(UK) Upgrading PC for high graphics quality and 60fps, and use of programs like Photoshop, 3DSmax, ZBrush and Maya.
What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.
- I'll mostly be using my PC for art-related programs like Photoshop, Clip Studio Pro, 3DSmax, ZBrush, Maya but I also want to be able to play current gen video games w/ high quality graphics settings at 60fps. Do I need to worry about 'future-proofing' my PC? Or is 'future-proofing' kind of a myth and will make me spend more money than I need to?
What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?
- £1000
When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.
- Septeber/October/November time.
What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (Tower/OS/monitor/keyboard/mouse/etc)
- Maybe a new tower, I'm kind of wanting to go with a white tower but I'm perfectly happy just keeping my current one if it'll keep costs down.
- I only have 2 fans in my current tower so I probably need to put a few more in there - when I play a graphically intensive game, my graphics card can get pretty hot.
Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?
- England
If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.
- I definitely want to keep my monitor, SSD, HDD and maybe my optical drive but if you think any of my other PC components are salvageable then I'll keep those too. Here's my current specs:
CPU | Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3470 CPU @ 3.20GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.2GHz |
---|---|
CPU Cooler | Intel E97378-001 |
Motherboard | ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. P8H61-MX R2.0 Rev X.0x |
Memory | 2x 8GB DDR3 |
Video Card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti |
Case | I think I have the Corsair 300R Windowed ATX Mid Tower Case |
Power Supply | Corsair CX600M |
Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?
- I don't know? If it would be beneficial to overclock then I will definitely look into it but honestly it's something that I'm kind of uncomfortable doing so I'd probably rather not.
Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)
- So, looking at the specs for programs like 3DSMax and ZBrush and it looks like 3DSMax needs a CPU with SSE4.2 instruction set, ZBrush must support OpenGL 3.3 or higher and Vulkan 1.1 or higher, ZBrush also recommends Intel i5/Xeon technology - I'm guessing Xeon is just a type of CPU?
- Autodesk software also has a bunch of 'certified graphics cards', but I'm not sure exactly why they're certified.
What type of network connectivity do you need? (Wired and/or WiFi) If WiFi is needed and you would like to find the fastest match for your wireless router, please list any specifics.
- WiFi, but I'm perfectly fine with how everything is set up.
Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-tower/full-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?
- If I do decide to change my case, I'd like a mid-tower in white and not too futuristic looking and also no tempered glass.
Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?
- I already have windows 10.
Extra info or particulars:
I built my PC around 9 years ago (upgrading bits here and there) so it's probably pretty out of date. I feel pretty out of my depth about this sort of stuff so I hope it's okay to ask questions?
If I completely change my motherboard and stuff like that do I need to re-install windows? Or is it okay to just put my SSD with windows on without doing anything?
I hope you have all the info that you need, let me know if I'm missing anything!
Thanks!