Video Editing / Gaming Build - Any Conflcts?

[FletchAZ]

Hello,
This is my first build in several years so I'm looking for confirmation that I'm not making any big mistakes on selections (conflicts, wrong gear, etc.) or overbuying. Here's what I have:

Case - Antec 900 Case
HD - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
Video - HIS H577FK1GD Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support
RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
CPU - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor
MB - ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
PS - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready

I will be using the system for gaming and video editing and would like to keep total cost under $700. This build is currently $600 after rebates at Newegg.

I have the power supply and crossfire support for potential future upgrades. I was contemplating 8GB of RAM but wasn't sure if needed. If suggested, should it be 4 x 2GB or 2 x 4GB

Thanks in advance for any input or advice

 

[etk]

You will undoubtedly be recommended to get the Spinpoint F3 Drive by others, it's become a kind of religion here. It'll be a tad quieter and faster than the Barracuda for an extra $20. For another $20, you could get a WD Caviar Black, which has a faster seek time but a slower throughput. I personally don't think the performance is worth an extra $20-$40, as that could be put towards a SSD which would have more significant gains, but consider the possibility, as it will be recommended to you.

Edit: 4GB of RAM is fine for the time being, and it's price should drop over the next couple of quarters, so it'll be cheaper to buy later than now.

 

[FletchAZ]

Thanks for the tip on the Spinpoint F3 and SSD - hadn't thought about that.

For the SSD, due to price and size, I probably be looking at a 60GB Model. Would that be worthwhile? Would I need to change my MB? I assume that the OS and most frequently used programs would load on the SSD and data on a secondary HD. I'm purchasing 64it Windows 7. Sorry so many questions on the SSD - it looks like great technology with favorable reviews, just something new to learn about and balance on the value curve.

Looking at OCZ Agility 2 OCZSSD2-2AGTE60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - $105 after rebate.

Thanks again for the help

 

[batuchka]

That price point u could actually land a HD 6850 crossfire capable machine hehe

$583AR

HD6K: single/CF review
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3987/amds-radeon-6870-6850-renewing-competition-in-the-midrange-market/8

 

[etk]

60GB should be fine. I have a 32GB with win 7 Pro, Office 2007 Enterprise, MatLab, a ton of little things, documents, etc. and I have 7GB left over.

An SSD is just a type of HDD, so you don't need anything special for it or a different motherboard (other than a SATA cable).

 

[FletchAZ]

That price point u could actually land a HD 6850 crossfire capable machine hehe

$583AR
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q205/batuchka/Untitled-1196.jpg

HD6K: single/CF review
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3987/amds-radeon-6870-6850-renewing-competition-in-the-midrange-market/8

___


In this build I noticed you dropped to a 2.8ghz CPU - Is that a good balance with the video? I was thinking I would need higher CPU for video editing and therefore didn't go for as high of a video card to keep my budget.

 

[FletchAZ]

60GB should be fine. I have a 32GB with win 7 Pro, Office 2007 Enterprise, MatLab, a ton of little things, documents, etc. and I have 7GB left over.

An SSD is just a type of HDD, so you don't need anything special for it or a different motherboard (other than a SATA cable).

Thanks - that helps. Now that I look at my work laptop, that machine only has a 75GB HD with 21GB unused so that makes sense.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

___


In this build I noticed you dropped to a 2.8ghz CPU - Is that a good balance with the video? I was thinking I would need higher CPU for video editing and therefore didn't go for as high of a video card to keep my budget.

Here's a slightly different combo about the same price, with an Athlon II X4 @3.0 GHz instead of the Phenom II X4 2.8 GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.553726

 

[FletchAZ]

Here's a slightly different combo about the same price, with an Athlon II X4 @3.0 GHz instead of the Phenom II X4 2.8 GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.553726

Any noticeable difference between Athlon and Phenom? Both are quad core

 

[ScrewySqrl]

The Athlon II lacks the level 3 Cache (but has the same Level 1 and Level 2 cache) but is 200 MHz faster.

 

[batuchka]

___


In this build I noticed you dropped to a 2.8ghz CPU - Is that a good balance with the video? I was thinking I would need higher CPU for video editing and therefore didn't go for as high of a video card to keep my budget.

Video editing does better with both higher locks and bigger cache but you have the option of clocking that 925 of course

 

[FletchAZ]

Any video card manufacturers to recommend or to stay away from - looking at ATI