Would this be a good computer for me?

Hi!

I'm looking to get a new desktop pc, and was recommended this setup from a local shop:

CPU: Intel CPU Quad Core i5 750 (2.66GHz) Socket-1156 1333MHz 8MB Cache 64bit 95W
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P55-USB3, P55, Socket-1156 4xDDR3, ATX, GbLAN, USB3.0, PCI-Ex(2.0)x16
Case: Nexus Clodius Ventilated System PC Case
GPU: Gigabyte VGA-Card nVidia GTX460 768MB PCI-E 2xDVI HDMI HDCP PhysX CUDA DDR5
Harddisk: Samsung 1TB 7200RPM SATAII 3.0Gb NoiseGuard SilentSeek 32MB Spinpoint F3
SSD: Intel X25-M SATAII SSD 80GB
Memory: Kingston 8GB RAMKit 2x4GB HyperX DDR3
Power: Fortron-Source 500W 12cm fan
Blu-ray reader/DVD writer: Samsung Blu-Ray Combo 12x SATA Lightscribe Internal

My budget for the new computer is:

Doesn't really matter. I can afford the system mentioned above.

What are the primary uses for this computer (IE: mail, web browsing, programming, games, etc)?

Web browsing, mail, school-work, graphics and illustration, storage.

What software do you intend on using on the computer?

Windows 7
Office-programs, mostly Word, Excel and Outlook
Opera and IE (have to use IE for managing my website)
A range of Adobe-programs (Photoshop, Illustrator and Acrobat first and foremost, but I also want to learn using Premiere and After Effects so I can make in-store videos for my work)
Itunes (I use it as a catalogue for my cd-collection)
Other programs like Mathematica and MessiahStudio Pro (which I bought on their recent sale just to play around with). And I dream about learning a composition program like Finale.

Do you play games? If so, what type of games?

No games.

Do you tend to have a lot of programs running at the same time, or do you close every program when you are done using it?

I tend to have many programs open. When working, I might have Photoshop, Illustrator, Opera with lots of tabs, IE, Excel, Outlook and Itunes open at the same time.

Do you store a lot of pictures or music on the computer?

I store quite a lot of pictures for my website, but they are mostly smaller jpg-files, and do not take much space.
On the other hand, I have a very large cd collection (+4000 cds) which I have imported into Itunes. It takes up most of my current 750Gb harddisk. I use it mostly as a searchable database, but I might look into connecting my pc to my stereo system so I can play the music over the stereo. That's not a large priority right now, though.

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What I want is basically a computer that lets me use many programs at the same time, quickly and efficiently. It must also be good enough to last me some years - I've had my current pc for 6-7 years or so. I plan to install all the big programs on the SSD (which I believe will make them start up faster?), keep my large music collection on the harddisk I have now, and use the new harddisk for everything else. I use two screens. Oh, and the computer is in my bedroom and is on all the time, so it should be quiet. The one I have now often wakes me up at night since the fans start working overtime when the anti-virus program runs.

I have very little technical knowledge, so I don't know if the components listed will work for me or not, or if they are way overkill. I'm probably most curious about the GPU. How important is it when I'm not gaming? Will the one that is mentioned above help with Photoshop and Illustrator, and later Premiere and After Effects, to a large degree? Will a cheaper one suffice, or should I aim higher?

Thanks in advance for all help!

You should change the hard drive to Western Digital and the power supply to another better brand like Corsiar, Seasonic and Coolermaster.

Thanks! I know they have WD harddisks in stock. The guy at the shop actually recommended me a Corsair 750W power supply with a 7-year warranty, but it was three times the price. Will a better power supply have practical benefits? Like better performance, lower noise, surge protection or something like that?

they have better performance and efficiency ...like some of the cheap models only use up to >70-75% efficiency which leads to more heat and less power...where as better psu go to >85% and are built better and will last longer

Never skimp out the power supply and motherboard.A 500W Corsair power supply should do not 750W unless your gonna SLI your graphics card in the future.

For the price of the SSD alone, I'd forego what hdd's you've got listed en toto and go with a RAID5 setup using these hard drives. You'll be amazed with the performance, especially given the GPU you've chosen! (Images a gig and more will be no problem)
No wasting time with this setup, even if you don't use FOSS and The GIMP! Of course, you'll need a RAID card, but WTH!
Have fun!

Edited by pane-free, 16 February 2011 - 12:46 AM.

Thanks, everyone! I'll definitely go for a better power source.

But I'm still not sure about the storage. SSD and two regular disks or a Raid setup? That's tough to think about for someone who had no idea what Raid even is before starting this thread! The most important thing storage-wise, along with speed, would be to keep all the music safe, just because I've done so much work building the database. I've spent around five years importing everything and tagging it correctly, and still have some ways to go.

Thanks, everyone! I'll definitely go for a better power source.
. . . The most important thing storage-wise, along with speed, would be to keep all the music safe, just because I've done so much work building the database. I've spent around five years importing everything and tagging it correctly, and still have some ways to go.

With four hard drives, a person could both stripe and mirror and have the best of what both have to offer. This was a "dream" setup in the old days, but you have the means to do so. Do a little studying and decide what is best for you.

Again, best wishes!