PC build under $1,100 for Adobe + some gaming

Hello,

I am looking for advice on the best PC build I can get for under $2500 (just the tower). On top of that, I also need a Dell up to $500, and if possible, some speakers—they don't need to be anything fancy since I plan on buying better ones with my next paycheck, but I need something for now.

I saw that Best Buy has a specific bundle for:

AMD FX x8 8300 processor, 3.3Ghz, 16MB
Antec water cooler
AMD 970/sb950, AM3+ motherboard
8GB DDR3 (though I think I actually need 16GB)
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 480 8GB GDDR5
120GB SATA 3 SSD and a 1TB HDD

550W PSU
Zalman case
Onboard Gigabit LAN network card
Free DOS

$2456 And it comes with a 5-year warranty.

Can I find a better deal for this kind of money? Also, I'm wondering how the AMD Radeon RX 480 will hold up over the next 2 or 3 years. From what I've read, even though the card is technically "new," it's considered just an average GPU at the moment.

Thanks!

EDIT: I would be paying for the tower in installments, but I'll be buying the Dell with cash. The main use for this setup will be Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, and similar programs.

Brandon Carter59 said:Greetings,

I am looking for the best possible configuration I can get for under $2500 (just the tower). Additionally, I need a Dell up to $500, and if there are speakers included—they don't need to be anything special since I plan on buying better ones with my next paycheck, but they would suffice for now.

I noticed Best Buy has a specific offer for:

AMD FX x8 8300 Processor, 3.3Ghz, 16MB
Antec water cooler
AMD 970/sb950, AM3+ motherboard
8GB DDR3 (though I believe I actually need 16GB)
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 480 8GB GDDR5
120GB SATA 3 SSD and 1TB HDD

550W PSU
Zalman case
Onboard Gigabit LAN
Free DOS

$2456 and it comes with a 5-year warranty

Is it possible to find a better deal for this amount? Also, I am curious how the AMD Radeon RX 480 will hold up over the next 2 or 3 years, given that despite being "new," my reading suggests it's just an average card at the moment.

Thanks!

EDIT: I would be paying for the tower in installments, while I'd buy the Dell in cash. The primary use will be for Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, and similar software.

Oh, you can certainly do much better. Using liquid cooling on a board like that is pointless; it's purely for the aesthetic effect. You can find significantly better value elsewhere. $2500 is an absurdly high price for a poorly assembled machine. Even though Best Buy carries some decent pre-built setups, one should generally avoid them because you can always find something far superior.

You forgot the most important part: which card are we talking about, and how many installments are you planning to stretch the payments over? 🕺

Brandon Carter59 said:Is there any way to get a better deal for this amount of money? Also, I'm curious how the AMD Radeon RX 480 will hold up over the next 2-3 years, since from what I've read, even though it's technically "new," it's currently just an average card.

You simply can't jump into a higher tier like the NVIDIA GTX 1070 with this budget, so there really isn't much of a dilemma here. It’s tough to predict exactly how it will perform in 2-3 years, but let's put it this way: in the context of the American market, this is considered a mainstream card, whereas in other parts of the world, it might feel like a High-Performance option (since our standards are much higher and hardware prices are generally lower).

First, you should probably address what Robert Rodriguez2 asked.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:The most important part is that you forgot to mention which card you're using and how many installments you're planning on. 🕺

I had a feeling I missed something.

It's a Bank of America Visa, my checking account. I was thinking about spreading it over maybe 10 to 12 monthly payments.

I've never really seen gaming listed as a primary goal here 🤔 ...so an RX 480 seems overkill; I guess something like a GTX 1050 Ti would probably suffice.

1 x 256GB AD SU800 SATA 3D Nand SSD
1 x Zalman Z1, USB3.0 black, 2x120mm
1 x 1TB Toshiba P300 HDD, 64MB, 7200rpm, High-Performance
1 x Fortron Hyper 500W, 80+ - 60mj.
1 x Gigabyte NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5
1 x Intel Core i7-6700 (3.4GHz, 8MB,LGA1151) box
1 x MSI H110 mATX Desktop Motherboard (S1151, DDR4, USB3.1, USB2.0, SATA III, DVI, VGA, Audio, LAN) Retail
1 x 16GB Kingston DDR4 HX Fury, 2133MHz

Total: $2.50 on installments via Best Buy

+

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-29um58_p/1362256

EDIT: Oh look, the title says "+ a few games" after all 😬

crimsonstag84 said:I haven't seen gaming listed as a primary use case here 🤔 ...so there’s no real need for an AMD Radeon RX 480; something like an NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti would do the job fine.

He didn't mention gaming, but he's worried about how the AMD Radeon RX 480 will hold up over the next 2-3 years. If that's his concern, why wouldn't he be just as worried about an NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti?😬

What kind of concern should one even have regarding an NVIDIA GTX 1050? Absolutely none. It is quite obvious that gaming isn't his primary objective here, and even if it were, it isn't everything—games don't necessarily need to be played on max settings. Medium should suffice just fine. Besides, the visual discrepancy between medium and ultra settings in modern titles is marginal at best. In my opinion, certain games actually look better with fewer details—essentially, when you lower the graphic quality.

Title 😁

mellowtiger83 said:What's there to worry about with a GTX 1050? Absolutely nothing. Gaming clearly isn't his main priority anyway, and even if it were, it's not like you need everything cranked to max settings. Medium will do just fine. Honestly, the visual difference between medium and ultra in modern games is tiny. Personally, I think some games actually look better when you dial back the detail and lower the graphics quality.

You completely missed the point here...The OP was worried about whether an AMD Radeon RX 480 would hold up for the next 2 or 3 years... in that context, no matter how much he stresses over the AMD Radeon RX 480, he should be worrying way more about a GTX 1050... regardless of whether those worries are even valid, does my comment make sense now? 😬

analogtiger19 said:You’re completely missing the point here...The OP was worriedabout whether his AMD Radeon RX 480 would hold up for the next two or three years... in that light, if he's stressing over an AMD Radeon RX 480, he should be even more concerned about a GTX 1050... regardless of whether those worries are actually valid, does my point make sense now? 😬

The GTX 1050 will handle everything perfectly fine for the next three years—that was my point. Clearly, we just have different definitions of what "handling" a game means. An RX 460 would also manage for three years without much trouble, you see.

Even a 7770 can run games today; that is the essence of the matter.

Clearly we’re still not on the same page...🤦 (That facepalm is directed at my own inability to actually say what I mean)

The OP wants to know if an AMD Radeon RX 480 can handle 2-3G... which is a whole tier above the NVIDIA GTX 1050. Given how much better the AMD Radeon RX 480 is compared to the NVIDIA GTX 1050, I was being sarcastic when I suggested one should be even more "worried" about the NVIDIA GTX 1050 instead. Are we clear now? 😉

Hey everyone—I’ve recently started diving into photography, and honestly, after poking around some dedicated photography forums, I didn't walk away with much actual help. So, since I'm a bit beyond the absolute "day one" beginner stage now, I'm looking to put together a workstation specifically for photo editing. Ideally, I'd love to find an All-in-One setup if such a thing exists for my needs... though if that proves to be a dead end, I'm perfectly fine with a standard desktop tower sourced from our local market here in the States.
My budget is hovering somewhere around the $800 mark—$3333and frankly, I don't care where it comes from; whether it's a local shop or just grabbing something off Amazon, I'm open to it.
I've had my eye on a couple of specific models lately:
1.https://www.amazon.de/gp/aw/d/B01A8G...rch&th=1&psc=1

2.https://www.amazon.de/gp/aw/d/B00TIK...DFL&ref=plSrch

The real issue is that All-in-One systems are a total disaster when it comes to value. For that kind of cash, you could build something with significantly better hardware—plus, if your motherboard dies right after the warranty expires on an All-in-One, you’re basically stuck with a paperweight...

Are you strictly limited by space, like maybe looking at an ITX or Micro-ATX configuration?
Are you based in the US or Germany?

I don't have any restrictions here. And honestly, it doesn't even need to be an All-in-One
In my opinion, you can put together a much better desktop setup along with a solid Dell
I'm currently based in the States, though I do have family living over in Germany
So, let me ask—is it actually possible to build a high-quality configuration paired with a nice monitor if we're looking at a budget of $7,000 to $8,000?

1 x Intel Core i7-6700 (3.4GHz, 8MB, LGA1151) box
1 x MSI B150M PRO-VDH Desktop Motherboard
2 x Kingmax 8GB DDR4 2133MHz
1 x 256GB ADATA SU800 SATA 3D NAND SSD
1 x 1TB Toshiba P300 7200rpm, High-Performance HDD
1 x NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5
1 x Fortron Hexa+ 400W, 80+
1 x Zalman T5 Mini-Tower ATX case, black, no PSU

Total: $2253 IT Futura includes free assembly and shipping

Dell

The only real question mark here is how much weight the GPU carries for photo editing versus video rendering. In Lightroom, I suspect it won't be a huge factor (the integrated graphics should suffice), and in Photoshop, it likely only impacts specific elements. If this is stretching your budget too thin, you could always cut the card out—you can always upgrade later. As it stands, this build offers solid value for the money.

Install your OS and all your software on the SSD. Use the HDD strictly for bulk storage.

Hey, thanks a million. Honestly, I couldn’t care less about Photoshop... my focus is strictly on Lightroom

Thanks again