New PC that findeth the sweet spot

M

Mavoz

Well-known member
Hi,

Planning to build up a new PC for Editing with the HVX footage and Premiere Pro 2 (and probably CS3 in the future).

Have just put together a draft spec using a host of "recommended" bits & pieces from local magazines here.

How does this system look?
Where can I save money?
Where do I need to buy more?

Basically want to find a nice sweet spot for hardware and update my old P4 2.8.

Thanks for any tips or comments!
CPU Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600(2.40Ghz/Kentsfield/4MBx2/1066FSB/EMT64/XD/Quad Core) $349.00
​
MOBO Asus P5K-DELUXE/WIFI-AP P35 chipset, DDR2 x4, SATA, PCI Express x16, Dual GBLAN, WIFI, Audio $285.00
​
SYSTEM DR: Seagate Baracuda 7200.10 250GB 7200rpm SATAII/300 16mb Cache, NCQ, Perpendicular Recording $95.00
​
RAID 1 – DATA Western Digital WD7500AAKS 750gb 7200rpm 16mb SATAII/300, NCQ $265.00
​
RAID 1 – DATA Western Digital WD7500AAKS 750gb 7200rpm 16mb SATAII/300, NCQ $265.00
​
CASE Antec Sonata III MiniTower Case, 500W PSU, 9 Drive Bays,Front USB/eSATA/Audio, ATX $185
​
VIDEO Asus EN8600GTS-HTDP-256 Geforce 8600GTS, 256MB, PCI Express, Dual DVI, HDTV $289
​
OS Windows XP Pro $185
​
RAM OCZ O2GB Kit (2x1GB) PC2-8500 1066mhz, SLI Ready DDR2 RAM, 5-5-5-15 $260.00
​
DVD Pioneer DVR-212BK $49

LCD Benq 24"LCD.D-sub,Dvi,S-video,Composite,Component,HDMI/6ms GTG Response $1,125.00
​

TOTAL : $3,352.00 (Aussie Dollar)
 
Nice system. It will handle HVX footage no problem.

I would really check into what type of PSU is in the Antec Sonata case... usually PSU's that come with cases aren't very good. Don't skimp on the Power Supply. Buy from a reputable manufacturer like PC Power & Cooling, http://www.pcpower.com/home/ or OCZ.
 
I would toss the Asus stuff. I know everyone says the Asus makes the best stuff, but they have never had to deal with a bad board either. Support is really pretty bad. I used to like Abit, but they have gone bad too.
 
Why not get a 500gb 7200.10 as the boot, it's not very much more, and just as fast.

Consider 2xSeagate 1tb 7200.11 brand new drives, a little more, but better technology by far - they are almost as fast as the raptor drives.

Consider RAID 5 instead of RAID 0 - you can look up RAID levels online. Much safer but close to same speed benefits.

do NOT get that video card. The new 8800gt with 512mb is THE nvidia card to get right now - look it up and do some research.

I don't know anything about that LCD monitor but I'd read some reviews first to make sure that's the one. Have you looked at Samsungs 24" LCD monitors?
 
Your setup sound a lot like mine...

I have the Antec Sonota II case (Real quiet) and no issues with the included power supply - I have heard there can be though.
I have the ASUS a8n SLI Premium socket 939 SLI ready, dual ddr400 SATA II & Dual Raid, 8ch audio, Dual GB LAN.
AMD Athlon 64 4400+ 2.2g processor
Corsair twinx1024-3200c2 memory times 2
EVGA Geforce 7600GT 256mb 128bit PCI Expressx16 video card

with this mobo I can run two video cards(matched) although I haven't yet
This setup has been really great but I have yet to crunch hd video.

Good Luck....Jeffro
 
The Revised spec...based on DVX wisdom!

The Revised spec...based on DVX wisdom!

Thanks for the ideas from you all....

I've made a few changes based on your feedback.
CPU Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600(2.40Ghz/Kentsfield/4MBx2/1066FSB/EMT64/XD/Quad Core) $349.00
​
MOBO Asus P5K-DELUXE/WIFI-AP P35 chipset, DDR2 x4, SATA, PCI Express x16, Dual GBLAN, WIFI, Audio $285.00
​
SYSTEM DR: Seagate ST3400620AS Baracuda 7200.10 400GB 7200rpm SATAII/300 16mb Cache, NCQR: $145
​
RAID 1 - Seagate ST3750640AS Barracuda 7200.11 750GB 7200rpm SATAII/300 32mb Cache, $339
​
RAID 1 - Seagate ST3750640AS Barracuda 7200.11 750GB 7200rpm SATAII/300 32mb Cache, $339​
CASE Antec Sonata III MiniTower Case, 500W PSU, 9 Drive Bays,Front USB/eSATA/Audio, ATX $185
​
VIDEO Asus EN8800GT-HTDP-512 GF8800GT, 512MB, DDR3, PCIE2.0, HDTV, 2xDVI-I, HDCP $425
​
OS Windows XP Pro $185
​
RAM OCZ O2GB Kit (2x1GB) PC2-8500 1066mhz, SLI Ready DDR2 RAM, 5-5-5-15 $260.00
​
DVD Pioneer DVR-212BK $49

LCD Benq 24"LCD.D-sub,Dvi,S-video,Composite,Component,HDMI/6ms GTG Response $1,125.00

(Includes HDMI input and seems to do alright in the reviews! eg. http://www.trustedreviews.com/displays/review/2006/09/13/BenQ-FP241W-24in-Widescreen-Monitor/p1)​

TOTAL : $3,686.00 (Aussie Dollar)
filmguy123 said:
Why not get a 500gb 7200.10 as the boot...Consider 2xSeagate 1tb 7200.11 drives....
Consider RAID 5 instead of RAID 0 ....8800gt with 512mb is THE nvidia card to get...
Click to expand...

Thanks for advice...Would like to get the bigger 1TB HD's...but am trying to keep the costs from creeping up.

Also I figured RAID 1 was good for mirroring...Raid 5 would need 4 drives wouldn't it? 1 for system and 3 for RAID 5?
That puts another bottle of bucks in the equation...might be overkkill when still mainly working with DVCPRO50...
Capt Quirk said:
I would toss the Asus stuff. I used to like Abit....
Click to expand...

Don't know much about the merits of the brands...magazines all seem to give ASUS a good mention..used ABIT with last 2 mobo's and they never skipped a beat. Will keep the jury out on this one....

John Kary said:
Don't skimp on the Power Supply.
Click to expand...

Will look at that too then!

Thanks again for comments from people... is great to hear from the experience of others!
 
Yes, make sure the power supply GOOD.

As for the 1tb drives... the 7200.11 series uses new tech as well. You're paying for more than storage, they are faster and better. ALSO - consider Seagate over Western Digital, their HDDs are superior and the warranty is better (5 years).

Yes RAID 5 needs more drives... but you will see HUGE speed improvements. The performance difference between having a striped raid setup will probably give you higher performance gains than the better processor - data access is key. DVCPRO50 is twice the bandwidth of standard DV, and even now I wish I had RAID... although you'll be fine w/out, it really will speed things up, and it never hurts to be forward looking - you inevitably will be moving to HD in the near future.


Storage, Backup, and data access are all HUGE keys to video editing, you don't want to skimp there. If you can't afford it, you can't, but if you can manage to make room for it, you will be glad you did.


Other than that, do make sure to check out the new 8800gt, and make sure your LCD is a good buy compared to other models in the same category.
 
look at an intel board instead of the ASUS. you dont get the overclocking features, but I really see putting an intel chip on a different brand motherboard kind of the same as putting a GM motor in a ford truck, it will work alright, but it was not made to work together the same way a ford engine works on a ford truck.
 
Timothy Harry said:
look at an intel board instead of the ASUS. you dont get the overclocking features, but I really see putting an intel chip on a different brand motherboard kind of the same as putting a GM motor in a ford truck, it will work alright, but it was not made to work together the same way a ford engine works on a ford truck.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry, but there is just no truth to this statement... Many other motherboards work great and don't have to be the same brand as the processor. There are no "AMD" motherboards, for that matter.
 
Where are you buying your stuff from

Where are you buying your stuff from

The reason I ask is because I bought an 8core Xeon ,8gig RAM system with the following components.

1Thermaltake Toughpower W0128RU ATX12V / EPS12V 650W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817153040
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $144.99 Item(s) shipped from NJ Tracking Number:

6Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822148262
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy $419.94

1 XFX PVT80GGHF4 GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported HDCP Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814150171
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy $279.99

2 Intel Xeon E5335 Clovertown 2.0GHz Socket 771 Active or 1U Processor Model BX80563E5335A - Retail
Item #: N82E16819117121
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy $739.98

1 ASUS DSGC-DW Dual Socket 771 Intel 5000X MCH SSI EEB 3.61 Server Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813131170
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $419.99

4 SUPER TALENT 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 FB-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) ECC Fully Buffered Server Memory Model T667FB2G4 - Retail
Item #: N82E16820609199
Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy $559.96 Delivery

Subtotal:$2,564.85 Tax:$0.00Shipping:$97.14Rush Order Fee:$2.99

Total: $2,664.98

The 2 CPU's and motherboard should rival your quad-core and mobo, but the rest are subpar with your other components.

Just a little comparison to show how much an 8core Xeon , 8Gig Ram, could cost. Which is close to what you are spending on your Core2 Quad.

The date purchased should be mentioned was nearly 4 months ago. Prices may have dropped since then.
 
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I agree on the RAID 5 suggestion. It's definitely worth it although you might need a bigger case. I prefer to keep my system drive clean, just OS, and program files. All data and work files on the RAID 5 array so I generally use smaller system drives on PCs I build.
You also might want to pick up a couple extra case fans to keep it cooler in there...
Good Luck
 
John Kary said:
His included a high-end monitor, though, your above system doesn't. That's what is making his so expensive.
Click to expand...

I never said it was expensive. Did I?

I guess you have not observed the price I listed. It has no monitor.

Total: $2,664.98

It may be difficult to tell if Mavoz is paying more than he should because of the currency difference. However prices of a 8core Xeon is comparable in price to what he is paying for his Quad Core.
and Here is Mavoz with LCD monitor.

TOTAL : $3,686.00 (Aussie Dollar)

I made a comment about his purchase of a Quad-core w/2 gig Ram vs my 8core Xeons with 8 gigs Ram.

Maybe a little more money can get you a whole lot more Processing power.
 
Thanks for all the replies!

pinakbeth said:

It may be difficult to tell if Mavoz is paying more than he should because of the currency difference. However prices of a 8core Xeon is comparable in price to what he is paying for his Quad Core.
Click to expand...

Yes the price comparison isn't always easy with the U.S:

Ignoring LCD, total comes to:

2,227.00 AUD = 1,977.82 USD

Quotes were from www.scorptec.com.au here in Melbourne...but main priority is figuring what combination of bits & pieces to go for...

Essentially I want to get the best combination of bits & pieces for the PC box with a ceiling price around $2000 Aussie/US dollar mark (Without LCD)


With any system built for X amount of dollars there seems a need to figure out where best to throw the cash.

A lot of the magazines seem to recommend systems with Call of Duty 4 in mind not Premiere Pro CS3 and HVX footage.

So I really value the comments from experienced DVX users on what 'balance' of bits works best....


At the moment I am still quite hesitant about the RAID 5 idea. Spending a chunk of the cash pie on 3 hard drives when essentially one good high speed SATA drive could do a very similar job is the debate for me. And on one level doesn't using RAID 5 without a dedicated hardware RAID controller kind of add other potential sluggishness?


At the end of the day I'm an enthusiastic 'hobbyist' at this stage...old PC = 4 yr old Pentium 4 2.8 & I've got $2G in the KIT to try and bring some improvements....

...I'll just about slap anything in this new baby that my wise friends at DVXuser deem appropriate!! :smile:
 
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I am also going to be building a PC for editing in the very near future. From what I have read in various threads is that you will want a samller hard drive (160 to 250GB) for the computer system files, and place all footage and edit from a different (larger) drive.

If your footage is important to you, I STRONGLY recommend going with a RAID set up. In one of the other threads, JennyParis posted a link to an animated RAID webpage that I found interesting and educational. http://www.acnc.com/04_01_00.html Depending on the setup, the RAID will be faster than a stand alone drive and rebildability (is that a word?) in case of a drive failure.

Backups are always important as well! Both Seagate and WD have external 1tb drives for $300 to $400 (US).

Hope this helps!
 
Final question..Vista? 4gb Ram?

Final question..Vista? 4gb Ram?

Am placing the order very soon for the new system...

Final questions....

Am I correct in thinking that I'm really better off sticking with Windows XP pro and not getting sucked into the Vista behemoth? (Experience with work computers has so far suggested Vista is very good at sucking the grunt out of a pc)

Also is it worth getting 4GB ram? Will I note much performance improvement with 4gb over 2gb for general editing in Premiere Pro 2?

Thanks!
 
There are a few issues to be aware of:

1) Motherboard based RAID solutions are not very good. They are not true hardware solutions and can actually cause more problems than they are worth.

2) Some NLE packages (like Avid for example) will store the Project files in your "My Documents" folder which is on your system drive. If you do not have a RAID copy or backup of these files then you will loose all of your work if you loose your C Drive. If you have security on your data drive you may be locked out of it if you loose your system drive.

3) The new perpendicular recording technology has not got all the bugs worked out of it; IMHO you should avoid it. I use DW SE16 500GB drives that are very affordable and have enough bandwidth for HD video. The format to around 430 GB.

Putting it together, I'd recommend getting an Adaptec SATA RAID card and 4 WD 500GB drives. Making a single RAID5 set will give you 1,300 GB that you can then carve into different hard drives as you need. The one drawback to this method will be head contention, but it shouldn't be a problem with HD NLE loads.

Bob
 
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