$2500 Video editing (light gaming)

Jonathen · Aug 16, 2011

I am posting this for a good friend whose job is video editing. He cant do the crazy "true" video editing system and as such he is trying to get a rig together that will make his editing life much easier. These are the parts hes come up with. Feedback welcome and appreciated.

These are the parts he sent me via email from Newegg.

Thanks.

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Approximate Purchase Date: This Month, Maybe this week

Budget Range: $2000-2500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Video editing (Premiere, After Effects, AVID), Light Gaming.

Parts Not Required: Monitor, Keyboard, mouse, Speakers, Headphones.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Hes using Newegg.

Country of Origin: USA

Parts Preferences: He is wanting to try to keep the brands the same, when he can.

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Monitor Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Additional Comments: Mostly wants this machine to make Video editing a bit more easy on him.

---

Case - Cooler Master Storm Scout

Mobo - EVGA 141-GT-E770-A1 LGA 1366 Intel X58

CPU - Intel Core i7-970 Gulftown 3.2GHz 6 x 256KB

CPU Cooler - COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus

RAM - Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 12GB (3 x 4GB) x2

GPU - EVGA 03G-P3-1584-AR GeForce GTX 580 (The Gaming part of the build)

PSU - CORSAIR Professional Series HX850 (CMPSU-850HX) 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91

SSD - OCZ Vertex 3 VTX3-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA (OS, Video Editing Software)

HHD - SAMSUNG Spinpoint F4EG HD155UI 1.5TB 5400 RPM x2 (Footage, Anything else)

OS - Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit

Proximon · Aug 16, 2011

Here's my comments

When it's all taken together, the i7 2600K will outperform the 970 and cost less. There is absolutely no reason for your friend to throw money at the older X58 platform.

GTX 580 is NOT "light gaming" and will not help any of his other tasks more than say a GTX 560 ti would. GTX 580 is very strong, but still somewhat poor value when you start calculating framerate per dollar.
You could get a pair of 560ti for less
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125363

MB Asus Z68
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131730

CPU i7 2600K COMBO with board
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.717770

16GB G.skill 1866
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231456

Jonathen · Aug 16, 2011

Proximon, Thanks for the reply.

The problem I see with the CPU/Mobo is that its a 4 core system and thats only 16 gigs of ram.

The CPU he has put together here is 6 cores with 24 gigs of ram.

And as for the GPU, the 580 is there for future proofing the games market considering the cost of the system. Its really the only gaming focused part of the rig.

werbo · Aug 16, 2011

There is no such thing as future proofing when it comes to video cards, as it will be outdated in 2-3 years(I have one in my desktop as well 😛). There is no way he would ever have use for 24 gb of ram, 16 gb is the most he would ever need right now, and if he needs it somehow in the future it will be less because the 8 gb sticks will have come down by then.
The first gen processors for the i series are outdated, and anything other than the 990x or 980x are outdated, even them being beaten by the 2600k at a lower price point.
And by these benchmarks the i7 2600k beats the 970 in most points and at a 200$ less standpoint: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/157?vs=287

The six cores don't really come into account, when you compare the i7 2600k and the 970 😛

Why_Me · Aug 16, 2011

Proxi beat me to it.

If your friend doesn't plan on dual vid cards, and the only gaming involved is light gaming...then have your friend look at this.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131773 $132.99
ASUS P8Z68-V LE LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

or...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157251 $119.99
ASRock Z68 PRO3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151095 $104.99
SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.710620 $334.98
Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K
ZALMAN CNPS7X LED 92mm Long Life Bearing V-Shaped Dual Heatsink, Direct Touch Heatsink CPU Cooler

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231456 $149.99
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL9Q-16GBXL

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148443 $405.99
Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=Z68%20Pro3 <----- closer look at that Asrock board

http://www.asrock.com/microsite/IntelZ68/index.asp <----- worth the time to click a few of those links and check it out

http://usa.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/P8Z68V_LE/ <----- closer look at that Asus board

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/the-sandy-bridge-review-intel-core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/1 <----- review/benchmarks of the Sandy Bridge 2600K

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i7-990x-extreme-edition-gulftown,2874.html <----- $1,000 Intel Core i7-990X Extreme vs $330 Intel Core i7 2600K Sandy Bridge review with benchmarks

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/157?vs=287 <----- Intel Core i7 970 vs Intel Core i7 2600K

Proximon · Aug 16, 2011

The number of cores will only count if the program utilizes them correctly.

Here are some benchmarks:

=on&prod[4471]=on&prod[4470]=on]http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/desktop-cpu-charts-2010/compare,2428.html?prod[4785]=on&prod[4471]=on&prod[4470]=on

Look closely and you will find that After affects is faster with 2600K, while Premiere utilizes cores better and so does better with the 970. That's why I said "when it's all taken together. The 2600K is the faster CPU except in specific instances when a heavily threaded app can make use of the 12 threads available with Gulftown.

These are at stock speeds of course and so don't take into account overclocking.

This page highlights what I'm saying I think:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/the-sandy-bridge-review-intel-core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/16

Now perhaps his usage will favor the hex-core CPUs more... but you need to be clear on that because for a variety of uses Sandy Bridge is faster.

Or if he could wait 2 or 3 months the new Intel platform should arrive, replacing LGA 1366 with LGA 2011, and that's certain to be a nice jump in power.

csk222 · Aug 16, 2011

I'll preface my post by saying that I am not a tech, expert, or even know what I'm talking about. I am a person who's on the verge of purchasing/building a video editing PC within the next month. I have been doing research this whole summer and the following is what was suggested to me here on tomshardware.com. This is my first response to any post I have ever read. For a while I couldn't get anyone to help me out with a Non Gaming Build so this why I'm posting this response.

---

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Multimedia - Video Editing (Adobe Premiere Pro CS5), Music Production (Avid Pro Tools 9), Graphic Design (Adobe Photoshop CS5). I am interested in gaming but I am willing to completely rule it out if it conflicts with my video/audio tasks. Games I'm interested in - Battlefield 3, ARMA 2, America's Army 3, and other First Person Shooters. Finally, general PC use (Microsoft Office, Web Surfing).

My Build

Case: Corsair 650D $190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139006

PSU: Corsair AX850 850W $190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139015

Mother Board: ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen 3 $190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157264

CPU: i7 2600K $315
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070

RAM: Ripjaws X 8GB 1600 (2 x 4GB) (x2) $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

CPU Fan: Noctua NH-C12P SE14 $75
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608019&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=3fqwc51qgwsi

GPU: EVGA GTX 580 Superclocked $480
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130590

HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 (x2) $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

SSD: Crucial M4 128GB SSD $220
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442

Optical Drive 01: Lite On DVD Burner iHAS424-98 LightScribe $25
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106335

Optical Drive 02: Lite On Blu Ray Burner iHAS212-08 Lightscribe $115
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106348

Monitors: ASUS VH238H 23" 1920x1080 (x2) $380
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236117

Keyboard: Logitech G110 $65
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126087

Mouse: Logitech G500 $50
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104318

Total: $2550

---

Your Build

Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout $ 80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196

PSU: Corsair AX850 850W $190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139015

I found this to be the best PSU for my needs. It is completely modular and it is enough power if you want to get another GTX 580 for SLI at a later date. I don't plan on ever getting a second GPU for SLI but I'm covering that base. The AX850 is only $20 more than the AX750. A 1000W PSU is recommended if you plan to overclock which is not the case for you. So this is a future proofing choice but it is also an area where money can be saved.

Mother Board: ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen 3 $190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157264

Max 32GB RAM 4x8GB Sticks.

The Z68 Motherboards have many useful features.

Here are some links:

ASRock Website:
http://www.asrock.com/microsite/IntelZ68/index.asp?c=Features

ASRock youtube (Lucid Virtu Overview):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZCGt9BIjjw

Newegg youtube (Intel Smart Response Overview):
http://www.youtube.com/user/newegg#p/search/3/C0hrmPj3wco

CPU: i7 2600K $315
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070

The only selection that everyone agreed on being the best choice throughout my research. Bang for the money. I don't know how it compares to your CPU selection.

RAM: Ripjaws X 8GB 1600 (2 x 4GB) (x2) $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

These RAM sticks fit under my CPU Cooler. I wanted Corsair Vengeance Sticks. Make sure you get the right RAM that will fit under your cooler. I think you should go with 16 GB and at a later date upgrade to 32GB.

CPU Fan: Noctua NH-C12P SE14 $75
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608019&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=3fqwc51qgwsi

Stock CPU Fans are always good enough to cool your CPU but it was recommended to look into after market cooling. My initial choice was a Noctua NH-D14 but I ended up selecting the Noctua NH-C12P SE14. The Noctua NH-D14 is the ultimate cooling solution for overclocking your CPU. It is considered to be the best "Fan" CPU Cooler. Since that is not the case for you (Like me) I chose to go with the Noctua NH-C12P SE14. It cools your CPU and draws air over your other parts on the motherboard. It is an excellent cooler. It will keep your CPU & Mother Board cool and be very quiet while doing so.

Here's a link to Compare the 2 CPU Coolers:
http://xsreviews.co.uk/reviews/coolers/noctua-nh-d14-and-c12p-se14/8/

Link to Noctua NH-D14 $90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018&Tpk=noctua%20nh%20d14

The Cooler Master Hyper 212+ $30
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

GPU: EVGA GTX 580 Superclocked $480
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130590

I, Like you, want to do some light gaming. I initially chose that very same 3GB EVGA GTX 580 but I was told I did not need such a powerful card. Those 3GB that you are being charged for are mostly for multi display super high resolution setups. I chose this single Superclocked GTX 580 over any other SLI setup for future proofing. There are less expensive, even faster SLI setups available but it wasn't something I was interested in. It is better to get the higher end card of today for a PC that is going to be used for a long time than yesterday's cards that are great today but not quite so good in the future. That drove my decision.

HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 (x2) $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

These are the most recommended/reliable drives I have found and read about anywhere on the internet. You should get 2 to backup up your data. I don't really like RAID configurations and oversee all of my backups manually. I also have my data stored on a third external drive.

SSD: Crucial M4 128GB SSD $220
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442

There are newer faster SSD's out now, but these are tried and true. Not many problems being reported by current owners.

Optical Drive 01: Lite On DVD Burner iHAS424-98 LightScribe $25
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106335

Optical Drive 02: Lite On Blu Ray Burner iHAS212-08 Lightscribe $115
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106348

You didn't list an optical drive. These are my two choices. I think in a video editing build a Blu Ray Burner is a good choice. I am getting 2 optical drives for disc duplication tasks. You can find other Blu Ray Burners for just under $100.

Here's a link to Blu Ray Burners (List):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=40000600&IsNodeId=1&Description=blu%20ray%20burner&name=Blu-Ray%20Burners&Pagesize=100

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional $140
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16832116992&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=18858o5jsad0t

Total: $2,038.86

Total (Swap the Cooler Master Hyper 212+ for the Noctua NH-C12P SE14 Cooler): $2,084.86

All of these totals are from newegg.com but I recommend buying from amazon.com. I will be saving over $200 on my complete order from amazon. Once you add the totals for taxes and shipping & handling from newegg.com the better deal is over on amazon.com.

To me these are the best available parts/selections for a multimedia build with decent gaming without going over budget.

I hope this is helpful to you. Good luck finding all of the right parts for what you need (I know it's for your friend).
CSK222

legendkiller · Aug 16, 2011

photonboy · Aug 16, 2011

Some issues:

1) has your friend investigated how much RAM his software can benefit from? I would install ONLY as much as the system can use. It's possible that he would be bottlenecked at the CPU level and that more than 4GB is overkill and just generating a lot of heat. This needs to be investigated.

2) CPU. Maybe you should be considering a dual-CPU rig? Video processing will use all the CPU processing you can throw at it (ignore graphics processing completely). You can overclock the quad-core Intel's much more than the six-core's. You can get roughly 50% more speed out of two quad's after you take overclocking and the amount of processing available for the same price.

But again, I'm not sure about the cost of the motherboards. If you go this route you might be needing an "extended" (taller) motherboard and a case that supports this type of motherboard.

3) Video card. I agree that any more than a GTX560Ti is definitely overkill. I'd get the Asus or MSI GTX560Ti. I'm a HEAVY GAMER and I wouldn't recommend more than this.

4) SSD. I agree 100% on your choice of SSD.

Summary:
- how much RAM?
- GTX560Ti
- dual-CPU? (if so extended motherboard and case?)

csk222 · Aug 16, 2011

Adobe Premiere and After Effects require 4GB or More of RAM.

People have asked:

"What can I do with 16GB of RAM?"

Responses:
"Video editing, photo editing, CAD. It's hard to actually use 16GB of RAM for normal stuff."

"CAD. After Effects. HD Rendering. Molecular Simulation."

"You can use all that Ram for video editing in Adobe premiere or Adobe after effects. If you're editing, composting, and doing special effects the extra ram will really help out when navigating through the video in multiple programs. That's the most real world situation I can think of when it comes to all that ram goodness."

Other people point out that 8GB is enough for today's systems. 16GB will get you by for the coming years. I don't know if your friend is a person that constantly upgrades his computer every year, I know I'm not. People say 32GB is too much, by the time you need access to that much ram, newer better RAM will be available. I read that the new CPUs coming out will need 1.35V RAM. I also read that ddr3 1600 is the sweet spot with the i7 2600K. You would have to ask an "expert" about that.

These are the Adobe supported NVIDIA cards for GPU acceleration:
•GeForce GTX 285 (Windows and Mac OS)
•GeForce GTX 470 (Windows)
•GeForce GTX 570 (Windows)
•GeForce GTX 580 (Windows)

I'm telling you I've been up and down this road since May.

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$2500 Video editing (light gaming)

Jonathen

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Proximon

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Jonathen

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werbo

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Why_Me

Titan

Proximon

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csk222

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legendkiller

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photonboy

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csk222

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