Video Editing Build, under $1,000

chris4585

Distinguished
Dec 20, 2011
22
0
18,510
Hello! I will be building a video editing and capturing computer for my brother, I already have the parts selected, asking if the parts are really great for what I need and suits the purpose. I strongly prefer AMD, and trying to keep it just under $1,000 with the HD PVR. I feel pretty confident in what I selected for the purpose but I'd like some feedback.

Gaming is not a concern, so should I tone back the GPU? but I want to make sure he has everything he will possibly need to do what he wants. I wasn't quite sure if the RAM I selected would work because it wasn't on the memory support list on biostar's website, but I know that doesn't matter too much.

Thanks in advance.

Parts list from Newegg: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=26656728
EDIT: I've updated the list to version 2 http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=18846365

Approximate Purchase Date: 2 weeks

Budget Range: $1000

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Video editing and capturing from HD PVR, youtube uploading and playback, Gaming is not a concern.

Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS, HDD, optical drive.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com

Country: USA

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No
 
Solution

chris4585

Distinguished
Dec 20, 2011
22
0
18,510

I'm not entirely sure, feel free to suggest something, I know he has something already from Roxio for video editing and capturing.
 

chris4585

Distinguished
Dec 20, 2011
22
0
18,510


What GPU would you suggest if I did replace those items? also I'd have to replace the mobo too...
 

zhihao50

Distinguished
Sep 23, 2011
351
0
18,860
correct my if i am wrong but isn't the $500 6core intel ie Core i7-3930K comes without a igpu therefore you have to get a dedicated gpu as well.

An i5 2500k or even i7 2600k can be fitted into that budget.
 

yougotjaked

Distinguished
Nov 14, 2011
397
0
18,810
Well I use After Effects mostly, and I used to use Song Vegas Pro. What you could do is get something like an i7-2600 since you won't be OCing (although Ivy Bridge is coming out soon). I'll try to put together a build for you!
 

chris4585

Distinguished
Dec 20, 2011
22
0
18,510
Thanks for the replies guys, I know that intel is probably better to go but way more expensive and I'm largely not familiar with it. I'll consider going intel but reluctantly. I have heard how good the i7-2600 is though.
 
yay! a video editing build! I love these!

Video editing is all about CPU and HDD/Ram throughput, so here are my thoughts:
1) get rid of the GPU and opt instead for onboard graphics because most programs do not use the video card for rendering, and even the ones that do will only use the GPU for things like CUDA which will start at $300 for a CUDA card that will do things faster than the CPU in the first place.

2) Get a 2500k (for the HD3000 grapics, not for the OCing) or a 2600 (if the software you are using supports hyperthreading) and pair it with a H67 or z68mobo (not P67 as there is no onboard video support). Quicksink will work on either chipset if you are using the onboard video, but the z68 is required if you want to use quicksink while also using a dedicated GPU. That being said quicksink is of inferior quality and makes much larger files compared to using a normal encoder, if this is for projects where quality is of concern, however, if this is just for youtube then you will never know the difference. I use a 2600 for my editing rig and am happy as a clam :) Keep in mind also that Ivy Bridge is right around the corner, as well as the next gen of AMD (piledriver?) chips which may fix some of the internal caching issues which make them suck at the moment. You can stick with the AMD chip if you want, but I think you will find that it is not much faster than an i3 for most applications, and most video editing software is optomised for Intel, so you always want to stick with the brand that the software is really designed for in order to get the best results (and it isn't any more expensive in the first place)

3) Minimum 8GB of Ram, and preferably 16GB of ram if doing HD projects with more than 30min of raw footage. The speed of the ram doesn't matter that much as your HDD or CPU will be the bottleneck, not the Ram. The stuff you picked is just good, but keep in mind there is little difference between it or 1333.

4) SSD or Raid1/5/10 (not raid0) is a MUST for rendering. I currently have 3 single-purpose drives in my rig (programs, storage/content, and a render drive) and have a very hard time really putting pressure on my CPU when rendering. Having a Raid1 or SSD to work from would put the bottleneck on the CPU instead of the drives, which would make things much nicer.

5) Pick the power supply last. 750W is an insane amount of power, especially for a single GPU. So after you have your build finalized then use a calculator to see what you really need, and then stay within 50-75W of that. Remember to buy quality! Power supplies cause no end of headaches when they are the problem because they are very hard to troubbleshoot. Something in the 350-400W range if using onboard graphics, or in the 500-550W range for a dedicated GPU is generally a safe bet.


So ya, not a bad build. The only real issues are that the PSU is way too large, and the GPU is not needed, the rest of my comments are merely just getting picky about what would be best.

Best of luck!
 

I was origonally going to get the 2400, but my local Microcenter had a sale (as if their normal CPU prices are not already crazy low) so I ended up splurging on the 2600 and I cannot get enough throughput in my system yet to get it past 60% usage when rendering! And my system is no slouch either!
Over the summer I will be getting a 240-480GB SSD (depending on prices and budget) which will give me the ability to use SSD for the system drive, a 20-60GB SSD partition to use as a write cache on my 500GB drive which will then be used for rendering, and then my 2 large drives will finally be in RAID1 which should fix my current bottleneck issues :)

The 2400 or 2500K are also beasts, and would be more than enough horsepower for all but the largest HD projects. Even the i3's with duel core and HT are enough power to do most editing projects.
 

chris4585

Distinguished
Dec 20, 2011
22
0
18,510



replied to the wrong post, woops..

CaedenV thanks for the reply, what you said is pretty helpful, I've done research before hand and known most of your points, but your words aren't in vein.

1 and 2) I think I will try a i7-2600 intel setup without a GPU because my brother said he has no interests in gaming, so if I can get away with that, thats awesome!

Newegg has a combo with the motherboard you suggest and with the i7-2600, right now I'm looking at that and seeing if I can work with that on my other parts so I'm currently doing more research.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.840493

3) Yes! recently got a new setup myself with 8gbs of ram and did a video project myself and found it really nice, but for this build I really wanted to go with 16gbs of RAM. I figured I would go with slightly higher speed because for an extra $10 to the cost why not?

4) I was telling him about the advantages of SSDs, but.. I did not want to feel like he *needed* an SSD setup. But after your post I will try to work it into the build. He already has a 500gb hdd, I think for his needs he wouldn't need a huge SSD for windows/boot. Any suggestions?

5) Well I picked the 750W NZXT one because I knew it would be of higher quality and give him plenty! of headroom in the future, plus it is modular and I really love NZXT. I may change my choice if I could find a good quality 650W that is also modular.

Thanks I really wanted to get him setup with AMD but I do want him to have the best bang for his buck!
 

yougotjaked

Distinguished
Nov 14, 2011
397
0
18,810
Alright this is what I came up with: https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=18845445

So after rebates you have about $200 left on your budget. You have a few options here.

1) Get an aftermarket cooler. I'd suggest this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065 Great upgrade for $20 as you can OC now (it's really easy and extremely beneficial!)

2) Get an SSD. Trust me, it's extremely helpful with loading times. Try to shoot for this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226236 If that's too much then try this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441 The Mushkin one is a better deal as it is almost twice as much capacity!

3) Get a dedicated video card. Since you won't be gaming, then you could look into the professional cards. I haven't done much research with them, but maybe get something like this? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814195109

Otherwise, I'd suggest getting one of these cards: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130604 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150563 Both are pretty good for video editing. I'm running a 6850 and it's alright considering I do a lot of 3D work too. It's either CUDA cores or more memory. It all depends on what software you're using. If none utilize CUDA, then get the 6870.

4) Maybe upgrade ram to a 2x8 kit? This way, you could have up to 32gb of ram later on.

Tell me if you can see the list. I set it as public, so hopefully it works. You can keep the case, I just choose that one as it's pretty reputable. I also choose a lower priced HD PVR. The only difference between the two is the one you choose is the gaming edition. I have the original one myself and it works fine with gaming consoles (assuming this is why you're buying it). The only difference is the color scheme and the "gaming" one comes with a component cable. Remember these are just suggestions :)
 

chris4585

Distinguished
Dec 20, 2011
22
0
18,510


This is a quick reply, no I can't see your wishlist :( give me a few minutes to respond to your other points.
 

chris4585

Distinguished
Dec 20, 2011
22
0
18,510


I can see this, thanks! I'm doing multiple things at once, so expect a little delay. Processing and organizing all this information can take quite a while, my first build took nearly 8 hours to compose!
 

chris4585

Distinguished
Dec 20, 2011
22
0
18,510
@yougotjaked before I get to your other post I must say I'm quite impressed with that list, especially the power supply looks of really good quality.

EDIT: might as well put what I had into this post!

1) I already have a cooler in mind, its actually the next step up from the one you pointed out the 212 evo, I like it a little bit more because the heat pipes spread nice on the cpu itself and aren't spaced like the 212 plus.

2) Yes I'm definitely thinking about using an SSD somehow, either as cache or boot drive.

*** With the switch from AMD to intel I have to nearly rethink my entire build and where to spend the money so I'm thinking about going the mini itx route, because my brother expressed interests in building a smaller computer, and I'd love to surprise him and tell him that it would be possible. I was looking at this bad boy and it is rather nice!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.839816

3) This is a possibility down the line.

4) I'm gonna have to see what I can work with if I change my mind to an ITX build, but thinking about it definitely.
 

yougotjaked

Distinguished
Nov 14, 2011
397
0
18,810
Thanks! If you don't mind non-modular PSUs, you could also consider this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703027

I currently own the 2600k and the ASRock Extreme3 Gen3, so if you have any questions about them, feel free to ask :)
 

chris4585

Distinguished
Dec 20, 2011
22
0
18,510
Build version 2: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=18846365

Let me know if the link works, it should.

1) Alright, after learning more about the i5 and i7 series and their advantages in graphics and pairing with the Z68 chipset I think I've come to the conclusion of using i5 2550k for the cpu. I was going to go with i7 2600k but realized that would be going over the mark just about. I'll talk it over with my brother but I think he will agree with me and choose the i5 instead.

2) I thought I could do a mini-itx build but after looking at the cases... I said screw it :pt1cable: I just couldn't see a way to do it exactly as I would like. I'm going to ask my brother if the version 2 list would be alright with him, if he likes it then micro ATX we go! It's kind of sad, but after looking at all the micro ATX boards, I just didn't seem to like them due to reliability, reviews.. and etc.. Unfortunately to get in the sweet spot of performance and reviews I have to jump up to the ASUS Maximus IV motherboard. Which is sad considering I could get nearly the same performance for $50 less with an ATX board, but that is the way it goes I guess.

3) I chose a 30gb mSATA SSD to boost performance to use as cache, I believe I that is possible, I'll do research on that tomorrow.

4) So with all that said, what do you guys think about this version?

Thanks everyone for all the input and help! :D
 

yougotjaked

Distinguished
Nov 14, 2011
397
0
18,810
ok I'll address each point individually.

1) The 2550k does NOT have integreated graphics, so you'd have to use a dedicated GPU. Go with the 2500k instead.

2) Just curious, why do you want to do a mini-itx/micro-atx build? But yeah that asus board is the best micro atx 1155 board out there...

3) I'd choose to use an SSD as a boot drive before using it as a cache; it's much more beneficial. Plus you can get a 64gb drive for the same price or a 90gb drive for $15 more. Also you probably will run into compatibility issues since that drive is mSATA...

4) Do you still need the gaming edition of the pvr? The regular one is cheaper. Also you could save $15 and change from the Hyper 212 evo to the hyper 212+; it's a very minimal difference in temps.
 

chris4585

Distinguished
Dec 20, 2011
22
0
18,510


Alright I updated the last list so it should still be:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=18846365

1) Okay, I switched to the i7-2600k because I didn't realize the i5 didn't have the HD graphics. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

2) Well he expressed feelings for a smaller computer, but after showing him the price to pay for a smaller computer he decided to just go with ATX instead to cut down on the price.

3) Alright I think I will do that, after talking to him he said sure, so I found an OCZ 60gb sata 3 which seems fine for the price.

4) He decided he'll just get the PVR a little later and he wont get the gaming edition really isn't needed. Lastly I like the 212 evo, it really isn't much more so yeah.

I appreciate all the help!
 

yougotjaked

Distinguished
Nov 14, 2011
397
0
18,810
Well the 2550k doesn't have an iGPU, but the 2500k does; sorry if I confused you.

Both cases you looked at were mid tower sized cases, so they'd look to be the same size on the outside. So you weren't really getting a smaller computer except for the mobo.

I would probably never recommend an OCZ SSD; they tend to have a ton of problems. For $5 more, grab a Crucial M4 (it's also 4GB more): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441

You don't really need the aftermarket cooler unless your OCing. So you can leave that out for now unless you want to do that.

I'm not sure if you saw this, but here's another great PSU choice if you don't mind the non-modular design: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703027&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=qabhwpp7sknd
 
Solution

chris4585

Distinguished
Dec 20, 2011
22
0
18,510


I figured what the hay and went with the 2600k anyway, I believe only the i7 offers the HD 3000 graphics so I'll just go with that.

Alright I updated the list to include the Crucial m4, I kind of do like the evo so that is why I included it, i want to make sure he has the best and for a few extra dollars it isn't much.

That other power supply looks great and all but way too powerful for what he needs, the original seems fine with the 600w capacity and is cheaper so that's great.

Thanks again for all the help yougotjaked its been really helpful. He should be buying the build next Friday, I'll let you guys know when its setup.
 

yougotjaked

Distinguished
Nov 14, 2011
397
0
18,810
Both offer the HD 3000 graphics, but it's your pick. 2600k is definitely worth it for video editing imo...

Show me some pics when it's set up!
 

chris4585

Distinguished
Dec 20, 2011
22
0
18,510


I figured they both did, but might as well go all out right? I'm quite happy with what we came up with and I think he will really like it. We definitely will take pictures!

:bounce:
 

chris4585

Distinguished
Dec 20, 2011
22
0
18,510
Hey guys, updating the thread. We got the computer parts and assembled them, only sad news is that the onboard audio for the motherboard I chose doesn't work at all.

The drivers are properly installed, the devices are seen and volume works etc... But in both Windows 7 and Ubuntu no sound what so ever. Only way to get sound is through HDMI or buy a sound card, which my brother said he will do and keep the motherboard (for backup) and possibly buy another motherboard later...

We haven't really put it through a video exporting test yet but I will report back when we do.