What and how much mem for this Ivy Bridge setup?

[fmny]

I've decided on the Intel i7-3770k CPU with a GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H motherboard. They're already in my newegg shopping cart and I'm ready to buy as soon as I can figure out what memory to get.

The PC will be a workstation that will do hours and hours of video editing/encoding/processing at 100% cpu usage. Therefore is 32GB of memory recommended or is 16GB fine for this usage?

I may try some mild overclocking of the CPU. If the memory will be stable at stock settings when the PC is mildly overclocked that would be good. I'm not going to do anything extreme and don't want to manually mess with changing voltage and other memory settings.

Can someone recommend good memory for me on newegg? I'll spend up to $250 on memory. G.Skill has worked well for me in the past, but I'm open to whatever people think is best for me.

 

[jaquith]

The PC will be a workstation that will do hours and hours of video editing/encoding/processing at 100% cpu usage. Therefore is 32GB of memory recommended or is 16GB fine for this usage?

Then don't get a consumer based solution, and look for Xeon, ECC (RDIMM), Pro GPU, etc. Otherwise it's a vanilla PC used for Video.

If there's a paycheck then use Xeon, or If this is a hobby then consumer. If doing a lot of processing then 6~8 cores or MP multiple Xeon CPU's.

Some Video Workstations have 128GB of RAM and many others 64GB and the hobbyist all over the place ... for the hobbyist I recommend 4x4GB since the 4x8GB non-ECC can be a tad touchy and less stable.

Therefore, Q - Professional or Hobbyist?

 

[fpoon]

Here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233304
I personally like Corsair myself and these are low profile, so they won't block you if you install an aftermarket cooler.

The mobo is overpriced in my opinion, this will suit you fine and it it fits the color scheme of the RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293

 

[ahnilated]

If you are doing 4X4 why not do 2X8 instead, easier overclocking and upgrade ability?

 

[geofelt]

Your apps can make use of all the ram they can get.
Since ram is cheap, look for a 32gb kit of 4 x 8gb. It is well within your budget.
There is little value for ram speeds over 1600.
From the g.skil configurator, here is a list of compatible ram kits for your motherboard:
http://www.gskill.com/configurator2.php?pid=2&model=1571

Here is one suitable 32gb kit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231559
It is a low profile kit that will not interfere with any aftermarket cpu cooler.

You can check other ram vendors if you prefer.

Note that you will need windows 7 pro or ultimate to access >16gb.

 

[fmny]

The mobo is overpriced in my opinion, this will suit you fine and it it fits the color scheme of the RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293

I need a firewire port for video captures and a DVI input for one of my monitors so that's why I chose that board. The ASRock Z77 Extreme6 meets that criteria but it's almost the same price as the Gigabyte and I chose the Gigabyte over the Extreme6 after reading some reviews.

 

[fmny]

Therefore, Q - Professional or Hobbyist?

Just a hobbyist, but with a mountain of video material that needs capturing, encoding, archiving, editing, etc. On my current setup (i5-750) I can only get through about 3-4 hours of footage per day. This upgrade should significantly improve on that.

 

[jaquith]

Just a hobbyist, but with a mountain of video material that needs capturing, encoding, archiving, editing, etc. On my current setup (i5-750) I can only get through about 3-4 hours of footage per day. This upgrade should significantly improve on that.

Then if it were me at minimum the SB-E i7-3930K and start with 4x8GB.

SB/IB:
There's only a few non-ECC kits that I recommend that I know work well:
1. Corsair Dominator 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3 1600 (10-10-10-27 @ 1.50v) Model CMP32GX3M4X1600C10 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233229
2. Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3 1600 (10-10-10-27 @ 1.50v) Model 994055 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226317
3. Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3 1600 (9-9-9-24 @ 1.60v) Model 994050 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226315

Frankly, again either the Xeon or perhaps the SB-E i7-3930K and an LGA 2011/X79 MOBO. I personally like the ASUS Sabertooth X79. The SB-E eats SB/IB for lunch with video, 20%~30% faster over the SB/IB, and you can have up to 64GB (8x8GB).

I'm assuming you're NEVER going to EVER use Quick Sync for anything worth viewing -- Tablet/Phone sure.

 

[DookieDraws]

Here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233304
I personally like Corsair myself and these are low profile, so they won't block you if you install an aftermarket cooler.

The mobo is overpriced in my opinion, this will suit you fine and it it fits the color scheme of the RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293

That memory you suggested will not work with that board that you suggested. That memory is a Quad Channel Kit and the board you suggested supports a Dual Channel Kit.

fmny, either stick to the board you listed or have a look at these boards. All have firewire support. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006654+600008975&QksAutoSuggestion=&ShowDeactivatedMark=False&Configurator=&IsNodeId=1&Subcategory=-1&description=z77&hisInDesc=&Ntk=&CFG=&SpeTabStoreType=&AdvancedSearch=1&srchInDesc=

If you can afford the 32 GB of memory, whether you need it now or not, go for it! For what you are doing, I'm sure you could put it to use. Especially when you'll be having multiple editing programs open at once.

Also, be sure you have a decent power supply. Don't skimp on that!

Good luck, bro! Let us know what you decided on.

Take care!

 

[jaquith]

Quad Channel kits are fine on Dual Channel CPU's & MOBO's, the problem is often Dual Channel kits running on Quad Channel CPU's; the CAS Timings are often the problem i.e. TRAS and other sub-timings when using XMP.

 

[fmny]

Then if it were me at minimum the SB-E i7-3930K and start with 4x8GB.

My original plan was to go with the i7-3930k SB-E, but I changed my mind. The i7-3770k performs very well at video encoding and is so much cheaper overall than the SB-E. I didn't feel like paying all the extra money for the noticeable but not that huge improvement of the i7-3930k.

 

[fmny]

How about these?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231569
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C9Q-32GXM

Even on sale now, $40 off ending today. I have a Noctua NH-U12F Cooler I plan to use with my setup but it should be ok with these, right?

 

[jaquith]

If you live close to a Micro Center you can purchase the i7-3930K for $500.

The F3-1600C9Q-32GXM should be fine.

 

[fmny]

Thanks for the help everyone. Just ordered the parts. Went with the i7-3770k and Gigabyte MB as originally planned. Added 32GB of the G.Skill F3-1600C9Q-32GXM. Also ordered Win 7 Professional 64 bit edition.