Upgrade my existing pc for better photo editing. £500 max

Euge

Euge

Euge

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Hi all, I need your help and advice for a possible upgrade of my pc.
What I have at the minute is

INTEL CORE i5-2500k (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155
ASUS P8Z68 DDR3 mobo
C Drive = Seagate Barracuda 7200 1TB Sata
ASUS HD 6670 1024MB GDDRS PCI Express
Antec TruePower New Modular 550W '80 Plus Bronze Power Supply
Corsair XMS3 8GB DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel kit
Zalman Z9 Plus Tower Case with fan controller
Gelid Tranquilla CPU Cooler
Win7 Home premium

Remember its a few years since I did any pc building so I'm well out of the loop when it comes to later technology and at 57 years of age the brain cells aren't as quick. So be gentle :D
What can you recommend I keep and what do I get to improve performance.
I would like a 480 or 512 GB SSD
Do I need a new motherboard and CPU or is there a better CPU for my existing board.
Would going from 16 to 32 gig of RAM help
If need be I can go above the £500 if it gives me better value for money

All help appreciated

Euge
 
I'd up the RAM from 8 to 16 gig, Overclock the CPU you have & buy the SSD (plug it into the SATA 3 ports if your board has them) but keep the Seagate for backup purposes. Get windows 10 when it comes out (Free upgrade for W7)

That would be it, waste of money otherwise.
 
Would 2 x 256GB SSD's be more beneficial to be moving around large files e.g Photo Albums/Videos etc as you get twice the speed in Raid 0 correct me if im wrong.

Although one SSD of a large capacity could be a simpler option.
 
Thanks for all the advice.
I should point out I have 16Gig of RAM already. Would adding another 16 be beneficial. If so do Overclockers still do the same Corsair RAM or can you recommend compatible Corsair RAM.
Which Crucial 512GB SSD do you recommend
What GHOST software should I get to make an image of the SSD. Any freebees with an SSD?
What about a good guide to overclock my Sandybridge I5-2500k. How much of an overclock should I be able to get?
Many many thanks lads
Euge
 
Crucial MX100 is a good price/performance.

RAM is listed but on pre-order, you should be able to match similar speed+timing RAM from an alternative brand.

there are loads of Sandybridge overclocking guides, 4.5Ghz is the minimum they all do.
 
Buy these

YOUR BASKET
1 x TeamGroup Elite Black 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C11 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (TPKD316G1600HC11DC01) £89.99
1 x Crucial MX100 256GB SATA 2.5” 7mm SSD + 9.5mm Adapter (CT256MX100SSD1) £86.99
Total : £186.58 (includes shipping : £8.00).



Sell the RAM You have.

Overclock your CPU.

The SSD includes Cloning software (download)

alternative:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Samsung 250GB 850 EVO SSD 2.5" SATA 6Gbps 32 Layer 3D V-NAND Solid State Drive (MZ-75E250B/EU) £106.99
Total : £115.69 (includes shipping : £7.25).



Includes a CD with the software on it.
 
SSD for working files and scratch disk which can then be moved when finished with.

You can overclock your cpu of course but make sure it is stable before doing anything too important.

As above, you might enjoy a monitor more.

If you're happy with your monitor then maybe buy a decent drawing tablet? I would love one but spend all my spare cash on games.

Don't bother with raid. More trouble than it's worth and I've even read that latency on raided SSD's can hamper performance.

There's definitely not double performance to be had.
 
I'm using a Dell 2407WFP-HC monitor. I probably have it 5 or 6 years at this stage. I like the Dell its calibrated and the colour rendition is good as in what I see on the screen is what I get when I print on my Epson Pro3800. But I am open to recommendations on a new monitor.
Ideally I would love a 30 inch monitor with a good screen not a high contrast glossy gaming screen. What do you recommend.
I have a graphics tablet. I never got on with it. I still use my mouse :-(
Should I update my BIOS or leave well enough alone? My BIOS is 0606 27/06/2011. If so do I go straight to the latest version. I cant get it to download from the A1 suite.
On a side note how can I trim back the amount of stuff on my C Drive. I've moved the My documents folder to another drive. Did the same with My Pictures. But I still have 450Gig of stuff on my C drive. What and how can I trim it. Any link or advice welcome
Euge
 
Last edited:
Uninstall any programmes you no longer use or hardly use.

Right-click your disc - properties - disk clean up.

Get rid of any old system restore points.

Use Ccleaner to get clear your internet cache.

That's what I usually do, can't think of much else to clear your drive.
 
Once you see the benefits of the SSD, you probably wont need to OC your CPU.
I would recommend a monitor upgrade but you will need to also upgrade your GPU if you want the glory of 2560 and above.
My machine is also for mainly photo stuff, are you aware of the benefits of an IPS screen for this purpose?
 
Grimley. Thanks for all your help. I'm in the process of getting rid of a lot of junk on the C drive

PRVere. What monitor are you using? I'm aware that IPS is better than TN for photo work. But I don't know the reason why. What GPU would you recommend that would show 2560 colours. As I'm not a gamer I always thought that I didn't need a real high end GPU.

Euge
 
I've done some more research. I'm thinking of getting the Hazro HZ30WiG V2.0 10-Bit 30" LED Widescreen Professional Monitor
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-024-HO&groupid=17&catid=2898
OR THE
AOC U3477PQU 34" WideScreen Super-Wide LED Monitor
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-026-AO&groupid=17&catid=2898
The Hazro is £659 and the AOC is £599. Even though the AOC is cheaper I prefer the look of the Hazro.
What I really need to know is what GPU should I get that will be suitable for either monitor so that I can view at full resolution
Euge
 
Euge said:
Grimley. Thanks for all your help. I'm in the process of getting rid of a lot of junk on the C drive

PRVere. What monitor are you using? I'm aware that IPS is better than TN for photo work. But I don't know the reason why. What GPU would you recommend that would show 2560 colours. As I'm not a gamer I always thought that I didn't need a real high end GPU.

Euge
Click to expand...

Hi Euge,

IPS is newer tech and has lots of benefits over TN etc. Better colour rendition and viewing angles.
That 2560 figure is not for colour, it's the dimensions, 2560 x 1440.
I went for this one,
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-018-AO&groupid=17&catid=1120
With this GPU,
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-143-GI&groupid=701&catid=56

I am very happy with both and no teething troubles at all.
Hope this helps.
 
Pryere,
Thanks for the heads up on the monitor and GPU. the gear you suggest looks really good. One question do you think that my 550Watt PSU is strong enough for the upgrade?
Many thanks
Euge
 
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