$1000 Adobe CS5 Video Editing System

DVG

Distinguished
Jul 13, 2010
8
0
18,510
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: next couple weeks

BUDGET RANGE: $800-1200

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Adobe CS5 Video Editing, audio production, regular stuff

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, OS

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg, Amazon

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: US

PARTS PREFERENCES: AMD Phenom X6 1055t processor, GSKILL 4gb ram (x2), reliable brands..

OVERCLOCKING: Yes, within reason

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No

MONITOR RESOLUTION: not sure yet (probably 1920 x1080)

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: integrated graphics vs. nvidia dedicated card for cuda?
SSD drive for OS?
 

Alvin Smith

Distinguished
Well ... If you intend to use Blackmagic Design peripherals (like all serious ADOBE editors), then X58 Express is indicated ... You'd be lookin' at $1500 bare bones rock-bottom (all combos and rebates in play) ... before shipping.

More like $2,500 for a proper build (nVidia 460, SSD, et. al.)

= Al =


= Al =
 

Alvin Smith

Distinguished
I do hear ya ... might reconsider sw toolset, then ... because ...

I can't find a single AMD/CS5 certified or prebuilt (turnkey) rig anywhere, on this planet, and I'm just guessing there might actually be some reason, for that.

http://www.webvideoguys.com/ARCHIVE/turnkey.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/589562-REG/B_H_Photo_Adobe_Premiere_Pro_CS5.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/buy/Windows-Based-Editing-Systems/N/4289213676


And I could throw links all day long ... And not just ADOBE, but just about any one of their partner products and plug-ins, also spec an X58/nVidia build ...

... You simply will not find AMD/ATi anywhere ... I would save up or change toolsets.

... All that said ... Why not cruise over to the CS5 user forums and ask if anyone is using AMD CPU or ATi graphics and, ask if there are any issues.

We would love to hear what you discover ... please let us know.

I mean ... if it works (it should) ... then no biggie ... I'd sure ask around and get the straight dope, right from the horse's mouth ... or ... perhaps just buy what the folks who actually wrote the code are recommending ... or not ... you might know more about it than those "silly willies" !

Please go ahead and do the 1055T and CS5 thing and use it for 6 months and then share your experiences, with us ... seems a bit "fishy" to me too !

... Language extentions ? ... What could the reason be ?

= Al =
 

Alvin Smith

Distinguished
But let's just say that you DO go with an AMD/nVidia build ... then ...

You can get an Athlon-II x4 2.9GHz(+OC) and an 890GPA-UD3H mobo and a
9800GT-EE(PB) ... then upgrade to BullDozer, in 18 months, or so. It is roughly equivilent to a Core2-Quad, at any given clock, for render apps.

Tiger and B&H Photo both carry the PNY 9800GT-EE ... MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN YOU GET THE ONE WITH "PB", in the manufacturer's part#

4GB of G.Skill 1600c7 ... a couple of F3s and a Corsair ~550Watt PSU.

Antec300 ILLUSION case (illusion model comes with fans).

SAMSUNG or ASUS SATA DVDR.

= Al =

Maybe a Phenom-II 955 Black ... if budget allows.

 

andrewcutter

Distinguished
Sep 10, 2009
179
0
18,690
with cs5 , cuda is an absolute must i think. (mercury playback engine which primear uses is made with cuda.) so that removes ati from the picture. as for the processer no idea. but i think at least a 460 is in order
 

DVG

Distinguished
Jul 13, 2010
8
0
18,510
You make a good point Alvin, and it is still possible for me to go with an i7-930 build if I need to. I'll ask on the Adobe forums about a 1055t/9800gt build and AMD in general. If I get a lot of negative response then i'll look to an x58 system. If not, I'll pursue the 1055t with a mid-range nvidia and hopefully i could use Bulldozer on an AM3 mobo whenever it comes out.

Andrew, I think a 460 would be a little over the top for my use, since my goal for the gpu is just to use cuda enough to take some stress off the processor, and I think a mid-range nvidia would do that well enough. Thanks though
 

Alvin Smith

Distinguished
Look at the Zotac 250 ... It has OpenGL3.2 (most other 200 series DO NOT)

PNY and EVGA also make 250GS(1GB) cards that DO support OpenGL3.x.

That PNY 9800GT-EE("PB") card really rocks, tho ... * True single slot * short card * 75Watts reduced power * gets all power from cardbus * lower fan noise * OpenGL3.0 * CUDA * SLI * 1GB * Supports 2x1200P(1080P) monitors per card * up to 4 mons with 2 cards * HDCP * HTPC * purpose designed with pro-graphics and NLE toolsets, in mind, used in dozens of turnkey builds (AVID/CS5/etv.) ... this is the "go-to" part for entry-level graphics/NLE.

Personally? I just purchased TWO Zotac PASSIVE COOLED (SILENT) 240s ... and an extra 120mm fan (a very quiet fan) to point at them ... this is THE MOST powerful passive-cooled GPU available, today.

I do not really recommend the 240s, to others, tho ... because I think the 9800-EE will beat it (as will the 250s) ... but if silence is crucial (it is, for me), then the 240s are a marginal option. (as is the Athlon-II x4Core that I purchased) ... barely sucking air, but at least 3 times faster than my Northwood P4 system, which was adequate for DV-25 and a P4 will even render HDV>>>AVCHD/MP4, if you are patient, so I figger that if I clock the snot out of the Athlon-II x4 (to about 3.4GHz+, it should render in less than half the time ... maybe a third the time ... and, as long as I do not delve into "super-pro" SDI/4:2:2 codecs (above 25Mbits/sec), then I should have no issues with bandwidth.

In 18 months ... I can either go bulldozer OR I can upgrade my compute-core to "X59" and relegate the Athlon-II for general HTPC/DAW usage.

I got a dirt cheap compute core and surrounded it with quality infrastructure (Zahlman 120mm Stack Cooler with push-pull * Corsair P128 SSD * Rack-Server Chassis, ... etc.

And, am I going to throw away the stock cooler? ... HAIL, NO!

This config allows me to move or scale in any direction, whether AM3 or X58 ... AND ... to re-task all parts to other quality service builds, in future, mainly because the Athlonx4 is plenty adequate for just about anything, from gaming to HTPC to productivity or general purpose ... AND ... because the UD3H mobo has superb IGP and native future ports galore.



= Al =
 

andrewcutter

Distinguished
Sep 10, 2009
179
0
18,690
well i thought the 4 series might be a better cuda cruncher than 2 series of nvidia. The mercury playback engine does not just use the gpu lightly. the time scrubbing in primear is now done completly on the gpu..... and 460 is a mid range card...:D
 

Alvin Smith

Distinguished
Oh ... NO DOUBT !!! ... The 1GB version of the 460 *IS* (absolutely) the WAY TO GO ... yes ... mow some of your neighbor's lawns and stretch for that ... and the ability to game (seriously) does not hurt, either ... SLI scales linear ... NOTHING NOT TO LOVE (other than price but TOTALLY WORTH IT).

... Yeah ... forget what all I said ... nothing will do except the 1GB version of the 460 and, DO check the pricing because it is actually VERY affordable, ... especially considering what you get, when compared to QuadroFX or "True FERMI" options.

... yes ... the 460 is the best of all worlds and is not real hot ... *IS* very quiet ... reasonable power consumption ... at a VERY FAIR PRICE (if at all possible).

Had the 460 been out, when I ordered ... I would have been SORELY tempted.
... as it is ... I am editing with VEGAS and I do not game (on the PC) so ... my whimpy silent 240s will chug along, just fine ... but for CS5?! ... 460 ... yup!.

(that was my original recommendation, iffin you recall.)

= Al =
 

Alvin Smith

Distinguished
So ... realistically, and with your budget in mind ...

890GPA-UD3H
955 Black OC
120mm "single vertical stack" cooler (2xfans in push-pull config) Zahlman/Scythe/etc.
2x2GB G.Skill DDR3 1600c7 (Either RipJaws or Eco Series (Eco is not so tall).
Sapphire or PNY or EVGA nVidia F104/460 @ 1GB DDR5 (not the lesser version!).
One F3 500GB (Boot/Apps)
One F3 1TB (Content/Streaming) (config w/short-fast 250GB primary partition).
One SATA DVDR (SAMSUNG/ASUS/SONY/LG)
Corsair 650Watt PSU (overhead for RAID-0 or SLI) .... 750Watts NOT overkill if SLI
Antec 300 Illusion OR HAF 922 case.
ASUS 23.5" LCD Monitor
Win7-64Pro (OEM)

That is gonna give you the most oomph for the least money and should ensure longevity and would be very flexible for upgrades and retasking.

In a nutshell ? For CS5 ... 955(OC) + 460 is gonna be better than 1055(OC) + 250GS, for nearly the same price.

= Al =
 

Jzcaesar

Distinguished
Jun 23, 2010
52
0
18,640
The website I posted was an older post that came out before the 460 was out. It seems like the requirements are the CUDA (which all fermi cards have), something like 768 mb or something, and at least OpenGL 2.0 (or 3, but w/e, the 460 has the latest version).

I've been googling around (for myself; I'm also shopping around for an nvidia card to help out with video editing) to see if anybody has gotten this to work, but I haven't found anything concrete yet. I'm fairly confident that it will work myself. I did see a post where somebody got the 1 gb version of the GT 240 to work, so if you wanted a cheaper option, you could always get a lower end nvidia card.
 

Alvin Smith

Distinguished


Except for Mercury Playback Acceleration, CUDA is not used that much ...

Even the GT220 supports CUDA ... In fact, i would venture that ALL nVidia products manufactured within the last year support CUDA, to varying degrees and ALL of the cards (Quadro/FERMI/GeForce/F104) will recognize each other and perform "Combined CUDA Compute", whe applications address those functions.

The OpenGL Version Support is far more important, as far as compatibility with Adobe and typical partner suites/modules/utilities and plugins.

Do be certain that your GPU supports a minimum of OpenGL 3.0 (Version Support).

CUDA is ubiquirous and transparent, to you ... As long as you have nVidia (not ATi ), then you have CUDA and, if any sw needs CUDA ... then, it will find CUDA and you will never know that is happening ... Buy nVidia for CUDA ... beyond that ??? ... Who cares?

= Al =
 

Alvin Smith

Distinguished
All of the following cards work well, with CS5 and friends ...

PNY 9800GT-EE ("PB") (OpenGL 3.0) Must be THIS exact sub-model (PNY brand with "-EE" in the model# *AND* "PB" in the manufacturer's part# ... NOTE: newegg does not carry this card ... Tiger.com usually has it in stock and B&H Photo (,com) always has it in stock .... BEWARE !!! There is another sub-model of this same "-EE" card that does NOT have "PB" in the part# and does NOT support OpenGL 3.x !!
... Tiger and newegg DO carry this *WRONG* part ... VERIFY "PB" and OpenGL 3.x !

Advantages to the above card? ... Reduced power (75Watts) ... True single slot (slender, front-to-back) ... cooler ... quieter ... gets all power from cardbus (no extra power cables required) ... CHEAP (about $105 USD) ... This is THE INDUSTRY STD part for entry level turnkey (ADOBE) graphics/edit builds.

ZOTAC 240 (silent, passive cooled, no fan) ... OpenGL 3.2 (verify OGL3.2 sub-model)
... Is silent (needs some air moving around it ... I have a 120mm silent fan aimed at my pair of these (3 monitors). .. Good for Live Audio Record and HTPC (~$100)

ZOTAC/PNY/EVGA 250GS ... Be careful ... These are very specific models that use less power and support OpenGL 3.x ... These are not like other 250s ...
... I like the ZOTAC, because it supports OpenGL 3.2 and 1GB DDR3 ... (~$130-r-less)

F-104/460 ... You might pay $30-$40 more, for the 1GB version but you get WAY MORE for the money ... DO get the 1GB version ... about .. ?? ! $230 ??
... This card uses WAY less power ... Makes WAY LESS noise ... Costs WAY LESS than a monster FERMI .. GAMES LIKE THE DICKENS ! SLI scales almost linear!

And ... OpenGL 4.0 !

The 1GB 460 is truly the very best of ALL WORLDS (uses/configs/cost) ... Whatever else you may purchase, build your system around this.

I like PNY/ZOTAC/EVGA for the 460 ... READ ALL OWNER REVIEWS !!!

= Hope (the heck) this helps !! = (sore fingers).
 

andrewcutter

Distinguished
Sep 10, 2009
179
0
18,690
down the line after upgrading to dozer or before that, if money is there, you could get another 460 :D. should give you a very good productivity boost working on 3 monitors.... *drools thinking primear in one, after effects in another, photoshop in third*
 

Alvin Smith

Distinguished
No ... It would be Premier, on all three with the timeline stretched across at least two and using a 3rd for media bins (vertical) and a 4th for output monitoring.

BTW ... You can either SLI and game ... OR ... UN/NOT-SLI and edit multi-mon ...
... I know a guy (shadow/here) who claims he "disconnects" the SLI bridge (physically), to edit.

Regardless ... You can mix and match any quadro/GeForce/Fermi combo to get beyond 3 monitors, just as you can mix and match any nVidia cards for Combined CUDA ... The drivers see it all and let you do whatever is supported .. automagic.

... Two 460s will significantly outrun a 480 and on less power (SLI'd)

= Al =
 

Alvin Smith

Distinguished
And ... If you even think you *might* SLI two 460s, anytime in future ... then you should definately go with a 750Watt PSU ... NOW ... The Corsair Bronze is VERY affordable and is the best and "most" rated PSU (model) on the planet (prolly).

 

DVG

Distinguished
Jul 13, 2010
8
0
18,510
Ok..so..not to totally un-use all of this discussion, BUT, after looking and asking around on the Adobe forums, I have been told that the X6 would not be utilized as well by CS5 as an i7 would, and that having a card that works with the Mercury Playback Engine plays a big role in Premiere Pro performance.

SO, since I live somewhat near a Micro Center, I've decided to go with a i7-930 X58 build (that was touched on a little at the beginning..) and I'm thinking of using either the 9800GT Alvin recommended or a Gigabyte GT 240 1GB ($90 and has OpenGL 3.2) for the gpu.
It would be a lower range card that would utilize the Mercury Playback Engine like you guys were just talking about without taking up a big chunk of my budget.
Also, if I see the need to upgrade to a 460 in the future, there's nothing stopping me from that.

So now the question is:
1) Geforce 9800GT vs. GT 240?
and
2) What would be a good X58 motherboard with simple/safe but effective overclocking? ($250 MAX)

I've come across these among others:
ASRock X58 Extreme LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX-$165
ASUS P6X58D-E LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX- $240
ASRock X58 Extreme 3 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX-$190

..this isn't helping sore fingers much..
 

Alvin Smith

Distinguished
I think you want the ASROCK "DELUXE" ... am I right?

I would go with the 9800GT-EE(PB) because it is a single slot card and uses even less power than the 240 ... about the same price ... made by PNY ... the same folks who make quadros ... They should benchmark "neck-n-neck" with the 9800 winning, by a nose.

Get G.Skill 3x2GB 1600c7 Triple channel ram kit ... brace for the cost.

You really should also get the Corsair 750Watt Bronze PSU.

500GB Spinpoint F3 for boot/apps

1TB F3 for ingest/streaming/rendering and media content storage (photos/vids/mp3s).

... SAMSUNG/ASUS/SONY/LG SATA DVDR.

Antec 300 >> ILLUSION << Case (fans included)

Coolers ... now THERE is a whole other can of worms ...

... All's I will say (for the moment) is that you want a 120mm single, vertical stack design with heat-pipes ... That costs less than $50, with one fan.

... The cooler choice is a bit of a booger ... I like the Zahlman option, for $50.

you can look at Hyper 212+ ($30 anywhere but newegg, where it is $50) ... The zahllman is better fan, tho ... Sunbeam and Scythe make some good ones in the under $50 range.

... Make sure it is socket 1366 compatible.
 

Alvin Smith

Distinguished
With a ~$200 ASUS 23.5" monitor, you are prolly lookin at about $2,100

(Plus shipping and OS (OEM) ... Or Local Tax of ??)

You will also need a slim, right angle SATA data cable ($3) ... You mobo should come with TWO but the required build needs 2x HDDs (must!) AND a SATA DVDR (unless you salvage an older PATA/EIDE 133 drive.

Thermal paste comes with most of the better coolers ... One fan is enough for a modest OC of 3.2 GHz.