New video editing workhorse - Build input please

[Peter Telian]

I put this list of components together for my new machine. This would only be the second computer I've built, so I would really appreciate it anyone and everyone could look it over and comment if anything looks fishy. Also, please feel free to recommend different components.

This will be running the Adobe suite.

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58

Processor: Intel Core i7-930 2.8GHz LGA 1366 Quad-Core

RAM: CORSAIR XMS3 12GB (6 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

Boot Drive: 1TB 3.0Gb/s WD Caviar Black (WD1001FALS)

Raid 0 Video Storage: 2x 1TB 3.0Gb/s WD Caviar Black (WD1001FALS)

Misc/Final render Drive: 1TB 6.0Gb/s WD Caviar Black (WD1002FAEX)

GPU: EVGA 512-P3-N871-AR GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit

Power Supply: CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W

DVD Burners: 2x LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner SATA (iHAS124-04)

Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP ATX Full Tower

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

[David Chilson]

Peter,

There are a couple of things I would change. I would spend the extra 10 bucks and get the I7 -920, you can easily OC that to 3.2 and you can run that memory at full speed. I have the same memory and I like it.
If you could afford it I would get this gpu:

Newegg.com - EVGA 01G-P3-1180-AR GeForce GTX 285 1GB 512-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

This one has been certified for the new Adobe Mercury playback engine. I think there is a 2gb version and it's only about $40 bucks more but I'm not sure of the real advantage. Other than those two things looks good!

[Peter Telian]

Thank for the reply Dave.

Hang on, the 930 is 2.8GHz and $10 more than the 920.

I wasn't aware of the Mercury Playback thing. That looks pretty sweet. I'll have to look into it some more. How did you find that the 285 is certified?

[David Chilson]

here is a couple of links and if you use the google link at the bottom you can see the posts on here about the Mercury playback engine and the 285 Nvidia card.

You are right SAVE $10 and put towards GPU,

nTersect Blog - NVIDIA Quadro Fueling Adobe?s New Mercury Playback Engine

[Randall Leong]

Yes, Peter, I'd also recommend the 920. Even with the stock Intel cooler, that processor can be overclocked to an easy 3.4 to 3.5 GHz (assuming that you use good-quality memory for that system and the right motherboard); in fact, I currently have my particular i7-920 on Intel's reference X58 motherboard running at 3.5 GHz with the memory running at 1400 MHz (and all that only raised my CPU temps by 2°C over a stock-clocked i7-920 with stock-clocked 1066MHz memory at 100% load - a very inconsequential amount, given such a degree of an overclock). And that 9800 GTX+ graphics card is now a few years old: It uses the same G92 GPU as the original 8800 GT and the 512MB edition of the 8800 GTS. The only differences between the various higher-end G92-based flavors are the GPU and memory clock speeds. In fact, the 9800 GTX+ is more recently sold as the GTX 250.

[Peter Telian]

What NVIDIA and Adobe are doing looks really sweet. Maybe I outta upgrade the card. And you don't think another Gig of memory is worth $30?

Also, you don't think the extra GHz are worth $10 more?

[Pete Bauer]

Peter, before you drop coin search and read some of the many build/buy a computer threads like these:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/non-line...-ready-hd.html
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/non-line...-i7-920-a.html
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/cineform...ngine-cs4.html

It is really easy to get excited about building a new system and end up in the "if only I had known" category (yeah, been there, done that). Tech is always advancing, but double check before jumping in that what you are about to build will serve you well for what you think your needs will be in 12-18 months, not just today. It would really suck to spend a couple grand on a new system in anticipation of Mercury and then realize that it wasn't really the best setup for it...because we really don't know all those answers yet other than to say, "as fast -- and therefore expensive -- as possible in every regard." So if it isn't imperative to buy RIGHT NOW, it is wise to read up on what is due out in the next few months. A surprisingly lot is changing this year...USB 2.0 to 3.0, 6GB SATA, 6 core processors, SSD, advancing graphics capabilities (hardware and software).

[Peter Telian]

Yes, thanks for the links.

I have found Videoguys.com to be really informative and I think they can be trusted.

[Pete Bauer]

Yup, they wouldn't be DVinfo sponsors if they weren't honest and dependable.

The only caveat I'd give is a very general one: any company is naturally going to tend to highlight the products that it is most interested and able to sell, which may or may not include all options a buyer might choose. Nothing more to that comment than, "research broadly and thoroughly."

[Mark Williams]

Peter,
Just for kicks price it out at avadirect.com. They have a stellar reputation.

[Peter Telian]

Just for kicks price it out at avadirect.com. They have a stellar reputation.

About $200 more. Not bad to have it assembled and tested. Do you have experience with them?

[Ervin Farkas]

Originally Posted by Peter Telian

Yes, thanks for the links.

I have found Videoguys.com to be really informative and I think they can be trusted.

I built the i7/920/Asus P6T Deluxe V2 system recommended by Videoguys and couldn't be happier; it's rock solid running W7 64-bit.

Many reviews lean toward the Asus board vs. Gigabyte.

[Peter Telian]

Many reviews lean toward the Asus board vs. Gigabyte.

But the P6T it only has 6 SATAs. How about this one?

[Randall Leong]

Originally Posted by Peter Telian

But the P6T it only has 6 SATAs. How about this one?

That's the P6T that the folks here have been talking about (and the one one of the regulars in these forums, Craig Coston, uses). Unfortunately, it's not the best choice if you have more than one PCI-e x1 card that you want to use with the system: It has only one PCI-e x1 slot. Period. Three other PCI-e slots are for graphics cards only. And it has way more legacy connectors than what I consider a modern motherboard, and such legacy connectors eat up all the space that could have been used for more modern features: It has one floppy port, two PS/2 ports, two legacy 32-bit/33MHz PCI slots, even a PATA (IDE) port. At least it did away with the onboard serial and parallel ports. Plus, like most motherboard manufacturers, Asus opted to disable the ICH10R's dedicated Intel LAN controller connection in favor of using up one of the ICH10R's six PCI-e lanes for a Realtek LAN controller. (Perhaps because the Realtek PCI-e LAN controller chip costs Taiwanese motherboard manufacturers less money than an Intel LAN controller chip designed for the ICH10R's dedicated LAN controller connection?) Now this would not be a disadvantage since the P6T offers only one PCI-e x1 slot; however, Asus manufactures other motherboards based on the P6T design which include a lot more add-on controllers (namely the USB 3.0 and SATA III controllers) which eat up additional PCI-e lanes (you see, the ICH10R offers only six PCI-e lanes on top of the 36 offered by the X58 chipset's IOH). And although the P6T offers eight SATA ports and one eSATA port, only six of the internal SATA ports are directly controlled by the Intel ICH10R. The other two SATA ports are controlled by a separate Jmicron controller while the eSATA port is powered by the same Jmicron controller which also powers the motherboard's sole PATA port.

It's a good board, despite the disadvantages that I noted above. It would have been a better board had Asus eliminated most of the unneeded legacy features on it.

[Mark Williams]

Yes Peter. Bought a computer from them last August. They were great and very communicative during the process. You can read thier reviews here AVADirect Custom Computers / Freedom USA, Inc. - avadirect.com - Reviews, Ratings and Prices at ResellerRatings

I likewise was going to build my own until I came across AVA who offered a 3 year warranty. Here are my computer/gear specs. I edit P2 cards with Edius 5.

CUSTOM COMPUTER, Core™ i7 2-way CrossFire™ DDR3 . Performance Series System 1 $1529.89

ANTEC, Nine Hundred Two Black Mid-Tower Case w/ Window, ATX, No PSU

CORSAIR, CMPSU-650TX TX Series Power Supply, 650W, 80 PLUS®, 24-pin ATX12V EPS12V, SLI Ready

ASUS, P6T Deluxe V2, LGA1366, Intel® X58, 6400 MT/s QPI, DDR3-2000MHz (O.C.) 24GB /6, PCIe x16 SLI CF /3, SATA 3 Gb/s RAID 5 /6, HDA, GbLAN /2, FW /2, ATX, Retail

INTEL, Core™ i7-920 Quad-Core 2.66GHz, LGA1366, 4.8 GT/s QPI, 8MB L3 Cache, 45nm, 130W, EM64T EIST VT XD, Retail

CORSAIR, 3GB (3 x 1GB) XMS3 PC3-12800 DDR3 1600MHz CL9 (9-9-9-24) 1.65V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC

SAPPHIRE, Radeon™ HD 4830 575MHz, 512MB GDDR3 1800MHz, PCIe x16 CrossFire, VGA+DVI, HDMI, Retail

WESTERN DIGITAL, 160GB WD Caviar® SE (WD1600AAJS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 8MB cache system drive

WESTERN DIGITAL, 1TB WD Caviar® Black™ (WD1001FALS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 32MB Cache video drive

RAID, No RAID, Independent HDD Drives

LITE-ON, iHAS324 Black 24x DVD±RW Dual-Layer Burner w/ Smart Erase, SATA, Retail

SABRENT, CRW-UINB Black 65-in-1 Card Reader/Writer Drive, 3.5" Bay, Internal USB

CREATIVE, Sound Blaster® X-Fi Titanium, 7.1 channels, 24-bit 96KHz, PCIe x1

MICROSOFT, Wired Keyboard 500, Black, PS/2

MICROSOFT, Optical Wheel Mouse, PS/2 + USB, Black

MICROSOFT, Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit Edition w/ SP1, OEM

WARRANTY, Silver Warranty Package (3 Year Limited Parts, 3 Year Labor Warranty)