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Mid to High End Turnkey Editing System – June 2007
I’ve been a system builder since about 1988 when I bought and took apart my first XT computer system followed by a system build of a 286 computer thereafter. I thought I died and went to heaven when I bought a 386-33Mhz machine with 4Mb of memory and a 120Mb hard drive (that’s Megabytes folks). Lots of time has gone by since those times and the only reminisce from those days to now are those pesky floppy drives (I think I use one about once every 2 years).
Anyhow, I’ve been the benefactor of a lot of advice in these forums and the one subject I have enough knowledge to give back to is the construction of a quality system for video editing. I’m writing this because I see lots of threads around here with people who are in the building stage of an editing machine and are unsure what to do. I’m going to list out here my recommendations on what to buy if you are trying to build a strong editing system. I’ve labeled this “Mid to High End” because I could definitely do better than this, but this is where I feel the “sweet spot” of performance versus costs come in while still giving the user a very powerful editing solution. I’ll comment on my suggestions at the end. |
CPU
INTEL CORE 2 DUO E6600 2.4GHZ Dual Core CPU — $220 Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 is the sweet spot here but if you want to burn some extra $$, go faster. Despite the benefits available to overclocking, I’m not particularly a fan unless you know what you are doing. Motherboard GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 (REV. 3.3) INTEL 965 CHIPSET MOTHERBOARD — $115 You can’t beat a combination for value/performance and stability the P965 is offering right now. Steer clear of AMD processors (not because I dislike AMD, they’re just not as fast and nor as efficient as these Core 2 Duo’s regardless of their price points. A year ago, I was promoting AMD, now it is Intel’s turn). Does it matter what motherboard you use? Not terribly, performance across boards based on the same chipset are typically going to be very similar. Feature set and stability should really be your primary concern. I recommend this particular Gigabyte board because it’s relatively inexpensive and has gone through some revisions and has a pretty solid feature set. I recommend a P965 solution despite their being newer “better” chipsets out there because I always go with a mature/stable product over cutting edge components. Remember, your editing software was likely created based on hardware a generation or two prior to what is available today. Better to build on top of a platform that has gone through a large base of users, the P965 is such a chipset. Memory CORSAIR TWIN2X2048-6400C4 2GB KIT (1GB x 2) PC26400 800MHZ DDR2 — $150 Incredible you can get 2Gb for $150.00 or less. This is fast memory spec’d at the full 800Mhz matching bus speed settings of the above processor. Going to 4Gb here (even though Windows XP/Vista 32-bit will only see just over 3Gb) may make a lot of sense. There are other good memory manufacturers but I’d make a point of only going with a top tier maker like Corsair, OCZ, Mushkin, Crucial, etc. Hard Drive System System Drive SEAGATE 250GB ST3250620AS SATA2 16MB 7200RPM — $70 I had a tough time not recommending a Western Digital Raptor 74Gb 10,000rpm Drive here. The downsides of the WD drive are: cost ($140), space (74Gb instead of 250Gb), and noise/heat/reliability factors. In the end, it is these reasons I didn’t include this drive as my recommendation. Positives really boil down to a noticeable speed increase in system performance (boot up times, etc). Will this translate into faster editing sessions? Not likely though because you won’t be dealing with footage on this drive (too small), though your editor of choice will certainly load faster. The Seagate gets my nod for the best system drive because they are known for producing some of the more reliable drives without sacrificing a lot in speed. They’re also well regarded for acoustically silent operation. Capture/Playback Drives (3) WD 320GB 3200YS SATA300 7200RPM 16MB Hard Drive — $95/ea or $285 total Three of these bad boys in a RAID 0 configuration provides you with plenty of speed and nearly a Terabyte of storage. One note here, if you plan to shoot and edit HDV footage, the data rate of this footage is no more than what DV was at a fixed 25Mb/sec (that’s roughly 8Mb/sec) which means a RAID for capturing purposes is not necessarily needed. However, I still recommend going for RAID 0 for three reasons. #1) Read/Write’s to and from these three disks will be significantly enhanced which will make a noticeable addition to your editing experience and #2) It is the cheapest way to achieve a single disk volume of such a large size’d disk (In other words, Drive “D” will be 1TB). #3) It should be fast enough (given the other components) to record uncompressed video via SDI or HDMI should you ever have the desire and need. I recommend this specific drive from Western Digital because it is a fast drive that has support for SATA2 yet was manufactured specifically for the purpose of running in a RAID configuration. Optical Drives (2) PIONEER DVR-212DBK 18X SATA DOUBLE LAYER DVD RW DRIVE — $40/ea or $80 Total. Not sure if burning Dual Layer DVD discs will be all that important once Blue-Ray/HD-DVD burners start making their way down the market but for the time being, might as well cover the possibility. Pioneer has always manufactured good DVD-R drives and this one is no exception. Other good brands are NEC, LG, and Plextor. Video Card(s) XFX GEFORCE 8600 GT 256MB PCI EXPRESS DDR3 620MHZ DUAL DVI — $150 This is probably more video card than you need as most application software won’t use a fast 3D accelerator like a game will (we know you won’t be playing games on this system!). There are several good options from ATI as well but I typically find myself in the NVidia camp and these new 8000 series cards from NVidia offer full Vista support for future use plus solid video processing spec’s. You could probably get by with less, but buying anything more won’t likely return any noticeable gains. The performance is right and the price seems a no brain’er considering the system that is being built around this. Monitors (2) SAMSUNG 20" 206BW WIDESCREEN 1680X1050 3000:1 2MS VGA DVI — $520 total. Highly subjective and certainly applicable to your needs and desires. I use the term “monitors” above because I believe it is imperative, regardless of your budget, to be editing/creating on a dual monitor system. Sure, you can do without, but I guarantee once you get comfortable on a dual monitor solution, you’ll never want to go back. What a deal, I paid $900 for my first NEC 17” CRT monitor. Now you can have two vastly superior and larger monitors for nearly half that price. There is a lot of resolution and real estate here to provide for a very smooth workflow. Optional: Westinghouse LVM-42w2 – 42” *true* 1080p LCD Monitor — $1200 For those of you who want to live on the edge and have a tool that can be impressive and quite valuable, check out this monitor from Westinghouse Digital. Though marketed a HD home television, this device is nothing more than a quality 42” LCD Monitor. What I like about it so much is that it has both HDMI and DVI inputs (DVI from your video card) and will accept and display a *true* 1920 X 1080p signal. The video card recommended above will easily support this specific resolution on either of its DVI outputs so making this your second monitor in lieu of one of the Samsung’s above would allow you to have a REALLY impressive preview monitor. If you are thinking of buying two to use as your primary devices, just be sure you are sitting at least 4-5’ away from them while working because the resolution and size of the monitor will require it to be useful. Case/Power Supply ANTEC P182 (BLACK) ATX TOWER CASE — $125 A semi subjective area here at least in terms of the case appearance but I’m recommending this Antec P182 based on the reputation of the P180 being an extremely popular case known for silent operation & very high quality construction. Power Supply ENERMAX EG495P-VE NOISETAKER II ATX 12V VER 2.2 485W FOR ATX CASES — $88 There are other good power supplies in this range that are probably equally as good. I like this company though and 485W is ample enough to supply the power needs of the above system. Wattage is not the only answer here so you don’t want to settle for a cheap 550-watt PS. This is an efficient power supply and one that has a good reputation for quite operation. Sound Card CREATIVE LABS SOUNDBLASTER X-FI XTREME GAMER — $89 Don’t trust the onboard sound provided by MOBO manufactures no matter how great the claims are made by the manufacturer or chipset provider. Don’t be fooled by “HD Audio”, etc. A secondary auditory unit can help improve performance and for a small $90 investment, you get a very good performing board. Speakers An often overlooked and under appreciated part of a quality editing system is the speaker configuration. Not sure how many will be authoring 5.1 audio solutions so a good pair of studio monitors is probably ideal. I personally do not prefer the typically flat response I get out of studio monitors though and don’t feel they accurately reproduce what is likely going to be heard by the end user. Below are three separate configurations that should fit the budget of this type of system #1) Studio Monitors M-Audio BX5a Studio Monitor Pair — $400 You’ll need a mini to 1/4 Stereo Adapters to hook this into your computer for this setup. The speakers are self powered so they plug directly into your surge protector. A nice pair of quality studio monitors at a pretty good price. #2) Bookshelf Speakers + Amp X-Series X-LS bookshelf Loundspeaker set — $250 ($219+S&H) Onkyo TX-8222 Stereo Amplifier/Receiver — $150 Personally *love* this configuration. Excellent speakers built of quality materials that have audiophile sound suitable for stereo or home theater reproduction. Just about any should do but I found this one from Onkyo fits nicely. #3) Klipsh ProMedia 2.1 ‘classic’ System — $150 The still certified THX solution that’s been on the market for a LONG time now is still one of the best audio bargains going. Pound for pound, this system won’t sound as good as the options above, but it might sound 80% as good at about 40% the cost. When cost is an issue, this is the way to go. Firewire Input Device SIIG 3-PORT 1394 FIREWIRE PCI ADAPTER W/1-INT & 2-EXT PORTS — $35 Keyboard + Mouse Buy what is comfortable! I tend to still prefer a mouse and keyboard that use PS/2 connectivity as I’ve found fewer problems with these devices. What’s most important here is that are using something (particularly the mouse) that you are comfortable with. Power Protection/UPS System CYBERPOWER 8-OUTLET CP900AVR 900VA 560W 890-JOULES RJ11 RJ45 COAX W/AVR — $90 No system should be without a good quality backup power supply/surge suppression and I recommend one with automatic voltage regulation. |
Jon, thank you for an excellent post. I was actually just about to research a new editing computer and you saved me at least half an hour of reading time.
You've also just made my local computer shop very happy. I'm going to have built exactly what you suggested, but with a few possible changes, which I'd like your feedback on. Storage hard drives: Since I'm getting this built to last me a while, I'm considering maxing out on space. Is it worth getting 500gb hard drives, or are the 320's just such a better value that it isn't worth it for now? I wasn't planning on having them set up in a RAID configuration, will I really see that much in the way of performance gains? (editing HDV now and XDCAM later). To make my budget (excluding hard drives - which my company is paying for) I need to shave off possibly $200. If you had to downgrade some of the core components, where would you trim some cash? Video card? Sound card? CPU? Thanks! |
Hey Dylan,
Glad what I posted is helpfull. Like I said before, I've been so lucky to have a lot of help here so I just felt it was time to offer up some advice where I might be of some help... If I had to shave $200 from the system, I'd probably go with a less "spiffy" case and power supply and then consider dropping the speaker system down to something more "multimedia" type in the $50 range rather than the $150 for the Klipsh. You could also of course forgoe the UPS Power supply and just buy a good $30 surge protector. So there are definately some ways to shave off a few coins.. In regards to the hard drive subsystem. I *definately* recommend going with RAID. Maybe others here can chime in on their opinions but I feel the it's not an area to cut corners. Looking at prices for quality 500Gb drives and they seem to run about $130/ea. That's $260 for two drives in a RAID 0 configuration. Only about $20 cheaper than the 3 drive recomendation I made above. Not a bad alternative and you get a little bit more space. You sacrifice a little bit of read/write performance. This maybe worthwhile for you. The specific drives I'm looking at are: SEAGATE 500GB ST3500630AS SATA300 7200RPM — $129/ea WD 500GB WD5000AAKS SATA2 16MB 7200RPM — $114/ea HITACHI 500GB HDT725050VLA360 SATA300 7200RPM 16MB — $129/ea Any of the above drives should do the trick nicely.... Area's you don't want to mess around in are Motherboard (though a different brand should be ok), CPU & Memory. Let me know if your system builder suggests alternate components and exactly what they are. I'll give you my opinion if they are alright or not. Jon |
Hi guys......
Great post - very usefull. Can definately support the Raid 0 suggestion, have two Hitachi 500's (Sata300) in my current system and throughput is NOT a problem.
Dylan, if your work is copping for the hard drives and you're thinking of going the XDCAM route later, go with three 500's in Raid 0. If you check with any of the on - line price listing sites you should see that the cost per gig of 500's is practically the same as for the 320's, and you can definately NEVER have too much disk. My only reservation (and that's only because I don't know the specs) is the actual Sata300 controller on the MOBO. My MSI Diamond Plus has two, 1 X 4 way (Nvidea)and 1 X 2 way (Silicon Image). The SI controller has waaaay less throughput than the Nvidea, to the point where we put all 4 drives (C = 2 X 250 Gig Western Digital, Raid 1: D = 2 X 500 Gig Hitachi, Raid 0) on the Nvidia controller - runs like a rocket. All controllers are not created equal (implementation issues don't help either). Cheers, Chris |
Got a dumb question for a second... but just to make sure, the raid array of hard drives is just to give you much faster access time to the drives, as it writes to three at a time instead of one at a time?
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Sorta........
Not a dumb question at all, and yes, it improves disc read/ write speeds dramatically, the more drives you're spreading the accesses across, the faster it goes (up to a point).
The down side is that if one of the drives in the array falls off it's perch, the whole array is cactus. There are ways around this but they all invariably mean yet more drives/ power/ controllers etc etc. That's why I run my C drive as two mirrored 250's - I NEVER want to have to re-build this system after a C drive failure - as long as they both don't kark it at the same time, I never will. (Touch wood!). Cheers, Chris |
It's not a dumb question at all. You are right and wrong. RAID gives you both faster read & write speeds but the speed increase will not be 100% per drive. So Three drives are not going to be exactly three times faster than one. There are certainly laws of diminishing return here but none the less, RAID works and should be used IMO.
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John, thanks for posting this.
JUST an FYI, you need to post your cell number so we can all call you the instant that we run into problems while building this and configuring it :) |
Frankly, computers are so easy to build nowadays you shouldn't have problems, but I'm definately around (email me here, and I'm not affraid to give out my cell - if you need it) for any help I can provide.
System above is already out of date... I'd now go ahead and migrate to a P35 based board that supports 1333Mhz FSB CPU's. Intel has released new CPU's and the sweet spot now seems to be either a Quad Core 2.40Ghz or the 3.0Ghz 1333Mhz E6850. Best video card for "video" is the 8600GTS and at about $160, that's an excellent card for the price. Also, the Hitachi 1TB SATA-2 Hard Drives are out and though expensive, the performance inprovement in these drives is very notable, not to mention the huge size. With that said, I'd still probably RAID up some 320Gb drives, but the 1TB drive has appeal. Jon |
Hi guys
I don't want to start a new thread about systems, so I'll drop my question in here: I'm building a new low/mid-end HD editing station using existing PS, case and other goodies and I've narrowed down the processor, memory and video card... but I just can't seem to make that final decision on the mobo. Prerequisites: 1. Must be around or under $200 2. Must have IEEE 1394 spigots (firewire) 3. Must be RAID capable 4. Must be compatible with the processor and memory I've chosen 5. Must be a good multimedia board and it must be HOT! :-) Any help in making my decision would be greatly appreciated. Actually just telling us what you're using would be of considerable help. Here's what I've got so far (the mobo in this list was my first choice, but may not be the best... that's where I need your input): New Box List Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4GHZ Dual Core Processor Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory eVGA GeForce 7900GS PCI-E Video Card 256-P2-N624-AR, 256MB, SLI Ready, w/ S-Video & Dual Dual-Link TMDS ASUS P5K Intel Core 2 Duo (Desktop) Socket 775 1066 MHz PC2-6400 (DDR2-800) ATX Motherboard Retail Thanks! |
Kirk,
My two cents are.... #1) Don't go with the E6600 as this processor is now an underperformer, over priced unit. Intel has released a new series of processors all with a "50" designation in the end. These processors are faster, cost less, and run at a FSB of 1333Mhz. See this link for more info: http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets...oc.aspx?i=3038 #2) Your RAM is great... Corsair makes a pretty good set too. #3) Go with an 8 series Nvidia card. They aren't necessarily faster, but the video playback performance on the 8600GT or 8600GTS is much improved not to mention true DirectX 10 support plus Vista (for the future) compatability. See this for more info: http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3047 #4) Choose a motherboard based on the P35 chipset from Intel. This is the most compatable chipset for Core 2 Duo right now (other than P965) but supports the 1333Mhz FSB (P965 does not). As for which brand, stick with a good one like MSI, Asus, or Gigabyte. Good luck.. Jon |
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Go to either NewEgg, or Mwave.com and do a search on Intel 775 motherboards based on the P35 chipset and sort by price (lowest to highest). This will give you a good place to start.. From that point, when you find one you think you like, go to the manufacturers website and make sure it's got all the features you are looking for. You should be able to pick up a pretty good motherboard for the $125-$140 range..
Jon |
2 duo or 2 quad?
Hi Jon,
Which of these do you recommend (2 duo or 2 quad)? Also do you think a GeForce 8500 512 MB graphics card will be good for editing? How about the version of Widdows Vista...will that have any effect on editing at all? I am trying to build a custom HP from Costco...seems like a decent deal there. Thanks so much for the very helpful info... Jeff |
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This answer to these questions are relative might mostly be relative to the NLE software that you are using. A few comments. Assuming you are using Sony Vegas as your NLE. The Quad 2.4Ghz processor very nearly twice as fast as the equivelently clocked Core 2 Duo while performing rendering functions. Vegas has updated their software for good support with Quad processors. If clock speed is the same, go with the Quad. As for the video.. The 8500 series actually have relatively poor video performance when stacked aganist the 8600 series. Don't take my word for it.. http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3047 512Mb of RAM is mainly used for a framebuffer for Video Games. It's not used at all by Vegas and I don't think by most other NLE's either. I do not recommend Vista. With an off the shelf system, you won't have a choice and that's unfortunate. Vista or Windows XP really do nothing for you other than to enable your applications to run. Vista is really more bloatware from Microsoft and in most cases runs your applications slower than Windows XP. I'm sure Vista will be wonderfull in a few years when they repair and update it, but for now, I'm recommending to stick with WinXp whenever possible. Jon |
Jon, so what quad core processor would you recommend for Vegas, assuming we were using the accessories from your second post, which was very helpful in narrowing down my purchase! Thanks, Tony
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Well, right now the bread and butter Quad is the Q6600. It's the original Quad design from Intel and runs at 2.4Ghz and a FSB of 1066Mhz. It costs $279.00. When using this chip, a P35 based board is not necessary and a mature P965 motherboard (as originally spec'd in this forumn) would work just fine.
The alternative to this processor is the new release from Intel, the E6850. It's a Core 2 Duo design that runs at 3.0Ghz with a FSB of 1333Mhz. Tests have shown that the FSB increase is really not going to perform a signficant performance increase, on it's own, and typically only yields a 1-3% performance boost across the board. The extra 600Mhz however across two processors is what I'm most intrested in. This is a full 25% faster than the Quad Core's speed. Most applications aren't sophisticated enough to take full advantage of all 4 cores, all the time. I'd be willing to bet in most "normal" applications, the 6850 would be faster. Jon |
Hi Jon,
Can you recommend an online store that customizes computers? Thanks again, Jeff |
Jeff,
I pretty much buy all my stuff from two vendors, Newegg.com and mwave.com. Between the two, the prices are typically about the best around and the service from each is really good. They also have just about everything you could want. I'm honestly not sure if they'll build the system for you, but I'm pretty sure I've seen that option at Mwave before where you put together the components, then pay them like $150 or so and they put it together, test it, and then ship it as configured. That is probably your best bet. On the other hand, putting it together yourself isn't as hard as one might think. If you have the mental capacity and ability to change the oil in your car, you can probably put together a computer. Essentially you are just assembling a bunch of parts in a case and plugging them together. There's lots of help on the web as well and I'd certainly be willing to lend a helping hand as well. Jon |
The "Ultimate" System for Pinnacle Studio 11 Ultimate?
I've been editing with Pinnacle (Studio 9, 10 & now 11 Ultimate) on a laptop for the past several years with mostly favorable end results. There has been a lot of hanging and crashing of the program on projects, however, causing me a good amount of frustration... but, I really like all the features of Studio. It's fairly easy to use and exacting enough for the several projects I do each year. I've figured it's just the processing power (lack of) of the laptop that's been the culprit. (HP Pavilion dv8235nr)
I'm looking into purchasing, and/or building a system for my home "studio." (I can change the oil in my car, but I usually take it to JiffyLube because of the disposal hassle... lol!) Sans the monitor(s) (I have a Dell Ultra 24" now) I'd like to configure the "awesome" system that would run Pinnacle Studio 11 Ultimate without hiccups. Is that possible? I've reviewed the system recommendations you've talked about here. I noted that you said the software one is using is a factor in making final determinations about what components to go with. With that being said, what components would you suggest as the "Ultimate" (mid to high) sytem to build to support editing (eventually HD) with Pinnacle Studio 11 Ultimate? Oh ya, I'd like to run Microsoft's Flight Simulator X Deluxe too. I like shooting a few touch n go's between projects. Thanks in advance for your input. |
Jeff B,
If you read through my original spec's they haven't changed too much other than the CPU and motherboard which I now recommend a motherboard that's based on the Intel P35 chipset which now offers good stability and offers better support for a future upgrade if it's in the cards... The CPU is the tricky one though, the Quad Q6600 that has 4 processor cores all running at 2.4Ghz and can be had for $270 now. You'll have to check with Pinnacle but if Studio 11 Ultimate will take advantage of all 4 cores, this is probably going to be your best bet. Otherwise, consider the E6850 processor that runs at 3.0Ghz, but it's only a Dual Core CPU. What is a great system for one editing suite is probably going to be about the same for another. I've only used Pinnacle a few times and my experiences as with most of the others that I know who have tried it is that it's a notoriously buggy program that crashes a lot. I also know it's not considered a "professional" NLE but as I have previously said, it's not the tools you use, it's what you produce with your tools. So if you are a whiz on Pinnacle, stick with it as long as it doesn't limit your creative abilities. In this case, your biggest question is simply going to be be a CPU with 4 slower cores or a 2 fast cores. Jon |
One other comment here...
Though ideally one would do nothing on their editing computer other than edit, I realize this isn't the reality of many. One thing you want to avoid like the plauge however on an editing machine is a virus checking program and/or all of those goofy off the shelf "shield" programs that run in your tray are supposed to make you feel good about surfing the web. There's not always a good solution for you to play games on your machine, use it for the internet, and edit on it. What I do is... I have my "ultimate" machine configured with just Windows XP Pro and all my main applications for editing such as Vegas, Photoshop, DVD-Architect, and a few simple utilities like some of the Vasst stuff, etc. This system is not connected to the internet at all, but when I need to do system updates, (www.windowsupdate.com) or upgrade my copy of Vegas, or whatever, I plug it into the internet to JUST do those few tasks and then take it back down. Naturally, there is no virus software or any other type of "protection" junk on this computer. If I played games, as long as they weren't the online type, I'd be willing to put them on here. Remember, email itself is probably responsible for 90% of all computer viruses. Therefore, just eliminating email (and visiting pirate software websites) from your system will go a long ways towards preventing this type of problem. I view it kinda like getting AIDS without having sex. It's possible and it happens, but not nearly as likely. All in all, my system is a very clean and efficient one. I have a secondary computer that is a real clunker by todays standards that I use to play on the internet. This is the "family" computer that I play Fantasy sports on, let my kids play their games, my wife uses it to shop online, I use it for email, etc. This is where the "iMac" type of computer fits in just perfectly. Nothing of too much critical importance is on here and if a virus gets it, probably wont' be the end of the world as long as I occasionally backup some important documents, etc (which I do every couple of months). A computer in this class will only cost you about $400 - $500 total and can be less. Actually, what I normally do is when I buy a new computer, I always buy the top end and then the family computer inherits the old "ultimate" computer. Jon |
The "Ultimate" System for Pinnacle Studio 11 Ultimate?
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I'd guess from their requirements (below) it looks like they support 2 cores. Yes, I have heard it's notoriously buggy (my own experiences) and not "professional", however, for what I do produce, it's the optimum solution right now. Other then stepping over to a Mac and going with Final Cut Pro, (I'm trying to stay "PC" in more ways than one!) I'm going to continue to work with it. -------------------- Intel® Pentium® or AMD® Athlon® 1.8 GHz or higher (2.4 GHz recommended) - Intel® Pentium® HT or AMD® Athlon® 2.4 GHz or 1.6 GHz Dual core required for Windows Vista Intel® Core™2 Duo 2.4 GHz or higher required for AVCHD editing -------------------- So below is what I came up with so far for a system. Look it over and I welcome your comments. One question... from those configurations you gave... Do you like the stack RAID better (performance wise), or is that 1 TB Hitachi a good option? It's just a few bucks more. Thanks again for your expertise and help! ---------- SYSTEM ---------- MSI P35 PLATINUM INTEL P35 CHIPSET ATX FORM FACTOR 2xPCI-E(X16)/2xPCI-E(X1)/2xPCI/4xDDR2 W/SATA2 RAID,LAN(Gb),1394,USB 2.0 & AUDIO ANTEC P182 (BLACK) ATX TOWER CASE NO POWER SUPPLY 4x5.25" 1x3.5" 6x3.5"(hidden) W/FRONT I/O CONNECTORS & 120mm CASE FAN x 1 EXTRA 120mm FAN(CLEAR) ENERMAX EG495P-VE 485W CREATIVE LABS SOUNDBLASTER X-FI XTREME GAMER WD 150GB WD1500ADFD SATA150 16MB 10,000RPM (3) WD 320GB 3200YS SATA300 RAID 7200RPM 16MB OR (1) HITACHI 1TB 0A34193 / 0A35155 SATA3GB 7200RPM 32MB # HDS721010KLA330 PIONEER DVR-212DBK 18X SATA DOUBLE LAYER DVD RW DRIVE W/SW HP DVD1040I 20X LIGHTSCRIBE 1.2 MULTIFORMAT DVD BURNER MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL W/SP2 |
Well, I see the software supports 'dual core' but how about quad core? And supporting the software is MUCH different than actually taking advantage of it. Vegas has been coded to specifically take advantage of all 4 cores in the Quad Core. Most people have reported rendering functions performing nearly twice as fast as on their dual core machines. That's an impressive performance increase. If Pinnacle Studio is coded in a similiar way, then I'd reccomend the quad. As for now, you might be best with the E6850 Dual Core. Believe me, compared to what you have now, this system will *crush* your laptop.
The Hitachi 1Gb drive really shines and has the advantages of not creating more heat by combingin three drives and also should be more reliable as a RAID 0 configuration is three times more likely to fail than a single drive. Considering what you are doing, I'd go with the Hitachi 1Gb for my storage, capture to, and render to drive and pickup a smaller 250 or 320gb drive to act as your system drive. I hope you didn't take offense to my comment regarding Pinnacle not being "professional". Like I said, I've always felt the software you know really well is MUCH more valuable than the software that can do everything but you can't use it... Jon |
I put a question into Pinnacle/Avid about the quad core support for it. It didn't give any more info in the system requirements for it, other than the dual core support.
I liked the idea of the 10K speed drive, as you said it should run the editing software faster??? I could scale down that drive. I just saw the bigger one was available... and we know what they say about size (and speed). No offenses taken on the Pinnacle software. I've cussed it a more than a few times on projects. It does seem that Version 11 is more stable. I do a number of "on the fly" photo montages at events. Pinnacle allows me to put pictures on the timeline, add a soundtrack and then click "make movie." It makes all the transitions according to what style you select. It's kind of cool. I do a little tweaking with titles and transitions and it makes for a moving experience with the crowd when they see their faces on the presentation screen at the end of the day. I just wish it was all around more stable for project work. I think I'll look into Vegas or other professional software solutions. What ones out there do you like? Thanks again for the help Jon! |
Hey Jeff,
Yes, if you want your system drive to be a 10K drive, go for the 74Gb Western Digital Raptor. A few more bucks but you'll see the performance benefits. It's a little louder and runs hotter than most other drives, but it's a screamer and your overall computing experience will notice the difference. The Antec P182 case is really a solid quite case, so this should work just fine. Regardless of what you do, you definately want to purchase a seperate drive to store all your data on which would be this 1TB Hitachi drive that should do the trick. If you don't plan on doing a whole lot more with the software than you already do, you shouldn't have to "upgrade" to one of the big boys. I use Vegas and am still somewhat of a beginner at it but find it to be a REALLY good piece of software and I say, for the PC, it's probably the best option - yes better than Premiere CS3 -. Like I said, sounds like you are great where you are at and Studio is definately going to come through on automated type things like you mentioned with the pictures and text. No problem for the help. SO glad there is something I feel I can bring to this great community here at DVInfo.net. Jon |
Jon,
I went through selecting those components at mwave.com. Do I need to add in the SATA cables and/or power cords as well? They ask that option when you select those components. And the power supply I listed is adequate? I remember reading somewhere how to calc that, but I don't remember where. I just took your recommendation. I haven't ever put together a complete PC yet, but I think from your forum help and some other resources on the net I can do it. Hopefully, it will go smoothly. I found this link "Build your own" to be helpful: http://www.pcmech.com/build/ Is there alot to do on the config once you fire things up? I found one site saying most of it occurs automatically. Thanks again for all the help, Jeff |
Jeff,
That looks like a pretty good resource and I'm here to help as well. When you get all the stuff, I'll give you my number and we can chat on the phone on some of the basic things you'll want to do before you start. The power supply is perfectly fine and plenty of power for what I presume you are putting together. If you want me to review what you have, take a screen shot of your shopping cart and mwave and send it to me and I'll review it for some thoughts... Jon |
Hi Jon,
I sent you an email with all the items. Thanks again for all the help! Jeff |
Got it, keep in touch and let us know how the system build goes! :)
|
Jon- you're doing a wicked job. Talk about giving something back.
|
Thanks! I'm glad this thread has been some use to others.. In another 2-3 months, things will be different enough I'll probably create a new thread with an updated system recommendations page.
Jon |
Yes Matt,
He's an awesome guy. Very knowledgeable and very helpful! |
Hey all,
i've been sitting on the side lines of this discussion for some time and i'd like to list out the system i've been spec-ing out for HD editing. I'm currently a PP2.0 user and I'm looking to upgrade to the whole CS3 suite in the future. I'm also still shooting SD with 2 XL-1's however I am looking to upgrade to either an XLH1 or GY-HD200/250 at some point - yes i know CS3 has issues with 720p in 24 frames at the moment. With that being stated, I want to build a HD editing system that will be able to handle not only HDV, but also HD-SDI if i go that route. To that end I've got this in mind: Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6850 - Retail (quad core) ASUS P5K3 DELUXE/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail CORSAIR 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN3X2048-1333C9DHX - Retail - x2 for a total of 4GB PNY VCQFX3450-PCIE-PB Quadro FX3450 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card - OEM 2 Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drives - one as OS and one as scratch drive 4 HITACHI Deskstar 7K1000 HDS721010KLA330 (0A35155) 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive in a RAID 5 config Pioneer 18X DVD±R DVD Burner Black E-IDE/ATAPI Model DVR-112D - OEM HD-DVD BURNER YTD Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series - Retail M-AUDIO BX5a 2.0 Monitor Speaker - Retail Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail Antec NeoPower NeoHE 550 ATX12V 550W Power Supply - Retail any suggestions or recomendations? ~Mike |
Hey Mike..
Seems like you have a pretty good handle on what you want to do.. I'm just going to throw out my thoughts on this... #1) The Core 2 Duo E6850 is *not* a quad core processor, not sure if you meant the Q6600 or Q6700. #2) Great Mobo #3) Great Memory #4) The PNY Video card. Are you certain Adobe CS3 has the ability to utilize the particular OpenGL type functions this card specializes in? The only NLE that I know of that takes good advantae of a 3D graphics card is Avid's Liquid. Video playback performance is typically better on the more "retail" oriented graphics cards. #5) WD Raptor's are nice and fast! Just don't place them too close to one another and make sure the case has plenty of cooling. This system will NOT be a quite one either, so I'd try to keep it far underneath the desk away from you having to hear it all the time. #6) Oh boy, sparing no expense on the Hitachi 1TB drives. I don't have a lot of experience in RAID 5. If it's security of data you are looking for, why not go with 3 drives in a RAID 0, then use the 4th drive as a "backup" drive for the most important info. Just a thought, but again, you seem to know what you want here. Might you consider getting an external enclosure for these and hooking up via E-SATA? They will suck a TON of power from your main system. #7) The onboard audio on that particular P35 motherboard is actually getting some pretty good reviews for both quality and CPU efficiency. I might skip the Creative card (I know I've recommended it in the past) and go with the onboard sound at first. #8) BX5a's are nice... make sure you have the appropriate cabling to hook them up. #9) Not familiar with the 900 series of Antec cases. I know the P182 is a great case and particularlly well suited for cooling and quite operation. #10) Unfortunately, that power supply isn't going to cut it if you intend to put 6 mamoth power sucking hard drives in there along with the Quatro video card. Money doesn't apparently to be TOO much of a factor here, I would strongly recommend an external enclosure for those drives. It'll help with heat in your main system and power as well. Jon |
Thanks!
Jeff,
Thanks for starting this thread and sharing with us your knowledge. I too assembled my own units. Started way back 1986. But I have been out of the loop for 5 years now. I am not in touch with what is the latest and what's not. So, your post was very helpful. I have no time to scour all the data and check all the reviews. Quite amazingly, I also find your post well balanced and very sound. I'm sure others will not agree with your specs, but at least that is as far as it goes. Some for example, would like to OC, some won't and at least your position on that is clear. I used to OC before, but not anymore. Don't have the time to tinker and find out where my system will hang if I push the boundaries :-) I'd rather have a stable system for editing. If I tweak it, maybe it's just a few push here and there, but nothing like making a 2ghz cpu run at 4ghz. Maybe just pushing it to 2.2 or 2.3ghz would do or or just optimize the FSB and the like. But even then, I'd probably not do it as I do need stability and reliability more. I won't gamble on my system conking out after 6 months because I pushed it too much. If you don't mind, I'll email you or post here if I have queries of my own. No plans of assembling my quad core right now (I use sony vegas too), but maybe next year. I still use my DELL 2ghz C2D 2gb 160gb HD and it is just ok for editing. |
Hello all,
I've been reading all the posts and thank you for all the info. It gets confusing at times. I'm about ready to upgrade my system again because my rendering times are not good working with HDV. I don't want to Hijack this thread and didn't really think I should start a new one so here I am. Here is what I have at the moment do you think it's a good setup? I will be going with Raid 0 and it's the first time using raid so I might have some questions later on. Thank's for any info you can give. By the way I use CS3 Premire for editing would like to try Vegas but when I did the last time it took forever to render a hour of footage.I know Vegas uses the quad core but what about Adobe products? Chet ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA804 - Retail COOLER MASTER Real Power Pro RS-650-ACAA-A1 ATX12V / EPS12V 650W Power Supply - Retail XFX PVT84JUDD3 GeForce 8600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Retail Sunbeam CR-SW-775 Ceramic Shaft and Bearing CPU Cooler - Retail 2-WD 320GB 3200YS SATA300 7200RPM 16MB Hard Drive 1- Sata Samsung DriveSP2505C for the system Drive {I already Have this on hand} |
For my system and programs drive I'm not sure what HD to get. Here are the two I'm looking at
HITACHI Deskstar T7K500 HDT725050VLA360 (0A33437) 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive The Hitachi is only about 30.00 more so I'm not sure if the size is not good for a system and app drive. Last question I have is I need a new Burner I'm not sure if I should go Sata or IDe. I have a 500 gig ide I will use for storage so I can just put the ide burner on that cable so I can free up a sata port do you think that is a good ide? Thank's for any help you all can give. Chad |
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