Best PC build for photo editing?

So, my current rig is about 10 years old now—definitely feeling its age—and it’s high time for an upgrade. I’m looking for some input on a potential build around the $1667 mark. Just to be clear, this machine is strictly for photo editing. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks in advance for the help!

Are you looking to pick up a new monitor too, or just the tower? Also, will you be paying with cash or using a card?

I'm paying cash, but I've already got my monitor ready to go.

If you're asking me, my money is on -

AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (1500)
AM4 B350 mobo (550)
2x 8GB DDR4 (650 + 650)
Miditower (300)
Power supply >= 600W (450)
2TB HDD (550)
NVIDIA GT 710 (350)
= $1667

But look, if you can scrape together another thousand or so, I’d suggest adding a 250GB SSD (450) just to run the OS and swapping that GT 710 out for an RX 550 (850). Honestly though, if you're strictly sticking to 2D work, you probably don't even need a dedicated GPU at all.

Now, if the whole DIY thing sounds like too much of a headache or a gamble, just give futur IT a call; their guys will tell you exactly which parts play nice together and they'll handle the assembly so everything actually works when it hits your desk.

EDIT - one more thing, if that monitor you're using is basically a relic from a decade ago, check if it has a DVI port (that white rectangular one), because most modern graphics cards aren't going to have a VGA port (the little blue one) anymore.

I have one Intel Core i5-8400 (2.8GHz, 9MB, LGA1151) available in its original retail box.
I have one Gigabyte B360M DS3H motherboard available. It uses the LGA 1151 socket and features four DDR4 RAM slots, along with VGA, DVI, and HDMI outputs for your display needs.
I have one set of Patriot V Elite DDR4 memory available. It’s a 16GB kit consisting of two 8GB sticks running at 2133MHz, finished in grey.
I have one Toshiba P300 1TB hard drive available for sale. It features 64MB of cache and runs at 7200rpm.
I’ve got one Samsung SSD 250GB 860 Evo on hand—it’s a 2.5" SATA 6Gbps drive utilizing 3-bit MLC V-NAND. For those interested in the technical specs, it hits speeds up to 550/520 MB/s, with a performance rating of 98K IOPS / 90K IOPS. It also offers 150TBW endurance and comes with a 5-year warranty.
I have one Thermaltake Smart RGB 500W power supply available.
I have one Fortron CMT 240 available for sale. It features a black finish with a side window. Please note that this is an ATX case and does not include a power supply.

Total: $1680 Assembly and delivery are already included in the price.

The setup with the Intel Core i5-8400 wins here. That GT710 is basically a paperweight, and you won't find anything better than a Ryzen 2600 in this price range.

Check out this build featuring the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G

-Integrated graphics actually outperform both the Intel Core i5-8400 and the GT710.
-CPU is a bit weaker than those 6-core chips, but still decent—roughly on par with an older i7.
-Modular PSU comes with a 5-year warranty.
-Great SSD here, also carries a 5-year warranty.
-16 GB of fast RAM.

If you can stretch the budget, grab a Samsung 500 GB SSD; it makes editing much smoother.
A 6-core processor is also a smart move (in that case, I'd go with the Intel Core i5-8400 without a dedicated GPU), but I think the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G is perfectly fine. Plus, that platform gives you plenty of room to upgrade later if you want more power (you could just drop in an 8-core chip from the next generation).

P.S.

It's from futur IT—includes free shipping and assembly.

Thanks for all the advice, everyone. I’m starting to realize that $5,000—wait, actually, let's just say my budget isn't quite as massive as I initially thought—is going to be a bit tight. Regarding the build options you guys sent over, I think I'm leaning toward an Intel setup. But, I definitely want to throw in a dedicated graphics card and beef up the power supply while I'm at it. Any suggestions for a solid GPU that won't break the bank?

Look, you don't need a powerhouse GPU just to edit photos.
In my opinion, an NVIDIA GT 1030 would be perfectly fine.

But, if you're dead set on getting a dedicated graphics card, I’d suggest going with an AMD Ryzen 5 1600 or 2600. You get 6 cores and 12 threads, plus the AM4 platform gives you actual room to upgrade later. Compare that to the Intel Core i5-8400, which is just 6 cores/6 threads. It's decent enough, and having integrated graphics is a plus, but for real productivity, AMD wins here—plus, the current Intel platform is a total dead end.

So, my advice? Either go with an AMD Ryzen 5 1600/2600 paired with an NVIDIA GT 1030 or a GTX 1050
or
just stick with the Intel Core i5-8400 and skip the extra GPU.

Regarding the power supply: whether you pick Intel or AMD, you won't pull more than 150W under full load during a stress test. Even with a GPU, you're looking at maybe 250W tops. No need to overspend on a massive PSU; just grab something reliable in the 400-500W range, like that Corsair unit I mentioned.

With a budget around $1667, you can either grab the option with the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G like I listed, or go the Intel Core i5-8400 route, where you'll have to cut corners elsewhere (slower RAM, relying solely on integrated graphics, etc.).

Both paths work. The Intel Core i5-8400 is very solid, and the integrated graphics handle 2D work just fine.
The AMD Ryzen 5 2400G has better graphics and respectable processing power since it's a 4-core/8-thread CPU—performance-wise, it's pretty close to something like an Intel Core i7-6700, which used to go for over $667.

Sorry I haven't checked in for a while—life just kind of got in the way and threw some curveballs at me. Anyway, after looking at everything, I've realized there's no way I can just drop all the cash at once to build a rig for $1667. So, I've decided to play it smart and pick up one component every month. Here is what I've managed to grab so far: Intel Core i5-8400
Asrock Z370 Pro 4
Corsair RM750x, ATX, 750W
GEIL EVO Spear DDR4 3000MHz, 8 GB, kit 2x4GB
Now I'm stuck wondering which SSD and GPU would actually make sense for this setup. I was thinking about grabbing a Samsung 500 GB for storage, and maybe an NVIDIA GeForce card, but nothing more powerful than an $667.

https://www.amazon.com/crucial-ssd...m_medium=click

https://www.newegg.com/products/detail...m_medium=click

Though, I guess I'd honestly rather just pick up a used GeForce GTX 1060 with a warranty.

crimsonstag84 said:https://www.bestbuy.com/site/crucial-...m_medium=click

https://www.newegg.com/products/detail...m_medium=click

Honestly, though—I’d probably rather just hunt down a used GeForce GTX 1060 6GB that still comes with some kind of warranty.

What's your take on grabbing a GTX 1050Ti 4GB instead?

Honestly, go with the 1060 instead. It’s a significantly more powerful card, and you can usually snag one used that still has two years of warranty left on it.

If you've already waited this long, just hang in there for a few more months. You've got integrated graphics on that Intel processor, so you can still get by without a dedicated GPU.

Nvidia should be announcing or dropping their next generation sometime this month, so wait until you see what's hitting the shelves—it might even drive down prices for the current lineup. Plus, once everyone starts upgrading, you might snag a decent deal on the used market. Right now, the second-hand stuff is mostly just junk pulled straight from a coal mine.

Alright, finally pulled the trigger and grabbed all my parts:
Intel Core i5 8400
Asrock Z370 Pro 4
Corsair 700W ATX Power Supply
PC-24000 RAM, 8 GB, GEIL EVO Spear GSB48GB3000C16ADC, DDR4 3000MHz, 2x4GB kit
GPU: GeForce GTX 1060, 3GB
SSD: Samsung 860 EVO
HDD: WD 2 TB, Blue case
Case: Fractal Design R5 Black
Hey guys—I could really use some advice on picking out a monitor. I’m looking to spend around $667, maybe give or take $100 bucks. The main thing is I'll be using it for photo editing. Any recommendations?

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-24-monitor-p2422h/spd/24-monitor-p2422h