Help me build a new video editing rig

[DaveB]

Cool! Now I am thinking do I really need 3600 Ram? That would require O.C. which if it crashes my friend will not know how to do changes to the bios

From the Memory QVL there are lots of 16 GB DDR4-2666 DIMMs that have been qualified to work on the motherboard.

 

[Zerileous]

In the puget benchmarks the WX CPUs seem to struggle.

However, note that the higher-end Threadripper CPUs do relatively poorly in Premiere Pro, likely due to the fact that they are actually two CPUs merged into one and have some ongoing issues with core prioritization and memory scheduling.

There also appears to be some significance to the type of video files:

Do you work with H.264 or H.265 media?

In this case, the Intel 9th Gen CPUs have a pretty commanding lead (especially with 10-bit footage) due to the fact that Premiere Pro supports hardware acceleration of H.264 and H.265 (HEVC) media via Intel Quick Sync. This feature isn't available on AMD processors (or on the Intel X-series), which makes CPUs like the Intel Core i9 9900K simply the best option for this type of media.
Do you work with RED footage?

Here, the higher raw performance of the new AMD Ryzen CPUs allows it to take a significant lead over the Intel 9th gen CPUs - although they can't quite catch up with the higher-end (and much more expensive) AMD Threadripper or Intel X-series CPUs. However, this is one area that is highly subject to change since RED is working on moving more of the processing of RED media from the CPU to the GPU. This is expected to be bundled into one of the next few Premiere Pro releases, at which point we may find that the CPU no longer makes more than a minor impact on performance when working with RED footage.
Do you use Neat Video for noise reduction?

If you use Neat Video, there is simply no contest: use an AMD Ryzen 3rd generation processor. Performance is up to 60% faster when using only the CPU, but even with Neat Video set to use both the CPU and GPU (with a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti) we still saw a 20-30% performance gain with Ryzen over a comparably priced Intel CPU.

From the puget benchmarks the best CPU under $1000 would be the 2950x https://www.amazon.com/AMD-Ryzen-Th...f=sr_1_1?keywords=2950x&qid=1572657569&sr=8-1

If you can possibly wait for release and deal with availability issues, I would expect the 3950x to outperform it for a similar price. Of course the release of this CPU has already been delayed so who knows when it will actually be available. Hopefully by the end of the year. Another option would be to build a 3900x system now and upgrade to the 3950x once it is available in the future.

For memory it will depend on the platform. But yeah most CPUs these days are built for "overclocked" memory if you want to call it that. The DDR4 standard is aging and the speeds that were once considered to be stock are now so far behind. For Zen 2 / Ryzen 3000 series you want 3600. For Zen+ based TR (2000 series) 3200MHz is probably okay, but I'm not as well versed in those systems. Because of the way AMD CPUs are designed, the ram speed dictates the speed that information is shared between the cores in the CPU, not just between the CPU and ram, so fast ram is highly important.

Edit: well I kept digging and maybe I stand corrected on the memory, but I would ensure that it is at least running at the base spec for the CPU https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/a...8/#DoesRAMspeedaffectvideoeditingperformance?.

I've also been looking through some GPU stuff. If possible a more powerful GPU would be beneficial, however puget does say that premier is more CPU dependent.

 

[wingman99]

Ryzen 3000 natively supports Double Rank 4 DIMMs DDR4-2667 memory LINK: https://en.wikichip.org/wiki/amd/ryzen_9/3900x

Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX natively supports Quad Channel, Dual Rank, 1 DIMM per channel 4 of 8, DDR4-2666 LINk: https://en.wikichip.org/wiki/amd/ryzen_threadripper/2970wx

 

[dja2k]

Ok this turned to technical for me, let me ask him what camera and file format he uses so I can get the best CPU / GPU for his needs.

 

[dja2k]

Ok I asked him and he uses a Sony PXW-Z150 which records in AVCHD Progressive. Yeah he does use Premiere Pro as his primary so then the higher end Threadripper is out. So which higher end Threaddripper is a single CPU? or Should we just go with the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X? or Intel Core i9 9900K because of the video type?

He says for now he is using XAVC 1080 60i but wants to be 4K future proof.

 

[Zerileous]

AVCHD is H.264 so according to Puget the 9900k is best. 9700k would also work. https://www.pugetsystems.com/pic_disp.php?id=56273. Really any i9 with an iGPU, including the 9900 that was recommended initially should do well. Just avoid the 9900KF which omits the iGPU and thus also omits the advantage over higher core count parts.

The reviews are out and the 3950x has a hansom lead on the 2950x (TR) and holds its own against the the i9 9960X https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Premiere-Pro-CPU-performance-AMD-Ryzen-9-3950X-1615/. That said I think for H.264 the iGPU enabling quick sync is still better.

Quite a rabbit hole we went down to end up right where we started

 

[dja2k]

Thanks a lot so the the 9900k it is. I am pretty sure the Hyper 212 EVO is enough for this CPU.
I am thinking the ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero for MB, unless you recommend something better. Also maybe G.skill or Corsair low profile RAM.

 

[Zerileous]

I guess it could be if he didn't overclock. But at that point the 9900 with stock HSF would technically be enough. I'm not sure how these CPUs behave stock so hopefully someone with direct experience can chime in, but I would imagine that a beefier cooler would be better. Puget used a U12S from Noctua in their testing. It has a similar form factor to the Hyper 212 but outperforms it due to having more heat pipes. I believe it is also available in a black fan / black HS if appearance is a concern.

The Maximus XI Hero should be a great board. How much memory are you looking for, and why low profile? It looks like Puget uses 64GB in their "premier pro" systems, but they also mention that their premier benchmark uses less than 32GB, so I'm not clear how much is really necessary for this rig: https://www.pugetsystems.com/recommended/Recommended-Systems-for-Adobe-Premiere-Pro-CC-143/Buy_192. This platform is not super picky about ram, so I would get whatever fits the budget and looks good to you or your friend. I would suggest getting two sticks vs a different number of sticks.

Your friend is going to want a fast NVMe drive to work with the large video files. Any Samsung 970 should fit the bill. Technically the Pro is the fastest, followed by EVO plus, followed by EVO, but they vary quite a bit in price and all of them are good, so get what the budget allows.

For the PSU please make sure you choose a well made model. 850W is more than enough for an overclocking system, though you could probably get away with less. Once you have a final component list, you can plug it in here https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator. I would greatly prefer a high quality 650W unit over a budget quality 850W unit for a similar price. The Seasonic Prime and Focus+ models, Corsair HX, and EVGA G2 and G3 models all come very highly regarded (it is not sufficient to look at brand alone, as Corsair and EVGA both rebrand units from multiple suppliers and have a wide range of quality depending on model). Edit: Re: 80+ rating - Gold is sufficient, and in the majority of markets (in terms of electricity cost) it will be very difficult to pay for the difference in getting a Titanium or Platinum model with energy savings.

Have you thought about an enclosure or case yet? They very widely in how they perform in terms of airflow and cooling, which will directly impact the amount of noise generated by the CPU and GPU coolers under load. Generally "silent" cases are more restrictive and they can dampen some noises that are unpleasant, but the fans usually have to spin faster to make up for it, negating most of the benefit. Check here for more case reviews than you can shake a stick at: https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/...ormalized-thermals-silent-base-601#!/ccomment

 

[dja2k]

When you mention iGPU Quick Sync, that works along side a dedicated video card right? Sorry I am not to familiar with that.

 

[Zerileous]

Yeah it appears the premier utilizes the iGPU in the encoding of H.264 which is what gives the i9s an advantage for that file type. It doesn't actually use it instead of a regular GPU, it uses it along side the CPU and GPU. I'm no expert on the process though.

 

[dja2k]

Hey guys I am back after a little delay from the holidays

I am still aiming at the following so far....

Intel i9 9900KF
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition
Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WiFi (NOT SURE YET)
GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
CORSAIR HX Series HX850 Platinum
Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB (4x16GB) DDR4 2666 C16 (NOT SURE YET)
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 250GB M.2
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB M.2
Thermaltake Core v71 Case (NOT SURE YET)

 

[dja2k]

So this is my final built with CPU & RAM running @ Stock Speeds...

Intel i9 9900KF
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO with Push\Pull Fans
Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WiFi
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
Corsair RM Series HX850 Gold
Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB (4x16GB) DDR4 2666 C16
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500GB M.2 (windows)
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB M.2 (workspace)
Samsung 860 EVO 2TB SATA (backup)
Thermaltake Core v71 Full Tower Case
DVD Writer & Blu-ray Writer
LG 4K IPS LED 27" Monitor

 

[EarthDog]

Memory speed is slow (I get he wants stability, but that is what XMP profiles are for and not buying obnoxiously fast RAM, but RAM better for hte platform)... but outside of that, looks good to me!!

Nice!

 

[dja2k]

Memory speed is slow (I get he wants stability, but that is what XMP profiles are for and not buying obnoxiously fast RAM, but RAM better for hte platform)... but outside of that, looks good to me!!

Nice!

Ok then maybe stepping up to 3200 RAM? Also thinking of dropping the 500GB NVME drive for Windows Boot and going SSD 860 EVO instead. Maybe also using a 9900K instead of this 9900KF cpu.

 

[trents]

Why would you go with a the 860 EVO instead of the NVME? There would be a loss of performance in doing so. Is this a cost cutting measure?

And why would you go with the 9900k instead of the 9900KF? Are you saying you would drop the video card in favor of using the 9900k IGP? If you are keeping the video card that doesn't make sense.

 

[dja2k]

No I am not dropping the video card and having onboard GPU doesn't hurt either. Gonna have it handy for this....

Yeah it appears the premier utilizes the iGPU in the encoding of H.264 which is what gives the i9s an advantage for that file type. It doesn't actually use it instead of a regular GPU, it uses it along side the CPU and GPU. I'm no expert on the process though.

Also dropping the small NVME drive because everyone says you don't really need it as a boot drive and it takes up 2 of my SATA motherboard ports.

 

[EarthDog]

3200 mhz is good, yep.

I also wonder why the move to sata drive. I see you mentioned sata ports, but also know the board has six. That leaves 4.... minus what you have listed is 3 more not in use.

 

[dja2k]

3200 mhz is good, yep.

I also wonder why the move to sata drive. I see you mentioned sata ports, but also know the board has six. That leaves 4.... minus what you have listed is 3 more not in use.

Thanks and I guess I will keep both M2 drives onboard.

 

[dja2k]

Okay it's a GO! Here what I have ordered so far

Ordered Already
Intel i9 9900K
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WiFi
Corsair RM Series RM850 Gold
Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB (4x16GB) DDR4 3200 C16
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500GB M.2 (windows)
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB M.2 (workspace)
Samsung 860 EVO 2TB SATA (backup)
Thermaltake Core v71 Full Tower Case
LG DVD Writer & LG Blu-ray Writer
Vantec 400/800 Firewire PCI Card

Still working on these ones
LG 4K IPS LED 27" Monitor (unsure yet)
Gigabyte RTX 2060 6GB (unsure yet)

 

[trents]

Why did you order both a Bluray writer and a DVD writer? A Bluray writer will burn DVDs and CDs too.