Hi
I'm looking to build a budget workstation.
I plan to use it mostly for
-> enthusiast multimedia work (photos/video right now, audio and 3D models later)
-> Software development and programming (both web and non-web)
-> chess
-> miscellaneous others (infrequent, whereas the above 3 would be regular)
I used to game but i haven't gamed in ages and i would like to start again too.
I would liked to run Linux exclusively on this but seeing that most popular games i want to play
are not supported there, I'm looking to run Windows 7/8 as the base OS and Linux VMs on top of that
for most.
Here's my part list (mostly acquired) till now
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/abhikrk/saved/4ssM
I'll be very happy to avoid upgrading in a few years and i hope that till now
i have been able to select the components accordingly.
The motherboard has been chosen such that future compute needs can be accommodated
with overclocks either on the same CPU or a higher-end version on the same line.
Similarly i have chosen the CPU so that i can run a mix of diverse workloads now
(or if in future i run Linux exclusively, i can squeeze out performance benefits using a source-based distribution like Gentoo)
Admittedly the CPU might not be very good for single-core heavy workloads like photo editing or gaming
(that's what i read) but i'm willing to risk that for now given that i'm not sure to what extent i'll
indulge in them.
Now i'm left with choosing
1> Case
2> Graphics card
My thinking is that case will be the most crucial component along with the motherboard for extending
the life of the system and i need to choose accordingly.
E.g. if i use this extensively for gaming and later want to put up a SLI/CrossFire setup then the case
should be able to support that. The case should also be able to support upgrade to a higher-end
AMD FX processor.e.g 8350 and future overclocking. I don't have much experience with enthusiast/performance cases so a case that comes with decent set of fans in stock configuration would be preferable.
Best i've liked till now is the NZXT 530 , but to be honest, mostly for its looks
I don't have any choice on the Graphics card yet.
I'm looking for something mainstream and entry-level which will let me play the more intensive games at modest settings, won't break the bank and would be reasonable in power consumption. Hopefully i can find something which i can re-purpose in a dedicated SFF gaming PC later if needed (and get a lower-end Graphics card for this workstation)
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-8.html
gives me the idea that an AMD R7 260X-based card could be a good fit.
I'll be very please to have your suggestions/advice.
Thanks in advance.
I'm looking to build a budget workstation.
I plan to use it mostly for
-> enthusiast multimedia work (photos/video right now, audio and 3D models later)
-> Software development and programming (both web and non-web)
-> chess
-> miscellaneous others (infrequent, whereas the above 3 would be regular)
I used to game but i haven't gamed in ages and i would like to start again too.
I would liked to run Linux exclusively on this but seeing that most popular games i want to play
are not supported there, I'm looking to run Windows 7/8 as the base OS and Linux VMs on top of that
for most.
Here's my part list (mostly acquired) till now
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/abhikrk/saved/4ssM
I'll be very happy to avoid upgrading in a few years and i hope that till now
i have been able to select the components accordingly.
The motherboard has been chosen such that future compute needs can be accommodated
with overclocks either on the same CPU or a higher-end version on the same line.
Similarly i have chosen the CPU so that i can run a mix of diverse workloads now
(or if in future i run Linux exclusively, i can squeeze out performance benefits using a source-based distribution like Gentoo)
Admittedly the CPU might not be very good for single-core heavy workloads like photo editing or gaming
(that's what i read) but i'm willing to risk that for now given that i'm not sure to what extent i'll
indulge in them.
Now i'm left with choosing
1> Case
2> Graphics card
My thinking is that case will be the most crucial component along with the motherboard for extending
the life of the system and i need to choose accordingly.
E.g. if i use this extensively for gaming and later want to put up a SLI/CrossFire setup then the case
should be able to support that. The case should also be able to support upgrade to a higher-end
AMD FX processor.e.g 8350 and future overclocking. I don't have much experience with enthusiast/performance cases so a case that comes with decent set of fans in stock configuration would be preferable.
Best i've liked till now is the NZXT 530 , but to be honest, mostly for its looks
I don't have any choice on the Graphics card yet.
I'm looking for something mainstream and entry-level which will let me play the more intensive games at modest settings, won't break the bank and would be reasonable in power consumption. Hopefully i can find something which i can re-purpose in a dedicated SFF gaming PC later if needed (and get a lower-end Graphics card for this workstation)
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-8.html
gives me the idea that an AMD R7 260X-based card could be a good fit.
I'll be very please to have your suggestions/advice.
Thanks in advance.