Computer build - what do you use?

[Pierrard]

I will preface this by saying I currently use and will upgrade to a Windows machine for the reasons that I am used to it and it's cheaper for the same specs.

I'm looking at building a new computer tower for myself, primarily for Photoshop use (I do a lot of image stitching), and although I know generally what I want, I'd like to know what other people use and would recommend for this kind of application (since most computer build how-to's are for gaming).

My budget for the build (tower only; I have the peripherals) is $1000, and this is what I've been thinking about so far:

Intel i5 3570K, quadcore 3.4GHz
G-Skill 32GB DDR3-2133 RAM
EVGA 1GB DDR3-810 Video RAM
128GB 6GB/s scratch disk for OS, Photoshop/etc, and current project items
and a motherboard capable of extending to 32GB 2800MHz RAM.

Total cost for this (before tax and shipping) is $910.


My main concerns are:

I don't know what how much effect the video RAM has on performance, since I'm only using a single 1080p monitor;

I'm not sure whether to maximize RAM speed or size;

and obviously I'd like the software I'm using to be able to use at least a large percentage of the available processing power and RAM for image rendering and editing.

Many thanks in advance for any and all comments and suggestions!

 

[thrice]

Video RAM has negligible effect on performance, 512MB would be plenty for 2D on a 1080p monitor.

Maximise RAM speed.
More importantly maximise SSD speed.

 

[shakeshuck]

You need to be careful choosing which SSD you buy. It is still pretty much a plug and pray technology.

Do research on the models you are interested in and see if other folks have reported faults with them. Problems are usually fixed with a firmware upgrade but you will normally have to wipe the drive when applying the fix.
Don't be wooed by the fastest (claimed) figures, but try to find the best combination of speed and reliability.

 

[RVB]

You need to be careful choosing which SSD you buy. It is still pretty much a plug and pray technology.

Do research on the models you are interested in and see if other folks have reported faults with them. Problems are usually fixed with a firmware upgrade but you will normally have to wipe the drive when applying the fix.
Don't be wooed by the fastest (claimed) figures, but try to find the best combination of speed and reliability.

OWC make excellent SSD's and samsung are pretty good and relatively cheap..