Video Editing Build - Want to buy ASAP

[925-editor]

Hello all - I'm building a video editing system. OS will be Windows 7. I would greatly appreciate your feedback on the components that I've picked out so far. Any red flags, incompatibilities, or better components (for equal price) that you can suggest would all be very helpful.

Approximate Purchase Date: This week (preferably within 2 days)

Budget Range: ~$2,000.00 (Hardware Only)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Editing primarily in Avid Media Composer 6, with some use of Adobe After Effects and Photoshop.

Parts Not Required: Keyboard, Mouse, Secondary Monitor, Data HDD (1TB 7200rpm WD Black)

Country: USA

Parts Preferences: See current parts list below.

Overclocking: Probably, but mild.

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080


CURRENT PARTS LIST:

Intel Core i7-3820
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115229

Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 140mm and 120mm SSO CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608024


ASUS P9X79 PRO LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with USB BIOS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131800

CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX850 (CMPSU-850AX) 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139015


G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9Q-16GBXL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231429

SAMSUNG 830 Series MZ-7PC256D/AM 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) Desktop Upgrade Kit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147135


PNY VCQ2000-PB Quadro 2000 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Workstation Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133353
**OR**
EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130787

I’m especially torn about the video card selection. The Quadro 2000 is listed as supported by AVID and Adobe – but the performance specs on it compared to the latest GTX cards are rather dismal. I understand that the Quadro should be more stable and have optimized drivers for AVID work, but is it worth it? Can any video editors weigh in? The GTX670 is also pretty new and the drivers are likely still getting kinks worked out… should that be a red flag for someone wanting a stable editing system? If so, would a GTX580 be superior to the Quadro?

COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN3-GP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197

(Primary monitor) Dell UltraSharp U2312HM IPS-Panel Black 23" 8ms
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260055

Pioneer Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 10X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA Internal BD/DVD/CD Writer BDR-207DBKS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827129067

AFT PRO-57U All-in-one USB 3.0 5.25" Media Card Reader
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820176023

Thanks!!

 

[manofchalk]

Overclocking on the X79 platform is rather limited as only the 3930k officially supports it, and its almost double the price of the CPU listed so I assume its out of your budget. You can get very limited overclocks on it, but almost not worth it.

Because you cant overclock, you dont need such a massive CPU heatskink (which would no doubt conflict with the RAM), the standard aftermarket cooler is the CM Hyper 212 EVO, so I recommend that. (though i'l admit, I'm not sure how hot a 3820 at full load will get to, so take my advice with a grain of salt)

Motherboard looks good.

Power supply is overkill, it will run fine on a 600W, but get a 700-750 Watt to be sure and allow for upgrades.

RAM is rather tall and may conflict with your heatsink, but that may not be an issue. If its not, get this kit (essentially the same you picked). Runs at 1.35V instead of 1.5V, so less power consumption (not all that importantly, looks better on your blue mobo) and only costs $5 more.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231478

If RAM height is a problem, get this kit. Corsair Vengeance Low Profile 1600Mhz CL9 1.5V.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233198

SSD is good. I know you said you have a 1TB HDD at the top, but you will want more than that. One HDD (~2TB) for raw footage and resources, another (~1TB) where the footage is rendered to, and the SSD for the OS and programs. It means that you aren't drawing from and writing data to the same HDD, which slows down the process.

In a gaming scenario, the 670 would beat a Quadro into the ground. For their performance at rendering, im not entirely sure, but I would assume the Quadro would be better at it considering their the same price and the GTX670 isn't held up as a video editing tool.

Case is good.

Monitor I have no clue, its an IPS panel which is definitely for editing/artistic jobs.

Optical: Who cares unless your burning BLU-Rays.

Card Reader: Not sure about this, but I cant understand why that is $60 when this one is only $15. Only difference I see between them is a USB3 (which internal headers would be taken by the front I/O panel of the case) port instead of 2. Though I may be wrong and there is a proper reason for the price hike.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820223109

 

[yougotjaked]

I do video editing too, so I should be somewhat helpful to you

I'll put together a build and see what I can come up with. But after a quick glance at what you've picked out so far, it looks like you're on the right track

*EDIT: So here's what I came up with: https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=27478888

Price totals out to $1983.53 after shipping, combos, coupons, and rebates.

For a 2k budget for video editing, X79 is the way to go. The ability to add up to 64GB of RAM is awesome as After Effects loves RAM I couldn't fit the 3930k into the budget, but the 3820 is still plenty; and it actually can overclock!

You can drop to 16GB of RAM for now to save some money if you want. I use 16 gigs and everything works fine. Just be sure to get a 2x8GB kit so you can have more upgradability.

The CM 212 EVO is a great cooler, but it's not really suited for LGA 2011. People have used it and have had positive results, but if you want to overclock, the D14 is the way to go.

You can choose whatever case you want, I just picked the Phantom because 1) I have it and 2) The 922 was out of stock. Case choice is all about aesthetics, IMO. Sure, you want a case with a bunch of great features, but you want to be able to look at it after a few years and still appreciate the design.

Manofchalk nailed most of it, so I don't want to reword everything he said. But regarding the PSU, yeah 850w is wayyyyy overkill! 750w is still more than enough, but it allows a TON of upgrade possibilities.

I'd wait on the card reader. NZXT is coming out with a new card reader with all of the same features that the $60 has, but it's going to be much cheaper (if I remember correctly, $25ish).

- Jake

 

[Why_Me]

650w is more than enough to push that build and leave you some headroom.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151106 $119.99
SeaSonic M12II 650 SS-650AM 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Semi-modular Power Supply

Always go for low profile RAM so you don't impede any sizable after market cpu h/s

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231547 $94.99 FREE SHIPPING
G.SKILL Ares Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C9Q-16GAB

This CM h/s down below is a decent performer for the price.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103106 $49.99
COOLER MASTER RR-H612-20PK-R3 120mm Sleeve with 6 Heat Pipes Hyper 612 PWM CPU Cooler (LGA 2011 Version)

Don't forget to combo that board with the cpu to save some money

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.972419 $574.98 save: $30.00 FREE SHIPPING
ASUS P9X79 PRO LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with USB BIOS
Intel Core i7-3820 Sandy Bridge-E 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 2011 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73820

With the money saved look for a more up to date case with the front 3.0 USB ports. This case also has an LED on/off switch, multi channel fan controller, and a 2.5" SSD bay along with dust filters.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139009 $139.99 - $129.99 after mail-in rebate card FREE SHIPPING
Corsair Carbide Series 500R Black Steel structure with molded ABS plastic accent pieces ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

 

[925-editor]

Thanks for the great feedback!

To address a couple of points that were made:

CPU Cooler: I've read reviews on Newegg about the specified Gskill ram kit and the Noctua cooler and I've seen more than one person make anecdotal claims that clearance isn't an issue. I would go with the lower profile g-skill but I was trying to stick to the qualified vendor list for my Asus P9X79. Should I not be deterred by the fact that the low profile gskills aren't on the list?

Power Supply: It's a bit steep for the system as it currently sits, agreed. I was thinking for the long term... Eventually will plan on adding more HDD's and will probably incorporate some kind of RAID configuration. I figured that the extra wattage wouldn't hurt once I start getting a few or possibly several spinning disks.

Excellent call on combo-ing the mobo/cpu. I like to save money.

Card Reader: I think I will take the advice on that and hold off. The one I spec'd seemed to be the only relatively reliable one offered at newegg. If the NZXT is released soon, that will be worth the wait for cost savings.

Case: I'm a little confused about this comment. The case I listed seems up to date and does, in fact, have (2) front USB3.0 ports and one eSata.

Optical: It's needed, as this is a video editing machine that will sometimes be required to produce blu-ray disks.

Video Card: I'm leaning toward the Quadro2000 because I'd rather have the stability with slightly less performance. But if anyone else can weigh in with their own experiences or with authoritative knowledge about how Avid works with either of the cards, that would rock.

Thanks again for the thorough feedback, everyone.

 

[yougotjaked]

Thanks for the great feedback!

To address a couple of points that were made:

CPU Cooler: I've read reviews on Newegg about the specified Gskill ram kit and the Noctua cooler and I've seen more than one person make anecdotal claims that clearance isn't an issue. I would go with the lower profile g-skill but I was trying to stick to the qualified vendor list for my Asus P9X79. Should I not be deterred by the fact that the low profile gskills aren't on the list?

Power Supply: It's a bit steep for the system as it currently sits, agreed. I was thinking for the long term... Eventually will plan on adding more HDD's and will probably incorporate some kind of RAID configuration. I figured that the extra wattage wouldn't hurt once I start getting a few or possibly several spinning disks.

Excellent call on combo-ing the mobo/cpu. I like to save money.

Card Reader: I think I will take the advice on that and hold off. The one I spec'd seemed to be the only relatively reliable one offered at newegg. If the NZXT is released soon, that will be worth the wait for cost savings.

Case: I'm a little confused about this comment. The case I listed seems up to date and does, in fact, have (2) front USB3.0 ports and one eSata.

Optical: It's needed, as this is a video editing machine that will sometimes be required to produce blu-ray disks.

Video Card: I'm leaning toward the Quadro2000 because I'd rather have the stability with slightly less performance. But if anyone else can weigh in with their own experiences or with authoritative knowledge about how Avid works with either of the cards, that would rock.

Thanks again for the thorough feedback, everyone.

Take a look here for RAM compatibility: http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=compatibility_ram_gen&products_id=34&lng=en#DDR3_Corsair

Regarding the case, get whatever case you find aesthetically appealing. It's a pretty popular case and now has a black interior and USB 3.0, so that's cool

I've never used Avid, but in After Effects and Photoshop, my 2600k/670 combo wrecks anything I throw at it. The Quadro/Fire Pro cards are more geared towards CAD applications. Also, people seemed to be disappointed with the 2000's performance.

This is just my 2 cents...

- Jake

 

[925-editor]

Nice link for the D14 cooler - I didn't think to look there. That is added confirmation that the current G.Skill's I have spec'd should fit without issue.

Again, with the video card... AVID is the unknown pertaining to Geforce cards. I know that Adobe has supported the previous versions of Geforce (500 and 400 series) and I'm assuming that the 670 will follow suit. Thanks for your input regarding AE and PS - that is promising.