Feedback on Video Edit/Light Gaming Machine

You really need to choose/communicate WHICH is (far) more important, to you.

... From Your choice of GPU, I would guess that gaming is (far) more important than editing.

... First off ... Know that an nVidia card is going to make a far better gaming card than a Radeon will, as an editing card.

... Second ... It is VERY VERY important to your decisions on GPU and Main Compute Core (mobo-proc/ram/cooler) that you be clear and honest (with yourself and us) on EXACTLY WHICH applications you plan to use (AND *NOT* USE) and how much, how often and "for what" ... I know!

... To a lesser degree .. It can be important to know which games you do play and also which categories do not interest you.

SONY VEGAS, for instance, is CPU intensive ... It does not care what GPU you have because it is leaning on the (faster) CPU (and EXTRA RAM), almost entirely so it really would love 4 cores, a high over-clock with better cooling and 8GB of faster RAM.

ADOBE Tools ... BORIS ... Majic Bullet ... Many other pro graphics tools *DO* (very much) care what GPU you have and these tools are specifically NEEDING to address special features like OpenGL 3.x or CUDA or GPU hardware based codec accelleration.

Committing to Pro Graphics Toolsets (broadly) means that you SHOULD get a Quadro Workstation card but MIGHT get by with a modern GT220 or a 250.

For video editing with more than 2 monitors ... that means 2 nvidia cards ... that means power considerations.

... I'm just saying that it is prolly much easier to build a great pro-vid/graphics rig that can game respectably than to build a Crossfire Rig and then expect to edit (well) with that.

Maybe in 5 years, things will be very different ... there is no reason dual radeon game rig could not be a great edit rig except that pro edit/graphics tools developers would only need to (totally) commit to that architecture ... not any time soon, tho ... more about marketing alliances and "partner products" IMO.

= Alvin =

Realistically, it's just a family desktop that I'll use in the same way that I'm using an Athlon 64 3400/Radeon 9800pro but I want it to be faster. I edit miniDV with Ulead Video Studio (will learn Premier soon) and I may dabble in things like Aftereffects but it's way out there on the horizon. My gaming is even way more lame. The last time I went to a LAN party (do people even do that anymore?) we were playing Doom and Duke Nukem 3D. The last thing I was into was C&C Generals and I'd like to get into COD2 and L4D2. That's really about it.

DO NOT GET THAT PSU! It is cr@p and can/will kill your board,CPU,etc.


Other way around. ATI makes pretty damn good cards for gaming and nVidia dominates the workstation market. Yes, the king of the hill is probably the GTX480, but there is NO POINT to get that card. Also realize that the GTX480s, basically the whole gamer 4xx cards only have 25% of the CUDA cores compaired to the Tesla cards, so I think one will be better off with an older 2xx card in this sense assuming OP will use CUDA enabled stuff anyways.


Not true. If the card has any dual outputs you can get 2x LCDs up and running. I have a 2x LCD set up on my 4850.

@OP:.

1. Drop the SSD and if you plan to get an SSD, go with a good one, ie the X25-MG2. Check out the reviews over at Anandtech.

2. Get the GSkill Ripjaws DDR3 1600.

3. Good choice on CPU and Gigabyte 790X motherboard combo.

4. DO NOT do RAID0 on on the HDDs if you plan to store important data. RAID0 should be only used on an OS/programs drive due to the fact that if the array fails, you loose EVERYTHING.

5. What LCD? That will make a HUGE difference when it comes to photo/vid editing.

For those games, a 5770 is probably an over kill. Get a 9800GT,etc which can be found for ~$80-90 or so.

Then you are going to be a VERY happy camper ... I have that "tingly" Santa Claus feeling coming on. (Oh, lord!).

Seriously, tho ... uLead MSP was my "first love" and I even still have it loaded on this system! ... VEGAS Platinum Pro-Pak ($94 USD) will be a pleasant surprise, if you are not familiar. I have done Avid and Premier ... cost barriers to getting anything done !! .. FCP is the "holy grail" but I ain't about to spring for Apple HW!.

So ... for us ... right now ... an AMD x4 Core with 4-8GB of faster RAM and products like VEGAS PRO .. Pinnacle Liquid Edition .. Premier("-LE") .. PS Elements.
To be honest ... I have not checked on uLeads latest offerings in over two years.
I do like the company and their SW was not bad at all .. I hate it when so called pros scoff at great "delivery" products like uLead MSP .. It does work!

I have TWO picks, for your GPU ... Get two of either for mor than 2 mons ... both will SLI ... both need good power.

Slightly heavier build:

PNY VCGGTS2501XPB GeForce GTS 250 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Slightly Lighter Build (but a VERY NICE card)

EVGA 01G-P3-N981-TR GeForce 9800 GT 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

For a little more money (still under $200) ... This card WILL ROCK FOR GAMES and will let you edit in VEGAS and uLead too! ... Does Crossfire Big-Time !

HIS IceQ 5 H577QT1GD Radeon HD 5770 Turbo 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

I would be VERY tempted to get the 5770 if I did not have several other requirements and restrictions, which preclude it from my own build. (pwr/cost/sw).

= Alvin =



= Alvin =

shadow ... you misread/mis-interpreted BOTH of my statements ...

FIRST .. YES radeon=gamer .. nvidia=ws BUT nvidia makes better as a gamer THAN radeon does as a WS card ... ??? get me ??

SECOND .. I said ... **MORE** than TWO(2) mons (@1200) requires MORE THAN ONE nVidia card.

Let's not confuse the issues !!

^ Alvin, next time could you PLEASE post it in an understandable fashion. Your current posts all have ... in the middle and it's annoying to say the least. Also, did you read:


I believe that's what I said.


That is correct. My mistake.
edit: However, I do like to point out that there ARE nVidia Workstation cards with support for 4 LCDs. For example: http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_quadro_nvs_420_us....

Okay, Boss!

Take the thread.

= Out! =

Thanks for all the input. I'm hesitant about running two monitors right now because this is a kitchen workstation. I'm reading more about the nVidia cards now..