First editing build - help and tuning appreciated

Maril · Sep 29, 2014

My old computer isn't really up to speed these days and I use more and more demanding programs so I decided that I should get a new computer. I decided to build it since...well, the results should be more satisfactory than when buying a PC from a store. The problem is that since this is my very first build ever I am not quite sure whether it's fine and fits to my needs. Please help me and give me a pieces of advice - anything is appreciated (just don't insult me if the build is stupid...)

A gentleman helped me with this but I tweaked his design a bit. It's meant to be an editing computer that has a lot of memory and can run multiple programs and internet tabs at the same time without shutting down youtube.

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A
Memory: G.Skill F3-12800CL10Q-32GBXL
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD
Seagate Desktop HDD 4 TB 3.5'' 5900 RPM x 2
Video Card: VisionTek Radeon R9 290X 4GB
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 mid-tower
Power Supply: Raidmax 850W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Optical Drive: Asus BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer
Operating system: Windows 7 professional

I was first thinking of PX79 motherboards at first but then I heard bad reviews about them and though they are pretty I can't fit my favoured CPU in them and I seriously have no idea which PX79 is the best choice. And then I was directed to z97 series but there were 3 options so I just went with the A. Is Deluxe better if we're talking about editing?

I'd really like to keep it LGA1150 for the i7-4790 because I think it's a nice CPU. LGA2011 CPUs are either too expensive or have bad reviews...

(Is the memory alright? Am I overestimating the SATA possibilities? Two HDDs and a SSD is not too much is it??? I honestly need that memory.)

The programs I mainly use are these: Photoshop, After Effects, Sony Vegas, Corel painter, Premiere Pro (+ a lot of not so heavy runners e.g. Vuze and Word)

It needs to be okay with 3D work and higher frame rate than 60 preferrably 90 and over (am I mixing something up with screen properties? Should I get a new screen too to support the higher frame rate? If so, is that Video Card alright?)

As you see, help would be appreciated. Money is not a problem but I am not an enthusiast. I edit for studying, work and fun and my last computer came down with only a few clicks into Corel Painter...

Thank you in advance. I apologize for the typos if there were any.

snowctrl · Sep 29, 2014

It looks fairly tidy to me... why are you buying two slow 4TB drives though... I presume you intend to put them in Raid 0?

Maril · Sep 30, 2014

snowctrl :

I think I'll buy four 4TB HDDs and deal with RAID 10. That sound good?

snowctrl · Oct 1, 2014

Just check on the known reliability of the 4TB drives - they're still fairly new and last time I heard drives above 2TB had not reached the same reliability as 2TB or less... but they may be fine now

(obviously check that that mono has sufficient Sata 3 slots for your drives, and a Raid controller...)

Paul NZ · Oct 1, 2014

If you buy that CPU and mobo I would ask whoever youre getting it from to flash the BIOS before they send it.

The mobo may or may not support that CPU. Since it would have to have BIOS 1008 on it to support that CPU

Maril · Oct 1, 2014

Paul NZ :

How do I know which parts support that BIOS? And I'm still tuning this design so I can say the parts will propably come from all over the place. I don't think they have all of my wanted components here in Finland.

UPDATE: Please do not mind that question. I just recently learned what the abbreviation mobo stands for and...well, thank you anyway. I'll be sure to check it.

Maril · Oct 1, 2014

snowctrl :

That's what I was worried about! I can't find any reliable 4TB HDDs and doing RAID 10 with 2 TB HDDs will just give me the unwanted 4 TB. But if it's worth it I guess I have to tone my whining down a notch. Do you think I should just go with RAID 10 and SSDs?

(Can you help me with the SATA? I'm quite new to this thing but z97 seems to have too few SATA 3 slots so should I just change my motherboard? How many slots do I need for RAID 10? What LGA1150 motherboard would do for me if I needed to change my m-board? I'm quite attached to the CPU and wouldn't really like to go with X79 even though it has four SATA 3 slots.)

Thank you if you answer all those questions. I'm seriously only trying to find the perfect build for myself here and I appreciate your comments.

snowctrl · Oct 2, 2014

Sata slots on the motherboard - you need one per hard drive, and they must all be run off the same controller (I don't think this is a problem with Z97, but do check) - and obviously they should be Sata III (again, I can't see them not being on a Z97 mobo)

Then you must have a Raid controller - so check the mobo has one, and that it is considered a good one

A completely alternative suggestion - get a motherboard with Thunderbolt and buy a Pegasus Raid or similar. Or investigate a Drobo

Maril · Oct 2, 2014

snowctrl :

I checked the SATA 3 slots and Z97-A truly did have enough of them (found them in the Finnish description, not the English...) so I guess I won't be needing a new motherboard (thank you for the suggestion though).

Now to another problem: If I'm doing heavy editing work and I want my equipment to last the next years then is the A board fine? I keep looking at the WS and Deluxe versions but can't really make anything out of them. Or are those only for enthusiasts who overclock all the time?

By the way (this might sound stupid and might be impossible), is it possible (if the board has more than four SATA 3s) to do RAID 10 and still have SSDs working but not in the RAID? Is that possible? Should I not even think about that? It'd be nice to install OS to the other SSD and most used programs to the other.

I can't find info that says anything about the RAID controller. I might be looking in the wrong places. Could you check the A, WS and DELUXE boards? If it's not too much trouble.

snowctrl · Oct 3, 2014

Regarding spec - search for 'Asus Z97 A' using Bing, and you'll get Asus product pages, where you can find the full spec of each board they sell, but you probably wanna start with this page:

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Platform_Products/

...which is an overview of their boards linking to the detailed spec pages

The three cards you mention, the Z97 Deluxe, Pro and A models, have subtle differences in on-board ports, so it's worth taking the time to compare the spec lists carefully - I would print each out so you have them next to each other, mark the differences and decide which one will suit you best

About Sata ports - if there are enough to run your Raid and a separate SSD for your OS then I think you can do that (but do check), however you might do better (again, read up on this) to attach your system drive SSD via M2 or some other port, for greater speed than Sata

Maril · Oct 7, 2014

snowctrl :

It was exhausting but I managed to find a mobo - the z97 WS version. It seems to be a pretty controversial board but I really hope it'll last long and not break (if you have another suggestion here that speaks against this decision then please, share your opinion. I'm so tired of comparing charts and arguments and opinions that I'll just trust you here. If this isn't the workstation board I'm looking for then...)
It also seems to have a RAID controller and nothing should be wrong with its BIOS but time will tell if it's good. I'll deal with the SSDs with M.2 and PCI. That shouldn't complicate or endanger my RAID or anything else.

So now my computer is beginning to look like this:

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K
Motherboard: Asus Z97-WS
Memory: G.Skill ripjaws X series F3-1600C9Q-32GXM
Storage: Seagate Desktop HDD 4 (or 2) TB 3.5'' 5900 RPM x 4 (RAID 10)
+ M.2 and PCIe SSDs
Optical Drive: Asus BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer*
Operating system: Windows 7 professional
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 mid-tower

I'm truly lost about a few things and I hope you can help me with them too. The cooler, GPU and power supply are big question marks although I do have a few suggestions about the GPU. The PSU completely evades me as I have no idea how much power is truly needed and what I should go with. I tried using online calculators but that only served making me more confused.

That Cooler Master Hyper was the first thing that I was suggested to take. It has good reviews and seems to be an okay product but does it last? Is there some other cooler that is more silent or more efficent or less power hungry? I'm open to suggestions. Personally I have nothing against it, I just want to know that if I buy my cooler, it'll be THE product for me.

Please don't ask me to compare charts and other things about GPUs and PSUs. I have spent two to three days, 18 hours each, on computer without an answer to those questions.

That Radeon isn't supported by some of the programs I use so I have to change it. Also, it doesn't seem to have magnificent 3D animation qualities so there's another reason to cross it off from my list. I have looked at Quadros, other Radeons and Geforce 980 but came to a conclusion that I can't make the decision by myself. Which would be most efficient in workstation mode? I don't know if I'll start gaming in the future but now I need a good card for the photoshop applications and 3D modeling/animations. Something that'll last.

*Curiosity speaking: is an optical drive efficient if it can deal with CDs/DVDs/Blu-rays or should I buy a separate drive for each type?

snowctrl · Oct 8, 2014

Cooler - the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo is a you-cannot-go-wrong-with product that inevitably gets recommended all the time. If you're happy spedning a lot more money, I would recommend a closed loop liquid cooler like the Corsair H80i or H100i, though make sure you have space in your case. This is all presuming that you're gonna overclock your CPU - if not then go for a non-K series processor (the 'K' denotes you can overclock) and use the cooler that comes with the CPU. Not overclocking is a more cost effective, more hassle free option. But overclocking is fun

... and is the way to get the max out of your processor.

Graphics card comes down a bit to what edit software you're gonna use - go to the website and look at the list of certified cards. But bottom line is, you should be fine buying the most powerful Geforce card you can get for your money.

PSU - this is VERY important as a good PSU goes a long way to guarantee the long term stability of your system. Allow me to recommend models by XFX and the Corsair AX and TX series. Go for something with 600W or thereabouts - your unlikely to ever need more. Get one that's a tleast Bronze rated - the better the metal (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) the better the power efficiency

By the way I just wanted to check you've come across PCpartpicker.com? It will help you put together a spec, get it for the best price, spot incompatibilities and work out how much power you will need from your PSU.

Maril · Oct 8, 2014

I did ponder the liquid cooling solution but I'm just a beginner and it sounds a bit complicated. Phantom 410 is designed to accommodate liquid cooling but I think I'll just go with the Cooler Master. I'll try liquid in my next build. I am actually planning to overclock a bit; just for fun and to see if it's really that nice

(Not planning on frying my CPU regarless)

I decided to go with Quadro k4000 since it's cheaper than Geforce 980 and I really don't play games that much. Quadro should also help with adobe programs. (I am not ignoring your suggestions! They're brilliant.)

I have always used partpicker before coming to consult you. That's why I'm facing a bit of a dilemma here with the PSU. Online calculators and partpicker recommend I take 450-550W PSUs. None of your suggestions have those W numbers

Should I just go with TX 650W or be content with CS 550W? They're both from Corsair.

snowctrl · Oct 9, 2014

Liquid cooling is VERY complicated - and lots of fun.... but CLOSEDD LOOP liquid coolers such as the h80i and h100i, and others from Corsair, Kraken, etc, are not complicated as they come as sealed units. In fact they're often a lot less fidlly to fit than normal (air coolers) such as the Cooler Master 212 Evo. If you really wanna go somewhere with overclocking then I would recommend them (I have a H100i and a H80i respectively in my two desktops) - the only thing to be careful of is that your case can accomodate them (but this is also true of larger air coolers)

As far as overclocking itself, their is a mountain of material you can read, but the golden rule is never NEVER put too much Vcore (voltage) through your CPU, and watch out for heat (hence the big coolers).

The TX range is FAR FAR better than the CS range - defo go with that. If you have a look on Corsair's website they have descriptions of each of their ranges. You'll see that the CS range is not recommended for any overclocking - so go with the TX. I have a Corsair TX in my system (which is heavily overclocked). Also, though the 650W may seem like overkill, overclocking will cause your power needs to rise, and also it's best to have some headroom as even the very best PSU will degrade somewhat over time.

Skylyne · Oct 9, 2014

Where do I start?...

Well, since you're only running a solo CPU, there's no reason to buy a workstation board. Also, since you're not doing any hard GPU work, like running Maya, or AutoCAD, it's nearly pointless to buy a workstation GPU. You'll overspend, and you will rarely see the benefits of this hardware. You will benefit from a workstation GPU if want to do some serious 3-D rendering, but it will cost a lot. Since you're using all consumer software, you won't need anything more than a basic gaming GPU. Seriously, spend your money on other components, as a more powerful GPU is not needed for what you're doing. Unless you're using a heavy amount of transitions, video effects, and so on, you won't need a strong GPU, as the CPU renders the raw video. Also, you will have plenty of gaming power if ever needed.

With that said, here's a build sheet that I would invest in, as a comparable build to what you've proposed...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.99 @ Mwave)
Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Plus ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($127.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($310.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($144.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US) x4
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($214.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 760T Black ATX Full Tower Case ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80+ Silver Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($66.45 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($141.26 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1879.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-09 05:49 EDT-0400

Here's some brief information to steer you in the right direction. Take it however you want, but I won't try to argue my side much. I've spent more time trying to figure out a reasonable video editing build, over gaming, and I've looked into what is really used/needed. I'll be building my own video editing rig soon-ish, so I've been looking into all of this over the last month or so. Take a look at the videos in my signature, and you might find some answers to certain questions (even though they primarily pertain to gaming).

RAM: 16 GB should be plenty of memory, but I put in 32 GB because that is what you're wanting. If you put in 16 GB, you can always double up later; whereas you could waste money buying 32 GB up front, and never needing it. I know guys who run Ableton (heavy RAM and CPU consumption), and they all agree that 16 GB is a good starting point. Start with 2x8GB of memory, and go up if needed. For speed, 1866 Mhz is kind of overkill, and you can always go down to 1600 Mhz, if you decide you want to save a little money. You will not notice too much of a difference in rendering times, unless you're doing long videos/etc..

GPU: The 760 will be fine for what I'd call "average" editing. As mentioned earlier, a heavy duty GPU will only help with rendering your transitions and effects, or using the GPU rendered previews in video editing software. If you think you'll need more power, the 970 should far exceed your needs. You might want to consider waiting on buying the GPU, as the newer 960 should be coming out soon-ish, and that may be a better card for the money.

CPU: The 4790k is perfect, and nothing wrong with it. Great for OC'ing, and a great stock speed with low heat.

CPU cooling: There is no real need to go with water cooling, although it will ensure cooler OC temperatures. You can get away with air cooling to start, and upgrade to water cooling later, just to test the waters. The cooler I put in that build is only $30, so it's worth the initial try, at the least. If you think you will need liquid cooling after you try air cooling, then invest in it. I don't recommend closed loops, but that's more of a personal preference.

MoBo: The Z97S should give you everything you need. If you need more SATA connections, there are some Z97 boards that support up to 8 connections (the Z97S supports 6). I'm not sure how many SATA connections the workstation boards will support, but anything more than that is quite extreme. You can always swap out drives, or hook up externals with USB 3.0, if need be.

HDD: I would avoid anything over 2 TB until the larger drives have been around for a while. I loaded you with 4x2TB drives, which should suffice.

Case: The 760T will give you a very roomy case, has modular storage bays, four SSD drive slots, and is overall a beast for what you pay. The price in the build sheet is old (PCPartPicker didn't update the price after a sale), so expect to spend about $170.

PSU: I like having at least a semi-modular unit, so I went with the XFX Pro. Best bang for your buck, even if it isn't a gold rating. It is a silver rating, which is perfectly fine.

I'm open to explaining anything I changed, or explaining other things I've looked into, but this is the real bottom line that I can come up with. Hopefully it isn't too minimal in details, or an information overload.

EDIT- I assumed you were looking at a workstation MoBo that supported multiple cores, but the Z97 WS just looks like an over-glorified Z97 to me. No need to spend extra for something like that. Get what you need, I can't stress that enough. Don't worry about all the flashy junk that comes with these boards, and just get a board that has the hardware support you really need.

Maril · Oct 9, 2014

Actually, I do use Maya so I presume I should just go with my Quadro, just like you advised. I'll be doing 3D animations with it. I'm not afraid to spend a lot if the components I buy are worth it and last long.

Thank you so much for the brilliant suggestions! With this my build is complete. However, I'll answer as it is polite to do so:

I chose the 32 GB RAM over 16 GB because I know I need every bit of it. 64 GB is certainly too much and it's the original reason I didn't go with X79 mobos. 1600 Mhz is what I had originally planned and I'm not about to go any higher.

I'll take a leaf out of your book and ultimately go with the 2 TB HDDs. 4 TBs do sound risky and your suggestion is wise. Thanks for that.

Can you explain your PSU W amount? I was planning on going with TX 650W. Isn't 750 overkill even though I do plan to overclock? And is something wrong with my SSD choises? I haven't heard that M.2 cards are that bad and PCI seems reasonable enough too. I'd also like a very good comparison between the z97-WS mobo and the MSI
Z97S SLI Plus mobo from your point of view. I checked them both and once again I'm confused which one is good and would last longer and perform its job properly. Hope I'm not asking too much and thank you once again.

(What's wrong with my phantom 410? Mid-tower too small? I'm quite attached to it and wouldn't like to change it.)

Skylyne · Oct 9, 2014

I'm not trying to give you any more charts/etc. to look at, but here's a comparison of the specs of the MSI Z97S and the Asus Z97 WS. As I already said, the workstation board seems to be an over-glorified board, compared to a gaming board. The most significant differences?

Workstation Benefits
- Better RAM overclocking capabilities (namely with higher memory speeds)
- Four PCI 3 slots, instead of two, with a better SLI implementation
- Support for four onboard USB 3.0 slots (if your case had four USB 3.0 slots, you can use all of them)

Gaming Benefits
- Half the initial cost
- 8x SATA 3 connections, which means twice the HDD support (I originally thought the Z97S had 6 connections, but I was wrong)

In reality, the difference between the two is fairly minimal. If you plan on running more than two GPUs, or plan on running three-way SLI, the workstation board is going to be better for you. Otherwise, you're going to spend twice the money on something you won't really utilise. If you want the upgrade path, just in case, then spending the extra is up to you. The reliability difference between the two? Both are of high quality components; and I wouldn't expect either one to fail before the other.

With your memory choice, I can see why 1600 Mhz is more appealing, but you will definitely get more performance out of 1866 Mhz. I don't know why you're adamant on using slower RAM, unless you plan on OC'ing, but I would personally spend the extra for 1866 Mhz; especially since you're already willing to spend extra for workstation components. 1866 Mhz memory won't give a gamer much of a performance boost, but for processes like video editing, and 3-D rendering, you will benefit from it.

I went with the 750w PSU for a few reasons. The first is because it gives you room for a second gaming GPU, and will allow you headroom for OC'ing everything. The second is you would be sitting at roughly 60% load with the build as it stood (with the GTX 760, you will be sitting at 460w). Since you're going with the Quadro, and your TDP will be half of the 760's, your draw on the PSU will be closer to 50% with a single GPU. I'm not entirely what sure what the community consensus is, but I wouldn't push your PSU beyond 75-80% of it's capacity. That gives room for component ageing, which is important if you don't plan on replacing your PSU within the next couple years, or if you plan on running it 24/7. With the 750w PSU and Quadro combination, you can support more cards without more headroom. And, for the price, going with an equivalent-quality 650w isn't really justified.

Going with an M.2 SSD is only going to really benefit you if you make it a PCIe option. The downside is that not all of these are bootable, your speed increase will mostly be noticeable with large file transfers and saving/opening large files, and the cost is ridiculously high. If you plan on transferring a lot of very large files/folders, and on a very regular basis (multiple daily transfers of 50+ GB), you might benefit. File transfer speeds will always be dependant on the lowest speed hard drive you use, so transfers from your M.2 to an SSD on your SATA connection will be at SATA speeds... For most uses, it's relatively pointless to get M.2 storage. You probably won't notice a real difference in real world scenarios, outside of saving/opening extremely large projects/files.

I changed your case because I just don't like the way the Phantom 410 is laid out. It's an older case, and it isn't designed for optimal airflow. Also, with the 760T's modular drive cages, you have better options for HDD storage. You can stack them to have room for a bottom mount fan, or you can either keep them side-by-side, or move one cage to under the optical bays for better front-intake airflow. Overall, the HDD cages are a much better design than what is in the Phantom 410. The Phantom also lacks a filter on the front intakes (a cardinal sin in my books), which the 760T has stock (I'll post a link for an after-market filter, though, which is $10 pre-shipping). The only downside to the 760T is the top cover; however, you can buy a top filter (to replace the top metal cover) for $21 (pre-shipping). I think the 760T, regardless of the dust filter options available, is a much better case than the Phantom; hands down, no doubts in my mind. But, of course, I'll leave it up to you. Just giving you the option of a much more optimised case. The only reason I would consider the Phantom is for looks, but I personally like the looks of the 760T better (that window is sexy). If you want to be sure your components are running cool, the 760T really is a no-contest winner in my books.

Phantom 410 dust filters- http://www.demcifilter.com/c37/PHANTOM-410.aspx
760T dust filters- http://www.demcifilter.com/c221/OBSIDIAN-750D.aspx
And here's a review of the 760T from Hardware Canucks, to see more of what I'm talking about with that case- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvGXijaIx-g

I think I covered everything... but if I didn't, don't complain. I've spent a couple hours on this reply, so you better listen to me!

Hope this all helps you out, mate.

Maril · Oct 11, 2014

You've helped me a great deal, don't worry - I won't complain! I'll definitely take everything you said and put it to use. Nice to know so many good people were out to help me. Thank you

snowctrl · Oct 11, 2014

If you're using Maya it will be worth stepping up to a 6-core system - it will massively reduce your render times.

When I stepped up from a 4-core i7 to a 6-core i7 I found I was able to do literally three days rendering in two

Maril · Oct 11, 2014

snowctrl :

I'll think about it. The i7-4790K just seems like it was made for me and it fits the bill. I don't use Maya that heavily so I'll probably start with a 4-core (I can update parts later if I find anything unsatisfactory).

Skylyne · Oct 11, 2014

Glad I could help. There's plenty of other people on here that can help out too, but just make sure they have something to back up their side. It can get tricky when you start getting deeper into the details, and try to understand what is better in one situation/etc..

First editing build - help and tuning appreciated

Reputable

Distinguished

Reputable

Distinguished

Polypheme

Reputable

Reputable

Distinguished

Reputable

Distinguished

Reputable

Distinguished

Reputable

Distinguished

Reputable

Reputable

Reputable

Reputable

Distinguished

Reputable

Reputable

Share this page