Desk Top

[robdav556]

Hi,
I'm no computer whiz and not into Gaming but I'd like a m/c that will be good for 5 yrs or so.
I do a lot of Photo editing and lots of spreadsheets with multiple files open.
I fancy this spec but wondered what the experts think of it.

Many thanks for any advice,
Rob

Case
STYLISH PIANO BLACK ENIGMA CASE + 2 FRONT USB
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-3570 (3.4GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® P8H61-MX USB3/SI: uATX, USB 3.0, SATA 3.0Gb/s
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
1GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GT 640 - DVI, HDMI, VGA - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
240GB KINGSTON V300 SSD, SATA 6 Gb (450MB/R, 450MB/W)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
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
450W Quiet 80 PLUS Dual Rail PSU + 120mm Case Fan
Processor Cooling
INTEL STANDARD CPU COOLER
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
DVD Recovery Media
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software
Microsoft® Office Home & Student 2013 (1 License & Disc)
Anti-Virus
NORTON ANTI-VIRUS 2013 - 1 Year Licence for 1 PC *SPECIAL*
Monitor
IIYAMA PROLITE X2377HDS-1 23" LED BACKLIT, IPS PANEL
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

 

[tom_gr7]

I dunno what your budget is, but I'd suggest something like this

Case
COOLERMASTER ELITE 311 BLUE CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-3770 (3.4GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® P8H77-M: M-ATX, DDR3, USB 3.0, SATA 6.0Gb/s, CrossFireX™
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
INTEGRATED GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR (GPU)
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
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
450W Quiet 80 PLUS Dual Rail PSU + 120mm Case Fan
Processor Cooling
Super Quiet 22dBA Triple Copper Heatpipe Intel CPU Cooler (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £822.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/intel-home-office-pc/RKByEhzL0C/

 

[mantadog]

I wouldn't suggest a much different to tom so I wont post a spec. I would however suggest ditching Norton antivirus, I know it's only £9, but you get free stuff on the internet, I use AVG and never had any problems. You would need to renew Norton yearly (at full price) and when I used it I found it hogged every resource it could get and was just a general pain in the neck.

If you cant afford the i7 build then an i5 will be fine too, not quite as good but it is still a cracking processor.

 

[vanthus]

While some of the free anti-virus programs are very good,I use Microsoft Security Essentials myself,Norton is still a good choice for people who are not all that familiar with computers and/or have children using it.
Norton isn't the resource hog it used to be.

 

[robdav556]

Thanks for your replies gents, here are some comments / questions for you.

My existing PC (defunct) actually fits in a 'drawer' under my desk and the Coolermaster case would be too Deep, allowing for cables/plugs at rear and DVD eject.
Is the Enigma case not man enough for the items spec'd?

i7 sounds super but I thought i5 would have been good enough for me.
I can see that the P8H77 Motherboard has a better performance than the P8H61. I'm happy to go with your suggestion but how will that show up to me?

The 120Gb SSD, I guess you are saying smaller but better performance?

How about the Cooling, is the Intel Standard Cooler not good enough?

I too like AVG and have used it for several years so I may stick with that.

One last thing, I do a lot of transcribing from one document to a new layout, would I be able to use two displays? My existing display is VGA but quite good, I think.

Many thanks for your feedback,
Rob

 

[mantadog]

Shoving a pc in a enclosed space is never really a great thing, if that's all you have, and the enigma is the only one that will fit, it should be fine because your not pumping out huge heat from a high end GPU.

The i5 was suggested for the photo editing more than anything, as I said in my first post an i5 is probably fine unless you are into some serious editing. If its just the normal holiday ish snaps then an i5 is fine, it is what I use myself.

The SSD size would be fairly personal to your needs, 120GB is more than enough for most. You normally put the OS + most used applications on it, after the OS is loaded it will leave you with 60-80GB of free space which most people find is enough for loading the most used applications. Really you probably wouldn't notice the extra 100MB/s in everyday use but faster is faster.

The motherboard upgrade has SATA 6Gb/s to allow you to take full advantage of the SSD. It also has upgrade room for a couple more sticks of RAM in the future should you need it.

The standard cooling option is adequate, it is a little noisy when the fan really starts spinning. It is mostly recommended for people to upgrade the cooling fi they want a quiet system, or are pushing the system hard and the lower temps would be of a bigger benefit. You can probably get away with standard cooling if your not to worried about noise.

Intel integrated graphics or any stand alone GPU will be able to output to 2 monitors, so that will not be a problem.

 

[robdav556]

Thanks mantadog.
I'll have to reconsider the case, maybe modify the 'drawer'. It seems that the cooling suggested by Tom wont fit the Enigma case.
So it's Standard Cooler otherwise.
Drawer is open of course when PC is in use.

I'm planning to go for; i5,P8H77, 120Gb SSD, Integrated Graphics, as per recommendation from Tom and yourself.

Thanks again for your help.