PC for Graphic Design...

[choucove]

Intel Core i7-2600K 3.4 Ghz quad-core LGA 1155 processor
ASUS P8P67 LGA 1155 ATX motherboard
Corsair Vengeance 16 GB (4 X 4 GB) DDR3 1600 CAS 8 1.5V memory
Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB SATAIII 7,200 RPM 64 MB Cache hard drive
PNY nVidia Quadro 600 PCI-Express 2.0 x16 1GB professional video card
Corsair Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650 Watt ATX12V power supply
Silverstone Precision Series PS05-B mid tower case
LG DVD-Burner SATA Black
Cooler Master Hyper N 520 CPU cooler
Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound
Windows 7 Professional 64-bit OEM
=======================================
Total Cost: $1,205 plus shipping

The above system is a solid powerful workhorse of a computer. It includes one of the fastest processors on the market with a very capable professional design Quadro graphics card. It also includes a fast and high quality 1 TB SATAIII hard drive, which can be upgraded to an incredibly fast SSD for about $150 more. Along with that is a very high quality power supply, aftermarket CPU cooler, and 16 GB of RAM. This is my recommended design build, and actually we just assembled three computers identical to this a month ago for an office in town doing design work for printed real estate advertisements.

 

[signswi]

Win7 Ultimate 64 bit. I would run nothing less.

Well that's pretty silly seeing as you're paying a lot more for Ultimate than you would for Pro and gaining almost nothing in a non-enterprise environment.

aftermarket CPU cooler

Not really any need for this on an i7 unless you're trying to clock. The retail coolers work great, intel has always had very capable retail hsf units. I really disagree with your analysis that aftermarket is necessary on any intel cpu. I know you're selling it as "cooler is better = long life" but the life meme is relatively unrealistic. The retail coolers are built to handle a 24/7 full load for decades without degrading.

 

[njshorts]

I usually build my own, but just got a quote from SignBurst... considering buying one from him- give them a shot before you make your decision.

 

[SignBurst PCs]

I really appreciate all of the recommends! Being a Merchant Member here has always been a great experience. We really do build great systems and try really hard to make buying a new computer (and software) as easy as possible. Our clients are everything to us and I work very hard to help in any way possible.

Buying off-the-shelf usually doesn't get the job done.

Your local computer shop generally has no idea what you need (and they generally build you a gaming rig and try to pass it off as a graphics workstation).

Most importantly, you have better things to do with your time than researching a ton of tech stuff that you probably don't understand, searching for compatible hardware, building the computer, finding updated and compatible drivers, BIOS settings, and software tweaks, and then HOPING that you got everything right. Is that video card tested with Photoshop? Is that video driver compatible? How much speed and reliability am I losing by buying cheap? How will changing one piece of hardware change the performance? Is that power supply going to handle everything I need? Is the hardware I am buying reliable? Hmm....

You are in the business of making and installing signs and graphics. You wouldn't recommend to a customer that they buy a cutter (or printer) and design, create, and install their own graphics would you? If they did, you you expect that it they would design, print, or install it correctly? Wouldn't it be a better idea to have a professional do it and know that they got an awesome design that is going to make them money and a product that is going to stand the test of time?

In addition, our customers have the ability to use us a tech resource before and after the sale. Got a software compatibility question? Hit us up. Got a networking problem? Give us a ring. Do you need to figure out a backup solution? Pick our brain.

Now obviously, there are some very knowledgeable members here (tech wise) and none of this is applies to them. You know who you are .

 

[mopar691]

Well that's pretty silly seeing as you're paying a lot more for Ultimate than you would for Pro and gaining almost nothing in a non-enterprise environment.


VHD is worth the additional ten bucks in my opinion. Why run a third party software to allow me to boot xp to allow my outdated flexpro 7.6 when i dont have to? No reason for me to update flexi yet as it does everything i want it to. I know i should update but I dont use it a whole lot anymore. But it is nice to be able to print and cut my older customers files that were created this way.

Plus I remotely connect in my house to the shop, Ultimate allows me to still connect multiple moniters this way as the RDP is much more robust. Plus Areo glass, lol. Like that matters. haha

 

[SignBurst PCs]

Well that's pretty silly seeing as you're paying a lot more for Ultimate than you would for Pro and gaining almost nothing in a non-enterprise environment.


VHD is worth the additional ten bucks in my opinion. Why run a third party software to allow me to boot xp to allow my outdated flexpro 7.6 when i dont have to? No reason for me to update flexi yet as it does everything i want it to. I know i should update but I dont use it a whole lot anymore. But it is nice to be able to print and cut my older customers files that were created this way.

Plus I remotely connect in my house to the shop, Ultimate allows me to still connect multiple moniters this way as the RDP is much more robust. Plus Areo glass, lol. Like that matters. haha

I am pretty sure that Pro would take care of all that.

The upgrade to Ultimate is a bit more than $10 (unless you know something that I don't).

Ultimate is cool if you want the enterprise functions of Professional AND the multimedia applications of Home Premium. I am a supporter of keeping work at work and play at home (in most cases). So we offer Windows 7 Professional unless otherwise requested.