New self build spec finalised?

[Raymien]

Guys,

Thanks to the advice i've received on this forum i think i may have finalised the spec of my first ever self build! I'm looking to purchase just after Christmas, but would like to finalise the spec so I can keep an eye out for deals/offers.

I'm looking for a fast PC that can handle multitasking, regular photo editing and occasional video editing. I will NOT be playing any games on it.

Spec so far:

I'm looking for something fairly futureproof hence the SATA6, USB3 and SSD. I considered the i7-860 against the i5-760 but its another £60. Is there a considerable real world performance increase?

I also have questions regarding the PSU and cooling. Do you think the 450W Corsair is enough for this spec, and do you think i would need an aftermarket CPU cooler? I have a Coolermaster Mystique midi tower case with two fans, front and back.

Thanks in advance

 

[EndlessWaves]

I5 vs. i7 (and a lot of other processors) in a variety of benchmarks: Giant roundup: 168 Intel and AMD processors! (page 1: Introduction) - BeHardware

Intel are releasing an entirely new design codenamed sandy bridge just after christmas.

 

[Invertigo]

I currently have an i7 860 and I'm selling it to 'downgrade' to a i5 760. The i5 has more than enough horsepower for gaming, which is my main use.

Now, in your case, it may well be worth the extra. The i7 has the advantage of HyperThreading, which is where each core has 2 threads instead of 1. In terms of video encoding, this can mean a 20-30% performance over the i5-760 (Same clocks, no hyperthreading) provided the software supports more than 4 threads.

A cheap aftermarket cooler would be good to keep noise down, as the Intel 1156 cooler is pants.

 

[Raymien]

Thanks.

I've added a Cooler Master 212 plus to the list with some thermalright chill factor 2 paste.

I keep dwelling over the PSU though, wondering if 450W is enough. I may give overclocking a go, and would like some room for future upgrade (hence buying a SATA6 USB3 mobo) but not sure the VX550 warrants the extra £12?

 

[EndlessWaves]

I keep dwelling over the PSU though, wondering if 450W is enough. I may give overclocking a go, and would like some room for future upgrade (hence buying a SATA6 USB3 mobo) but not sure the VX550 warrants the extra £12?

You'll have trouble pushing that system as is over 250W consumption, overclocking can push up the consumption dramatically by 50-100W though. Future upgrades depend on what you want to add. SSDs are 1-2W each and USB 3 devices can only draw 4.5W before they use an external power supply (anything that works on USB 2 is <2.5W) and desktop hard drives are 5-10W.

With no power hungry graphics card 450W is going to be plenty.

 

[Raymien]

Thanks. That's put my mind at rest. I'll stick with the 450w.