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Advice for a first build plan please.

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Hi there,

I've got an old Macbook from 2011 that is getting a bit long in the tooth. Thinking about an upgrade and would like to try a build. I have read a bit about the process and would like to make it as stress free as possible for my first time. Here's a list of parts I've come up with based on the compatibility list here and what's available to me in my area.

FYI. I mostly plan to use it for bit of HD editing on FCP X, and would like to try my hand at DaVinci Resolve. Also, I won't be needing WiFi. I'll want to connect two HD monitors via HDMI and some decent speakers for sound.

My main concern is if I would be alright using the onboard Intel HD Graphics 530 for this or do I absolutley need a dedicated GPU?

Would appreciate any advice! Cheers!

CPU: Intel Core i7 6700 3.4GHz Socket 1151
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-WIFI
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX Black DDR4 PC21300/2666MHz CL16 2x8GB
OS Drive: Samsung 850 EVO Series MZ-75E250B
Media Drives: 2 x Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 64MB 2TB
PSU: Corsair CS550M 550W
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130


 
I forgot to add that I might want Thunderbolt capability in the future. Can I add this with a PCI card?
You can IF the board you purchase has a TB header - not all boards do, so look at the specs carefully.
 
Hi there,

I've got an old Macbook from 2011 that is getting a bit long in the tooth. Thinking about an upgrade and would like to try a build. I have read a bit about the process and would like to make it as stress free as possible for my first time. Here's a list of parts I've come up with based on the compatibility list here and what's available to me in my area.

FYI. I mostly plan to use it for bit of HD editing on FCP X, and would like to try my hand at DaVinci Resolve. Also, I won't be needing WiFi. I'll want to connect two HD monitors via HDMI and some decent speakers for sound.

My main concern is if I would be alright using the onboard Intel HD Graphics 530 for this or do I absolutley need a dedicated GPU?

Would appreciate any advice! Cheers!

CPU: Intel Core i7 6700 3.4GHz Socket 1151
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-WIFI
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX Black DDR4 PC21300/2666MHz CL16 2x8GB
OS Drive: Samsung 850 EVO Series MZ-75E250B
Media Drives: 2 x Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 64MB 2TB
PSU: Corsair CS550M 550W
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130


FCPX is open CL/GL, so you would not want a nVidia GPU. You might take a look at
and if the results of Cinebench are OK with you then you do not need a GPU. Might want to get one later if the processing slows down too much.
Suggest a Noctua NH-L9x65 cooler over the Intel box model or go with liquid cooling solution.
Double check the RAM - make sure it is on the board OEM QVL listing.
Otherwise your build list look good.
 
I'll want to connect two HD monitors via HDMI and some decent speakers for sound.
My main concern is if I would be alright using the onboard Intel HD Graphics 530 for this or do I absolutley need a dedicated GPU?
Beware that OS X manages 4K through DP only so with HDMI and DVI you'll be stuck to 1080. I got caught myself recently: I own a legacy 2560 x 1440 px monitor so I planned a build without a GPU but, ignoring this detail, I bought a mobo that has Intel HD Graphics 530, one HDMI and one DVI ports. As result there was no way to display more than 1080 px so I had to buy a GPU anyway. :banghead:
Nick
 
Beware that OS X manages 4K through DP only so with HDMI and DVI you'll be stuck to 1080. I got caught myself recently: I own a legacy 2560 x 1440 px monitor so I planned a build without a GPU but, ignoring this detail, I bought a mobo that has Intel HD Graphics 530, one HDMI and one DVI ports. As result there was no way to display more than 1080 px so I had to buy a GPU anyway. :banghead:
Nick
I do not think that is going to be a problem here:
From Gigabyte:
  1. 2 x HDMI ports, supporting a maximum resolution of 4096x2160@24 Hz
    * Support for HDMI 1.4 version.
So you do not have 60Hz - 24Hz is good enough for streaming video, may be OK for the OPs purposes.
 
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