Want to build my wife a photoshop rig

[mikeohara]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc Photoshop with World of Warcraft
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$2000 excluding tax/shipping (as the iMac she's been wanting is around this range)
3) Where do you live?
Naples, TX (can have the parts shipped to Longview, TX if need be)
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
CPU, RAM, Motherboard, SSD for OS/App storage, Case (preferably one that is easily transportable), Video Card
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Antec TP-1000 PSU, a 1TB WD Caviar Black and a 2TB WD Caviar Green HDD, HP DVD burner
6) Will you be overclocking?
Not sure, would like to entertain the possibility though.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
22" LG Monitor that does 1680x1050, may look at getting her a 24" monitor if enough money is left over.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within the next 30 days
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.
Lots of USB ports so she can attach her external flash and other drives
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
No, she has a OEM copy of Vista Home Premium x64.


I was looking at either x58 or SB systems for her, She's considering buying a iMac, as it's industry-standard for graphic and multimedia designers.

 

[Dangman]

Please come back and ask for build help in the second week of January for two reasons:
1) By then we'll know what Sandy Bridge brings to the table and what the actual prices are for the CPus and motherboards

2) A good majority of our build lists uses Newegg combo deals to save money and/or fit faster parts within a budget. However those combo deals expire at the end of the month they were introduced in. So any combo deals that we recommend to you today will be useless in January.

So your best bet to get the best advice possible and the best parts possible is to come back in the second week of January and asking again. Feel free to bump this thread if you want to in that time.

And just to be clear: Did your wife want to use that Windows Vista or will she need a new OS license? Your answer to that question conflicts with one another.

 

[mikeohara]

will do, thx Danny!