Need suggestion for Intel i5 based rig for Photo Editing (Photoshop/Photomatix etc)

[KonfuSed]

Re: Need suggestion for Intel i5 based rig for Photo Editing (Photoshop/Photomatix et

Hmmm I was kind of thinking of using the HD 3000 graphics and leave out any graphics card totally. I'll still probably go for the K series proccy so that I can atleast have the option of over-clocking later. Otherwise I'll keep on worrying about the decision if I don't go for that.

 

[BikeAdvice]

Re: Need suggestion for Intel i5 based rig for Photo Editing (Photoshop/Photomatix et

I too recommend the NZXT Gamma.

I just got the NZXT Gamma and I made a HD video. I am seriously spell bound by the quality of build and finish. A great VFM.

 

[KonfuSed]

Re: Need suggestion for Intel i5 based rig for Photo Editing (Photoshop/Photomatix et

That's a nice video of the NZXT gamma, it's very simple but elegant design.

BTW, I'll be going to SP road this weekend to find out the prices of different items. Most probably will be buying the UPS that day itself but other parts should I buy online or SP road would be the better place to source the items? I've bought stuff from Ankit and Ashirwaad before but would like to know who else can give better price and also reliable. Following items I'll be inquiring,

1. Intel i5 2500 and 2500k

2. Asus P8Z68-M-Pro

3. NZXT Gamma

4. Seasonic 430W S12II

5. APC BR-1KVA IN

6. nVidia graphics card (might not buy now as I want to see how it works out with the inbuilt HD3000)

Do let me know if there are any place other than Ashirwaad and Ankit where I should check.

 

[KonfuSed]

Re: Need suggestion for Intel i5 based rig for Photo Editing (Photoshop/Photomatix et

Bought a few stuff today, (from Ashirwaad Computer, SP Road)

1. Intel i5 2500k - 11100Rs

2. Asus P8Z68-M-Pro - 9300 Rs.

3. APC BR-1KVA IN - 5825 Rs.

4. WD 1TB (Green) - 5400 Rs. BTW, I can change it to Seagate as many of you've suggested Seagate Barracuda. Should I change it to Seagate? )

5. LG 24x DVD writer - 900 Rs

6. Belkin Gold Surge protector - 1360 Rs

+5% tax.

I've already overshot my budget by a loooooong margin and now I'm just thinking of getting the best out of it. Even got tempted to by the V-Pro mother board but the price difference was almost 4k. BTW, there is a V model too of the same board. What is the difference between the V and V-Pro model of P8Z68?

BTW, had kind of a bitter experience with Golcha computers today and I'll never ever buy any stuff from those guys again. They have some serious attitude problem and very unethical in business. As Ashirwaad didn't had NZXT Gamma with them I thought of getting it from these guys as it seems they are the distrubutor for Bangalore. So when I went there and ask them about it they've flatly refused to sell me the cabinet and told me that I've to buy all the other stuff from them and then only they'll sell the cabinet. My mistake was that I asked them for the price of other stuff too (just to see the difference). According to them the quote they've given is for when you buy the whole deal. That's also fine but they should atleast tell me the price of the Cabinet alone, right? They've directly refused to sell anything. I was really shocked and I feel I should let NZXT know about this kind behaviour from their dealer. Should I write a complaint mail to NZXT or is this a standard procedure to sell the cabinet only if I'm buying all other stuff from them? Please let me know. May be it's their policy but this has left a very bad taste. One thing for sure that I'll never pay any visit to these guys.

I'll probably order one from ITdepot or PrimeABGB (but they don't seem to have stock) but if I'm unable to source NZXT Gamma then what is the next best choice available. I was shown a few cooler-master(elite 430/elite 34x) and antec (one hundred). How are these compared to NZXT Gamma?

Regarding the power supply, is there anything better than Seasonic available in the same range? I saw few models like Antec 450W (VP450) and Corsair 430w. Just want to know as I still haven't bought the PSU. Seasonic was not readily available with Ashirwad and we were running late. So decided to pay a visit some other day.

 

[vivek.krishnan]

Re: Need suggestion for Intel i5 based rig for Photo Editing (Photoshop/Photomatix et

First, congrats on the new config, good you went for the k version, as the HD3000 is amazing. Also what was the price difference between k and non k?

Are you planning to use the WD Green as the boot drive? If yes, then please dont, it will be a disaster.

Also, i feel rather than going for the LG writer, you should have gone for one that supports Lightscribe/Labeltag as i feel it will be a useful feature for you, since you will be burning many items to disc.

Yes, write a complaint to NZXT. This is totally rude.

If Seasonic is not available, Corsair is a good bet, but pricing will be more.

 

[Jakob]

Re: Need suggestion for Intel i5 based rig for Photo Editing (Photoshop/Photomatix et

Seasonic s12ii 430w-2.6k is the best deal withing that range,it has 5 year warranty and the 80+ bronze efficiency,You can get this psu from Theitwares.

TheITWares - One Stop for all Gizmos!SeaSonic S12II 430 430W ATX12V V2.3/EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

 

[astrono_me]

Re: Need suggestion for Intel i5 based rig for Photo Editing (Photoshop/Photomatix et

I didn't read the rest of the replies, but some questions and suggestions I have for you as a photographer myself:

- What DSLR do you use? How many mb is your RAW? For anything below 14 mb, 6GB RAM is enough. Your RAW file size is approximately always equal to your camera's megapixels.

- Do you intend to save layered PSDs? Is yes, get decent storage space. PSDs can bloat up to 200 mb per file.

- Get a good GPU because CS5 can leverage graphics power from your card. Earlier Photoshop was wholly dependent only on RAM, but not anymore.

- For Lightroom get a fast HDD. Because previews and stuff can get slow otherwise.

- Get a build in card reader if possible. The one that fits in the FDD slot.

 

[KonfuSed]

Re: Need suggestion for Intel i5 based rig for Photo Editing (Photoshop/Photomatix et

First, congrats on the new config, good you went for the k version, as the HD3000 is amazing. Also what was the price difference between k and non k?

If I remember correctly the difference was around 800Rs but I might be wrong as I'm not able to remember the price quoted.

Are you planning to use the WD Green as the boot drive? If yes, then please dont, it will be a disaster.

Oh, in that case should I change the drive to Seagate Barracuda 7200.12? Or is there any other drive that you have in mind? SSD's are bit too costly for me at this point of time.

Also, i feel rather than going for the LG writer, you should have gone for one that supports Lightscribe/Labeltag as i feel it will be a useful feature for you, since you will be burning many items to disc.

Actually I might not be using the DVD writer much as I mostly store my data on two different HDD's.

Yes, write a complaint to NZXT. This is totally rude.

I will, by tomorrow itself. I felt it was very unethical to force one to everything from them to buy a Cabinet.

Seasonic s12ii 430w-2.6k is the best deal withing that range,it has 5 year warranty and the 80+ bronze efficiency,You can get this psu from Theitwares.
TheITWares - One Stop for all Gizmos!SeaSonic S12II 430 430W ATX12V V2.3/EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

Thanks, I'll probably get it from Ashirwad itself as they can arrange for it in the same price range. Only thing was that I was running late for another appointment yesterday.

I didn't read the rest of the replies, but some questions and suggestions I have for you as a photographer myself:

- What DSLR do you use? How many mb is your RAW? For anything below 14 mb, 6GB RAM is enough. Your RAW file size is approximately always equal to your camera's megapixels.

As of now it's Canon 40D and 50D and soon either 5D Mark II or III (waiting for launch of Mark III to decide) will be added. RAW files are 10 and 15MB respectively but the tiffs are in the range of 30MB and 45mb after conversion and before I start photoshop.

- Do you intend to save layered PSDs? Is yes, get decent storage space. PSDs can bloat up to 200 mb per file.

Very true, these layered PSD's are eating loads of space in my Hard drives and the price rise in HDD's are hitting me hard.

- Get a good GPU because CS5 can leverage graphics power from your card. Earlier Photoshop was wholly dependent only on RAM, but not anymore.

Thanks for the suggestion but I'm still using PS7 only . BTW, I've yet checked but I hope PS7 is compatible with Windows 7 HP?

- For Lightroom get a fast HDD. Because previews and stuff can get slow otherwise.

Any suggestions for fast HDD? It seems like I should exchange the WD green that I bought yesterday.

- Get a build in card reader if possible. The one that fits in the FDD slot.

Thanks, that's a good suggestion, will do that.

 

[KonfuSed]

Re: Need suggestion for Intel i5 based rig for Photo Editing (Photoshop/Photomatix et

Guys, should I change the Hard drive? Please respond. Mine is WD10EARX (64MB cache, Variable rotational speed). The Seagate one would definitely be faster at 7200rpm and I'm kind of kicking myself for listening to the seller when he convinced me for this drive
Also, about the Cabinet, if I can't find NZXT gamma, then what is the next best option? Cooler Master elite or Antec One hundred? I really liked the Storm Enforcer from Cooler Master but it seems to be costly But I'm kind of tempted to buy that Enforcer Cabinet as it looks nice and sturdy and also have the PSU mounted at the bottom instead of on top and so it'll be away from the processor. Please advice.

 

[aryanraj]

Re: Need suggestion for Intel i5 based rig for Photo Editing (Photoshop/Photomatix et

@ this time it s not good decision to buy a new HDD, if you have some space left in your PC.

something better that NZXT gamma would be carbide 400R will cost around 5K.

This is best you can get with this price range.

 

[KonfuSed]

Re: Need suggestion for Intel i5 based rig for Photo Editing (Photoshop/Photomatix et

5k For that price I can get the Storm Enforcer also which I really liked

so no information about the WD10EARX? I'll anyway now try to exchange it for the Seagate Barracuda 7200.12.

 

[ALPHA17]

Re: Need suggestion for Intel i5 based rig for Photo Editing (Photoshop/Photomatix et

^^ The Corsair Carbide 400R will thrash the Cooler Master Enforcer senseless, a much better cabinet, in your budget get the NZXT Gamma its unorthodox looks are just as effective at grabbing eyes as it is at keeping your components cool.

 

[KonfuSed]

Re: Need suggestion for Intel i5 based rig for Photo Editing (Photoshop/Photomatix et

^^ oops, that message came a bit late. I've already ended up buying the Cabinet. As I couldn't find the Gamma I thought spending a bit more (yeah, lot more) and ended up buying the Storm Enforcer as I kind of liked the way it looked (and it's the only component which will be outside. so the look become a bit important )..

So ended up with the following setup (and thanks a ton to techenclave and all you guys),
Intel i5 2500k | Asus P8Z68M-Pro | GSkill Sniper 2x4GB 1600MHz | Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB | Seasonic 430W S12II | CM Storm Enforcer | Dell 2311H | LG DVD Writer | Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit | APC BR1000-IN

Initial impression is that it's really fast, boots up in less than 2 min, Photoshop editing is so much smoother now, can easily play movies of size 10GB+. Will probably have to get some basic speakers or I might just get a long HDMI cable to connect to the AVR.