PC Specs?

Chamber005

Chamber005

Carbonite Member
Hello all,

So I've been wanting to upgrade to a system (separate from my current computer station) that I can use solely for uploading and editing HD video @ 25p with Adobe. I'll be using footage from a Nikon D90 and a Sony EX1.

Does anyone know of any general specs (RAM, etc) that should be present in such an editing system? What is the minimum and what would be the dream system?

Thanks!!
 
2gb ram
512mb memory video card
dual core cpu

you'd have no problems editing in adobe w/ this setup
 
ColorBalance said:
No. That is not a powerful system for video editing anymore.

You need a quad-core system with 4 GB or more memory. They have become very cheap now. Check this out http://www.buy.com/prod/HP-Pavilion...Hz-6GB-1TB-16X-DVD-R/q/loc/101/210855448.html

It's a refurbished system, but pretty good. Or, visit www.newegg.Com. A bunch of them are there. You can build your own for about the same price.
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Hm. I have a Dell Dimension 4600 that I'm not using at all. I wonder if I could just boost its system...? Might make more sense than buying a new machine.

The specks are here: http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/dell-dimension-4600-pentium/4505-3118_7-30529709.html

What would I need to add to this computer that I already have?

(and do I need any special plug-ins for editing HD video or no?)
 
Your DELL Dimension 4600:
It has a Pentium processor and DDR RAM.
Save that computer for web-browsing and word processing.

You will need a NEW computer to edit HD. Atleast a Core 2 Duo, DDR2, and then depending which codec or uncompressed video you will be working on - you might need a RAID set up for your hard drive and storage.

Chamber005 said:
Hm. I have a Dell Dimension 4600 that I'm not using at all. I wonder if I could just boost its system...? Might make more sense than buying a new machine.

The specks are here: http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/dell-dimension-4600-pentium/4505-3118_7-30529709.html

What would I need to add to this computer that I already have?

(and do I need any special plug-ins for editing HD video or no?)
Click to expand...
 
The Dell system is a piece of junk, seriously speaking.

You have a Sony EX1 camera. You need a very powerful system for HD editing. I bought a Quad-core Mac system with 10 GB RAM and FCS only for video editing (otherwise, I dislike Mac's). I have an EX1.

So, to do justice, you need to spend some money in building a Quad-core system and nothing less. RAID setup is desirable, but you can get away as long as you follow certain backup rules. You'll also need at least a couple of 1 TB HDD's (a single drive system will slow you down).

My estimate - you need to spend about $700 or so to get a decent system.
 
ColorBalance said:
The Dell system is a piece of junk, seriously speaking.

You have a Sony EX1 camera. You need a very powerful system for HD editing. I bought a Quad-core Mac system with 10 GB RAM and FCS only for video editing (otherwise, I dislike Mac's). I have an EX1.

So, to do justice, you need to spend some money in building a Quad-core system and nothing less. RAID setup is desirable, but you can get away as long as you follow certain backup rules. You'll also need at least a couple of 1 TB HDD's (a single drive system will slow you down).

My estimate - you need to spend about $700 or so to get a decent system.
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Yeah, I assumed the DELL was, as you said, a piece of junk. Just wanted to make sure there weren't any components I might use from it. But hey, I can always throw extra RAM into my eMachines desktop (which I use for all my web browsing, etc.).

700 bucks is much cheaper than I'd first assumed. That's great. But ack -- a Mac?

Man, that would be a big, big issue for me, I think. I've never really used and never really liked Macs. They may have changed in the last 5 years or so since I've tried one. And if I had a Mac I most certainly wouldn't be using it for anything else besides video then. You really think they're the best route to go for video editing, though, huh?

And then what would I do? Burn a DVD and then move the DVD to my PC to upload it online? Or you're saying I should just use my wireless router and upload the video directly from the Mac...?
 
You do not need a Mac to do video editing. PC's are very powerful and have very good software support (Adobe, for example).

I myself am not a big fan of Mac. I use it for video editing and nothing else. However, Mac is a complete system in itself. You can edit videos, make DVD's, post them onto web - anything you can do with a PC, you can do with a Mac.

PC vs. Mac - personal choice. Either of the two will work just fine. Mac tends to be quite expensive as there is no competition. It is also a bit more stable as you don't have millions of vendors designing things for the Mac causing compatibility issues.

Send me a PM if you need more help.
 
ColorBalance said:
No. That is not a powerful system for video editing anymore.

You need a quad-core system with 4 GB or more memory. They have become very cheap now. Check this out http://www.buy.com/prod/HP-Pavilion...Hz-6GB-1TB-16X-DVD-R/q/loc/101/210855448.html

It's a refurbished system, but pretty good. Or, visit www.newegg.Com. A bunch of them are there. You can build your own for about the same price.
Click to expand...

lmao, that's a joke right?

you do realize that an out of the box dual core cpu will outdo an out of the box quad core cpu? i'd assume that the OP isn't going to be overclocking or has no idea what that is, so why you'd recommend a quad core is beyond me.

he doesn't need 4gb if he's running a 32bit operating system, mainly because 32 bit OSs can't support more than 2gb of RAM...

you also mentioned $700. you're recommending a system with 4gb of ram and a quad core, and you're telling him he needs roughly $700 to build/buy a system like that...?

do u kno wut ur saying
 
32Bit Windows XP & 32Bit Vista supports 4GBs RAM (1GB is reserved internal use)

64Bit Vista versions RAM:
Home Basic is limited to 8GB, Home Premium is limited to 16GB and the other editions (Business, Enterprise and Ultimate) let you get all the way up to 128GB.
 
nouou said:
lmao, that's a joke right?

you do realize that an out of the box dual core cpu will outdo an out of the box quad core cpu? i'd assume that the OP isn't going to be overclocking or has no idea what that is, so why you'd recommend a quad core is beyond me.

he doesn't need 4gb if he's running a 32bit operating system, mainly because 32 bit OSs can't support more than 2gb of RAM...

you also mentioned $700. you're recommending a system with 4gb of ram and a quad core, and you're telling him he needs roughly $700 to build/buy a system like that...?

do u kno wut ur saying
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Could you provide a link to a PC that has, in your estimation, the appropriate specs? You're saying what he said and the link that he's provided is incorrect. Please elaborate. Thanks!!
 
This topic has been discussed here extensively, but you seem nice enough, so here goes:

1. Core i7 CPU. No reason not to. They excel at media encoding and rendering.
Media Benchmarks: http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/intel/showdoc.aspx?i=3448&p=18

2. Memory. Depends on whether you're going 32-bit or 64-bit. Most apps aren't optimized for much more than 3 gigs, so don't worry too much unless you are a heavy multi-tasker. Here's a great analysis on the pros / cons of loading up on memory: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/memory-module-upgrade,2264.html

3. Hard drives. Depends on your budget. WD Velociraptors would be nice for performance throughput needs ($200 for the 300gb varieties) and WD Caviar Blacks are good for bigger storage needs (5 year warranties for very reasonable prices). Consider RAID and a dedicated RAID controller. Here are HDD benchmarks: http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/3.5-hard-drive-charts/benchmarks,24.html

4. Motherboards. Some options now available below $200 w/ rebates. Very good deals to be had, though expect price drops (at least for CPUs) within two-three weeks.

5. GPU. There will be some limited hardware acceleration when editing if you're using effects and such, but overall, no need for overkill. Still, no need to skimp either. Depends on your needs.

More benchmarks and analysis available upon request, but keep in mind that this topic comes up somewhat frequently, so it's easy for us to feel like we're repeating ourselves, you know? Good luck on your quest.

Eric
 
Eximious said:
This topic has been discussed here extensively, but you seem nice enough, so here goes:

1. Core i7 CPU. No reason not to. They excel at media encoding and rendering.
Media Benchmarks: http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/intel/showdoc.aspx?i=3448&p=18

2. Memory. Depends on whether you're going 32-bit or 64-bit. Most apps aren't optimized for much more than 3 gigs, so don't worry too much unless you are a heavy multi-tasker. Here's a great analysis on the pros / cons of loading up on memory: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/memory-module-upgrade,2264.html

3. Hard drives. Depends on your budget. WD Velociraptors would be nice for performance throughput needs ($200 for the 300gb varieties) and WD Caviar Blacks are good for bigger storage needs (5 year warranties for very reasonable prices). Consider RAID and a dedicated RAID controller. Here are HDD benchmarks: http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/3.5-hard-drive-charts/benchmarks,24.html

4. Motherboards. Some options now available below $200 w/ rebates. Very good deals to be had, though expect price drops (at least for CPUs) within two-three weeks.

5. GPU. There will be some limited hardware acceleration when editing if you're using effects and such, but overall, no need for overkill. Still, no need to skimp either. Depends on your needs.

More benchmarks and analysis available upon request, but keep in mind that this topic comes up somewhat frequently, so it's easy for us to feel like we're repeating ourselves, you know? Good luck on your quest.

Eric
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Definately agree on the core i7 if a new system is being built. The prices are reasonable and the performance is amazing. As far as Memory is concerned just remember that all memory is not created equal. Get some quality memory (Corsair, Mushkin, etc.) and check the specs. I can personally recommend the WD Caviar Blacks. They are inexpesnive and are very fast. The Velociraptors are probably overkill.
 
About $700 for a Quad core system? Why not?

I've a quad-core CPU Q6600, 500 GB HDD, 4 GB RAM, XP Pro, Office, and Adobe Premiere Pro loaded (with original CD and documentation). Used in editing a 1-hr long movie that had all kinds of special effects (lighting, color correction, and more). Any takers for $600 + shipping? It also has 120mm fans. Ready to fly. As I mentioned earlier, I do editing on a MAC now a days, so the PC is not used much.
 
ColorBalance said:
About $700 for a Quad core system? Why not?

I've a quad-core CPU Q6600, 500 GB HDD, 4 GB RAM, XP Pro, Office, and Adobe Premiere Pro loaded (with original CD and documentation). Used in editing a 1-hr long movie that had all kinds of special effects (lighting, color correction, and more). Any takers for $600 + shipping? It also has 120mm fans. Ready to fly. As I mentioned earlier, I do editing on a MAC now a days, so the PC is not used much.
Click to expand...

That's the same set-up I am using right now as my office / Web design computer. I have a Dell Inspiron 510 with a similar setup that I am typing on right now and at Home I have the same setup but I custom built. It's great. $800 last year from DELL and the Custom Built one cost about $1,000 of parts & windows.
 
Yep - cost me about $1,200 as I focused on Cache, not cash. But, it is not much use to me now other than logging on to DVXUser and checking BH Photo Video sites. So, whatever I can get out of it.
 
HCPROD said:
The Velociraptors are probably overkill.
Click to expand...

Yeah, on second thought, you're right. The faster access times probably don't justify their price anymore with affordable SSD's on the horizon, unless you're working in a server environment (in which case you're using 15k SCSI anyway).

But, don't go with a Q6600. If you're going to be dealing with media, the Core i7 is easily the best bang for the buck. Check out the Anandtech benchmark I linked to.
 
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