Video Editing & Gaming Build Graphics/Display

Ok, so this is a set up for a build I am planning for December this year.

-With these specs, will it all be compatible ?

-Does the EVGA graphics card work with the Gigabyte Mobo ?

-Will it do good for alot of video editing , photoshoping , gaming ?

-Also, I need a monitor, that can have full HD, and that can have inputs for my pc, and xbox...So HDMI , VGA , etc... What monitor do you recommend ?

-I've heard that an IPS monitor is much better for video editing etc... This true ?

Thanks Waiting for some replies !

Here is the build:

CPU: Core i7 950 Bloomfield
http://www.nanochip.pt/pt-PT/p/307 [...] 950BOX.htm

RAM: 2Kits of: G.SKILL KIT 6GB 3X2GB DDR3 16000Mhz
http://www.nanochip.pt/pt-PT/p/290 [...] 1600NQ.htm )

GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX460 Superclocked
http://www.nanochip.pt/pt-PT/p/310 [...] 01GBSC.htm

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD5
http://www.nanochip.pt/pt-PT/p/288 [...] 58AUD5.htm

HD: SEAGATE 1TB SATA II 32MB 7200 RPM - ST31000528AS
http://www.nanochip.pt/pt-PT/p/250 [...] 00528A.htm

PSU: CORSAIR ATX TX750W SLI 120mm - CMPSU-750TX
http://www.nanochip.pt/pt-PT/p/285 [...] WSLI12.htm

Optical: ASUS DVDRW 24X LightScribe SATA Preto e Branco - DRW-24B1LT
http://www.nanochip.pt/pt-PT/p/278 [...] TPRBRA.htm

Case ANTEC Three Hundred
http://www.nanochip.pt/pt-PT/p/277 [...] UNDRED.htm

It all will be compatible and it will play a lot of games and run anything you want.


Nothing beats LED quality: http://www.samsung.com/us/computer [...] 4B5HVFH/ZA


With a PC like that you won't miss your xbox, trust me.

Oh the 21.5'' doesnt have HDMI need to find another one...

I would try a much better drive then that. 1TB may sound like a lot but it isn't. I do a Lot of both and 1TB is easily to waste when building large videos and keeping a library of other video files for later you will want more. Second Seagate is terrible when it comes to quality and Maxtor is to be avoided regardless of cost. There are 2TB WD blacks floating around and less spacious models are much cheaper plus they are good performers. As for the card you can use it with Cuda supported apps to encode large videos that would normally may take up to several hours on a standard cpu.

It's the complete opposite for me regarding seagate and WD, yes they messed up with the 7200.11 but before that and now the 7200.12 they're all great reliable drives, never had a seagate or maxtor fail on me.

WD has been going downhill for some time, i've had two 500gb blues fail on me in less than 6 months.


Oh, and I'd get this one: http://www.samsung.com/us/business [...] A-features had HDMI input and 5.000.000:1 dynamic contrast ratio vs 1.000.000:1 that the other one has, even though most of those contrast ratio stuff is BS

You can buy a cheap VGA to HDMI adapter, there shouldn't be any quality loss as long as the adapter is decent quality.

The monitor has HDMI, VGA, DVI and even composite, you can use any of that.

I got stacks of dead and failing seagate and maxtor drives. Had one maxtor go blue smoke on me once.

Know you both got me really messed up on this topic

No it isn't, just be careful of discharging all your static before touching unprotected components like the cpu, have a good airflow in your case

1.Yes it will

2. Yes you can

3. This: http://coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=6603 by far the best bang for your buck

4. I've had this for years and it's very reliable, has a pretty good reach and speed: http://www.msi.com/index.php?func= [...] od_no=1063

5. Yes it does, it supports up to 8 channel or 7.1.

6. All the 7200.12 are pretty good drives, the one you chose is no exception, I have the 500gb and it's pretty quiet and the temperature is only 2 degrees higher than the ambient.

Since most of my maxtors and seagates have only been crap.




Oh well.

As someone who recently built a video editing rig, I would like to give you some tips.

Firstly, you can save a LOT on your motherboard by going with either the ASUS P6X58D-E or Gigabyte UD3R, you also may not need 12GB as it's way overkill right now, your RAM Timings should be in the vicinity of 7-7-7-24, yours have CL9.

I highly recommend that you look into getting a 470 instead of a 460.
( I purchased a 460 originally, and later upgraded to a 470 and couldn't be happier. )

Read this review to understand CUDA-Accelerated, And Threaded Performance:
http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] ,2770.html

---------

A little background for going with a 470 instead of a 460:

"For GF104, NVIDIA removed FP64 from only 2 of the 3 blocks of CUDA cores. As a result 1 block of 16 CUDA cores is FP64 capable, while the other 2 are not. This gives NVIDIA the advantage of being able to employ smaller CUDA cores for 32 of the 48 CUDA cores in each SM while not removing FP64 entirely. Because only 1 block of CUDA cores has FP64 capabilities and in turn executes FP64 instructions at 1/4 FP32 performance (handicapped from a native 1/2), GF104 will not be a FP64 monster."

In other words double precision performance took a rather severe hit with gf104, in comparison to gf100. Nvidia also switched to a superscalar execution process with gf104, which is a method of extracting instruction level parallelism (ILP) from a thread, as opposed to thread level parallelism (TLP) implemented in gf100. Again, this tends to benefit gaming efficiency/performance more so then compute performance. You can read more about these architectural tweaks in the linked article below:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3809 [...] 200-king/3

The only 470 I would recommend is this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] -_-Product

This card was $399 not that long ago, it's quiet, and runs very cool. I've yet to see it go over 70C with its max overclock and FULL LOAD. In fact I've seen it as low as 62 on full loads, and as low as 50C in Premiere.

If you can wait it out, the 470's may be going lower in price in the coming weeks, with the release of the 570 tomorrow, and upcoming 69xx release next week.

I have noticed a difference in Premiere as well, all depends on what you're editing.

You will see significant performance gains when dealing with larger HD files for example.

Plus, if you're going to be gaming, this card overclocks VERY WELL.

I wanted to do benchmarks of the 460 vs the 470, and when I started the process I put an ad out on Kijiji to sell my 460, and it was gone within 2 hours, I didn't expect to sell it that quickly!

---------

Out of curiosity, I started benchmarking some games to see what type of gains this card yields, and here's a benchmark I did last night.

You will see the settings below, the Fans were at 65% for the 2nd OC, 61% for 1st OC, and only 45% at stock.

All other reviews have the fans as high as 86%, which is VERY loud.

Umm, is 63C on FULL Load hot? With only 65% fan, running @ 850-1700-1900 Overclock?

This card also idles at 32C, and only 40% fan, and is no louder than my GTX 460 1GB Cyclone which it replaced.

Plus, did you bother to read what I wrote? The 470 will have as high as 50% gains in Adobe Premiere vs the 460,
not to mention a TON of other gains in gaming. I've yet to see this card go over 70C on ANY type of FULL LOADS,
and it runs very quiet. Plus, before you claim that it makes the inside of the case very hot, it doesn't, I see a rise
in System Temps of 2 Degrees MAX on full loads. ( I've got the screenshots to prove it )

The 470 I am referring to is THIS one: MSI N470GTX Twin Frozr II

The only 470 I would recommend anyone getting, I KNOW all the others are hot, and the whole heat issue has
been taken out proportion.

AFAIK, the 570 is not an option for video editing rigs, since the compute performance has been taken out of the card,
that card now has 480 performance at a 470 price, which is ideal for gaming rigs, but doesn't apply to this case.

I considered getting a 480 into my rig, since people are selling theirs for as low as $350, but my choice was obvious
for the lighter temps, and noise levels on this card.

The type of RAM you should look for is CL7 as it will have better timings. ( 7-7-7-24 are ideal )

The UD3R is a great board in a lot of builds, I personally liked the P6X58D-E, the Sabertooth is also an option for you. Any of those 3 will do at a much better price.

Yea, it's a good idea to get 6 GB first, and then 6 GB after if you really need it.

What video formats are you editing?

Btw, ignore what I said above about the 570 not being an option, I've done research and confirmed that the compute performance is still in place fully, and hasn't been cut down.

The best value for dollar is the 570 right now with 480 CUDA cores. It's cooler, quieter, cheaper 480.

Btw - are you planning to go SLI for gaming, or video editing purposes?

SLI is not recognized in a video editing environment like Premiere, only 1 card is used so going SLI for video editing is pointless, so you want the fastest you can afford from the get go.

CPU: Core i7 950 Bloomfield
http://www.pixmania.com/pt/pt/2953 [...] -cach.html

RAM: GSKILL PC3-12800 6GB PI CL7 (3x2GB) DDR3 16000
http://www.alientech.pt/product_in [...] ts_id=6527

(Will this do ? And if I wanna add another kit of the same later , could I ?)

GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX460 Superclocked
http://www.nanochip.pt/pt-PT/p/310 [...] 01GBSC.htm

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD5
http://www.pixmania.com/pt/pt/4782 [...] E3NjY5NDU7

(If I choose a cheaper one , like one from the ones you said , will I be able to add another 6 Gigs later and Another GPU ? [SLI] )

HD: SEAGATE BARRACUDA 7200.12 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB SATA (ST31000528AS)
http://www.pixmania.com/pt/pt/2763 [...] da-72.html

PSU: Corsair TX-750W
http://www.pixmania.com/pt/pt/6749 [...] E3NjcxODc7

Optical: ASUS DVDRW 24X LightScribe SATA Preto e Branco - DRW-24B1LT
http://www.nanochip.pt/pt-PT/p/278 [...] TPRBRA.htm

Case ANTEC Three Hundred
http://www.pixmania.com/pt/pt/1447 [...] E3Njc1OTM7

I've choosen the parts , and the cheapest websites. But I think shipping will be too expensive. I think I need to buy from a local store. I just need a goood setup , and then go see if they have the parts. Is this a GOOD build ?

Yes, Yes, and Yes.

The only thing you're missing is a cooler if you plan to Overclock, running a 950 @ 3.8 - 4.0 GHZ is very doable.

I run mine overclocked @ 4.0 GHZ 24/7, it idles @ 28C and runs at 55C on Full load, 3.8 gives even better temps on full load.

The only other thing I would recommend is a bigger case, perhaps an Antec Nine Hundred Two, or CM 690 II. For this type of build, it's worth it.

Since you are set on the 460, get this card instead:
http://www.nanochip.pt/pt-PT/p/310 [...] 01GBSC.htm

It Exhausts air to the back of the case, instead of into the case.

Also, I'll say it one last time, SLI will not benefit video editing, because only 1 card is recognized, SLI will only benefit gaming.

The reason I asked what formats you're editing is because with HD video editing, you will notice a significant increase with a 470, and even better performance with a 570, and it would be way better than SLI 460's for gaming too as it is a single card solution, considering the resolution of your monitor, you are better off with the more powerful card from the get go, instead of SLI down the road. Trust me, I made the same mistake originally and bought a 460, sold it, later upgraded to a 470.

kg2010 beat me to the punch

I'd definitely recommend a bigger case. The three hundred is a very small space to push that much heat around in. If you're planning on doing any overclocking you're going to have nightmares about CPUs lit ablaze. XD

I'd go with an Antec Nine Hundred at least.

Yeah, if I were you, I would skip the 460 & 470 and get a single 570 instead.

Be patient, I'm sure they will be out in your area soon, and I'm sure prices will fall with the release of 69xx, and the upcoming holiday deals.

The 570 is essentially a 480 with better cooling, temps, noise levels. Plus, at 1080p even 1920 x 1200, you won't need a 2nd in SLI anytime soon, but I tell you this, if you think that you will ever add a 2nd 570 in the future, then make sure to get an 850 Watt PSU from the get go.

Why would you need to add a 2nd 570?

Only if you plan on gaming at HIGHER resolutions on MAX settings @ 2560 x 1600, otherwise, the 570 will run circles around any game out right now, and SLI is pointless for video editing.

This review sums up the performance levels you can expect:
http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] ,2770.html

Since this is a brand new build, you might as well get the best performance available right now.

The 570 is 20% - 25% faster than the 470, and it has a $350 price in the U.S. not sure what the prices in Europe will be.

One last thing, yes, everything should fit in that case, and here's your other option as well:
http://www.nanochip.pt/pt-PT/p/284 [...] 2ADVAN.htm

What motherboard, cooler and monitor are you getting?

You don't need a UD5, where the P6X58D-E, UD3R, or Sabertooth will do the job.

That monitor looks good, especially being LED.

Not saying there's anything wrong with the 212, yes, it's cheaper and does a good job, but there are much better coolers out there. You're getting an i7 950, you should cool it wisely, gotta protect that investment.

How much are you willing to spend on a cooler?

Have a look at this:
http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] 535-2.html

The Scythe Mugen 2 is comparable to the NH-D14 and is well priced.

My personal preference became the NH-D14, simply because it's the best, but it's not the cheapest.

Check out this thread as well:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] ing-cooler

I suggest you figure out how much you're willing to spend on a cooler, and check out those and other reviews before you think about purchasing the 212.

Just overclock to 3.8 and you should be fine, I find very little gains between 3.8 and 4.0 anyway, and in video editing the difference will be minimal.

But if you can increase your budget to say $50 for the cooler, I know you could get something better. The processor are one of your most important parts, and keeping it cool will extend the life of it.

Just get the Hyper 212+ and slap in a second blademaster fan, All other coolers under 50$ get about 4-5 degrees lower than the hyper, which is OK and does make a difference when overclocking, but adding the second fan puts them on par.

My recommendation for an inexpensive monitor for color accuracy is the Dell U2311h which uses an e-IPS panel and has pretty good color accuracy right out of the box. Of course using a colorimeter will improve the accuracy.

Here a review:

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_u2311h.htm

And it's pretty good for gaming too.

Merely providing information to the consumer.

An informed consumer is a smarter consumer.

Put Windows and your most used apps on the SSD.

Definitely install Photoshop, Premiere and Office on the SSD, as they will open in 2 - 3 seconds. You'll want to leave at least 10% of the available disk space on the SSD, and never Defrag it.

Use a 2ndary drive for Data, scratch disk, rendering, etc. You can even install other programs that don't take as long to load on the 2ndary drive.

So I take it you recommend getting an SSD and not moving the swapfile? I was asking a question not stating anything.