Help me build an awsome video editing rig [Archive]

drunkmonkey

05-20-04, 04:00 PM

I have been asked to build a video editing computer for a friend for ~$1600. I want the computer to have a lot of raw power and this friend doesn't game @ all (he is an older teacher :-P) so I just want a decent video card in it. Alos I want to make it as small and light as possible without causing too much extra difficulty.

Ok first I was thinking of a dual processing rig, but spending ~$400 on dual opterons seems a bit crazy. Though dual processiong would be great I am thinking P4 3.2ghz or the AMD 64-bit 3200+... What would you all recommend? I have been out of these forums so long I am totally behind on the new technology, lol.

As for hard drives I was thinking Dual 160gb SATA drives on raid 0. If that would be the best which brand should I go for?

Now for the monitor, I dont have to get a monitor but it would be a HUGE plus if the computer was as portable as possible (this comp will be traveling A LOT) so I was thinking of buying an LCD and a touch screen kit so it could beset up with only one wire (on screen keyboard, and built in speakers). What does everyone think about that? And could anyone recommend a good touch screen kit?

And any more recommendations? Thank you everyone for helping me out!

Krusty

05-20-04, 08:01 PM

Yay! A thread I can give some good input on!

I built a uber video editing system for my dad not too long ago. And when I say uber, I mean I purchased a $1000 video editing card that requires 2 additional dedicated hard drives. The system wound up being a bit more than $1600 since those parts alone cost about $1200.

Anyways. . .

I got a p4 3.0C 800fsb w/HT processor. It didn't seem worth it to get a 3.2E with the extra price and extra heat.

For the motherboard, I got a Soyo Dragon2 v1.0 black label motherboard. It cost like $170, has an i875p chipset, 1 serial ATA RAID controller, 1 combo serial ATA/IDE RAID controller (making for holding up to 12 drives) and all sorts of goodies to boot. Nobody at ocforums has heard of the board though. I got it only because it had the support for up to 12 drives, 4 of which can be Serial ATA.

For RAM, I got 2x512 Buffalo pc3200 RAM. Since this was not being overclocked, I got some lower priced ram that is known for performing well.

For the video card, I got a 9800pro which I think may have compatibility issues with the motherboard. At the moment there is a 9700pro sitting in there. A big FYI here: If he is not going to be playing the newest games and he is not doing 3d animation, you do not need a powerful video card. A 9200 with dual displays would be more than enough power here.

Hard drives are a big issue with a video editing system. You definately want lots of space and you definately want RAID. I used 2x120GB hdds in RAID for the OS and storage and I used 2x80GB hdds for use with the video editing card. One was for holding video and audio data and the other was for outputting completed videos. What you may want is something like 2x160GB 7200RPM drives to put in RAID. An optional 3rd drive for data backup just in case a drive fails could never hurt but its entirely optional.

What's next? A case and psu I guess. I got your basic Antec server case with a truepower 430W psu. I would definately recommend at least a quality brand 400W psu. You will also need some decent airflow through the case for all those toasty hard drives. You may be able to get maybe an Antec Sonata. That, I believe, comes with a 380W psu and it's a bit smaller than the big server cases.

So now a little pricing:

Intel Pentium 4/ 3.0C GHz 800MHz FSB, 512KB L2 Cache, Hyper Threading Technology - Retail $217

motherboard: something with an i875p chipset. I got the SOYO "SY-P4I875P DRAGON 2 v1.0" i875P Chipset Motherboard for Intel Socket 478 CPU -RETAIL for $168 but it may not be the best choice. Ask the guys in the intel mobo forum for recommendations on high quality non-overclocking motherboards.

RAM: spend about $100 for each 512MB stick. Ask the guys in the memory forum for low latency suggestions. Get a minimum of 1GB and a maximum of 2GB. We'll start you off with 1GB for $200

video card:
Transcend ATI RADEON 9200SE Video Card, 64MB DDR, 64-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP, Model "TS64MVDR92E" -RETAIL $44. This one looks like it's got dual displays.

Hard drives: Western Digital 160GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD1600JD, OEM Drive Only $110 x 2 = $220

Case/psu:
ANTEC Life Style Series Black Case With 380W Power Supply, Model "SONATA" $99 + $15 shipping

misc fans, cables, and other accessories: $40

So lets see how my running total is: We're at $1000.

Of course, you also want to add a dvd drive $30, a dvd burner $100, a floppy drive $10 so that gives us a running total of $1140. For the rest of the money, you could either get dual 19" CRT monitors of good quality (you want good quality for video editing) or you could get one 17" or 19" LCD if portability is really important.

I'm also assuming the person will be using his handy video camera that has a firewire port on it. If he's going to be editing stuff off of vhs or off of tv, you will want to get a video capture card and perhaps a tv tuner card. A good video capture card could run upwards of $500 so lets hope he just wants to use his home camcorder with the firewire.

EDIT: and always remember something when building a system for someone. They may be expecting you to get them a mouse, keyboard, printer, monitor, and speakers for the price they give you. So don't forget he may want something like a printer and speakers.