Need help choosing a GPU and case

Quote from shadowsofmyself : Hello SD. Most of the time just a lurker but I was hoping you guys would be able to help me with some suggestions for my build. I already have an OS (Windows 7 x64). 1. Purpose of computer: Intensive photo editing (lots of Photoshop), some video archival & conversion as well as the basic internet browsing, and document processing. 2. Budget: $550, not including the money spent on parts I already have. 3. List which parts you have and/or which parts you are considering: a. CPU: i5 2500k (Already have) b. Mobo: ASUS B3 P67 board c. GPU: ????? d. Hard drive: I have a 1TB WD Black Drive that I can move over, although if I found a good enough deal, I'd probably just buy another. e. Ram: 16GB Corsair XMS3 (Plan to use 8GB as a RAMdisk) f. PSU: :Antec 550 watt Modular g. Case: Want something quiet. Considering the Antec P183????? h: Optic (CD/DVD/Blu-ray): Have a DVD/RW combo drive. Looking for a drive that at least reads Blu-Rays i. Monitor (size&resolution): Currently working off of a spare TV that I got as a SD but 42" can sometimes be a bad thing. Waiting on a decent price for an IPS screen. Open to suggestions. 4. Overclocking: Planning on using whatever board to use the unlocked multiplier on the K processor to get me to about 4.5 Ghz. Have a Dark Knight cooler. 5. When will you build it: Planning on building as soon as possible. 6. Misc: Have built computers in the past. Not too scared of anything. Never built anything this nice though so need some help deciding what would make the most sense for a video card since I'm not really into gaming but do need lots of processing power for movies and photo work. Hope I have given the necessary information. If I didn't follow the guidelines correctly or missed some piece of information, let me know. I thank you SD'ers for your help in advance. As a sidenote, since I can't use HTML to post a link, how do I change the text viewable for a link?

Okay SD'ers, so I'm copying over my questions from the Build your own computer thread in hopes you guys/gals can help me out. The two things remaining for my build are:

First of all, and probably most importantly, I need help choosing a GPU. I definitely do not want to spend more than $200 and would prefer to stay closer to the $150 range. I was considering getting the XFX 5850 [newegg.com] that's on TigerDirect right now because of their great warranty, but I've been reading that it is all too likely that I'll need to use it soon. Does anyone have any firsthand experience with this card? What kind of reliability can I expect? I've also looked at this ASUS EAH5850 [newegg.com]. I'm not stuck on ATI by any means normally, but I am trying to ensure full compatibility with my system as it will be a dual boot with W7 x64/ Snow Leopard. If there is any other Hackintosh folks out there, I'd love to hear your input or experiences. It seems like all the current drivers for the nVidia cards are having random lockups and causing the computer to freeze.

Secondly, why is every case out there plastered with LED's and ridiculous curves or sharp angles? After spending far too many "working" hours on my laptop, researching computer cases, the one I am currently considering is the Corsair 600t [amazon.com] in white. I'm definitely open to suggestions, but that case gives a good sample of tastes in computer cases. Oh, and budget for case is under $200. Thanks in advance for anyone who takes the time to comment.

Also, if anyone answers the poll with D. I got it all wrong, I'd like to hear your thoughts on any other suggestions.

case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119216&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Cases+(Computer+Cases+-+ATX+Form)-_-Cooler+Master-_-11119216

little better (5870) stat wise GPU for $170: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125316&cm_re=5870-_-14-125-316-_-Product

Get the 460, best bang for buck card out there although ATI-ophiles will disagree.

As far as a case goes the Antec Sonata III is always talked about as far as quiet goes.

Quote from lettherebeme : Get the 460, best bang for buck card out there although ATI-ophiles will disagree. As far as a case goes the Antec Sonata III is always talked about as far as quiet goes.

bang for buck 460 wins out.
$170 best choice: 5870.

GTX 460 for bang for the buck and 2 display limit.

Radeon 5850/5870 for slightly better performance and 6 display limit ~$40+ over GTX 460

I think one day soon you will find that (2) 24" displays plus the 40 inch TV (with output from a 2nd $20 card) will not be enough real estate with all that power you have

Quote from dudeofswim : case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119216&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Cases+(Computer+Cases+-+ATX+Form)-_-Cooler+Master-_-11119216 little better (5870) stat wise GPU for $170: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125316&cm_re=5870-_-14-125-316-_-Product

Quote from dudeofswim : bang for buck 460 wins out. $170 best choice: 5870.

Am I doing something wrong or did the price change? I'm looking at it right now and including shipping it's about $197.

Quote from lettherebeme : Get the 460, best bang for buck card out there although ATI-ophiles will disagree. As far as a case goes the Antec Sonata III is always talked about as far as quiet goes.

Quote from dudeofswim : bang for buck 460 wins out. $170 best choice: 5870.

Quote from G37 : GTX 460 for bang for the buck and 2 display limit. Radeon 5850/5870 for slightly better performance and 6 display limit ~$40+ over GTX 460 I think one day soon you will find that (2) 24" displays plus the 40 inch TV (with output from a 2nd $20 card) will not be enough real estate with all that power you have

Lots of people are saying the GTX 460. If I go that route, which version? There seems to be at least four different versions with the some being 1024, some 768, SE... Also, I'll take it no one else so far is going the "dual boot with Snow Leopard" route.

dudeofswim - The Cooler Master case has some limitations vs. the 600t but for 1/2 the price it is a real contender. I'll look into it further. Thanks.

lettherebeme - After shipping vs. the one I was looking at on Amazon, it is only ~ $10 less and has no USB 3.0 and 2 less fans. I've always liked Antec products but the price, at least at $160 incl. shipping isn't doing it for me. I like the idea of having at least one 3.0 port up front. Let me know if I'm missing anything about this case.

G37 - The size of this "monitor" is almost embarassing. We had visitors over and my desk had the door closed, so you couldn't see the tower inside. They asked if they could use the computer and I said go right ahead. They stared at it for like a full 15 seconds in silence and just asked, "Is that really your ******* monitor?" I am considering getting a nice IPS but unfortunately, SD has ruined me for normal prices. I keep waiting for a deal on the U2311 or something like it. It just seems like sometimes I can't sit far enough away from it to use it all that well.

Thanks for your input, and let me know what you think.

Also, what about this [newegg.com] card?

Quote from shadowsofmyself : Thanks for your input, and let me know what you think.

The 460 wins for bang for your buck, but at $200 I don't know if it can outperform a 5870 (since its OC'd). Go look at specs and see which one is better. I'm still thinking the HD5870 will win out.


5870 might be better in terms of hackintosh since they are in the latest mac pros.


but 460 might work. 5870 is still the better bet.


Case wise for 1/2 the price and 5 egg reviews its worth a serious look.


Setup a deal alert for IPS and wait and see

Quote from shadowsofmyself : Am I doing something wrong or did the price change? I'm looking at it right now and including shipping it's about $197.

weird. It was $170 + 10 + tax so maybe. Or maybe i just saw it wrong. Actually, don't buy that card. Looks like its having Firmware issues. Try some other 5870

Yea the sonata is a bit pricey, and honestly I don't know much about quiet cases.

As far as 460 version goes, for your use I would feign a guess and say the 768 would be good, the 1gb will definitely be enough, and the SE is crap don't buy it.

btw to get quieter cases, get better fans than stock fans
some cheap costing 120mm fans are Cooler Master R4 fans, they push decent airflow and are pretty quiet

For better fans, the Scythe Gentle Typhoons, but they're priced at $20 apiece, and hard to get (limited supply)

For a "normal" looking case that'll fit the longer cards (5870, etc)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Pro...6811112099

cheaper because of the plastic build:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Pro...6811112235

I myself use the CM 690 II linked above, you can either shut off the LED light in the front, or swap out the fans (thats what i did)
I put R4 fans inside and it makes the case a lot more quiet than the stock CM fans.

GPU-Wise, you can also look at the ATI HD6870

+1 for the 460, look for a 1gb version with lifetime warranty, after that just get the cheapest

also the sonata is a nice quite case, but the "cover" on the power button can get annoying if you put it somewhere where the cover will be blocked frequently (i.e. cluttered desk)

What applications are you using for photo editing/video editing. Not all of them take advantage of GPU support. You can probably get away with a much cheaper card since your not gaming.

Quote from LiquidRetro : What applications are you using for photo editing/video editing. Not all of them take advantage of GPU support. You can probably get away with a much cheaper card since your not gaming.

photoshop was mentioned in the OP..

Quote from dudeofswim : but 460 might work. 5870 is still the better bet. Case wise for 1/2 the price and 5 egg reviews its worth a serious look. Setup a deal alert for IPS and wait and see weird. It was $170 + 10 + tax so maybe. Or maybe i just saw it wrong. Actually, don't buy that card. Looks like its having Firmware issues. Try some other 5870

Like slapshot said, for my GPU I'm looking for something with a lifetime warranty if I can find it as this card will most likely be recycled into a family member's computer down the line or sold on CL.

Also, IPS alert already set up.

Quote from lettherebeme : Yea the sonata is a bit pricey, and honestly I don't know much about quiet cases. As far as 460 version goes, for your use I would feign a guess and say the 768 would be good, the 1gb will definitely be enough, and the SE is crap don't buy it.

Lettherebeme, you are probably right that it would be enough. I think I'm considering the higher end cards simply because I feel like my computer will be unbalanced, not too mention it's my first ever mid/high end build. I had pretty much heard that about the SE versions of those cards.

Quote from azianai : btw to get quieter cases, get better fans than stock fans some cheap costing 120mm fans are Cooler Master R4 fans, they push decent airflow and are pretty quiet For better fans, the Scythe Gentle Typhoons, but they're priced at $20 apiece, and hard to get (limited supply) For a "normal" looking case that'll fit the longer cards (5870, etc) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Pro...6811112099 cheaper because of the plastic build: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Pro...6811112235 I myself use the CM 690 II linked above, you can either shut off the LED light in the front, or swap out the fans (thats what i did) I put R4 fans inside and it makes the case a lot more quiet than the stock CM fans. GPU-Wise, you can also look at the ATI HD6870

azianai - Out of all the cases that have been mentioned the CM 690 II is the only other one that I have seen that interests me. It is quite nice looking though. I wish I could get the chance to actually see one of these in person before buying.

I'm going to check out those fans that you mentioned, although it seem so backwards to buy a case with fans to then replace those fans with better ones. It's like they should have the option to buy with/without fans. I must admit though, I'm still loving that white 600t from Corsair. The only problem, and it's a big one, is it's not out yet. Supposedly it was supposed to come out in April; so they have 11 more days to make good on their word. One of the reviews I saw made me even more excited as they said the new white version of the case was going to fix the cooling issues presented in the graphite version by ramping up fan speed, and according to the reviewer that having no subjective effect on noise level.

I've looked at the 6870, also at the 6850. I'm trying to talk myself down and get something reasonable considering I don't do a whole lot of gaming.

Quote from slapshot136 : +1 for the 460, look for a 1gb version with lifetime warranty, after that just get the cheapest also the sonata is a nice quite case, but the "cover" on the power button can get annoying if you put it somewhere where the cover will be blocked frequently (i.e. cluttered desk)

slapshot- Ditto on that lifetime warranty. Huge concern of mine. Also, the power button would not work for me on the Antec case though.

Quote from LiquidRetro : What applications are you using for photo editing/video editing. Not all of them take advantage of GPU support. You can probably get away with a much cheaper card since your not gaming.

I bought the copy through my school of Photoshop CS5 and Premiere Pro is what I use. As far as a much cheaper card, any recommendations?