Looking for a good build & easy for a programmer/3d/graphic designer/LAMP workflow.

[ant18290]

Hello all, I am a Project Manager/ LAMP Programer as well as many other hats, but I seem to be doing more and more things as I get older. I spend most of my day either in a php or python IDE and if I am not there, I am either learning a new language or doing auxiliary graphic designing in photoshop and sometimes modeling in various 3d apps. I have a few apps on the app store so I run Android Studio and xCode on a weekly basis with relevant emulation tools here and there. I run AMP stacks at various times in the day for testing and on top my email(airmail) and skype are always open and always. I usually keep photoshop open because it's too much of a hassle not to with the frequency small changes are needed.

So there it is, that's my workflow. Its way outpaced my 2011 Macbook Pro/2.4 Intel Core i5/ 12 GB 1333 RAM. It's more than overdue for an upgrade. Although I'll give it to my old computer it runs 24 hours a day for the past 4 years and hasn't let me down, but it's time to let go.

I could care less about gaming, I don't care too much about 4k as long as I can use dual monitors(DVI/VGA w/ future HDMI or dual DVI). I just need my workflow to work quickly when I need it to and I can't have too much hassle with compatibility. Lets set a 1200-1600 budget(vs paying apple $8000), can any one guide me towards a setup that would work for me? Is the i7 hype worth it(vs i5) and would a GPU assist with speeding my workflow up, and how far should I take that. Meaning skim on processor or GPU, and would 32 GIG ram be enough to keep me happen in this resource intensive world. More important besides a at least 500W PSU, would I need extra cooling for the fan, I don't plan on overclocking of any kind as this is for reliability not toying.

So far my idea pool is looking at

• Core i7-4790S or Core i5-4690K or Intel I5-4440
• Gigabyte LGA 1150 Z97 or GA-Z97X-UD3H
• 2 x Crucial Ballistix Tactical (16GB)
• 960 G SD Drive if it will even work ill have to research as its on sale for $249.00
• 500W PSU

This is just picking from the buyers list

Thanks a million!

 

[BillStewart]

Bump!

 

[ant18290]

Bump!

Hey, Bumping is MY job!!!!
Just Kidding lol
Thanks for keeping my question alive

 

[rwillett]

Hello all, I am a Project Manager/ LAMP Programer as well as many other hats, but I seem to be doing more and more things as I get older. I spend most of my day either in a php or python IDE and if I am not there, I am either learning a new language or doing auxiliary graphic designing in photoshop and sometimes modeling in various 3d apps. I have a few apps on the app store so I run Android Studio and xCode on a weekly basis with relevant emulation tools here and there. I run AMP stacks at various times in the day for testing and on top my email(airmail) and skype are always open and always. I usually keep photoshop open because it's too much of a hassle not to with the frequency small changes are needed.

So there it is, that's my workflow. Its way outpaced my 2011 Macbook Pro/2.4 Intel Core i5/ 12 GB 1333 RAM. It's more than overdue for an upgrade. Although I'll give it to my old computer it runs 24 hours a day for the past 4 years and hasn't let me down, but it's time to let go.

I could care less about gaming, I don't care too much about 4k as long as I can use dual monitors(DVI/VGA w/ future HDMI or dual DVI). I just need my workflow to work quickly when I need it to and I can't have too much hassle with compatibility. Lets set a 1200-1600 budget(vs paying apple $8000), can any one guide me towards a setup that would work for me? Is the i7 hype worth it(vs i5) and would a GPU assist with speeding my workflow up, and how far should I take that. Meaning skim on processor or GPU, and would 32 GIG ram be enough to keep me happen in this resource intensive world. More important besides a at least 500W PSU, would I need extra cooling for the fan, I don't plan on overclocking of any kind as this is for reliability not toying.

So far my idea pool is looking at

• Core i7-4790S or Core i5-4690K or Intel I5-4440
• Gigabyte LGA 1150 Z97 or GA-Z97X-UD3H
• 2 x Crucial Ballistix Tactical (16GB)
• 960 G SD Drive if it will even work ill have to research as its on sale for $249.00
• 500W PSU

This is just picking from the buyers list

Thanks a million!

Your kit is easily big enough to handle development, Xcode and Android studio. Not sure on the 3D apps but depends on how complex your models are. I run Xcode, Cordova and various Android emulators on my Z97X UD5H with zero issue. One thing to be aware of is that the Android emulators can eat a LOT of memory. The default Android emulator is a pile of junk, get the Ganymede one as its far, far, far faster. I'd go 32GB and run multiple VM sessions as well using either VMWare fusion or VirtualBox. In fact I do. Extra ram is good for VM's.

I have a 4790K and don't regret it. My desktop is used heavily for development and database work. Some of our database jobs takes 2-3 days to run and trash the memory and the CPU. So far no issues. Not sure if its massively faster than an i5 though.

Your PSU might be a bit small, I'd go 650W and be safe. It also stresses the PSU less. I'd also go 32GB.

Get a decent graphics card, the buyers list will help. I used dual 280X cards and drive three HD monitors, two in portrait and one in landscape for development purposes. I could drive them off a single 280X but I needed dual 280X anyway.

Rob

 

[joedajigalo]

@ant18290 - Don't mean to hijack your thread, just that we're trying to build the same thing. I'm also a developer - that runs multiple apps (Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, 3 Chrome Windows - 50 tabs each, Atom and GitHub (which both always crashes on my MBP) etc.

@rwillett - Do you think your build can take on 6 monitors? I see you are running 3 monitors, you mentioned you could've just used one card - but opted for two. Any particular reason why?

I bought 6 Samsung 24" curved monitors. Looking to use single GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 960 card (or I think i'll have to get two), with either the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-GAMING 3 or the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-GAMING 7, using a i5-4690K or i7-4790K.