Where should I buy for a new PC for Design & Animation?

I'm going to school for Digital Design & Animation. I need to get a new pc that can handle that kind of work especially with the entire Adobe Creative Suite. What kind of PC do you recommend and where should I buy it? My budget is $1100. I need this to last me the whole four years of the degree so I need it to be a trusted computer. I don't want to go with a mac though. I have been told to go with i7 technology with high memory but I'm not really sure what that means. I haven't bought a new pc in almost 10 years! LoL! I am not a huge fan of HP or Dell so if I can avoid those brands, I'd like to. I usually come here to this forum before I do anything computer related because there are so many wise people giving such great advice! Thanks for being so awesome!!

Have a great weekend!
:cool

 

Dell sell some of the best monitors for those kinds of tasks, so don't write them off completely.

Your best bet would be a custom build, based on solid, reliable components that are well-suited to those tasks; short of paying a lot of cash to a boutique/specialist PC company, I very much doubt if if the likes of HP, Dell, etc. would have anything as good.

Do you have anyone that could help you with building your own? It's really not so difficult, a few precautions, some pdf's/web pages to read and a few YouTube -type instructional videos to watch; after that, most people would be able to get through it in 4-6 hours with a knowledgeable helper by their side, just in case.

 

Thanks for the great info!

Unfortunately, I do not have anybody who could help me build the computer and I am not comfortable doing it myself, especially with that kind of money. But thanks for the suggestion!

If I really do have to choose a dell or a hp ... which model would you recommend and where is the best place to get the most for my money?

Thanks again!

 

I agree with Satrow.

You can get an excellent build at Tigerdirect

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?Lprice=1000&CatId=31

You can get is assembled for less than $100.00.

I did that and am extremely happy.:wave

This is what I got for $900.00

Computer type PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model Number Self-Built
OS Windows 7 Professional X64
CPU Core i7 (2nd gen) i7-2600K / 3.40GHz
Motherboard ASUS P8Z77-V Intel 7 Series Motherboard
Memory DDR3 2400MHz (OC) 16gb
Graphics Card Intel(R) HD Graphics 3000, -1988 Mb
Sound Card 8 ChannelsAudio Chipset Realtek ALC892
Monitor(s) Displays Acer X223 W
Screen Resolution 1680 x 1050


Keyboard Microsoft Digital Media Pro
Mouse Microsoft Wireless 6000
PSU 750 watt
Case Thermaltake RX -1
Cooling 2120mm Fans Included 1Other Fan Ports 5x 200mm Fan Ports
Hard Drives 128 GB Samsung 830 series SSD;2tb;Seagate;1tb Seagate; 750 gb Seagate; wd ext (2) 750 gb
Internet Speed U-verse 16 mbps
Antivirus MSE
Browser Firefox and Chrome
Other Info Hdhomerun Dual Tuner.

 

Ok, let's take a look at a Dell business-class Workstation within that budget then, they don't usually come with keyboard/mouse/monitor - or the crapware that the consumer PCs are overloaded with.

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...orkstation&oc=sp17mx163&s=bsd&fb=1&vw=classic

This (I only looked down the cheapest page) would be the kind of thing you need to be looking for; a good, recent processor and motherboard chipset - this is an Intel Haswell Ivybridge Xeon processor and matching motherboard, they were released only in the last month. The processor is the Server version of the i7, slightly lower speed, uses less power, slightly different (more server-based) features and should be good for 6-8 years (I use a very similar V2 version of the Xeon).

It has 8GB of RAM (memory), which ought to see you through the first semester, maybe the first year, possibly several years, depending on your projects; upgrading it should be easy and relatively cheap, it uses pretty standard Desktop RAM and, as a Workstation should have 2 or more free slots to add additional sticks.

Hard drive space is limited and may not be optimal for your course. You may need another hard drive during the course and adding an SSD for the System drive will help you stay focussed (they're fast, very fast - no time to drift off while waiting for a program to load). I'd try to save some cash up for upgrades in that department, wait until you settle into the course and then discuss it with fellow students and your tutors.

You may need a WiFi adapter to connect with, depends on your home situation, they're pretty cheap.

Keyboard and mouse; Logitech make some decent ones for not too much money, plenty of other choices too. I'd steer clear of wireless here, batteries often mean distracting periods as the charge drops, warnings popup on screen, etc.

Monitor; I'd look to a Dell UltraSharp U2412M 24" as the baseline, they should be available for around $300 away from Dell; Newegg have them for $310 currently: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260047 (I own one of these; it's pretty difficult to get a 5 Egg rating on Newegg, too - especially across 250+ reviews).

There you go, that's set a baseline you to look at and for the other MG's contributors to compare with (I see another build has just been posted too).

 

Thank you so much!! These suggestions are AWESOME!!
I looked at the Tiger Direct link and it totally confused me. :confused I have no idea what those parts mean. But thank you anyway!
I also looked at the Dell link and it looks great except that it's dell. :-o I have had bad experiences with dells and I want to stay away if I can. I'd much rather take an HP (or anything else) over the dell. But your explanation is PERFECT! I understand for the most part what you're trying to tell me to get for each part and why. Thank you! Is there any chance you could recommend another similar build but not by dell? :-D
Thank you EVERYBODY for all your help!! I knew I could count on this forum! You've never let me down in all these years! You ROCK! :dood

 

If you want to get more info on the parts, Google them and read the reviews.

A build is the only way to go - you will get much better components and be able to upgrade for years to come.

By purchasing the OS ( as opposed to an OEM that mfrs use) you will be able to use it on another MOBO in the future.

You can't do that with an OEM OS ( it's tied to the original MOBO)

You can go to the link I provided and choose many other builds and configurations.

Don't let it overwhelm you - we all started out confused, but a packaged build will be more than adequate for you to start with and grow with, as well.

Good luck:highfive

Also, I would suggest you get a full-size tower - easier to work with, allows for more internal hdds ( mine hold 5 plus a hot swap bay for a 6th) and it also provides better cooling.

You can also call Tigerdirect and speak to a rep and they will go through all the different builds and explain them to you.

That's how I bought mine.

 

Dell, like most OEMs, business class machines are in a different category to their consumer 'equivalents'. They'd be bust by now otherwise, that's their bread and butter market. HP or Lenovo are likely to have competing products, too.

I wasted a few minutes throwing together a list, it's over budget but that could be pruned back by using W7 HP instead of Pro and dropping the graphics card/moving to a Haswell CPU/board (V3 Xeons are not listed on that site yet, they have improved graphics built-in). http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1ltlQ

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.13 @ TigerDirect)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GT 630 2GB Video Card ($63.97 @ Outlet PC)
Case: Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case ($62.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 450W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($124.00 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Dell U2412M 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($274.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($14.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1182.98
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-28 01:44 EDT-0400)

 

Thank you for taking the time to make me a new list... I truly appreciate it!! I'm keeping these posts as a reference for when I buy the computer. I'm leaning towards calling Tiger Direct because it looks like that would require me to be less educated on the what I am doing. As long as I can trust Tiger Direct to do a good job, that is! I have never used Tiger Direct before so I don't know much about them but I'm going to look into it further. All I do know is that I don't trust myself to build this computer solely on my own. It makes me too nervous. Thank you so much for all of this awesome advice!

If anybody else has any other suggestions, please feel free to post them now. Again, thank YOU so much for contributing to this post! It has been EXTREMELY helpful!!

 

I've been using them for years.
I bought my build from them and had a bad cd drive (after the warranty expired) - they said "here's a new one - no questions asked.

They will answer all your questions.

I also found a price of one of the components advertised for less after purchase, and they credited me immediately.

Go for it!!:wave

You can get it assembled for less than $100.00 at any local computer shop - if you live near a Fry's Electronics or Microcenter, you can even watch them and learn.

 

If you purchase from Tigerdirect, ask for the coupons- these are for $25.00 off (3 of them) to join some club, but i canceled within the time period and kept the coupons!!

Saved me $75.00.

After you buy, let us know how you made out.

 

I've been looking over the Tiger Direct link and it makes me so nervous because I have no clue what I am doing. I'm trying to google all the confusing stuff but it only makes it worse for me. All I know is that I want a really good computer that is fast and reliable for digital design and animation. I am thinking i7 with more than 8 mb of memory if I can find it and at least 1 tb for hard drive. I need to keep everything at $1100 including fees for shipping and assembling. I can max out at $1200 but that's it. Not a penny more. Everything has to be included in that price. I can't have rebates coming back later. It has to be a price I can pay within that budget at the time of purchase, not after rebates. I don't need a monitor or keyboard and mouse. Looking at tiger direct, it looks like I need to have the parts shipped to me and then I bring those parts somewhere else to be assembled for about $100. Is that correct? It sounds so confusing and time consuming! And scary!

I know you said I can call Tiger Direct and ask them these questions too but I'm just trying to understand as much as I can before I do that. I understand that building my pc will save me the most money and give me the best bang for my buck. That's what I want to do. But is there an easier way? Is there no place that can custom configure your computer by you telling them what you want and they build it for you and then ship it to you? Or do they charge just as much if I bought from a brand name company with pre build computers like dell, gateway and hp?

I'm definitely leaning towards Tiger Direct (mostly because there hasn't been many suggestions) and I have no clue where else to go that I can trust. I just wish it was simpler. I keep trying to follow the guidelines for the specs you've already listed but they are difficult to find. Do you have a specific page link?

Again, thanks for all your time and patience. I'm very confused and overwhelmed. I get very very nervous when buying a computer. I always end up not happy with the result so I'm trying to do it differently this time. So everybody's suggestions are very much appreciated!! They are helping me A LOT!

Have a great week!

 

Since you're nervous about building your own system, you may want to check into this ASUS CM6870-US015S pre-built at Amazon.com for $809.99 + shipping. It seems to meet your requirements.

It has Windows 8 pre-installed.

 

@DavidGP: The Xeon E3 range is directly comparable with the i7's, very close to being the same thing for most purposes. (here's the Newegg link for mine, check the ratings comments (the lowest, 3 egg, rating is somewhat NSFW and off topic): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117286.)

@mdonah: That build looks ok until you check the details then it becomes difficult to work out what, for example graphics card model, you'll actually get from the 'range' blurb listed. Only 1 year standard guarantee. ASUS 'utilities' can be problematic, sometimes causing crashes/BSODs. Bloatware. Not possible to tell the overall quality of components. We're really looking to get something for longer term usage with quality, reliable components.

 

Thank you everybody! This is great! Exactly what I'm looking for, a back and forth discussion over what would be the best build for my needs. Everybody has some kind of wisdom to contribute and I think by the end of this discussion, I'll finally feel comfortable with buying a computer. I already feel better than I did before I posted. Thank you!

I agree with satrow about the ASUS but thank you mdonah for trying! You were close!

Satrow, your recommendations from earlier... does that require me to also buy all of the parts separately, like the Tiger Direct build and have them assembled somewhere else? I can't put it together myself and I don't have computer friends that can help me. I'm worried about picking out the wrong parts and somehow causing conflicts or something to blow up. I don't have any clue about computers. Which reminds me, David, I saw that you mentioned a SSD. What exactly is that? (thank you by the way for the informative post) I can't stress enough how much computers make me nervous and spending this kind of money on one, makes me even more nervous but I NEED to have a fast reliable one for my degree. I've asked around many places (even at school) for help with buying this computer and nobody has been helpful EXCEPT for all of YOU guys! I seriously can't thank you enough!! And please keep those suggestions coming. I am confident I will find the perfect build and the perfect place to buy it from by the time this topic is finished. I feel like we are close!

I'm gonna go back over the suggestions already posted and see if I can't get a better understanding of what I need to do. Thank you so much for your patience!! I'll catch on eventually. Tee hee!

Have a great day!!

 

Oh and I was hoping to get windows 7 instead of windows 8.
Just thought I'd put that out there too!

 

That's where building your own rig comes in.
It's your choice.:wave:wave

 

I guess I'm gonna have it built and go with the Tiger Direct setup. I tried to go to Tiger Direct and find again the list you posted with the all the computer parts but the link you posted just took me to a bunch of different setups. Not just one specifically. And I have NO IDEA which build to pick. Which one exactly, do you recommend? Could you please post a link that is directly to that specific build? I'd appreciate it so much!

I looked at the other list by satrow and it looks awesome but it also looks like I have to go to a bunch of different places to get the parts.I don't have alot of time for that and I'm really nervous about putting this build together myself. But from I gather, building it myself is the best way. I guess I just have to find some kind of computer store who will assemble it for me. Tiger direct doesn't offer to put it together for you? I live in Florida and I'm not sure how many computer stores there are around here but I do have a Tiger direct store down the street. I have to get this done as soon and as fast as possible. I'm already into week 4 of my degree and it's been a miserable process on this crappy computer I'm using now.

I'm just gonna go with the best list for the best build that I see posted here. Do you have anything else to add or change before I do that? If you could be as detailed as possible, that would be great. I plan on just copying whatever post is the best and reading it to a customer service representative at whatever store I go to. So far it looks like the only suggestion is Tiger Direct, unless I wanna buy hp or dell, then I can go anywhere for that, I guess. I'm just still confused and trying not to make a huge mistake here.

Thank you all so much for being so patient and understanding! You all have been so helpful and useful! I couldn't do this without this amazing forum! You guys still totally ROCK! :dood

Have a great week!

 

Thank you, David, that was an awesome and VERY informative post!! I totally understand about hard drives now and the differences. It's so cool!! Your post was very easy to understand and I very much appreciate it. I will absolutely let everybody know what the final decision will be soon. Hopefully I can get that decided by the end of the day.

Thanks again for being so amazing & for explaining everything so perfectly!! I knew I could count on this forum to help me make the proper decision here. This awesome place has never let me down in all these years. Thank you for being so badass! :major

have a fantastic day!!
:wave

 

Ok, I've put together a base build purely from TigerDirect (no Windows OS, monitor, mouse/keyboard, they can be bought at best prices separately); I feel this is close to the lowest that would be usable across a broad range of graphics -based software, leaving fairly straightforward upgrade routes, as and when the need is proven and the money becomes available.

The SSD could be dropped, but that raises the likelihood of disk I/O bottlenecks occurring with a single hard drive; the DVD/CD drive may not be needed - perhaps you could find out how the software is supplied/delivered? You could select a lower cost case, drawbacks to that may include increased noise, poorer cooling, bloodied fingers during upgrades, ...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770S 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($327.13 @ TigerDirect)
Motherboard: Asus H87M-E Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($107.13 @ TigerDirect)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.13 @ TigerDirect)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($117.13 @ TigerDirect)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.13 @ TigerDirect)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($68.87 @ TigerDirect)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 450W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($64.13 @ TigerDirect)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($32.13 @ TigerDirect)
Total: $845.78
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-30 15:28 EDT-0400)

Note: this does not include any build costs (and NewEgg works out at over $100 less - are you sure you don't have a colleague/neighbour with a geek teenager that would like to earn $$'s?)!

Ok, shoot me down ^^

 

AWESOME!! That is EXACTLY what I'm looking for in these posts. THANK YOU! :-D This is a list I can print out and take to the store and ask them to just "make it happen". But I wanted to get the best recommendations from this forum first!

So it looks like I'll just go to the Tiger Direct store and hand them this list. And for under $100 they'll put it together for me? Or do I still need to find an outside store for that but at the same price? I'm a little confused on that one. Yes, I'm absolutely sure I don't have anybody who can put it together for me. Believe me, I wish I did, it would be great to save the fee for putting it together.

Can I request one change? I would like to bump up the memory to 16 if possible. Could you add that specific part to the list? Like I said, I just wanna print this out and hand it to the technician. And how much will windows 7 cost and where would I buy that?

This is EXACTLY what I was hoping to accomplish here. Thank you!! And I truly appreciate your patience, I know I keep asking the same things over and over but I am just trying to get it all understood.

 

Oh! I think I keep getting newegg confused with tiger direct. So that's a separate store I need to bring all the parts to so they can become assembled AFTER I buy them from tiger direct?

 

Tiger Direct will build, presumably if you buy the components from them, according to PSCO2007 back in post #4, for $100.

I don't know if that only applies to their Barebones Shop packages or not, I'm unfamiliar with that site.

If you have to find a local Mom & Pop store to build for you, you'd be better (by $110+) to buy from Newegg.

Switched to 16GB RAM, still base build from TigerDirect:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770S 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($327.13 @ TigerDirect)
Motherboard: Asus H87M-E Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($107.13 @ TigerDirect)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($161.36 @ TigerDirect)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($117.13 @ TigerDirect)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($68.87 @ TigerDirect)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 450W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($64.13 @ TigerDirect)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $915.73
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-30 17:14 EDT-0400)

NewEgg equivalent (need to choose a different PSU to add, I suggest the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013 ~$70):

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770S 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($309.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus H87M-E Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($106.97 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($152.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($63.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 450W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply < no stock, see above.
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $803.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-30 17:16 EDT-0400)

Note: further savings may be possible at NewEgg as they carry a larger range, depending on offers and a little tweaking of model #'s to find the best bang for buck.

 

This list is FANTASTIC!! :drool Thank you SO much for posting it!!! :celebrate

I have one more question. I'm looking into windows 8 (just in case I don't get windows 7) and I don't know much about it. What would be better for my needs, windows 8 or windows 8 pro? I'm trying to save money here and it costs more for the pro version. Is it really necessary for what I'm trying to do with this computer and making it work for my Digital Design & Animation degree?

What exactly is the difference between windows 8 64 and windows 8 pro 64?

Thanks for your time!

Have a great night!

 

Pro versions, both W7 and W8, are capable of using more than 16GB of RAM (there are other extras that you may not use). you'll probably need that facility within a year; that motherboard can use 32GB and has 2x free slots ready for another 2x 8GB in the current build.

If you've never used W8, stay with W7 for the time being, you'll have enough to learn in the next few months as it is.

 

Sorry,Satrow,

I never meant that Tigerdirect would assemble the build.

I meant that it could be assembled by an outside source.

Newegg will assemble?

 

These are both online sites.

The parts are shipped to you.

 

@EnchantedDreams:

If you buy your build from Tigerdirect, you can get a Tigerdirect credit card which will give you 12 months interest-free.

This is what I did - paid $100.00 per mo. and freed up all my cash:-D:-D

 

Thank you so much for all of these great suggestions and perfect explanations!! This thread has been one of the most useful posts that I've ever posted!! I can't thank you all enough!

I'll let you know what happens!!

Have a great week!

 

Hey I am a couple of days late but i wanted to just throw this in---

I know you said you aren't getting a monitor at this time, but DO NOT get the Dell 2412M for design work as suggested by a couple of posters earlier in this thread. It is a really good monitor for some things, but not for graphic design and animation. The color range of that panel is limited to 16.7 million colors, where a more professional monitor has 1.07 billion. I also work in design, mostly C4D and After Effects, and the difference between the Dell U2412M and the MUCH better U2413 is like night and day. The U2413 is meant for doing design work and the like, and properly calibrated it is like night and day.

Hope your build is going good