Custom Laptop

D

DDirector

Veteran
So, I am looking at getting a new computer because my old one that I am currently using is literally falling apart. The screen pretty much snapped.

Anyways, I'm looking at getting a new laptop. But, I want one so I can always edit my own films if needed.
I'm not interested in editing, but I will probably end up having to do stuff on my own on some projects.

So, I want to get some good laptop so I can edit stuff on.
I found this site where I can make a custom laptop, and I don't know what really to get. I don't know much about computers...

I'm aiming for under $2,000 CAD or around the $2,000 mark. I did a basic customization of what I think I want, and it came to about $2,100ish

Basically, fast, lots of storage, high quality, proper colour, etc.

What I do know I want:
non-glare screen. May work outside, or under lighting and don't want reflections
Blu-Ray reader/writer

http://eurocom.com/products/showroom/compare.cfm
 
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You will want to pick your editing software and build you laptop/PC based on the system specs it requires run. Treat those specs as minimum required and try to build it better than so that you have some "breathing room".
 
Let us know software (CS6, etc.), camera, and types of projects (full feature, documentary, 3 minute shorts.)

Given you need to "maybe edit", I wouldn't go overboard on a machine. I have been editing with no problem on a $350 i3 laptop with 8GB and a 50GB HDD. I only bought it for web and word processing, but I have had no problem editing multiple cameras, doing effects, and encoding/expoting.

Take a basic i7 box. Look for one that has 3 DIMM slots instead of the standard 2. Use 8GB chips so that you don't have to throw away 4GB or 2GB when you upgrade.

I just bought a high spec OCZ 120GB SDD for $80 at NewEgg. Use 2x 256GB SDD's or 1 SDD & 1 HDD if you need more storage.

You will also want a decent Nvidia graphics card with 1GB DDRM5 RAM. You want to use the GPU's in Adobe for Mercury Hardware Acceleration. Even the most basic cards will accelerate some tasks by a factor of 10.

The blu ray burner is only going to be found in a higher end machine. I just looked at newegg. They have a $1,300 MSI with 12GB (3x4GB) and a HDD, or an $1,800 one with SSD & HDD.

Personally, I would decide whether you **really** need a blu-ray burner, because you will only find that on a higher end machine. If you can do that on a desktop instead, you can probabaly buy a quality laptop and customize a bit with extra RAM & SSD for $850 to $1,000 and use the extra $900 to buy a **great** desktop too that will be more powerful than the laptop (high end graphics, 24GB to 36GB of RAM, etc.)

I have never bought a base computer for more than about $500. That is where the cost/benefit breaks down for me. But a decent i7 in a good case with an HD screen (1920x1080.) Add your own RAM for $150 and a SSD for $120. Laptops have only about 1/2 the life of a desktop because they are so hard to upgrade, and they cost 2x as much as a desktop over their life.

Don't get carried away. But have fun!

Look at techbargains.com to compare off the shelf deals until you get a feel for good pricing.

Michael
 
Here are some recent HP and Dell laptop prices for higher end, but not premium laptops at techbargains. Just FYI on basic features at price:

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HP dv6tqe Intel Core i7-3610QM 2.3GHz Quad-Core IVY BRIDGE 15.6in Laptop $749.99
HP has the HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition Intel Core i7-3610QM Quad-Core Ivy Bridge 15.6" Notebook Computer for $749.99 Free Shipping after Coupon Code: "NBQ5952" (Exp Soon). Tax in most.
$1149.99 - $400 off code: "NBQ5952" = $749.99 Free Shipping

5.78bs; 15.6" 1366x768 LED; Intel Core i7-3610QM 2.3GHz Quad-Core Ivy Bridge; 8GB RAM; 1TB HDD; Blu-Ray; 802.11n; Windows 7 Home Premium; NVIDIA Geforce GT630M 1GB; webcam; fingerprint; 6-cell battery; 1yr warranty
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For those that want a 1920x1080 screen

HP has the HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition Intel Core i7-3610QM Quad-Core Ivy Bridge 15.6" Notebook Computer for $899.99 Free Shipping after Coupon Code: "NBQ5952" (Exp Soon). Tax in most.

$1299.99 - $400 off code: "NBQ5952" = $899.99 Free Shipping

5.78bs; 15.6" 1920x1080 LED; Intel Core i7-361QM 2.3GHz Quad-Core Ivy Bridge; 8GB RAM; 1TB; Blu-Ray; 802.11n; Windows 7 Home Premium; NVIDIA Geforce GT630M 1GB; HD webcam; fingerprint; 6-cell battery; 1yr warranty


____________________________________________________________________________

Dell XPS 15 Intel i7-2670QM 2.2GHz Quad-Core 15.6in Laptop (8GB/1TB) $799

Dell Home has the Dell XPS 15 Intel Core i7-2670QM Quad-Core Sandy Bridge 15.6" Notebook Computer for a low $799.99 Free Shipping. Tax in most. 15.6" 1366x768 LED; Intel Core i7-2670QM 2.2GHz Quad-Core Sandy Bridge;


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Note that you want an Ivy Bridge CPU (newer series coming out now.)
 
I'm a cinematographer, not an editor.
So, I don't always edit projects I shoot. However, sometimes I am working on a project and there is no editor so then I will need to edit the stuff myself.
Some work is for clients, and some is for personal work. My own films I will be editing myself most likely, while client work will probably be done by an editor.

Projects are usually 20min shorts, but ive worked on some doc work and music videos.

I've been editing on my schools computers on FCP, but I want to edit on a pc, not a mac. So, I'm going with either Vegas, Premiere, or Avid - I've used them all, but I'm not sure which one is the best yet.

I own and shoot on a Canon T2i currently. But, I don't want to be limited to this camera as I know I will be shooting on higher end cameras and will want to edit that footage too sometime.

I will want to have an editing program, AE, and Photoshop. Big software will be installed.

So, Im looking for something that will hold up several software, have a lot of memory/storage, and not have problems.
All my basic store bought laptops had problems after a while as theyd get slower and slower.

The link I posted in the original post says that their laptops can get build in blu-ray readers/writers.
Why I want this? Because I will want to be screening some of my projects at film festivals. - And they do accept blu-ray, so I will want ro export it.
 
DDirector said:
I'm a cinematographer, not an editor.
All my basic store bought laptops had problems after a while as theyd get slower and slower.
Click to expand...


That is why I keep a deskyop that is devoted to editing. I only use it for editing, and very little else.

All machines that you install and use lots of different tools on will have this problem. The different software all installs updaters, quick start links, fonts, etc., etc. that will slow down a Mac or PC, custom or off the shelf over time.

What I do when I build/stage a new machine is get everything exactly the way I want it - software installed, background at medium grey, all the junk uninstalled, everything updated. Then I burn a "clean" image of teh OS disk to reinstall if I ever need to.

If you aren't real knowledgable about teh machine & OS settings, it might be worthwhile to **carefully** plan a backup and clean install of the OS from scratch about once per year to get rid of all teh various memory and cpu hogging settings. Or you could use software to do this.

I understand taht you want to be able to burn blu ray disks. I didn't knwo if you were planning to use them as backup, etc (I only use hard drives now, plus a NAS.)

But if you had a desktop to edit on, you can buy a blu ray burner for $70:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...D_Burners_&_Media-_-Featured-_-27-106-369

I'm not saying you shouldn't get a laptop with one. Just not to spend $800 extra on a laptop just to get a model taht has a burner.

I run CS6 Production Premium with Premiere, After Effects, Speedgrade, Media Encoder etc with no problems on my i3 laptop. Although you want an i7 for hyperthreading.

Good luck!
Michael
 
FYI: the blu-ray burner was only $100-120 extra for the laptops I mentioned above. Blu ray is for both backup for distribution. Dont want to use DVD's. I want to keep the quality of the videos at its highest.

Id need to clean the computer once in a while, yes. But, Id still want something with lots of memory/speed so its not like I need to do this clean up every few months. The more, the safer.

I would like to work on a desktop, however, I do work on the go a lot. School, on location, etc. and I can lug around a desktop. So, I need to keep it a laptop. Even if its more expensive. Just have to have one.
 
Just skimming over im thinking the HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition is good.

for premiere you want:
i7 for hyperthreading
5 ddr ram
nvida graphics card
and least 2 72000 hdds

but somebody check me if im wrong
 
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