New Pc Build

InkyLil

InkyLil

InkyLil

Associate
Joined
26 Jun 2018
Posts
4
Hey all,
I'm looking for a little help with a new build, probably a lot of help if I'm honest.

What I'm after is an overclockable beast of a machine really, pure performance. It's not going to be a dedicated gaming machine, it'll get more use with illustrator/photoshop and ableton. I'm definitely considering liquid cooling but that's mainly for the look of it.

Thats pretty much it as far as definite wants go, I'm open to suggestions. I've got a budget of about £2000, any help will be much appreciated.
 
It's worth doing your research before buying, obviously :)

Consider the benefits of Intel and AMD. Intel has the lead on pure single threaded performance, but AMD tends to have better capabilities if you're using 6+ threads, certainly in terms of desktop components. Intel also change their chipset/platform quite often right now, whereas AMD just released their second generation Ryzen CPUs and have promised to support that chipset until 2020. So an upgrade later is more likely.

Consider how much graphics power you want/need, I don't know how much Illustrator and PS leverage GPU but I imagine Ableton loves CPU power, especially lots of threads.

If you're spending 4 figures on a PC don't skimp on your monitor/s, keyboard, mouse, desk, lighting, chair... :) All of these things contribute to enjoyment and comfort when using. Consider at least the size and resolution of your monitor.
 
Research isn't a problem, I'm just gathering opinions for now, then next week when I've got time I can decide from a short list.

I'm definitely leaning more towards AMD, the chipset support and clearer upgrade path just makes sense for me personally.
Ableton needs a minimum of an i5 and recommends 8gb (or more) RAM. I know photoshop generally gets a speed boost from multiple cores but only for some tasks.

I've got some set aside for monitors, keyboard, mouse etc, the budget is just for the actual base unit
 
If you are after an overclockable beast as you have said, then going for an Intel i7 8700K is a no-brainer. From the list of programs that you have listed and the mention that is also going to be used as a gaming machine, the higher single thread performance of the i7 8700K will provide faster performance in gaming, PS and Illustrator. As for Ableton they also recommend faster single core performance. If you are determined for an AMD build, then a 2700x would be the CPU to choose.
 
Thanks for input. The reason for the AMD was purely based on upgrades in the future but hopefully the machine I build will last a few years so I'm going with an i7 8700k as you suggested.
 
 
You are paying extra for 'RGB' on the Ram. Kit below for example is £51 cheaper.

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £137.69 (includes shipping: £8.70)​
​


I would only fill the M.2 slot if it was an NVMe SSD. If you are happy with a standard SATA SSD then go with something like a Samsung 860 EVO or the cheaper Team Group L5. If you want an M.2 format SSD then look at the Samsung 970 EVO.

You will be fine with a 550W power supply. The Seasonic Focus Gold is a cheaper option.

The Motherboard is a good one, but it is expensive. These are both solid boards, although they are out of stock at the moment. Might be because of Z390 which is supposedly near to release.


My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £310.08 (includes shipping: £11.10)​
​


That 1070 ti is a bit pricey considering you can get a GTX 1080 for not much more. There is a cheaper Palit GTX 1080 but the Jetstream has a better cooler.

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £479.89 (includes shipping: £9.90)​
​


Last of all you will need a good cpu cooler as the 8700K runs hot. That case can take a 240mm water cooler or an air cooler up to 160mm.
 
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