memory for hd editing
 

I need to up to 2 gig of memmory (currenlty sissy 512gb). What brands to go for and to avoid.

Thanks!

It's not so much RAM that's important for HDV editing performance, but if you feel the NEED... the need for SPEED... then make sure you get matched pairs, same size, same brand, same speed and as fast as your board can take.

It's been a while (in computer hardware terms that could be as little as 6-12 months!!) since I've hunted RAM, but Kingston generally has a good reputation, just that it's a bit more expensive...

Check some of the hardware forums for RAM reviews and ratings if you want a guide to current fave brands!

Thanks for the reply . I am leaning towards Kingstons..very pricey though. But yes I need speed. Don't wanna take a decade to complete projects!

Like I said, RAM is not the most important factor for speeding up HD/HDV editing, rendering etc. You'll get some speed boosts in 3D appz, the system will seem a bit "snappier" and some read-write actions will be sped-up.

For real HDV 'Zing'... I'd be looking at the CPU (Dual-core) and faster hard-drives in a dedicated RAID array (no operating system or programs installed on the array - just for video).

Dual core meaning hyper threading(HT)?

Nope. Dual-core as in two indipendent processors within the one physical housing that are co-joined for high speed data exchange and complex processing tasks that can be undertaken simultaneously.

Technically a single Dual-core processor that also leveraged Hyperthreading would appear to your operating system as FOUR CPUs!!

Hyperthreading provides a second "logical" processor, rather than a second physical intigrated CPU.

The only thing I've seen memory really improve is playback of rendered video...depending on which software you are using. In Combustion/After Effects/ Motion...other compositing/editing software will basically see the biggest boost in playback after your (hopefully) wickedly fast processor has already rendered footage. Also if you have multiple applications open simultanously, performance will also increase, since each program will require a certain amount of RAM to run properly.

I really shouldn't invest much into RAM then. I was originally going from a 512mb to 2gb. But on a 2.8Ghz P4 HT would be overkill. What really makes the rendering process faster? Hard drive?

The faster rendering is done by the processor, if you can get a dual-core for your PC...do it. Basically a fast cpu (2.8 is like MINIMUM when working with HD) would be able to render much quicker. I would suggest a good 3.0GHz dual core with HT...at least, if not more if you don't want to twiddle your thumbs while you wait for video to render...upgrade to a gig of ram and that will help too. 2 Gigs is awesome but not as important as the processor.

As far as hard drives, the faster the better, I use 7200rpm 200GB SATA drives and those are sufficient for me. If you raid them they'll be extremely fast. But if you're not a budget grab some 10,000 rpm SCSI drives and set up a nice array for yourself