New Video Editing Build - AMD vs. Intel

kg2010

Distinguished
Jun 6, 2010
358
0
18,810
I've always built my systems in the past, but the last system I built was like 5 years ago,
and it did very well for my needs, and then my current computer which is an HP 1600n and it
really SUCKS! It was given to me a few months ago, so I can't really complain about
what I spent on it. ;) However, the wasted time and frustration with this computer,
has set back my productivity in many ways.

Anyway - it's time for a new computer, I have tried replacing ram 3 times, with Kingston,
generic brand, and no 2 sticks ever work together - only 1 Memory stick is recognized,
at any given time, and the motherboard only accepts 1 GB sticks, which makes everything
run SLOWWWLY - constant freezing, Premiere Pro won't even anymore.

I'm tired of trying to upgrade and troubleshoot this computer, and I'm just done dealing with it,
I have some projects that I'm working on now, and they involve video editing, as well as an overall
very well functioning computer that will not freeze and in turn slow me down.

I am looking for an overall well functioning computer that will perform when I multi task,
and will handle all tasks I throw at it quickly.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: NOW

Budget: $1500 - $2000 MAX

Country of Origin: Canada

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Video Editing with Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, Photoshop and other office applications.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Doesn't matter, willing to order online, or purchase at a
retail store. The quicker I can get my hands on a system the better.

PARTS PREFERENCES:
I need to have a Quad Core system, I'm looking into an i7 930,
6 GB - 12 GB RAM

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION: I have a Samsung 323T - Currently i'ts running at 1280 x 768 -
I know I may need a true 1080p monitor, and will upgrade IF I have to, I really like my 32" screen now.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I am looking at a few options right now.

Option 1 Now - UPDATED list:

The build has been purchased!
I have some final research to finalize, and it's in regards to upgrading to a better card now, instead of upgrading later. Considering a GTX 470 or a 5870 card, since they're around a $50 difference.

The GTX 470 seems to run way too hot - but is a way better performer than the 5850.

i7 930 + ASUS P6X58D-E

CORSAIR XMS3 6GB 1600c7

120 GB SSD OCZ Vertex Series - Boot Drive

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 TB

ZOTAC GeForce GTS 250

CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-650HX ( If I upgrade - I'll need 750w )

NH-D14 Cooler + 2 x 140mm Noctua NF-P14 Exhaust fans + 120mm rear fan - will get 2 x 120mm fans for front intake.

Samsung DVD Burner

CM 690 II Advanced

----------

Additional Notes:

Gaming is not that important to me on the PC as I have an Xbox 360, along
with a 47" 1080p LCD where all the gaming is done in the basement, plus,
these days, I don't really have time to play games.

My time is better spent working, and taking care of my family.

Although it'll be nice to play games on it once in a while, this will NOT be the primary focus
for this computer.

My main focus is to have a powerful Computer that can chew through all tasks I throw at it,
where I can do video editing without a hitch, with room to grow and expand if needed.

Any suggestions, feedback, and opinions on which option I should go with are welcomed.

...........

Whoa, sorry about all this info guys, I am doing thorough research right now, as I need to get
my hands on a new system asap.

Thanks in advance!
 
Well IMO there should be an option 4 : AMD Phenom II X6 1090T 6-Core
Check its reviews...
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-phenom-ii-x6-1090t-890fx,2613.html

And the 1st board in Option 1 - ASUS P7P55D Deluxe is not compatible with i7 9xx CPUs as its a LGA 1156 mobo and the i7 9xx CPUs are LGA 1366...

Also you wont need such powerful cards like 2x HD 5770s or HD 5870...A single HD 5670 would suffice if you wont be using the PC for gaming...

And I would rather suggest you to build the PC by yourself...IMO a good experience and also in the case of a Pre-built PC, if you come across with any issues, you would have to wait to get a response from the company...

So 1st decide which route you will be going and then we could come up with a suitable config...
Also rather than spending on premium components, go with mid-range ones, which IMO still are very good and with the money saved, you can get a SSD in your build, and that would be a very good component that you would like to have it in your build...
 

Mark Heath

Distinguished
Apr 28, 2010
837
0
19,010
I'd recommend building from scratch if you can.

Not really any point going for the 960. Much more expensive and the clock speed that it has can be put on a 930.

For this build I'd recommend going with the 930 (preferably also overclocking it, since it's so good at it) or an amd hexa-core processor. With the 930 you'll need a mobo that uses the X58 chipset. This mobo: ASUS P7P55D Deluxe LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard that you listed uses the P55 chipset, so you can't use the 2 together.

A good X58 board from Gigabyte is the X58A-UD3R. Recommended buy from Tom's Hardware:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128423&Tpk=gigabyte%20x58a-ud3r

check it out and see what you think (connections etc)

You may find AMD's hexa-core processors better for what you're doing. I'm not good with amd builds, but the hexa-cores might be a better choice here. Someone else should be able to point you in the right direction

6 or 12GB of 1333 or 1600 speed RAM with a latency of at least 8 is my recommendation (depends how heavy editing I guess)

The current samsung F3 drives are good, similar performance to the wd black drives, but cheaper:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

With graphics, you might want to look at a 5850, especially if you're willing to overclock it. It has performance a bit under 2 5770s. You could also look at a cheaper option like a single 5670 or 5770

Corsair TX-750 or HX-750 psu if you plan to overclock things while using the 5850, Corsair TX-650 if you don't. A 550W one should be enough if you use one of the lower end cards(there are some good antec psus too, but these are my pick)

Antec 300 Illusion (has more fans than standard 300), Antec 900/902, Cooler Master HAF 922/933, Cooler Master 690 II (and Cooler Master Storm Scout if you want a bit of fancy stuff) are all good cases. All sturdy with good airflow (some a bit better than others) - personal preference mostly.

If you overclock with the 930 then this is a great cpu cooler for its price:
http://tinyurl.com/cm-hyper-212

Yeah, that res is a bit small. You could dual monitor mb? Asus VH242H is pretty good:
http://tinyurl.com/asus-vh242h

If you're looking for an optical, Sony Optiarc drives are good.

That's a bit long, but it covers everything (for now). hope it helps. Good luck with the build :)
 

kg2010

Distinguished
Jun 6, 2010
358
0
18,810
Thanks for the long replies, I appreciate them.

Seeing how my OP is pretty long, I do appreciate the long replies as well. ;)

I would like to be very thorough now, and get the best performing parts for the best price,
so I don't have regrets later, and can just enjoy my new rig, until it's time to upgrade again. ;)

Ok - so .... I'm going to modify my OP, and update with the following.

I am willing to build myself, though I'm short on time as I have some very important
work to do, I'm willing to build it right the first time, and call around a few local places
to see if they can price match close to what I find on Newegg.ca for example.

--------

The approximate costs of this new system are:

CPU: i7 930 $300 + MOBO Combo: $513.98
RAM: 6 GB - $200
GPU: ???
HD: F3 - 1 TB - $79 + Primary Drive = ?
Case: $100 ( app )
PSU: $100 ( app )

So far - the approximate price is: $992.98 - I still have $500 or so to play with.... ;)

Have to decide on GPU, hard drives, Case + PSU

--------

MOBO - X58A-UD3R - I've always been a fan of Gigabyte, and my last build used a Gigabyte MOBO.

Would this board be a better option over the Asus p6T boards?
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=ASUS+P6T++&x=16&y=28

I'm willing to spend $250 - $300 on a MOBO where noticeable performance / upgradeability is justified.

CPU - i7 930 processor - $305 with shipping
http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-3463938-10593543?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newegg.ca%2FProduct%2FProduct.aspx%3FItem%3DN82E16819115225

Combo Discount = $513.98
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.415618

GPU: Do I really need a 5850 card?

Would this suffice? GeForce 9800 GT EE

And, aren't NVIDIA cards optimized to work with Adobe CSx products?

RAM - 6 GB - 12 GB of 1600 speed RAM with a latency of at least 8 - $200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=6gb+ddr3+1600

Will want to get another 6 GB down the road.

Hard Drives: Samsung F3 drive - 1 TB - $79
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=samsung+f3

Should I have an OS drive + Scratch Disk drive?

If so - which 2 options would be best?

If I get an SSD drive, how much would I expect to pay? Which option is best / price?

PSU: I'm willing to overclock - and can go with Corsair TX-750 - $117

Case: It doesn't have to be fancy - I just want things properly cooled - with room for expansion.

Spending $200 - $250 MAX on a case and power supply would be ideal.

I don't need fancy stuff, just want things propery cooled, as quiet as possible,
I'd rather spend more in other areas. But I understand these are key components.

How safe is overclocking?

Is it true that it reduces the life exptancy of your hardware?

I'm willing to overclock after reading and following a proper guide. ;)

Thanks again!
 

sparx_inc

Distinguished
Jun 6, 2010
25
0
18,530
Overclocking should be done very cautiously, with with small bumps. And there are chances that the life will reduce. At first don't try to fiddle with the voltage settings in the beginning, use the unlocked multiplier if your CPU supports and the FSB first.
 
^^ Did you check out the AMD Phenom ??

And as for your build, Some suggestions
1. Memory -
Crucial 6GB DDR3 - A high quality RAM at a good price compared to other RAMs...
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148254

2. CASE - This would be a good option...
Antec 300 Illusion
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066
Very good airflow with 4 stock fans...

3. PSU - You wont need a 750W
Get either of these...
Antec TP 550/ Seasonic S12 520
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371020
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094

4. SSD- If you go with one, get either of these...
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167023
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227394

5. Mobo - The Gigabyte is good, but before some days had seen some people complaining about the stablility issues...So just make sure if it is not present now...
Another option
ASUS P6X58D-E
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131641

5. Video card - This would be a good option...and Yes Adobe components favour Nvidia cards than ATI...but Premier also favours the ATI cards thanks to "ATI Stream" - Similar to CUDA from Nvidia...
PNY GT 240
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133306

Hope these help...
 

kg2010

Distinguished
Jun 6, 2010
358
0
18,810
I'm glued to the review now.... and was editing my OP, but I guess, I'll create a new reply for
our official option 4. :)

Thanks for mentioning it!

Option 4 - AMD Phenom II X6 1090T - $320
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103849&cm_re=AMD_Phenom_II_X6_1090T-_-19-103-849-_-Product

ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890GX HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131631&cm_re=amd_890gx_motherboard-_-13-131-631-_-Product

The Review Board: MSI 890FXA-GD70 AM3 AMD 890FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130274&Tpk=MSI%20890FXA-GD70

Now, the questions become, which boards will / can support up to 12 GB, or do they all
come with 4 DIMM slots?

Since this processor just came out about a month ago, would it be wise to wait for
more motherboards to come out? Will future MOBO's support 6 DIMM's?

One noticeable thing I just found is this:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-phenom-ii-x6-1090t-890fx,2613-9.html

Lo and behold, even with the fastest single-GPU card you can buy, the Phenom II X6 doesn’t spring to life. Meanwhile, the overclocked Core i7 leaps forward by quite a bit. This is eerily reminiscent of a gaming piece I wrote back in 2008 comparing high-end AMD and Intel gaming rigs. All else equal, the Phenom X4 I was testing at the time was simply creamed by Core i7 in Crysis.

This one gaming test opened up a ton of additional reformatting, reinstalling, and testing, just to make sure everything was reproducible. The conclusion we’re going to draw early on is that a six-core CPU running at a lower clock rate—Turbo CORE or not—is probably not the way to go for gamers. At any rate, onto Left 4 Dead 2.

I'm not going to be gaming much, but the graphical performance is not as on par with the Phenom,
and I wonder how this will affect video editing?

And now, somethng to noteable to look at, in CoD MW 2 - it outperformed all others!
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-phenom-ii-x6-1090t-890fx,2613-11.html

Back to the review.... :)
 

Mark Heath

Distinguished
Apr 28, 2010
837
0
19,010
with the graphics, sorry bout the recommendation for the 5850 (overkill) didn't really get it at the time..

240 gt with 550w psu or thereabouts is a nice combo. The psu's recommended by gkay are both pretty good.

you are probably better off with the 6 cores of the 1090, but both the intel and amds builds are viable.
 
^ Well all boards come with 4 RAM slots...
And as for more than 4 DIMMs, then you would have to wait for AMD's next gen CPUs or Intel's i7 9xx CPUs...
But I doubt you would notice significant performance difference though...

And also if you want more RAM, maybe you can get a 2x 4GB kit
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311

So later on add another 8GB, making it a total of 16GB ;)

And also I dont think you would need any of those boards...
The 870 chipset boards will be good enough...
GIGABYTE GA-870A-UD3 - Has 2 eSATA ports + 2 firewire ports
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128443
 

kg2010

Distinguished
Jun 6, 2010
358
0
18,810
After reading the reviews, considering what my true purpose is...

AMD’s hexa-core Phenom II X6 1090T is decidedly a productivity-oriented part designed to improve the performance of threaded apps.

Thanks again!
 

sparx_inc

Distinguished
Jun 6, 2010
25
0
18,530


You are talking about Phenom or Phenom II
I have Phenom II X4 955 BE
I overclocked it to 4.01 GHz on Gigabyte MA785GMT-US2H bu just increasing the FSB and the multiplier on stock cooling.
 

sparx_inc

Distinguished
Jun 6, 2010
25
0
18,530
The temps were normal, 955 overclocks to 3.8 very easily just by increasing the multiplier. To get it running it 4GHz i optimized the FSB and multiplier both. I din't do any hardcore stability tests, but just run few benchmarks and used it for at least 2 hours stable.

OFF topic: I am new to this forum, and i din't quiet get how a post is selected as best answer, am i too eligible for selecting other's post? And i also noticed that certain threads have thumbs up & thumbs down symbol while others don't have?
 

Mark Heath

Distinguished
Apr 28, 2010
837
0
19,010
The person who starts the post decides who has the best answer. Other forum members to not have the ability to do so.

The comments section of reviews, news etc have thumbs up/down for rating posts etc. I think that's the only place where that is, but it might be in other places too, I've only been here a month

ed:
hmm.. there are some in the standard forums too..
mb a more experienced person can tell us?
 

kg2010

Distinguished
Jun 6, 2010
358
0
18,810
Ok guys - the thread got off topic - I'd like to get back on topic because I need to start building this system right away...

I think I'm going with the Phenom II X6 1090T - those benchmarks were impressive for multi-threaded applications which is my primary use for this build. Yeah I know, it's not a great gaming performer, but I'm hardly going to be gaming on it.

I started doing research on: GA-870A-UD3

Is this board comparable with the review board? MSI 890FXA-GD70

Found this in regards to SSD's

I meant to use the AMD SATA III raid with my Intel SSD's.- not a happening thing. The Intels are NOT recognized in SATA III raid mode, as I understand it this is an Intel firmware issue, not a problem with the 850 southbridge. I doubt that Intel is going to rush out an updated firmware to help out an AMD situation so be aware of this issue.

GPU: Is this still a good option? GeForce 9800 GT EE

The reviewer on the PNY VCGGT2405G5XEB GeForce GT 240 said that HDMI doesn't work, and didn't receive much service.

Now - I have to decide on the Ram - is this my absolute best option for 8 GB?
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311

Will I need to overclock this for the purpose I am using it for?

I believe the rest of the specs we have will remain the same...

Looking at this case:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129073&cm_re=antec-_-11-129-073-_-Product

Will a 650 Watt PSU suffice? If over-clocking in the future...

I'm looking at the seasonics - and they are out of stock.

gkay09 thanks a lot for adding option 4 - as this is turning out to be the best option for me right now. :)

Mark, thanks a lot for your feedback as well.
 

sparx_inc

Distinguished
Jun 6, 2010
25
0
18,530
^^
Get Corsair TX 650, AFAIK Corsair PSU's are manufactured by Seasonic, Corsair only gives the reference designs, so seasonic should not be bad, but the Corsair's are better. I would striclty recommend Corsair
 

sparx_inc

Distinguished
Jun 6, 2010
25
0
18,530
^^ Don't get EE version of 9800GT,its underclocked, get normal one.
Did you consider ATI instead of Nvidia, like ATI Radeon HD5770?

Din' like the Choice of Corsair TX650 for PSU?
 

kg2010

Distinguished
Jun 6, 2010
358
0
18,810
It's not that I didn't like the PSU choice, but it was more related to the combo newegg.ca has.

This build will be primarily for video editing and as a couple people mentioned before, I could get away with even a 5670 card.

The reason I chose this card was from a previous post recommendation, but I think that was for a budget build I believe.

I do want a high performing GPU, keeping in mind it is geared towards using Adobe Premiere CS5.
 

kg2010

Distinguished
Jun 6, 2010
358
0
18,810
Alrighty - here's the UPDATED list including shipping from newegg.ca

Here's the UPDATED list:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 1090T - $321.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103849&cm_re=AMD_Phenom_II_X6_1090T-_-19-103-849-_-Product

MOBO: GA-870A-UD3 - $122.23 - Is this my best option?
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128443&Tpk=GA-870A-UD3

GPU: ?????

Hard Drives - 1 x 1TB Samsung F3 - $90
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185&cm_re=samsung_f3-_-22-152-185-_-Product

OS DRIVE - TBD - Possibly the Intel X25-M Mainstream 80GB Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - $245
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167023&cm_re=ssd_80_gb-_-20-167-023-_-Product

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1333 - would prefer 1600 - $288.48
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005&Tpk=Corsair%20TX%20650

Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197&cm_re=HAF_922-_-11-119-197-_-Product

or

COOLER MASTER RC-692-KKN2 CM690 II Advanced Black Steel
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119216&Tpk=COOLER%20MASTER%20RC-692-KKN2%20CM690%20II%20Advanced%20Black

Cost before taxes and pending GPU and drives: $936.08

Price including SSD + F3 = $1271.08

Cooling and overclocking options tbd.
 
^
1. Mobo - I wont say its the best mobo, but w.r.t your needs, IMO that is the best board...You wont need the premium features that the 890FX/ 890GX chipsets provide - Crossfire most importantly...Do you think you will be running 2 high power cards in Crossfire in this PC ???

2. RAM - Check out this one...I feel that going with tighter timings is a better option...
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 CAS 7
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231308
So with this RAM, if you loosen the timings to say 8, then you can run this RAM at 1333MHz, which will be better than the before mentioned RAM, that runs at CAS 9 @ 1333MHz...So you get a better RAM cheaper...

3. That case + PSU is fine...both are very good...
Another option...
COOLER MASTER RC-692-KKN2 CM690 II Advanced Black
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119216
+ Corsair 650TX
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005
After rebates, it comes out cheaper and that case has better features...check it out...

4. Video card - I doubt that is a manufacturing defect with the HDMI...And not a default issue...So I dont think that would be a problem...But if you want another option
XFX GT 240
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150472

5. SSD - Another option - OCZ Vertex would be good...
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227394

6. CPU Cooler - CM Hyper 212+
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065