PC Rig for Graphics and Video Editing

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manhuco

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Aug 11, 2013
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Hi

I want to put together a desktop pc for graphics and video editing (ie photoshop (very large files), illustrator, premiere pro, after effects, da vinci resolve, fusion). The specs that I know I want are:

- z97 motherboard
- RAM expandable to 32GB (either ddr3 or ddr4)
- haswell quad-core i7
- Nvidia GTX 970 or 980
- SSD and regular HD(s)

I'd like not to spend more than $1500 if possible, not counting the monitors.

I'd appreciate any recommendations about components, not only about the ones listed above, but also about: cases, cooling systems, power supplies, raid cards, monitors (a smaller lower quality one for program interfaces, and a larger, higher resolution one for graphics/footage).

Thanks in advance
 
Solution
J
As far as RAM speed is concerned. I would be worried about using highly-overclocked RAM as excessive RAM voltages are not recommended. If you're set on getting very fast RAM for video editing, then you should get an LGA 2011v3 build with DDR4 RAM, which is uber expensive. You will not really need anything more than 1866 MHz RAM at the recommended 1.5v for the 4790k. And in case you're wondering how expensive an LGA 2011v3 build is, here's an example:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($381.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($95.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus X99-DELUXE ATX...
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($157.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($66.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($351.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($162.68 @ TigerDirect)
Power Supply: XFX XTR 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.49 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.96 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($86.42 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1516.46
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-02 10:52 EST-0500
 
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Thanks for the lightening quick response.

 
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Hello! I wrote this up in class, so it took slightly longer than I had hoped. I'm going back through and adding links now. Whoops, accidentally ignored your GTX 970, going back and revising.

CPU: i7 4790k ($300)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H ($138)
Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) ($124)
Monitors: 2 x BenQ 24" GL2460 (2 x $145)
Video Card: MSI GTX 970 4GD5T OC ($340)
CPU Cooler: Hyper 212 EVO ($30)
SSD: Intel 730 Series SSDSC2BP480G4R5 2.5" 480GB ($220)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM ($70)
Operating System: Windows 8.1 OEM 64 Bit ($87)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ($70)
Case: Corsair SPEC-03 Red ($45)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($16)
Total: $1740
Without Monitors: $1470

I pushed the limit a bit, but I think this system would do what you want it to do very well. If you'd like to decrease the cost, but maintain performance, you could reduce the size of the SSD and/or Hard Drive.

Final Edit: Added PCPartPicker prices, so the cost dropped to below your $1500 mark! 😀 Adjusted monitor cost as well. Here's the final link: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/X4PYwP. Also added Joseph's recommendation. Cost remains the same.
 
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Thanks a lot. What kind of cooling is standard on the GPU cards ?

 
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I'm currently running a 7970 in my build and I just have a lot of LED case fans that deal with the cooling. My Rosewill Blackhawk supports lots of fans and came with 5. I don't have any experience in aftermarket GPU coolers. I'm gonna go back and add links now. I also fixed that 970 and updated cost.
 
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Thanks you guys for responding. I'm pretty much set on the following:

- i7 4790k
-16 GB ram
- Nvidia GTX 970
- one of the asus z97 motherboards

I'm not clear as to which asus mobo would be best for me since many of them are so close in their specs. Also, is the manufacturer of ram very important (might sound like a naive question) ? For quiet cases, with good liquid cooling capabilities do you guys have any opinions about fractal design, silverstone, antec, or zalman ?

Thanks again
 
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Corsair and NZXT make some pretty decent cases. As for the motherboard, the ASUS Z97-PRO appears to be a decent model for the price. The Maximus VII Hero looks better, but costs about $50 more. As for the GPU, I heard that the Gigabyte and MSI cards are very nice. EVGA has excellent performance, but I'd recommend a waterblock for it since the fans on the ACX 2.0 models generate a lot of noise at high speeds. (Speaking of which, I would have to consider getting a waterblock for mine when I eventually upgrade my case and cooling next year.) As for the RAM, Corsair, G.Skill, and Crucial are excellent brands.
 
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With the latest updates, Windows 8.1 is not too bad. Windows 10 is speculated to be a free upgrade for Windows 8.1 users. Windows 7 users may need to pay an upgrade cost.
 
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Thanks to all you guys for responding. Wrt to oc memory, what would be (in speed terms) the biggest bang for my buck, taking into account my goals -- graphics and video editing ? The 4970k officially supports ddr3 1333/1600, but the asus z97 boards can go up to 3200.

Thanks in advance
 
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As far as RAM speed is concerned. I would be worried about using highly-overclocked RAM as excessive RAM voltages are not recommended. If you're set on getting very fast RAM for video editing, then you should get an LGA 2011v3 build with DDR4 RAM, which is uber expensive. You will not really need anything more than 1866 MHz RAM at the recommended 1.5v for the 4790k. And in case you're wondering how expensive an LGA 2011v3 build is, here's an example:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($381.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($95.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus X99-DELUXE ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($357.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($72.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($122.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($162.68 @ TigerDirect)
Power Supply: XFX XTR 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.49 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.96 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $2069.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-04 08:32 EST-0500
 
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Solution


Thanks. Do you think 50$ extra is worth it for 16GB of ddr3 2133 ram, instead of 1866 ? At 2133 do I risk doing damage ? Unfortunately, I don't know anything about this.
Thanks again.

 
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You won't risk damage using 2133 ram, but honestly you won't see much improvement especially on a haswell cpu. I'd save the $50. 1866 is more than plenty fast enough. One of those things that may look a few numbers better on a synthetic benchmark but doesn't carry through to real world performance.
 
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Thanks for the reply. Is there a speed beyond 2133 (the asus mobos can take oc memory up to 3200) which the performance/damage risk ratio is worth it ? Again, the cpu will be a 4970k.

Thanks again.

 
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