$2000 video editing only build. Not sure on some hardware.

[JayBates86]

I've decided to build a new computer that can be upgraded later as needed instead of adding a new graphics card to my current computer as that's the only place I can upgrade. This computer will be used for Premiere Pro CC and Photoshop CC editing and email only, zero games.

This is the build I have so far:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/z6nrXL

I've got a couple extra storage drives and SSD's for scratch disks on hand. I would like to stay as close to $2000 as possible. I'm not sure if it would be better to get the dual graphics cards I have listed or go with a similar price single card? Quadro or no Quadro? Can I go smaller with the motherboard and case to save a little on the budget? I currently use dual inexpensive 24" ASUS monitors but have been debating getting a nice single monitor. I could keep the monitors I have or get a single monitor if it will fit the budget.

I have built a computer before but I have no clue on what brands/hardware to stay away from or which ones are good. Any advice or recommendations is greatly appreciated.

 

[Eximo]

Nvidia Quadro K4200 would match up fairly well. Would also probably switch to a Xeon class processor if this is solely for work applications.

I imagine the need for higher resolutions will be important in the not too distant future, so a big 2560x1440 IPS monitor or 4K/5K monitor would be reasonable, but those would be a huge chunk of the budget.

 

[JayBates86]

Nvidia Quadro K4200 would match up fairly well. Would also probably switch to a Xeon class processor if this is solely for work applications.

I imagine the need for higher resolutions will be important in the not too distant future, so a big 2560x1440 IPS monitor or 4K/5K monitor would be reasonable, but those would be a huge chunk of the budget.

While technically this is a "business" computer I only render two videos per week. I make YouTube videos for a living so it's not a corporate work environment. I have a Xeon E3-1230 v2 in my current rig. But I'm under the impression that a 6 core i7 would be a big performance boost for rendering, right?

 

[Eximo]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1245 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($275.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($25.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.75 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PNY Quadro K4200 4GB Video Card ($774.99 @ B&H)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($71.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Thermaltake 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($78.97 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($52.88 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($134.89 @ OutletPC)
Other: ASUS P9D-X ATX Server Motherboard LGA 1150 ($159.99)
Other: Kingston 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM ECC Unbuffered ($309.99)
Total: $2028.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-31 09:43 EDT-0400

 

[Eximo]

Depends on the type of rendering I suppose. If you can get software that will use a GPU, that would be much quicker. If you already have that processor, what I put together isn't that much better, though ECC memory might help out a little.

If you are going to go big, then a 6 core processor isn't what you need. Grab a 12-core Xeon (little pricey though)

 

[snowctrl]

For video editing you must think about your hard drives. A single WD Blue is not a good solution, and you will likely quickly find your OS SSD too small as well - get a 250GB, at least, or ideally a 512GB as you'll want your Caches on it (unless you put them on a Raid?).

Going Quadro is pointless for Premiere, unless you think you're going to get serious about colour grading, in which case you also need to consider your monitors much more carefully as well. Geforce will give you far more power for your cash. DO investigate whether Premiere will take full advantage of the SLI-ed cards.

Core i7 5820K is a good choice - overclocked it will give you lots of power.

 

[maddogfargo]

With or without GPU rendering, your storage subsystem will be your bottleneck.

I'd suggest at least 4 SATA drives in RAID10 for performance and redundancy.

Much of video editing/redering is sequential R/W of large blocks. 4-6 HDDs in Raid 10 will get you a nice speed bump. I recommend looking at 2.5" form factor drives for minimal vibration. There are several good laptop drives @ 7200 RPM that will work nicely. I currently have an internal video storage array using Seagate Monemtus laptop drives. It has been working very well for 2+ years now.

 

[JayBates86]

With or without GPU rendering, your storage subsystem will be your bottleneck.

I'd suggest at least 4 SATA drives in RAID10 for performance and redundancy.

Much of video editing/redering is sequential R/W of large blocks. 4-6 HDDs in Raid 10 will get you a nice speed bump. I recommend looking at 2.5" form factor drives for minimal vibration. There are several good laptop drives @ 7200 RPM that will work nicely. I currently have an internal video storage array using Seagate Monemtus laptop drives. It has been working very well for 2+ years now.

I never thought about storage speeds bottle-necking the system. Thank you.

 

[Wisecracker]

These days (as in the old days, too ) disk I/O in Premiere CAN be killer.

Presumably, you can still isolate specific streams to individual drives. Something like this:

c:\OS/Apps: 120GB SSD
d:\BD-ROM: BR optical/burner?
e:\video: 120GB SSD
f:\audio: 120GB SSD
g:\output: 120GB SSD
h:\storage/backup: 2TB HDD

SSDs e:\ and f:\ write final file to g:\. When you are done, all files are cleared to your master file on h:\. You could likely get by with all 120GB SSDs because there is no 'drive capacity speed penalty' as with mechanical HDDs. Just practice good file maintenance and structure.

Moar♫ Cores can be a good thing, but is not a replacement for fast disk I/O and RAMs. Same with GPUs --- without getting into it, you should compare on your own OpenCL / CUDA.

With the gains of GPU compute, an i5 or even an FX-83xx will be fine.

 

[snowctrl]

These days (as in the old days, too ) disk I/O in Premiere CAN be killer.

Presumably, you can still isolate specific streams to individual drives. Something like this:

c:\OS/Apps: 120GB SSD
d:\BD-ROM: BR optical/burner?
e:\video: 120GB SSD
f:\audio: 120GB SSD
g:\output: 120GB SSD
h:\storage/backup: 2TB HDD

SSDs e:\ and f:\ write final file to g:\. When you are done, all files are cleared to your master file on h:\. You could likely get by with all 120GB SSDs because there is no 'drive capacity speed penalty' as with mechanical HDDs. Just practice good file maintenance and structure.

Moar♫ Cores can be a good thing, but is not a replacement for fast disk I/O and RAMs. Same with GPUs --- without getting into it, you should compare on your own OpenCL / CUDA.

With the gains of GPU compute, an i5 or even an FX-83xx will be fine.

That's a VERY convoluted drive arrangement, not to mention pricey, given all those SSDs, and it still doesn't give you much space for media...

Far better to get a single SSD, say a Samsung 850Pro 250GB for OS and programs, then set up a RAID 10...?

Then you either put everything on the Raid, or have your Caches with your programs on the OS SSD, your preference. If you wanna spend extra you can get a second SSD just for your Caches, but in practice it doesn't make a whole lot of difference on most systems

 

[Wisecracker]

Let's start with 2x XFX DD Radeon R9 280 3GB 384-Bit at $448 before $20 rebate. Premiere GPU compute output will see a near 2X gain with multiple graphics over a single card.

SeaSonic 750W 80+ GOLD Full Modular: $130
AMD FX-8370E
Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5
G.SKILL 2X4GB RAM 1866
$365 Combo
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 1600: $118
CM Storm Trooper - Full Tower Case: $150 before $15 rebate
2x 2 x 2.5” HDD/SSD to 5.25” Adapter/Bracket: $20
2x 2.5” HDD/SSD to 3.5” Adapter/Bracket: $20
LG Black Blu-ray Burner 14X: $45 after code EMCAPNT27
3x Samsung 850 Pro Series 2.5" 128GB: $85 with code EMCAPNV83, or $255
Mushkin Enhanced Chronos 480GB SSD: $160
Pick one 60GB SSD: $45
WD BLACK SERIES WD2003FZEX 2TB: $125
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit - OEM: $80 with code EMCAPNV76

That's $1,961.00 before $35 in rebates. That should cover cables and fans.

c:\OS/Apps: 128GB SSD
d:\BD-ROM: BR optical/burner
e:\video: 128GB SSD
f:\video: 128GB SSD
g:\audio: 60GB SSD
h:\output: 480GB SSD
g:\storage/backup: 2TB HDD

Use the eSATA for additional storage/backup. I suspect 24GB single-channel is better than 4x$GB dual-channel, at least on the way to another 2x8GB.