Not for gaming

Hi,

Would like your help in configuring a PC not for gaming. Specific needs are: managing several databases of +100,000 pictures, need to to manage several tasks open at once (VPN, video conferencing, multiple web pages), light video editing, large excel spreadsheets. General usage at home office, quiet and fast performance.

Budget:
$3000 to $40000

Expectations:
Keep it for the next 4-5 years. Snappy performance.

Specific questions: what is the most appropriate video card for my needs (often have to search for the right picture and need it to load quickly)
Should I invest more on the CPU processor or ram memory? or both?
Should I overclock the CPU?
Will I need a cooling system?
What size power source?
Planning to use it with Dell U2413. Should I get a video card that supports HDMI or DVI-D?

Saved Ticket #: 933831


I'm reasonably adept with computers but don't keep current with the rapid changes in technology.

Appreciate your input and suggestions
thank you
Pcosta

Originally posted by pcosta Hi, Would like your help in configuring a PC not for gaming. Specific needs are: managing several databases of +100,000 pictures, need to to manage several tasks open at once (VPN, video conferencing, multiple web pages), light video editing, large excel spreadsheets. General usage at home office, quiet and fast performance. Budget: $3000 to $40000 Expectations: Keep it for the next 4-5 years. Snappy performance. Specific questions: what is the most appropriate video card for my needs (often have to search for the right picture and need it to load quickly) Should I invest more on the CPU processor or ram memory? or both? Should I overclock the CPU? Will I need a cooling system? What size power source? Planning to use it with Dell U2413. Should I get a video card that supports HDMI or DVI-D? Saved Ticket #: 933831 I'm reasonably adept with computers but don't keep current with the rapid changes in technology. Appreciate your input and suggestions thank you Pcosta

Welcome to the Digital Storm forums!

I'm not an expert on the database programs, but from some poking around on the internet, it looks like your priorities for snappy performance should be:
1) I/O Speed (Input/Output Speed)
2) CPU Power
3) GPU Power

For I/O Speed, you'll want to focus on two things.
For internal storage, you'll want fast, reliable SSDs on a SATA 3 connection. The Samsung Pro is a good choice here, though there are others with similar performance and reliability. You could even step up to an SSD-on-PCIE solution, which plugs directly into the motherboard and provides even more speed. These can be pretty pricey, however.

For external storage, you'll want the fastest interface possible to make sure you're not bottlenecking. Currently, that means Thunderbolt 2. You may have to special-order a motherboard with this capability, or consider a Thunderbolt 2 add-on card.

what is the most appropriate video card for my needs (often have to search for the right picture and need it to load quickly)
As indicated above, your GPU is not crucial to this particular task. A midrange workstation GPU should suit your needs just fine, while providing solid compute performance for those video editing tasks that do use the GPU (mostly FX work).

You could also consider stepping down to a midrange gaming card. It'll have little impact on your regular workload, and if your video editing is light enough, you probably won't miss the workstation card's power.

Should I invest more on the CPU processor or ram memory? or both?
As indicated above, I/O speed is often the primary concern for managing a database. However, both CPU and RAM will be important. For your usage, there's no need to focus on "high-speed" RAM - 1600Mhz should be fine - but having a lot of it will prevent your system slowing down when loading large databases and documents simultaneously.

Should I overclock the CPU?
Yes. A moderate overclock, backed up by a simple air or closed loop cooling solution, is one of the most straightforward ways to boost your system's overall performance.

Will I need a cooling system?
Yes - but a simple CPU-only solution should suffice. The Slade case (a Corsair Obsidian 550D) has plenty of airflow, but if you do go with an overclock, you'll need a cooler to pipe heat away from your CPU. An air cooler or closed-loop liquid cooler will be perfectly fine and low maintenance. There's no need for a sophisticated liquid cooling setup when you're running a single (non-overclocked) GPU.

What size power source?
For a single CPU+GPU setup, somewhere in the range of 750W should be fine. If you're using this machine for business, I'd recommend a "platinum" rated power supply - they offer superior energy efficiency, are less likely to fail at an inopportune time, and generally have longer warranties in the event that they do fail. Oh, and the energy efficiency means that they'll pay you back some of the initial extra cost over time.

Planning to use it with Dell U2413. Should I get a video card that supports HDMI or DVI-D?
My personal recommendation would be to focus on cards with HDMI and DisplayPort support. DVI-D is an aging standard, and some of Dell's newer Ultrasharps are dropping support entirely. (See the U2414H). I don't see HDMI going away soon, but DisplayPort is the most modern standard, and probably the most futureproof.

Looks like a really good build. I made some tweaks to save you a few dollars but still maximize performance. Win8.1 will run/perform better (you also won't need the PRO version to run 32GB RAM) but if you have software requiring Win7 then that's what you'll need (PRO version as you already selected to run 32GB RAM).

933968 $3995

Thanks for all of the input.
Forrest74: I'll get the 512 Samsung Pro SSD.
One of the reasons I picked up the Slade, because I do want a quiet computer. I realize that the airflow will be limited, but it sounds like I don't really need to overclock my CPU, so that may help in generating less heat. I will also try to do some research, but it sounds like for my purpose I don't need the typical video card used in gaming. If I combine these two changes I may not need air cooling at all.
Counsel: thanks for you thoughtful response.
Should I go with a faster CPU and avoid overclocking? Would that reduce the heat generated by the CPU? I will try to size my power supply with some room to spare, but I'll take your advice and go with a Platinum rated PSU. fstcvc: Thanks for the tip on Windows 8.1
Dakota Red: thanks for your review. I don't want a case that is too big and I do want a quiet computer. My current computer is a bit noisy, sometimes it sounds like it is going uphill on a slow gear...
Thanks all for your suggestions. I'm still undecided on two points:
What kind of video card should I get since I don't do any gaming?
Should I skip the overclock, get a simpler/smaller video card and forget about air cooling?
Thanks for any advice that will help me make those decisions.