how much space some things take up.

I've got 2 x SSD and 2 x 2TB HDD in mine
 
Some more brilliant advice. I'm sitting here getting frustrated at the 20+ minutes my laptop is taking to stich a 4 image panorama!! Could anyone recommend a cheap case and power supply?

Cheap power supplies aren't really worth it, they crap out too easily. Stick with a decent brand like the Corsair semi-modular PSUs and you can't go wrong. I have this one in my machine - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ALK1GFC
 
Some more brilliant advice. I'm sitting here getting frustrated at the 20+ minutes my laptop is taking to stich a 4 image panorama!! Could anyone recommend a cheap case and power supply?
What's your budget?

As Andy mentioned, it's worth spending a bit of money on the PSU, or it will fail and you'll have to buy another anyway.
 
If I was a pro, working on a machine all the time or worked in IT with 24/7 systems, then I would be more concerned, but as a person who uses their computer for editing for maybe a few hours each time, it's not a problem.
I realise there will be some software that just works better on Intel, particularly when you get into server grade stuff, but at this level, running as a desktop, it's fine.

Besides, I didn't have a massive budget and the AMD system provided me with a massive jump in performance over my 8yr old Dell for a good price, it also uses less power and takes up less space.

But the recommendation isn't for you.
The OP in his initial thread inferred it was for business use, and y'know time is money. I wouldn't make the recommendation unless I felt the additional benefits outweighed the additional cost.
 
Thanks guys, I would like to spend about £500 on the system because I would need to buy a monitor, keyboard and mouse on top of that. The components I've chosen come to £470 so £50 max if possible

How much have you got for a monitor? If it's for photo editing, I'd highly recommend the Dell Ultrasharp series
 
Thanks guys, I would like to spend about £500 on the system because I would need to buy a monitor, keyboard and mouse on top of that. The components I've chosen come to £470 so £50 max if possible

You are going to have to find a bit more to add to that £50 if you want a monitor, keyboard & mouse as well

For instance this monitor costs £79.96 and it is not an expensive one either: LG 22MP48D 22" Full HD IPS Monitor
 
Thanks guys, I would like to spend about £500 on the system because I would need to buy a monitor, keyboard and mouse on top of that. The components I've chosen come to £470 so £50 max if possible
Okay, so had a look around - and this is what I'd get it if it was my money -

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-7500 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£173.94 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£67.74 @ CCL Computers)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£55.93 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Corsair Force LE 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£71.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£41.98 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Fractal Design Core 2300 ATX Mid Tower Case (£44.02 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£64.48 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £520.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-28 20:52 BST+0100


Includes a Kaby Lake processor, which is cheaper than the Skylake one you posted (bizarrely). Saved a few pounds on the SSD, and was able to factor in a decent PSU and case. I believe the case comes with 2 x 120mm fans, you may want to buy more further down the line if you find it getting a bit hot - but there's plenty of space for more fans. You can remove the drive cages as well to help with air flow.

Obviously the choice is yours, but it's not too dissimilar from the build you posted. Anyway, something to think about...
 
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Nope, read what I quoted as well

That response was his answer to "What is your budget for a case/PSU?"

Some more brilliant advice. I'm sitting here getting frustrated at the 20+ minutes my laptop is taking to stich a 4 image panorama!! Could anyone recommend a cheap case and power supply?

What's your budget?

As Andy mentioned, it's worth spending a bit of money on the PSU, or it will fail and you'll have to buy another anyway.

Thanks guys, I would like to spend about £500 on the system because I would need to buy a monitor, keyboard and mouse on top of that. The components I've chosen come to £470 so £50 max if possible

I don't think anyone would realistically expect to get a monitor, mouse and keyboard for 50 quid. :rolleyes:
 
You are going to have to find a bit more to add to that £50 if you want a monitor, keyboard & mouse as well

For instance this monitor costs £79.96 and it is not an expensive one either: LG 22MP48D 22" Full HD IPS Monitor
Just to clarify the £50 was for the case and PSU. I might be on a budget but I'm not stupid. I apologies if my earlier reply was confusing.
Okay, so had a look around - and this is what I'd get it if it was my money -

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-7500 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£173.94 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£67.74 @ CCL Computers)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£55.93 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Corsair Force LE 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£71.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£41.98 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Fractal Design Core 2300 ATX Mid Tower Case (£44.02 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£64.48 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £520.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-28 20:52 BST+0100


Includes a Kaby Lake processor, which is cheaper than the Skylake one you posted (bizarrely). Saved a few pounds on the SSD, and was able to factor in a decent PSU and case. I believe the case comes with 2 x 120mm fans, you may want to buy more further down the line if you find it getting a bit hot - but there's plenty of space for more fans. You can remove the drive cages as well to help with air flow.

Obviously the choice is yours, but it's not too dissimilar from the build you posted. Anyway, something to think about...
Thank you for taking the time to list all those components along with the prices, I really appreciate it. I'll have a proper look through what you've listed tomorrow.
How much have you got for a monitor? If it's for photo editing, I'd highly recommend the Dell Ultrasharp series
I haven't set aside a budget yet but I'm thinking I'll buy second hand to save some money.
 
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Jut to clarify the £50 was for the case and PSU. I might be on a budget but I'm not stupid. I apologies if my earlier reply was confusing.

Thank you for taking the time to list all those components along with the prices, I really appreciate it. I'll have a proper look through what you've listed tomorrow.

I haven't set aside a budget yet but I'm thinking I'll buy second hand to save some money.
No worries - just shout if you've got any questions.

I might have some fans lying about that I could ship to you, pending on which case you go for (as they're 140mm and won't fit in some smaller cases) - if you need them.

Don't forget thermal paste! :) Good luck!
 
I've upgraded to win10 from 7. When i install the new motherboard will i need to install 7 first?
 
Do you have a Win7 disk/bootable drive? If so, then yes I believe you'll have to install Win7 first (as that's all you've got). Unless you were able to make a bootable version of Windows 10 before your PC died?

Actually - you still have your old hard drive, correct? That should be fine to just plug in, and it should recognise it and boot from that. You may have to go in to the BIOS to select the correct drive, but from what I understand you should be able to plug your old HDD in and use that to boot.
 
Do you have a Win7 disk/bootable drive? If so, then yes I believe you'll have to install Win7 first (as that's all you've got). Unless you were able to make a bootable version of Windows 10 before your PC died?

Actually - you still have your old hard drive, correct? That should be fine to just plug in, and it should recognise it and boot from that. You may have to go in to the BIOS to select the correct drive, but from what I understand you should be able to plug your old HDD in and use that to boot.
Can i just put my old hardrive in my dads pc now and it will run?
 
Can i just put my old hardrive in my dads pc now and it will run?

No

Unless you are doing a like for like straight motherboard swap

If you are going to get a new motherboard then you need to start from scratch for optimum stability of your system
 
In reference to the above regarding HD's, could I clone my laptop HD onto a SSD and use that on my new PC build?

The answer is the same, I am afraid not

That would only work if you were going to stick the SSD back into the same laptop

Also from a personal view point I would always recommend you start from scratch with a new install for optimum stability of your system
 
The answer is the same, I am afraid not

That would only work if you were going to stick the SSD back into the same laptop

Also from a personal view point I would always recommend you start from scratch with a new install for optimum stability of your system
Okay thanks - It is possible to somehow transfer the windows operating system onto a HD to install in the PC?
 
Okay thanks - It is possible to somehow transfer the windows operating system onto a HD to install in the PC?

If the OS was a free upgrade from 7 then no - only upgradeable when done before Aug 2016. If you bought a new copy of 10 then probably (I don't know, but retail copies were normally transferable prior to W10). You can however install and use your copy of W7 provided it was bought retail and isn't an OEM with a pre-built PC.
 
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