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DougH

Editing Computer Revisited - Nov 2012

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Hoping to get some advice on building or buying a desktop for video editing and general use, PLEASE. :)

I have a work laptop so I thought that I would get more computing power per dollar if I went with a desktop.

Only real requirements are a Windows system because I don't do the apple thing.

I am going to be editing video from my CX760 that is going to be shot in standard HD, and also some Blueray quality HD.

A bonus would be a good powerful system that is ready built from a vendor that offers a no interest for 12 or 18 months deal.

I almost pulled a trigger on a Dell XPS 8500 yesterday but it would have been to much of an impulse buy, and the reviews online said it was maxed out on memory slots etc. I would like the ability to put more memory in without paying the Dell upgrade prices!

So what should be looking for?
"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

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I am starting to get some questions together as I do some surfing:


Processor
-AMD or Intel?
-How many cores? (The dell was a quad core i7, looks like big jump in price to 6 cores for intel)
-Form factor, 22nm versus ???nm, does this matter?

Case power supply & motherboard
-Any performance factor here?

Hard drives
-It looks like solid state for the operating system and software... what about drives for footage, storage, etc?

Memory
-Fastest and most possible?
-Memory channels? Dual or Quad?

Video card
I don't think there is a benefit to a gaming card for editing, but maybe I will start playing computer games again. ;)

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

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Processor
-AMD or Intel?

I'm an intel fan myself, not any recent experience aith AMD.
Inter works great for editing.


-How many cores? (The dell was a quad core i7, looks like big jump in price to 6 cores for intel)

A quadcore (!) i5 (without a letter behind the name although K is ok this is meant for overclockers) or i7 (same) will do fine. Get a sandybridge or better yet ivy bridge.



-Form factor, 22nm versus ???nm, does this matter?

Case power supply & motherboard
-Any performance factor here?

You do not want a budget power supply.
Motherboard, get one with the features you need (like usb3, e-sata, firewire, front usb ports, sata600, ...) with a chipset suitable for your proc. (intel/amd/are you going to overclock/do you need the on-board video/...)



Hard drives
-It looks like solid state for the operating system and software... what about drives for footage, storage, etc?

SSD for OS & software, plus a big+ fasti-ish HDD for footage, plus a fast-ish HDD or SSD for a scratchdisk.



Memory
-Fastest and most possible?

"most" is better than "fastest"


-Memory channels? Dual or Quad?

my 2 editing rigs are triple channel and dual channel, both work fine.



Video card
I don't think there is a benefit to a gaming card for editing, but maybe I will start playing computer games again.

Some (verisons of) editing software do rely on the graphics card, a suitable card can really speed up editing here. Adobe Premiere Pro up to 5.5 is very happy with a (specific range of) nvidia card. Premiere Pro 6 has a different angine I think. Don't know about other editing software.



Get a x64 OS. I'd use win7, myself.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

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First off, I wanna REALLY recommend you build your OWN!
You will save money, and its a bit of a learning experience, and you can customize it as much as you want! youre not limited to a pre built towers restrictions.

for the Processor:
Intel costs more however the market for intel is much bigger than AMD's.
AMD is much more cost effective. But believe me when I say Intel outperforms AMD! However you probably wont notice this difference.

Since youre going to be mainly doing video editing, id recommend going with an intel chip, and nvidia cards, yes its the more expensive route, but there's only a handful of Motherboards out there that mix the two. Usually if you have an intel CPU , you have a nvidia gfx card!

Get your self an i5 or i7 like the poster above mentioned.

form factor for motherboard will depend on expandability and how big you want your computer, id recommend getting an ATX mobo, and a Cooler Master mid tower (their mid towers are pretty sizable, I know i have three :P) this way, you have all the slots and potential for upgrades if you want with out having to get a Full sized tower(they're huge)

Case:
As I mentioned a Cooler Master Mid tower
Heres one of the mid towers I own, with an ATX mobo, and 2 graphic cards running in SLI

My tower:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197

Harddrives: like op @ above mentioned

SSD's for software and os, and regular HD's for store of media. you might even want to consider a RAID set up, for performance parity/ back up! (if so, you might want to consider a FULL TOWER)

Memory:
youre gonna be doing video editing so you'll need quite a bit of it.
Memory is pretty cheap now a days, Gskill sells some damn good memory for really good prices lately. So that may be something to look into

for example: only $75!!! :P
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231315

Video card:
not too important for video editing / photos, UNLESS you are doing some 3D work.... but if you do start playing games again.
Not sure what your budget is so id recommend going with something in the gtx 560 and up series (the 5xx series price just dropped with the 6xx series coming out!)

I'm not sure how knowledgeable you are with computers so I tried to be more general xD

Hope this helped!


*edit forgot

you absolutely will need to get a x64 bit edition of windows! (youll need more than 4 gigs of ram)

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Gee...and here we are putting off-the-shelf desktops in a lot of DZ's and remotely managing them. :)

The editing machine is ENTIRELY based around the acquisition format (is it uncompressed 10bit, RED, AVCHD, AVC?) and the application requirements. Some apps/hardware want specific hardware, others simply don't give a damn.

In today's world, an off-the-shelf system is plenty good enough for most folks use. Disable anti-virus or create a profile that doesn't use the internet/antivirus, and you're usually great to go.

Set up one guy that is a hard-core Mac guy, but hates FCP and FCPX, got him a 400.00 Windows 8 laptop, he's finishing a long-form with composites and a lot of overlay, mixing RED, AVC, and AVCHD on it. editing at full frame rate all day long.

Measurbating is fun tho:P

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Good Call, just built my own system for speed as we give the customer ther tandem jump on DVD 15 mins after we land and then get on the next load.6 mins to edit 10 mins of AVCHD footage with all the trimmings for a tandem video and then 3 mins to render and burn:)
Specs.
I7 3770 quad
asrock B75 usb3-m motherboard
8 gb 1333 ram
120 gb ssd for OS and APPS
1TB external HDD to store raw footage
Micro form tower 450w psu
windows 7
Cyberlink powerdirector 11 ultra
external dvd burner.
And thats it, Powerdirector 11 uses intels quick sync which is hardware encoding on the CPU, 3rd gen ivybridge have it and it is quick. Check out Intels web site to see which editing software supports it and also that your motherboard chipset does to, B75 and Z77 sets do.
My first PC build and it works a treat all for about £600.00 GBP.

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Hate apple products, overpriced and over-hyped!

I am pretty computer savy, used to build PCs, even got my A+ certification back in the day. But now I work at a large multi-national that slings out crappy laptops, and I just need to sit there and say thank you sir, please may I have another.

Thanks for the responses everyone. I have been playing around on tiger direct looking at components.

DSE glad to hear that it can be more of a barebones solution. I am going to try to aim for the middle of the road I think.
"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

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I have a Mac. 25-30 of them, in fact.
My work requires a Mac. I hate it, so do run Bootcamp on it so I can run Windows, too.:P
Gotta love Apple; "Creative freedom!! (as long as you create the way we want you to). :D

One huge benefit of my Mac (and FCP), is that if I charge by the hour vs by the project, I can make some real money. On the PC side, charging by the hour makes no sense because I can work so much faster.

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I generally avoid Tiger...they are a second hand store...newegg, micro center, etc...You can't go wrong with the eVGA Classifieds...The Asus with the copper backplanes are nice as well. I wholeheartedly reccomend Raid 0 for speed, not for redundency, rudundant raid arrays generally are a real pain and despite what you read about them they frequently have issues with recovery......just back everything up immediatly, and I do mean back up everything...the ssd's are great, most all of the bugs are out... Overclocking works but at the cost of stability...big power supplies!! I mean 1200W and up if you have multiple drives...seems to help with stability...Watch out for windows 8. Stick with intel phurchase the fastest chip you can afford. BUY A TOWER CASE, why? Because of the ability to mix and match, to be able to reconfigure add stuff and modify things...blue ray disc's are still very pricey! Build it your self! My ex's divorce order says "I can't bring my children with me (as PIC) unless it has more than 23 seats." for real!
But what do I know, "I only have one tandem jump."

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Quote

I generally avoid Tiger...they are a second hand store...newegg, micro center, etc...You can't go wrong with the eVGA Classifieds...



Whats wrong with Newegg? I've built my last 6 computers from there and every single upgrade since I was 14 was bought from there too :P

you can get some sweet deals in the eVGA classified section though, I can agree there!

I've never bought from tiger direct though, I do like the prices they have on their bare bones kits though.

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Quote

Quote

I generally avoid Tiger...they are a second hand store...newegg, micro center, etc...You can't go wrong with the eVGA Classifieds...



Whats wrong with Newegg? I've built my last 6 computers from there and every single upgrade since I was 14 was bought from there too :P

you can get some sweet deals in the eVGA classified section though, I can agree there!

I've never bought from tiger direct though, I do like the prices they have on their bare bones kits though.



TigerDirect is merging with CompUSA. Even the local shop around the corner has a TigerDirect sign now.

I get pretty decent deals there and usually if I want something without waiting a week or so, I'll just go get it there.

Just bought a couple of laptops, some memory and a Wifi laser printer there.
"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

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OO"H no mr Chris, I'm not dissin newegg, I like them, I was commenting on Tiger...Tiger seems to have a less than reliable return and slow shipping...I have returned more than a few items to them and compared to newegg they are slow and cumbersome. Newegg is more akin to amazon, they go the extra mile with everything and returns are usually problem free. Tiger also seems to specialize in "last years stuff." If it's a few yers old or didn't work in the first place it frequently showes up on
Tigers webb site...
But what do I know, "I only have one tandem jump."

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DSE

SSD drives for booting, faster HDD's for rendering, faster procs for processing.
Not much else.



ditto the not much, Microsoft continues to push pay as you go services and the whole market is headed that way...so expect to see more, but very Disney esk simple apps for those that like that sort of thing.

Ditto the SSD for everything, the bugs seem to be out and my most recent ones work great in a Raid 0 configuration.
But I still immediately back everything up!

Motherboards from EVGA still seem to be expensive with the top line processors, but the need for speed....

More of a function of the program and your usage than anything else at this point.

There is a trend again back to monitor type computers that are not upgradable. This may kill the gamers and tower's wait and see....

C

Most all the programmers are moving as fast as they can to mobile apps for your phone, this is and has already had some negative effects for pc desktop programs....

time will tell if the desktop will survive???
But what do I know, "I only have one tandem jump."

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Of course desktop systems will continue/survive. Aside from the massive files that cannot be ported to online storage/editing, video alone (a small bit of the world) is a significant tool requiring serious horsepower.
There will be powerful desktops well beyond the lifetime of anyone currently reading this page.
Chris, you seem to have a hand in everything on the dropzone, what's your video/editing background?

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DSE

Of course desktop systems will continue/survive. Aside from the massive files that cannot be ported to online storage/editing, video alone (a small bit of the world) is a significant tool requiring serious horsepower.
There will be powerful desktops well beyond the lifetime of anyone currently reading this page.
Chris, you seem to have a hand in everything on the dropzone, what's your video/editing background?



I used to fix computers. Worked for Control Data for a bit /Government. I'm a lousy programmer. As a hobby in College I used to help all the gamers with their hardware. Nothing like some juiced up gamer with cash to purchase the most powerful i7 or Xezon with a 20 mb parking area. And a triple SLI Nvid system. Also part time used to set up AutoCAD, if you really use AutoCAD then you really need a dedicated machine. Years of telling people this, about autocad and using other applications never worked from the bigginining remember setting ports and all of that fun sound blaster channel switching pins to get everything to work.

Don't need the big guns for most software, just a fast machine and knowing how to get rid of all the other shit new machines come with. Way too much bloatware. I think this is the most underrated thing you can do for vid work is to trim all the fat off of your desktop and use that machine just for vid work...That and Raid 0.

Physical limits of chips has been reached, that's why new design is architecture based and things have slown down somewhat. But I love the new EVGA boards, would like to be able to afford a X chip as well...

Yes I agree that desktop systems will continue, but I do see some disturbing trends that are consumer driven, or as I like to point out driven by apps that generate revenue, cause the general public isn't so smart....

Think of it this way cause the manufacturers do....large numbers of people want their computers to do simple things and they will pay for this service. Small numbers of people want to purchase their own software that they use and understand at home and only want to pay once for the initial purchase price.

Billions of people want apps. Only a hundred thousand or so want programs...

Huge numbers of business are now totally "Time Shared" with off site IT departments. So much for moving massive files around. Microwave links...and fiber.

Chances are you don't even have a union projectionist at your local theater anymore. Movies are distributed by telecommunications equipment now a days, many are streamed from servers direct from your buds at Disney!

Now a days it's not so much about horsepower as it is sticking microprocessors into every appliance and toy that people can imagine. Do we really need this shit?

What are the consequences to society?

I can't wait for the digital display for my casket.

C

Saw a lot of what worked and what didn't, made my purchasing decisions based upon this.

I also am a firm beliver in continuing education, I have returned to university many times as compared with watching tv. Still can't spell worth shit though....
But what do I know, "I only have one tandem jump."

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Chris, thanks for the non-answer answer.

Sigh...there are still projectionists. and will be for years to come.
Union projectionists went away with big chain theaters, not streaming services, and films are not commonly streamed to big screens 'direct from Disney.'

Now.... Howabout we get back to topic without one of your novels?

The only other major change in editing computers is the affordability of GPU and software that accesses the GPU.
ANY off the shelf computer is just fine for video editing, unless one is dealing with file formats that aren't commonly accessible.

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DSE

Chris, thanks for the non-answer answer.



You can't possibly be surprised... :S

DSE

Now.... Howabout we get back to topic without one of your novels?



Good luck with that. This guy is one of the biggest internet know-it-all's I've seen in 10+ years of lurking online forums. I'd bet one of my rigs that he doesn't even jump.

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I spend some time converting varying file formats to other formats, for quick and dirty viewing. I don't spend time anymore doing editing, all the cutting and pasting, well I don't have that fine artistic talent that you guys have, nor do I have that musical ear which you are well known for and admired as well. :)
Software wise I could use some help with something easy and reliable, Studio, is a little clunky, but the price was right....The other Avid products are nice but too costly for me...and I just don't use them enough to avail myself of all the features.

I frequently ramble on, on rainy days, as you know....I don't like the trend worldwide that 3 companies rule the entertainment business and never miss an opportunity to point this out.:S

If you ever have a specific hardware question I'm more than happy to help out. Basically the latest and greatest computer hardware is better and faster than last years.

Raid 0, big SSD's, really large power supplies, and your all set. Avoid Tiger Direct, unless you know exactly....

Water cooling is becoming a necessity...

I whole heartedly recommend everyone build their own, it's not that difficult.

You might also want to consider that there is more than one person at work here, not unlike Sybil, but yes as equally twisted.


If I can get one person to think, by saying something stupid or baiting people like a troll;), and waiting for the answerer then we have reached some understanding....


Otherwise someone owes me a rig, Pm me for my address:)
C

:)
The big thing is avoiding cards that don't take advantage of HD. Kind of a bummer to purchase GPU's that don't have the micro connectors. It also makes no sense to look at some of the IBM/ Microsoft / Intel boards that have 2 Sata connectors as an example. Perhaps someone could make a list of what you guys find desirable for minimum specifications. There is a difference between gaming computers and vidieo stuff. That's why I love the ASUS / EVGA/ motherboards as an example....lots of connectors of all the various types. On another note there are a couple of excellent disk bay sized add on adaptors that make any and all camera chip insertion issues a breeze, from the front of your case, your only going to get these if you do it your self.

And I'm going to mention again that the latest and greatest improvement may be to dumb down your operating system by deleting all of those features that just sit there most of the time...

For those of you with the cash the new AMD 5 gig processor is worth looking at, the thing is, this will limit your board choices at the moment...

Another recent caution, tha'ts not so recent is to try to stick with all Nvidia stuff as an example, rather than mixing and matching different vendors...It's a bad idea to stick an AMD/ Radeon board in a motherboard with Nvidia chipsets as an example.

I'm sorry to sound like a know it all, just my matter of fact way of not getting to the point....

But what do I know, "I only have one tandem jump."

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Can't tell if it is a troll thing, or a know it all thing or what...but doesn't really sound like you are up on all your info....

ChrisD



Raid 0, big SSD's, really large power supplies, and your all set. Avoid Tiger Direct, unless you know exactly....


Raid 0 is nice, and SSD's are nice esp for a boot drive. For editing, most people find SSD for the programs and separate drives to write to can help remove some bottle necks better than a single really fast drive. A good fast drive helps, but doesn't need to be SSD to write to. You typically don't need a "big ass" power supply as things like SSD's and the new processors are using less and less power. Where a few years ago everyone was going 1000W and more, you can have a screaming machine with well less than that these days.

Quote

Water cooling is becoming a necessity...


For the context of this thread? No way. If you want to be a master overclocker, sure... but even the new i7's run just fine on the rinky dink stock cooler from intel.



Quote

The big thing is avoiding cards that don't take advantage of HD. Kind of a bummer to purchase GPU's that don't have the micro connectors.



Maybe some kind of misunderstanding here, but sounds like you have an idea of what you are trying to say, but not really understanding it yourself. Some programs can use the GPU to render (HD,SD, anything). Not sure what "micro connectors are", unless you are trying to somehow point to CUDA cores or something similar. Even then, some cards with CUDA cannot be used for gpu rendering.

Quote

It also makes no sense to look at some of the IBM/ Microsoft / Intel boards that have 2 Sata connectors as an example.



Of the list there, Intel is the only maker of boards that the majority of DIY folks will use. I've never seen a consumer level IBM or Microsoft Mobo. Intel makes great boards...typically spendy and not made for overclockers, but they are high quality boards and are not known for not having enough prots. Buzz through Newegg and you will see most have 2-4 6GB Sata, and 2-4 Sata 3GB. Along with a few eSata ports for good measure.

Quote

On another note there are a couple of excellent disk bay sized add on adaptors that make any and all camera chip insertion issues a breeze, from the front of your case, your only going to get these if you do it your self.



you mean.... card readers?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820223103

Our work computers have them built in, and you can add them to any computer that has an open 3.5 inch bay. The best way is to connect it to the usb pins on the mother board, but many also have a long standard USB cable you can snake through the case and plug into a back usb port.

Sorry... I usually try not to respond to posts like this, but that one was pretty out there.

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I am a big believer in large power supplies, because of the stability factor over time.

Obviously we can debate endlessly about the necessity of what works as compared with overkill.

What's brand new is the 5 Gig chips, and the manufacturers do in fact recommend water cooling. And you would be correct to point out as they do as well, that it's not a necessity but a recommendation. I use water cooling on all the new chips, quiet, foolproof for the most part and increases stability.

There are zillions of old stuff out there, this is my caution. the problem is which is which??? I love Intel boards, they are the best, but there are thousands of them out there with hundreds of variants. And most have limited product support because they are manufactured for others...

I have pointed out my preference for EVGA Classified Boards and Nvidia SLI systems, cost is a concern, but the speed increase is phenom! I don't overclock, stability and speed is my game.

If you want to design a dream system for vidieo why don't you cruze egghead, they are a nice source with good / better return policy. And post your recommendations for equipment here???

It might be nice to see the "List."

Then we can compare features, with price, and also add in the bug reports and fixes as they come in????

I like the EVGA 151 with an i7, water cooled. Memory from Corsair or Nvidia. Any of the HD EVGA or PNY type Nvidia boards. (in the 150 - 200 each price range.) Mostly because of stability and compatibility compared with bugs...I currently use the 120 SSD's from Intel in a raid 0 with two drives giving the C drive, boot drive as you call it a big speed increase. I have a number of 2T drives as the D, E (whatever) for storage. Never the less I back everything up that took over ten min to make, up in 2 different places. I do like the thrmaltake 1000 W supplies. And I'm happy with any number of name brand monitors, 2 of them....Sony, LG, viewsonic, I tend to stick with the bigger names in monitors. I always recommend you purchase the operating system, if you purchase a prebuilt, considering most new prebuilt systems the back up is on the drive and suseptiable to failure along with the drive. But mostly I just find someplace that sells Win 7 for 50. bucks...if you can find such a place recently let me know... You can always pay high at egghead for Microsoft products. I use Ebay sometimes but always, and always make sure you have the number if you buy the OEM versions.....


The above is generally why I don't go on equipment pissing contests, cause you and a handful here are the only ones that understand this stuff. Generally most just want a quick answere and the question then is if they can afford it or not.

C

I'm not generally satisfied with "rinky dinky" anything, I get your point, but there is also a lot of trial and error with making your own, I think this scares too many away from making their own. It really isn't all that hard....
But what do I know, "I only have one tandem jump."

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Chris;
This forum isn't Speakers Corner, nor Bonfire.
You're seriously out of your element here.
I'm going to ask you nicely to please quit with the novels and disinformation. This forum generally stays clean of BS, it's nice to keep it that way.
Thanks.:P

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