Budget desktop for digital art with potential for future upgrades

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bertilak

New member
Hi, sorry if im in the wrong section or if the info is already around here somwhere( I looked and couldnt find what I needed to know), I have never built a pc before and dont know where to begin.

I am hoping to build a desktop to do some digital art, light gaming and run ms office etc, i want to keep costs as low as possible( preferably under £500) but a system that has the potential for future upgrades.

Again sorry if im being a moron and failed to check properly for the info.

Thanks.
 
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bertilak

New member
Ive had a look around the internet to see if i could find specifications that others use but I have drawn a blank, from what I have read though I gather I need a good graphics card and a quality monitor.

Can anyone recommend a suitable graphics card and the components that would work with it?

I also believe I would need a generous amount of RAM and hard drive memory.

I'm not looking to have an over the top machine, just one that can perform the tasks I require, i am willing to compromise on components that are not crucial in getting the performance i need,...to save money or to spend it on the main parts.
 
Noble

Noble

Bronze Level Poster
Case
STYLISH PIANO BLACK ENIGMA MICRO-ATX CASE + 2 FRONT USB

Processor (CPU)
AMD A6-3670K APU (2.7GHz, 4 Cores) & AMD Radeon™ HD 6530D Graphics

Motherboard
ASUS® F1A55-M LK R2.0: FM1 A-SERIES, SATA 3.0GB/s, Windows 8 Ready!

Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG DUAL-DDR3 1333MHz (2 X 4GB)

Graphics Card
Integrated AMD Radeon HD 6000 Series Graphics

Memory - 1st Hard Disk
500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 16MB CACHE

1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM

Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT

Power Supply
350W Dual Rail PSU + 120mm Case Fan

Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER

Sound Card
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)

Network Facilities
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs

USB Options
6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL (MIN 2 FRONT PORTS) AS STANDARD

Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence

Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)

Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL

Monitor
AOC i2352Vh 23" WIDESCREEN IPS TFT - 1920 x 1080, 5MS, DVI-D (£139)

Total £507

The CPU is an AMD made processor which includes a decent video card which will allow you to play games at low settings at a decent framerate, an example being Left 4 Dead at an resolution of 1680x1050 and 71.46 Frames per second. Since the processor has an integrated GPU there is no need to buy an dedicated graphics card that is suited to your needs.

The motherboard is decent and Windows 8 ready if you should wish to install it on your PC.

8GB of ram is ideal for your digital art and gaming, since you might be using Photoshop etc which take up quite a bit of RAM.

The 500GB SATA-III Hard drive provides plenty of space for all your files.

Then you've got your other stuff such as power supply, DVD drive, USB ports and onboard sound card which are generic and nothing to write home about.

Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit edition comes pre-installed with your computer (I think?) If it doesn't come pre-installed, PCS will probably give you a CD to install it with.

Then you've got your AOC i2352Vh 23" Widescreen IPS Monitor which is practically the highlight of your computer as it has received very good reviews quoting it's display to be of a high standard which should be ideal for your digital art. (you may need to calibrate it though, ask PCS for information on this)

Unfortunately, I could not find a build that left enough headroom for major upgrades such as the installation of a dedicated GPU or a better processor without making your PC more expensive then £500. If you feel that having a platform which you can upgrade from is very important then I suggest taking a look at the Intel builds with the H61 or Z77 motherboards if you would like a better processor among the i3, i5 and i7 series although, costs will start to ramp up rather quickly. You can also consider a 450w Power Supply Unit which only costs a little bit more then a 350w Power Supply, this will allow you to install a more powerful GPU such as the HD 7870 instead of shelling out money for a new motherboard.

And that's about it and I hope it helps with your decision :)
 
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B

bertilak

New member
Thanks for the help Noble, I understand that the limited budget could prove a stumblibg block for future upgrades, in your opinion, what would the durability of this system be if used regularly?
 
Noble

Noble

Bronze Level Poster
I would say it should be fine for about 3 to 4 years even if it's used everyday, just as long as it doesn't suffer extensive external damage.
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
Is your budget £500 including a monitor?
The spec Noble posted will allow you to add a dedicated graphics card like the HD 6570 or HD 6670 to work in crossfire with the integrated graphics card.
 
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bertilak

New member
@Reubensolo, I would prefer a monitor to be included in the budget, how much more would one of those graphics card add to the build?
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
bertilak said:
@Reubensolo, I would prefer a monitor to be included in the budget, how much more would one of those graphics card add to the build?
Click to expand...

You can look at the price of HD 6570 or HD 6670 in the configurator, I think around £40 pounds.
 
Y

Yrubdarb

Bronze Level Poster
Be aware that upgrade-wise, AMD Llano CPUs represent a dead end. The follow-up, Trinity, needs a FM2 socket to work but Llano only goes into FM1.
 
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