New build, please advise on final three parts needed

[michael_c135]

Hello everyone,

I'm building a new computer ($2,000 - $2,300) for photo/video editing and also used for making MP3's. Photo editing I'll use Adobe PS CS2, for Video editing Adobe Premiere Elements, and for MP3s I'll use EAC & iTunes. No monitor, or speakers etc needed.

After several recommendations I have a list below for what I plan on buying except I don't have a Motherboard, video card, or sound card and any other recommendations that I might have overlooked. Please take a look and see what you think.



Motherboard: Hardest to choose, I thinking about these motherboards but have read a lot of things about the Asus P5W DH motherboard having to have at first a single core processor to get it to work properly with a duel core processor. I don't know anything about the other.

1. GIGABYTE GA-965G-DS3 LGA 775 Intel G965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $132.99

2. ASUS P5W DH DELUXE/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel 975X ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

3. ASUS P5B Deluxe LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail



Video card: I see a lot of messages on video cards for gaming but not much for what I want to use. Would a gaming card be just as good? I don't know weather to go Nvidia or ATI. Some have told me to get a card with VIVO for video editing, i've only seen it listed on the ATI cards. I don't want a weak card but want one that will offer specifications that will best suit my needs.

1. EVGA 320-P2-N815-AR GeForce 8800GTS 320MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail $304.99

2. EVGA 640-P2-N825-AR GeForce 8800GTS 640MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SUPERCLOCKED HDCP Video Card - Retail $409.99

3. BFG Tech BFGR88320GTSOCE GeForce 8800GTS 320MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 OC HDCP Video Card - Retail $309.99

4. ATI 100-435800 Radeon X1900GT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail $229.99

5. ATI 100-437807 Radeon X1950PRO 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail $229.99

6. ASUS EAX1950XT/HTVDP/256M Radeon X1950XT GDDR3 PCI Express x16 VIVO HDCP Video Card - Retail $339.99



Sound card: Clueless, Newegg doesn't have much of a selection.




This is what I have so for on my build list that I plan on buying:

1 ea: SILVERSTONE TJ09-B Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $289.99

1 ea: Thermaltake W0106RU Complies with ATX 12V 2.2 & EPS 12V version 700W Power Supply - Retail $169.99

1 ea: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6600 - Retail $313.00

1 ea: Atech Flash PRO-28U BLACK 28-in-1 USB 2.0 Internal/External Card Reader - Retail $29.99

1 set: SUPER TALENT 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model T800UX2GC4 - Retail $204.99

1 ea: Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM $229.99

3 ea: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3500630AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $149.99 ea

1 ea: Arctic Silver Ceramique Thermal Compound - OEM



Thank you for your help with everything.

Mike

 

[akhilles]

Out of the 3 listed mobos, I'd get P5B DELUXE. I don't believe you need a single core to get the P5W DH DELUXE working. As long as the bios supports the cpu, it will work out of the box.

The video card on your list I'd get is x1950pro vivo. You're right there are no 8800gts vivo at newegg. I found a 7900gt vivo in stock for $184.99 after rebate:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127218

IMO, it's overkill for video editing UNLESS you do special effects such as 3D text, etc. A 3D card will help speed things up in that area. Also, all of these will do Composite or S-Video input. No HD. If you want HD, I'd suggest you get a HD camcorder with Firewire output & plug it in the pc for transfering videos.

The rest of the parts look great. I use onboard sound. No opinions on add-ons.

 

[michael_c135]

akhilles, thanks for the quick reply.

Here is what I think could be a final list, does anyone see anything I still need or could use? Also, does anyone know if DirectX makes a difference in photo/video editing? I.e. DirectX 10 coming out soon, I wonder if it matters?

I'm torn on the price of the case, thought about the Antex P180 but don't like the door or the wiring inside. I'm also wondering if the 74GB Raptor would be plenty for OS and software or is it better to have the extra space. Vista takes up about 15GB from what I read.

Thank you,

Mike



Final Build List (I think):

SILVERSTONE TJ09-B Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $289.99

ASUS P5B Deluxe LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $176.99

ATI 100-437807 Radeon X1950PRO 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail $214.99

Thermaltake W0106RU Complies with ATX 12V 2.2 & EPS 12V version 700W Power Supply - Retail $169.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6600 - Retail $313.00

Atech Flash PRO-28U BLACK 28-in-1 USB 2.0 Internal/External Card Reader - Retail $29.99

SUPER TALENT 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model T800UX2GC4 - Retail 204.99

Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM $229.99

3 ea. Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3500630AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM. Total is $449.97

2 ea. LG 18X DVD±R Super-Multi DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write Black IDE Model GSA-H42N-BK - OEM. Total is $57.98

Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM $119.99

Arctic Silver Ceramique Thermal Compound - OEM $4.99


Subtotal: $2,262.86

 

[bpatters55]

I just built a system with the Asys P5W Deluxe DH motherboard and I have had (knock on wood) no problems. The system has been running for over three weeks now. I have the 6600 CPU and 2GB of RAM. I did not have to use a non-dual core CPU to upgrade the BIOS. My board is running the 1601 version which I bought at NewEgg. The board has been out for 8 months or so and I have found it to be very stable. I will probably use it for similar applications as you.

 

[michael_c135]

bpatters55

What was your reason in choosing the P5W Deluxe DH? Did you consider the P5B Delux? I had the P5W on my list for a while, still considering it.

Mike

 

[Mondoman]

... Also, does anyone know if DirectX makes a difference in photo/video editing? I.e. DirectX 10 coming out soon, I wonder if it matters?

My strong impression (not doing a lot of video editing myself) is that direct x and a fast "gaming" video card won't matter in anything you do, but will just convert your dollars to heat inside the case for no good reason. You have to realize that most people on this board are gamers, so that's the kind of system we'll recommend.

For photo/video editing, here's what I think would be important:

1) CPU speed. An e6600 is a good mainstream purchase, but I would certainly plan on overclocking it 25-50%.

2) MB issues:
a) make sure it can accept one of the new, 1333MHz FSB quad-core CPUs from Intel, as an upgrade. This will likely boost performance noticeably, and will be a nice upgrade in a year or so.
b) PATA drives are being phased out in favor of SATA drives. The MB you listed has only one PATA header, controlled by a non-Intel chip; many people are having hassles installing the driver for that port/header. Thus, if you are going to use PATA optical drives, I'd suggest getting a MB w/better support for PATA. The best solution, though, is to get 2 SATA optical drives instead of the PATA drives.

3) RAM. Increasing the total RAM should help you a lot. However, 3GB or so is the practical maximum addressable in 32-bit XP or 32-bit Vista. This may be enough for you. However, you should seriously consider using a 64-bit XP or 64-bit Vista instead. Remember that in order to do so and make use of the extra RAM, you will need 64-bit drivers for all your hardware, and 64-bit versions of your key software (Photoshop?).

4) Hard drives. Since you will be reading/writing large amounts of data, hard drive performance will have a big impact on your system. The Raptor is a good idea for your main (OS and temp) drive, but I would strongly suggest going to a hardware-assisted RAID 5 array for your main storage.
a) RAID 5 is more space-efficient than RAID 1.
b) An add-in card with builtin processor for calculating the RAID parity data will help ensure maximum reading and writing speeds without using your main CPU. This should give you high throughput, speeding up reading/writing photo/video material.
c) If your system MB ever fails, you can easily just move the RAID controller card and drives to a new system without any potential problems in reading the data on the drives.
d) The Seagate 7200.10 drives are a good choice, but the higher capacities have a high cost-per-byte. I'd consider getting 4 of the seagate 7200.10 320GB models (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148140) to set them up in a RAID 5 config for about 9500GB available total.
e) Here is an excellent hardware RAID card from a top-notch company: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16816116042

5) Graphics card: A nice $100 or so PCIExpress card will give you dual-monitor support at high resolutions, and even run modern games. Something like this (nice and quiet w/passive heat sink, unlike many others): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814127211


Good luck!

 

[michael_c135]

You guys are awesome and I love this forum for it. I'm off to work for 12 hours so I'm going to look at your reply indepth there tonight.

Mike

 

[akhilles]

Intel P965 supports quad core & FSB 1333. It's up to the manufacturer to update the bios. ABIT, MSI, Gigabyte & ASUS are good at this:

http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us&model=P5B%20Deluxe/WiFi-AP

Version 1004 2007/01/26 update

Description P5B Deluxe Release BIOS 1004
**Please update AsusUpdate to V7.09.02 or later prior making this update.**
**This BIOS does not support roll back to older BIOS**
1 Enhance memory compatibility
2 Support CONROE E0 CPU(FSB 1333)

http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?modelmenu=2&model=1179&l1=3&l2=11&l3=307

CPU Intel® Quad-core CPU Ready
LGA775 socket for Intel® Core™2 Extreme / Core™2 Duo / Pentium® Extreme / Pentium® D / Pentium® 4 / Celeron® D Processors
Compatible with Intel® 05B/05A/06B processors
Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology ready
* Refer to www.asus.com for Intel CPU support list
* Please update the latest BIOS to support Intel Quad-core CPU

 

[michael_c135]

Hello,

4) Hard drives. Since you will be reading/writing large amounts of data, hard drive performance will have a big impact on your system. The Raptor is a good idea for your main (OS and temp) drive, but I would strongly suggest going to a hardware-assisted RAID 5 array for your main storage.
a) RAID 5 is more space-efficient than RAID 1.

I plan on filling up the computer with hard drives. What I'm looking for is these areas for storage.

Raptor 150GB
HD for OS/installed software

SATA HD's
HD for work area: (no perminate files)
HD for photos storage (perminate storage, I have thousands of files, but under 300GB worth so for)
HD for Video storage (I have lots of small video clips as well as full length 60 min files)
HD for music (At the moment I have over 125,000 MP-3's, all my CD's are stored)
HD for general storage

I plan on using external HD's for back-up

I found a cool website to explain the RAID configurations, http://www.acnc.com/04_01_00.html

I was looking at using the 500GB drives for each area and would have room to grow. Would it be better in my case to keep them as individual HD's or create one huge HD using RAID 5 and just create folder for each subject area?

Also, on external back-up of say 4 320GB HD's set up at RAID 5, will I have to have a large external HD like the WD 1 terrabite drive? I have one 750GB IDE seagate and was planning on getting another one.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[cattbert]

I built my current system back in November with an eye towards video editing. I have long since deleted the links, but when I was researching it every article stressed the CPU, memory and hard drives.

With respect to the CPU, the articles said that video editing was one area in which the larger cache of the 6600 was put to good use (and also the one area in which quad core made a real difference, but that was too pricey at this poing for my tastes).

As to the hard drives, you are being smart to not only look at performace, but to get several drives. I have my OS on the Raptor, 1 seagate for source video and a separate partition for the Windows swap drive and the other seagate for the finished video with a separate partition for the Adobe Premiere Elements scratch disks. A 74 gig Raptor would be plenty for your OS drive, but when I got mine the 150 gig was only $40 more than the 74 gig (after rebate), so I went with that.

As to the video card, it will not make any difference with the speed of video editing. Premiere Elements does not take advantage of the GPU to accellerate transcoding. Even if you were willing to shell out a ton of money (appx $700) to get the full Premiere Pro 2, the choice of supported video cards for GPU accelleration is very sparse:

http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/search_result.html?manuSearchVar=1&modelSearchVar=0&supportSearchVar=0&brand=&dataFormat=&version=2.0&device=graphic&format=

ATI markets their X1____ cards as accellerating transcoding (called AVIVO) , but when I looked into it I discovered that only applies if you are using the ATI software ... no video editing programs support it.

As to the VIVO capability, what kind of camcorder are you using? VIVO is for capturing analog sources. If you are still using an analog camcorder, then I would suggest cutting some corners in this build and use some of it to upgrade your camcorder. If you are using a digital camcorder, then you will not need it for that. If you are looking to capture video from some other source, such as a VCR, DVD player, etc. then you will need it. I can't speak to the VIVO capability of my 1950, as I also have a TV Wonder 650 card that I use for that type of thing.

Good choice on the video editing software. I have used ULead 6, 8 & 9, Pinnacle 9 & 10 and Premeire Elements 2 & 3. Pinnacle was not worth any amount of money (I only tried it because it was free after rebate and I think I still got hosed because I am out postage ... it is that bad). I liked ULead (and have read good things about ver 10), but Premiere Elements is very easy to use and I have never had a problem with errors or lock-ups.

 

[Mondoman]

RAID 5 will be faster, safer, and more convenient, but will cost more. Normally, your backup software should be able to compress the data about 2x on average, and you won't be backing up the unused portions of the drives, so I'd start with a 500GB drive. Remember, 500GB and up drives will be dropping in price fairly quickly in the future.

 

[michael_c135]

RAID 5 will be faster, safer, and more convenient, but will cost more.

Thanks for the reply. What do you mean by cost more? is it adding the RAID card to the list? Also, would I see one HD as a large storage space and then just make folders for my specific storage area's?

Example:

C: OS/Software
D: RAID 5 over 5 HD's (Folders: Work Space, Photos, Videos, Music, Storage)

Work Space
Photos
Videos
Music
Storage

Or should I go:

C: OS/Software
D: (Seperate Drive) Work Space
E: RAID 5 over 4 HD's (Folders: Photos, Videos, Music, Storage)

Thanks, Mike

 

[michael_c135]

I have updated my build list. What do you think? Am I missing anything? If I go RAID 5 setup I will need a RAID card, I think. Also, I have selected 2 SATA DVD burners and 6 SATA Hard Drives. Does anyone know if I will have enough power cables and SATA ports for this if I don't go RAID?



Updated Build List

1 SILVERSTONE TJ09-B Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
$289.99

1 ASUS P5B Deluxe LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$176.99

1 ATI 100-437807 Radeon X1950PRO 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail
$214.99

1 Thermaltake W0106RU Complies with ATX 12V 2.2 & EPS 12V version 700W Power Supply - Retail
$144.99

1 Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6600 - Retail
$313.00

1 Atech Flash PRO-28U BLACK 28-in-1 USB 2.0 Internal/External Card Reader - Retail
$29.99

1 SUPER TALENT 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model T800UX2GC4 - Retail
$189.99

1 Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
$199.99

5 Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$449.95

2 LG 18X DVD±R Super-Multi DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write Black IDE Model GSA-H42N-BK - OEM
$57.98

1 Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM
$119.99

1 Arctic Silver Ceramique Thermal Compound - OEM
$4.99


Subtotal: $2,192.84

 

[Mondoman]

... What do you mean by cost more? is it adding the RAID card to the list?

Both the card, and the fact that one drive will be used for parity info, not data (so, 4x 400GB drives in RAID 5 gives a 1200GB volume, not 1600GB).

... Also, would I see one HD as a large storage space and then just make folders for my specific storage area's?

Yes, which removes the problem of wasted space if one storage area doesn't really need a whole drive.

It looks like that MB only has 4 SATA ports from the Intel chipset, and 3 more from the JMicron chip, for a total of 7, so you would need a controller card for 8 SATA drives.

 

[michael_c135]

Mondoman,

Thank you. I hate to keep asking all the questions but I have one more. Your note on

Yes, which removes the problem of wasted space if one storage area doesn't really need a whole drive.

makes a lit of since, I'm in that situation. For my situation I have three computers at the moment. Instead of using the new rig I'm going to build and use for photo/video editing would it be wise to build a small server with all the hard drives to store all my finished files. I've been toying with the idea for a while. That way the new rig wouldn't get tied up as a workstation and storage station.