Most important components for video editing system (suggestions?)

[Ringside]

Hello all,

I'm about to build a new computer, general use, maybe light gaming (not too much of a gamer though) but the thing that will be pushing the system the hardest is video editing with Sony Vegas.

I don't do any pro stuff, mainly projects for home use.

I'm out of the loop and wondered what the best CPU, motherboard, video card and memory would be to go for?

What do I need to look out for to get the most out of the machine?

I'm not looking to shell out thousands. I'm trying to keep it sensible.

Any info would be great!

 

[NiHaoMike]

What's your budget?

As a general guideline, go for a minimum of a quad core, whatever reasonably good quality motherboard that's compatible with the CPU, 8GB of RAM at a minimum, a decent Nvidia GPU (go higher end if your app can use CUDA), and a fast HDD. Add a SSD if you have plenty of budget.

The machine that I have listed in my signature (albeit a general purpose machine, intended mainly for gaming, Xilinx ISE, and folding) is an example of a very good video editing machine. (Though many of the parts are a generation or two old by now.)

 

[Ringside]

Thanks for the reply. I was toying with the following as far as the motherboard, CPU and memory goes:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131981 (or the newer model newegg shows)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116899

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...yMark=False&IsFeedbackTab=true#scrollFullInfo

Are any SSD's better than others? things to look out for with those? I'm definitely going to upgrde my hard drive.

Thanks.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

What's your budget? (Comfortable and/or hard-cap)

What resolution/frame rate are you shooting for? (Both for the video editing and the games)

 

[NiHaoMike]

That looks like a good start. The integrated graphics should be fine for video editing but not much good for gaming. You could just account for a GPU when planning the PSU and case cooling setup and add the GPU later. Go for a Nvidia GPU since those support the far superior VDPAU, while AMD and Intel only support VAAPI.

If you get a good aftermarket heatsink (212 Evo regarded as one of the best performance/$), you can easily squeeze out more performance from the CPU. Good case ventilation helps, too.

 

[Ringside]

I forgot to say that I'm re-using my current PSU and Case.

Anything to look out for when buying an SSD?

Thanks!

 

[Super Nade]

I forgot to say that I'm re-using my current PSU and Case.

Anything to look out for when buying an SSD?

Thanks!

Nothing beyond going with established leaders in the SSD Space, i.e Crucial, Samsung and Intel. Get the cheapest high capacity SSD you can find (Crucial 480Gb m500 perhaps).

 

[Theocnoob]

An interesting tidbit I learned yesterday- Cheaper, slower drives use 3-bit NAND flash, while faster, higher end drives use 2-bit NAND. 2-bit will last longer and put up with more write cycles than 3-bit will. The 840 pro is 2 bit. 840 evo is 3 bit. Hence it is cheaper. It uses a 2-bit superbuffer of some sort to achieve respectable speeds.