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Approx $1000, video editing/rendering


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#1
elegian

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Hi all,

I'm a first time builder looking for video editing/rendering capabilities primarily. The amount of 3D work I do is minimal as well. I'm looking to spend ~$1000.

A friend suggested this build for me and was wondering if I could get some opinions on it, especially regarding the power supply.

Power Supply

Mobo

RAM

CPU

Video Card

DVD Burner

HDD

Case

Monitor

OS: Windows 7 x64

Thank you so much in advance -
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#2
iammykyl

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Hi elegian, Posted Image

what will be the main programs you intend to use?
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#3
phillpower2

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Hi elegian

A friend suggested this build for me and was wondering if I could get some opinions on it, especially regarding the power supply.


Just a bit of guidance for you concerning the PSU, you will not get a good quality 600W+ PSU for that kind of cash so avoid it like the plague, a good quality brand comparison http://www.newegg.co...h=1&srchInDesc=
A guide to good, acceptable and bad PSUs http://www.10stripe....d/psu/brand.php to help you choose, also do not decide upon a PSU until all other components are chosen then use a PSU calculator such as
http://www2.corsair.com/psufinder/ Antec amongst others also provide such a guide.


NB: Hows it going iammykyl, I hope you don`t mind me pitching in.
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#4
Digerati

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A couple things. Note a gaming graphics card is not the ideal card for your stated purposes. A "workstation" card is. While a $4000 card can certainly be a budget buster, like most graphics cards (gaming and professional) the more money you put in it, the better the performance.

I would avoid that PSU like the plague. The PSU is arguably the most important purchase decision you must make and you should NEVER cut corners or try to save a few pennies by buying a cheap supply. High speed digital electronics needs quality "clean" power. Raidmax does not have a notable reputation for either - especially one that is not 80-Plus certified like that one. The PSU should also be your last purchase decision, after you have selected your other components and have determined their power needs. See my canned text below for selecting and sizing a PSU.

I am not crazy about the case either. The case, together with a good PSU, make the foundation for a quality computer capable of providing years of support, AND upgrade options. While that case supports more fans, it comes with just one 120mm fan in front. Also, I will never get a case that does not have a removable, washable air filter. And while aluminum cases are nice, they tend to be flimsy unless quality (read expensive) made with reinforced corners to ensure they remain "true" and don't flex (bends are and remain exactly 90°). A flimsy case that flexes and warps when moved puts undue and damaging stress on the motherboard's mounting points. I like Antec cases like the Antec 300.

***

Use the eXtreme PSU Calculator Lite to determine your minimum and recommended power supply unit (PSU) requirements. Plan ahead and plug in all the hardware you think you might have in 2 or 3 years (extra drives, bigger or 2nd video card, more RAM, etc.). Be sure to read and heed the notes at the bottom of the calculator page. I recommend setting Capacitor Aging to 30% (see my note below), and if you participate in distributive computing projects (e.g. BOINC or Folding@Home) or extreme 3D animated gaming, I recommend setting both TDP and system load to 100%. These steps ensure the supply has adequate head room for stress free (and perhaps quieter) operation, as well as future hardware demands. Research your video card and pay particular attention to the power supply requirements for your card listed on your video card maker's website. If not listed, check a comparable card (same graphics engine and RAM) from a different maker. The key specifications, in order of importance are:

  • Current (amperage or amps) on the +12V rail,
  • Efficiency,
  • Total wattage.
Don’t try to save a few dollars by getting a cheap supply! Digital electronics, including CPUs, RAM, and today's advanced graphics cards, need clean, stable power. A good, well chosen supply will provide years of service and upgrade wiggle room. Look for power supply brands listed under the "Good" column of PC Mech's PSU Reference List. Another excellent read is Tom’s Hardware, Who’s Who In Power supplies: Brands, Labels, And OEMs. Note that some case retailers “toss in” a generic or inadequate PSU just to make the case sale. Be prepared to “toss out” that supply for a good one with sufficient power.

Most PSUs have an efficiency rating of around 70%. This means for every 100 watts of power a PSU draws from the wall, only 70 watts is delivered to the motherboard, with the rest wasted in the form of heat. The best supplies are 85 to 90% efficient, and as expected, cost more. I strongly recommend you pick a quality supply with an efficiency rating equal to or greater than 80%. Look for 80 PLUS and EnergyStar Compliant labels. 80 PLUS PSUs are required to have fairly linear efficiencies. This is important to ensure the PSU is running at or near peak efficiency regardless the load or power demands. Non-linear PSUs typically are most efficient when the load is in a narrow range between 70 and 90% of the PSU’s capacity and the efficiency may drop dramatically above and below those amounts.

Too big of a PSU hurts nothing but your budget. Your computer will draw from the PSU only what it needs, not what the PSU is capable of delivering. If a computer needs 300 watts it will draw 300 watts regardless if the PSU is a 400W, 650W, or 1000W PSU. In turn, the PSU, regardless its size will draw from the wall only what it needs to support the computer. In this example, it will draw 300 watts, plus another 45 – 90 watts, depending on the PSU’s inefficiency.

As noted, the eXtreme Calculator determines minimum and recommended requirements. If the calculator (with the changes I suggested) recommends a 400 watt minimum, a quality 400W supply will serve you just fine. However, a quality 550W – 600W supply will have, among other things, larger heat sinks to dissipate potentially more heat. It might have a larger fan too. The 400W supply will run most of the time closer to capacity, while the larger supply will be loafing along, rarely breaking a sweat. To help the smaller heat sinks get rid of the wasted 80 watts (20% of 400) of heat, the fan in the 400W supply may need to run full speed, while the fan in the larger supply, with bigger sinks just loafs along too – but in near silence. Also, it is typical for manufacturers to use higher quality parts, design, and manufacturing techniques in their higher power supplies.

Note: Capacitor Aging. All electronics “age” over time. Electrons flowing through components bang around and create friction and heat causing wear and tear, altering the electrical characteristics of the device. Over time, this weakens the device resulting in eventual failure. Power supplies have always suffered profoundly from aging effects resulting in a loss of capacity. In recent years, capacitor technologies have improved. The best PSUs use the best (and most expensive) capacitors which suffer less from aging effects than older capacitor types. If planning on buying a new, high-end PSU, setting capacitor aging to 10% may result in a more realistic recommendation. However, headroom “buffer” will be significantly reduced. You can expect your PSU to last 5 years or longer. Since it is better to buy too big rather than too small, and since it is hard to predict what your power requirements will be in 3 years, using 30% for Capacitor Aging ensures you have enough headroom for virtually any upgrade.

Don't forget to budget for a good UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation). Surge and spike protectors are inadequate and little more than fancy, expensive extension cords.


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#5
elegian

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Thank you all so much for your help! I can't convey how much I appreciate it.. Your recommendations have been really apt. :)

I think that I will be using the Adobe Creative Suite primarily - a lot of Photoshop, Illustrator, AfterEffects, and Premiere, as I see it right now.

Would this be a better alternative for the graphics card? Is there something I should be looking for more specifically when selecting one?

Considering I do hope to upgrade this computer quite a bit in the future, would this PSU do the job?

edit: Also, would I be able to connect an eSata cable to the mobo chosen?

Edited by elegian, 22 October 2011 - 08:52 AM.

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#6
Digerati

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That is a serious graphics card. I am not a graphics designer nor do I do computer aided engineering, but I suspect that will meet your needs nicely. You might want to check the system requirements for the programs you intend on using to make sure you are meeting their needs.

Corsair is known for quality RAM and quality PSUs so you are good there too.

As for the motherboard, if you look at the images on Newegg, you will see that board does not support eSATA. But you can easily add an adapter.

Note for just about everything under consideration, you can go out to the product's webpage and download the manuals before ordering. I recommend doing this so you can read and become familiar with them while waiting for delivery.
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#7
iammykyl

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Hows it going iammykyl, I hope you don`t mind me pitching in.



Going good, just getting into shorts and thongs.
Not at all, input is always welcome, after all it's about getting the best results to the question asked.
I am inclined to beat my Favourite drum and would hate to get stuck in a rut so, the more the merrier, new ideas, a different perspective and of course corrections.
That time difference is a pain as well, posts from other regions keep things ticking over.
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#8
elegian

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To cut costs a little bit, could anyone recommend a video card for this build that might be a little bit more inexpensive than the Quadro FX 1800 I noted in the last post?

edit: And likewise for the PSU?

Edited by elegian, 22 October 2011 - 08:11 PM.

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#9
iammykyl

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To cut costs a little bit,



Looking into that now for you. That GPU and the Quadro 2000 are what I would recommend for a low end professional build.
Will the build be for good quality personal work? or are you aiming to earn money using it?

I think we could drop the CPU to a 2500K.


The case Digerati indicated is one I like to use.


The monitor will need to be altered. The one selected has poor back light performance.


Will get back to you soooon.
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#10
elegian

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Thank you so much!

I'll be using it both for my own personal work and for commissions. It's hard to tell at this point because I'm still working towards my film/video degree and am not sure precisely where my career trajectory lies.
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#11
iammykyl

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As you will be editing stills and video I am researching what would be the best set up of the HDDs

Some reading for you. As you know more about your workflow and methods please give some feedback of you thoughts and if you have any preferences.

http://forums.adobe....662972?tstart=0
http://forums.adobe....message/3467038
http://forums.adobe....2533067#2533067

Edited by iammykyl, 24 October 2011 - 07:55 AM.

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#12
iammykyl

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Looking at these 2 video cards.

http://www.newegg.co...4^14-133-354-TS

The 600 should be the lowest spec card to use for this build.

this page, scroll down to 2000 Vs 600. go full screen, click once to pause again to continue. Some other interesting videos as well.

http://www.google.co...iw=1280&bih=937

Edited by iammykyl, 24 October 2011 - 11:51 PM.

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#13
iammykyl

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This is as close to your budget as I can get giving a rig that will do the job well, should last you for 2 or 3 years with a good upgrade path.

Note Does not include a monitor, OS, taxes and shipping, there may be some mail in rebates available. You may be able to get some savings with cleaver alternative shopping to Newegg.

Motherboard. http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813131786 Has eSATA
CPU. SB. 2500K http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819115072 Sell SB upgrade in 18months to Liano.
RAM. x 2. = 16GB. http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820145345
GPU. Quadro 600. http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814133354 Sell later, upgrade to Quadro 2000
HDD. x 4. http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820145345
Optical. http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827106335 Upgrade to Blu-Ray burner.
PSU. http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817139020
Case. http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811129066

TOTAL. $1,015

HDD configuration would have to be decided on.
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#14
iammykyl

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Just doing another build and see that Newegg has done the dirty and increased the price of HDD across the board.
will have to source elsewhere.

Motherboard Asus website, http://www.asus.com/...155/P8Z68M_PRO/
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#15
phillpower2

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Just doing another build and see that Newegg has done the dirty and increased the price of HDD across the board.
will have to source elsewhere.


Hi iammyky
Slightly off topic but Malware Expert Ron Kinner post a topic advising that this may happen; http://www.geekstogo...hortage-coming/
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