Building a computer for my dad so he can edit videos in 1080 and higher and photos as well.

[Just_A_Guy_]

I need some help on this, my dad wants me to build him a computer so he can use for photo editing and video editing. Ive built computers before and those were for gaming but I dont know much for building a computer for what he wants. Can someone please help me because this Im lost on this one.

 

[Hlsgsz]

I need some help on this, my dad wants me to build him a computer so he can use for photo editing and video editing. Ive built computers before and those were for gaming but I dont know much for building a computer for what he wants. Can someone please help me because this Im lost on this one.

Budget?

 

[trifler]

Photo editing doesn't need much at all, but video editing can be demanding, depending on how sophisticated the editing he's doing is.

I'd say definitely Skylake, i5 or i7, with Win10, 16GB of memory. Video editing tends to use a lot of hard drive space, so a 120GB or 250GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD and a 2TB or 3TB hard drive would be a good place to start. Figure a regular mid-tower so there's room to add more if desired. The monitor has to support the highest resolution of video he wants to work with, so if he wants to edit videos at 3840 x 2160 (4K) then the monitor has to support that. More than 60Hz shouldn't be an issue for what he's doing. If the most he needs is 1440p, then I really like the Asus MX27AQ 27". For editing he'll want a nice mouse. I like the Logitech G502 but he may have a favorite of his own.

Depending on your budget, this can be fine tuned more.

 

[boosted1g]

For video editing, the higher the number of threads the better.

If you can swing it then get a skylake i7, if you can not then a Xeon 1231 would be the best bang-for-buck (but uses last generation architecture).

16gb of ram for sure

250 gb SSD drive and as big of a magnetic HDD as desired

Would also spend the money on a GTX 960 GPU. Most editing software will utilize Cuda cores so the video card will actually help performance for photo/video editing.

 

[Just_A_Guy_]

He said there really is no budget but I would say probably around $1000-$1500

 

[Hlsgsz]

He said there really is no budget but I would say probably around $1000-$1500

Including a monitor?

 

[Just_A_Guy_]

He said there really is no budget but I would say probably around $1000-$1500

Including a monitor?

not including the monitor

 

[trifler]

Would also spend the money on a GTX 960 GPU. Most editing software will utilize Cuda cores so the video card will actually help performance for photo/video editing.

If you can swing it, I'd go for the new GTX 1070. The die shrink from 28nm to 16nm is a pretty big deal. Or, if you can wait, there will be a less expensive GTX 1060 model in a month or two. Also, AMD will be releasing their own 14nm cards.

 

[boosted1g]

Here is a good build, as trifler said you might play around with looking at the new generation GPUs, or if nothing else the 900 series will be even cheaper soon. AMD gpu's will do nothing for you though because it is the CUDA cores in NVIDIA gpus that help you.

Anyways here is the build info (this is with no monitor).
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($150.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($178.81 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($83.43 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($179.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($61.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1203.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-17 19:08 EDT-0400

 

[trifler]

Here is a good build, as trifler said you might play around with looking at the new generation GPUs, or if nothing else the 900 series will be even cheaper soon. AMD gpu's will do nothing for you though because it is the CUDA cores in NVIDIA gpus that help you.

CUDA cores are important for 3D animation. Not so much for video editing. My company has a video editing lab and they use some Radeon cards there without problems. For 3D animation though, they do prefer nVIDIA.

 

[boosted1g]

Here is a good build, as trifler said you might play around with looking at the new generation GPUs, or if nothing else the 900 series will be even cheaper soon. AMD gpu's will do nothing for you though because it is the CUDA cores in NVIDIA gpus that help you.

CUDA cores are important for 3D animation. Not so much for video editing. My company has a video editing lab and they use some Radeon cards there without problems. For 3D animation though, they do prefer nVIDIA.

Not true.
Adobe software is coded to utilize CUDA cores, as well as other rendering software.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/adobe-premiere-pro-cc.html

 

[Hlsgsz]

This:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($369.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus X99-A/USB 3.1 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($148.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($150.99 @ B&H)
Case: NZXT Source 220 ATX Mid Tower Case ($47.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($63.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: ARCTIC Arctic F12 PWM CO 74.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($9.98 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: ARCTIC Arctic F12 PWM CO 74.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($9.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1220.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-17 19:17 EDT-0400

If you want to spend more, only thing i can think of is getting a 1tb ssd instead of 512.
I don't think a GPU is required. But if he finds he needs one, it's better to wait a few months and buy from teh next gen.
If he wants one now anyway, a gtx 960 will do.

 

[Just_A_Guy_]

Here is a good build, as trifler said you might play around with looking at the new generation GPUs, or if nothing else the 900 series will be even cheaper soon. AMD gpu's will do nothing for you though because it is the CUDA cores in NVIDIA gpus that help you.

Anyways here is the build info (this is with no monitor).
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($150.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($178.81 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($83.43 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($179.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($61.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1203.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-17 19:08 EDT-0400

Thanks ill run this by him and see what he thinks

 

[trifler]

Here is a good build, as trifler said you might play around with looking at the new generation GPUs, or if nothing else the 900 series will be even cheaper soon. AMD gpu's will do nothing for you though because it is the CUDA cores in NVIDIA gpus that help you.

CUDA cores are important for 3D animation. Not so much for video editing. My company has a video editing lab and they use some Radeon cards there without problems. For 3D animation though, they do prefer nVIDIA.

Not true.
Adobe software is coded to utilize CUDA cores, as well as other rendering software.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/adobe-premiere-pro-cc.html

Well, they don't use Adobe Premier, so I can't speak on that.

 

[trifler]

Here is a good build, as trifler said you might play around with looking at the new generation GPUs, or if nothing else the 900 series will be even cheaper soon. AMD gpu's will do nothing for you though because it is the CUDA cores in NVIDIA gpus that help you.

Anyways here is the build info (this is with no monitor).
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($150.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($178.81 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($83.43 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($179.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($61.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1203.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-17 19:08 EDT-0400

Thanks ill run this by him and see what he thinks

That's a pretty good list. I definitely recommend a better power supply though. You can get a SeaSonic 550W 90+ Gold Modular power supply for $70 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151119). If you're getting a decent video card though, you should consider a 650W such as http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151137. A good rule of thumb is roughly twice the required power amount (estimated by PC Parts Picker) to run the power supply at it's efficiency sweet spot.

If your Dad prefers a nicer case, you might look at something like Lian-Li's PC-A56B (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112468).

For the video card, you might try not getting one at all right now and see what your Dad thinks. As Hlsglz said, he may not be into powerful stuff. Then you can order one if he needs/wants one, or wait for the new generation.

 

[Bearmann]

boosted1g, that's a pretty good build but the Sansung 950 Pro is not needed. Even at Puget with their $8000 cost is no object, Premier Pro rig they don't use one as it didn't make a difference. I agree that Dad needs a nicer case, too. Maybe a Fractal R4 or R5.

https://www.pugetsystems.com/recommended/Recommended-Systems-for-Adobe-Premiere-Pro-143/Buy_165

 

[trifler]

Here's my suggested build list. I removed the video card based on what I said above. Also the case I listed isn't the one I recommend since PC Part Picker doesn't have it on their list. I actually recommend the Lian-Li PC-A56B (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112468). You can get everything on this list at Newegg currently for these prices except the SSD. That saves a bunch on shipping.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170X-UD5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($173.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($83.43 @ Amazon)
Case: Lian-Li PC-7HX ATX Mid Tower Case ($108.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home Full - USB (32/64-bit) ($108.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1064.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-17 19:56 EDT-0400

 

[Hlsgsz]

Here's my suggested build list. I removed the video card based on what I said above. Also the case I listed isn't the one I recommend since PC Part Picker doesn't have it on their list. I actually recommend the Lian-Li PC-A56B (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112468). You can get everything on this list at Newegg currently for these prices except the SSD. That saves a bunch on shipping.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170X-UD5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($173.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($83.43 @ Amazon)
Case: Lian-Li PC-7HX ATX Mid Tower Case ($108.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home Full - USB (32/64-bit) ($108.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1064.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-17 19:56 EDT-0400

I suggest that you have a look at the x99 platform i posted, as it's more geared towards the machines stated purpose.

 

[trifler]

Here's my suggested build list. I removed the video card based on what I said above. Also the case I listed isn't the one I recommend since PC Part Picker doesn't have it on their list. I actually recommend the Lian-Li PC-A56B (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112468). You can get everything on this list at Newegg currently for these prices except the SSD. That saves a bunch on shipping.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170X-UD5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($173.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($83.43 @ Amazon)
Case: Lian-Li PC-7HX ATX Mid Tower Case ($108.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home Full - USB (32/64-bit) ($108.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1064.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-17 19:56 EDT-0400

I suggest that you have a look at the x99 platform i posted, as it's more geared towards the machines stated purpose.

Personally, I think your build is overkill, but he didn't say how advanced his Dad's video editing is. I don't like that the X99 is still 22nm. Even with your build though, my comments about the power supply, case, and video card still apply.

 

[Hlsgsz]

Here's my suggested build list. I removed the video card based on what I said above. Also the case I listed isn't the one I recommend since PC Part Picker doesn't have it on their list. I actually recommend the Lian-Li PC-A56B (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112468). You can get everything on this list at Newegg currently for these prices except the SSD. That saves a bunch on shipping.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170X-UD5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($173.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($83.43 @ Amazon)
Case: Lian-Li PC-7HX ATX Mid Tower Case ($108.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home Full - USB (32/64-bit) ($108.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1064.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-17 19:56 EDT-0400

I suggest that you have a look at the x99 platform i posted, as it's more geared towards the machines stated purpose.

Personally, I think your build is overkill, but he didn't say how advanced his Dad's video editing is. I don't like that the X99 is still 32nm. Even with your build though, my comments about the power supply, case, and video card still apply.

Obviously, all these builds could either be overkill, or not enough, depending on OP's dad's level
What video card, though?

 

[trifler]

Obviously, all these builds could either be overkill, or not enough, depending on OP's dad's level
What video card, though?

I stated why I didn't include a video card. To repeat: 1) I think he should get the new generation, and 2) Since we don't know how advanced his work is, he could easily try it without a video card first and just order one after. Plenty of people commenting on these forums saying they do video editing with the onboard graphics. Not that I recommend that, but I see no harm in trying, especially if he waits for the GTX 1070 or GTX 1060.

 

[Hlsgsz]

Obviously, all these builds could either be overkill, or not enough, depending on OP's dad's level
What video card, though?

I stated why I didn't include a video card. To repeat: 1) I think he should get the new generation, and 2) Since we don't know how advanced his work is, he could easily try it without a video card first and just order one after. Plenty of people commenting on these forums saying they do video editing with the onboard graphics. Not that I recommend that, but I see no harm in trying, especially if he waits for the GTX 1070 or GTX 1060.

Yeah, totally agree on the no GPU to start with.