First Time Builder - Good System or Overkill ???

[wakytime]

I'm a first time builder and have been looking at components for a while trying to pick compatible parts. I need to replace my outdated and overtaxed Pentium III system. I'm not a gamer, but want a good system that is STABLE which will allow me to do video editing, HD video, music, and just the normal stuff. The following are the components that look good to my newbie eyes, but I wonder if I'm really overbuilding for my needs, especially as I look at what my dollar will pay for from vendors like HP which are already built. I'm open to any and all comments and guidance as I know this group has much experience.

Thanks in advance for your help. Bill K

Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 Conroe 2.33GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115030.
-or-
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115029

XFX nForce 680i LT SLI Motherboard, NVIDIA
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2959594

XFX GeForce 8600 GT Video Card - 512MB DDR2
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3445092 $90

Ultra X-Blaster Black ATX Mid-Tower Case with Front USB, FireWire and Audio Ports
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2337810&CatId=32

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 610 EPS12V EPS12V 610W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005

OCZ Platinum Revision-2 2048MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 x 1024MB)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2882686&CatId=2261

Western Digital Caviar 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136161

LITE-ON DVD BURNER:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106050.

Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Home Premium
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116202.

Internal 3.5" Floppy Drive w/Multi Card Reader ?

 

[baracuda73]

Looks pretty good but 3 suggestions

Go quad core instead most video editing programs will thank you

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017

And Video Editing with Vista will need 4GB of ram

OCZ Vista Upgrade 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227195

And Lastly pick up a second hard drive and put it in RAID0. Will cut Rendering time.

 

[CNeufeld]

I wouldn't get either of your two processor selections. Get one of the new E8x00 processors instead. The E8400 should be the same price as the E6750, but it's as fast as the E6850. It also runs cooler, and will run multi-media stuff even faster when more software supports the new instruction set it comes with.

Clint

 

[nhobo]

You're not a gamer, why get an SLI board? The P35 mobos are fast and easily OC'able if you want. Try the DS3L. Wait for the E8400, which should be the same price as the E6750. Avoid RAID like the plague. Stick with XP, you'll get better performance and compatibility. Vista is nothing but hype and cash out of your pocket.

 

[coltz]

Did someone notice that 250GB HDD might be a bit small for HD video editing...? Uncompressed footage can QUICKLY fill that up.

Also, ATi cards tend to have better video decode (AVIVO vs Purevideo; look up a review on Toms/Anand). Check them out (2600XT might do just well).

Agreed on the quad core and ram, and on the unnecessary SLi.

The PSU is overkill since you're not getting high-end video, nor are you overclocking anything. This would do.

 

[chuckm]

I agree with the previous comments. Get either of these power supplies, both are good deals;
http://www.buy.com/prod/Corsair-VX-450w-Power-Supply/q/loc/101/205466485.html
http://www.buy.com/prod/Corsair-VX-550W-Power-Supply/q/loc/101/205852646.html

 

[wakytime]

Great suggestions... thanks! Had not considered the benefit of a number or hard drives and use of a quad for video editing.

QUESTION..... on SLI versus non-SLI MBs.
I was thinking there was little penalty for getting an SLI board, and that would give me the option of adding another graphics board in the future if desired. Is this the perspective correct?

 

[CNeufeld]

The idea of adding another card down the road is valid, but not really for your purposes, unless you're going to get into games. AFAIK, it won't help with any video work.

I wouldn't go with HD's in a RAID 0 array. You might get slightly better performance, but the risk of having something go wrong is greater (about twice as good, as a matter of fact). So have a good backup strategy if you go that route. Well, you should have one of those in any case... But more so with the RAID 0.

Clint