$1200 movie PC - streaming / watching / editing

[east1999bt]

Hi Everyone - hopefully you're having a great Thanksgiving so far.

I've looked over a few of the build articles here and the information is a little overwhelming. Just didn't want to make a wrong choice or a poor choice in my components. I'm looking for help on my first time building my computer - previously have only bought pre-built eMachines/HP/Sony, etc - thank you all in advance.

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. watching downloaded HD 1080p TV/movies, watching them at 2x speed and skipping around without pause, downloading those movies while watching and have media stream to my WD TV Live on 2 other TV's in the house at the same time, editing video clips (mostly cut and pasting to reduce video length), surf the net. No games will be played on this computer.

2. What YOUR budget is. max $1200 (although I'd prefer lower for example, if for $900 I can get 95% of that $1200 performance, or something of that nature)

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from. USA / newegg / any reputable website with good pricing

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. I think I prefer the AMD CPU since it's a better value for the performance? This is the section I really need help on. I want to have a motherboard & case that can handle 6-9 hard drives. Will use a SSD as my primary boot up drive for increased performance. Was looking at the AMD Phenom II X6 1075T Thuban 3.0GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor currently on sale for $180 after rebate on newegg.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are. I will be using my existing keyboard, mouse, monitor (will be using my 2 current monitors: LG 24" W2486L 1080p monitors), speakers, and hard drives. I however do need to buy a new SSD for my main drive.

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads. Yes, but most looking to build a HTPC are at much lower price ranges

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds. Yes, overclocking if it's not too complicated & useful for my purpose, and doesn't decrease the life on the computer.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with. Don't game, but dual 1920x1080 monitors now, will upgrade to dual 1920x1200 monitors in the next year or so

9. WHEN do you plan to build it? this Thanksgiving / Black Friday weekend - nice sales going on at newegg. If I need to wait until End of December to finish buying all the components at the best price, that is fine as well. I'm in no rush to build this, but would like to take advantage of holiday sales.

I'd like to build this computer and use it for the next 3 years or longer if possible.

Would like to have a cooler / nicer looking gaming style case. I need it to have as many bays as possible for future hard drives. Currently have 4 hard drives.
I feel my current set up is slow when it comes to skipping around video, initial load up time, moving files from 1 hard drive to another, and doing multitasking for downloads / watching video / streaming / moving videos, etc. I'd like to rectify those problems with my next computer.

I'm currently using a HP Pavilion Elite e9105z Desktop PC bought back in August 2009 for about $840 with these specs:
Windows 7 Home (64-bit)
• AMD Phenom(TM) II X4 945 quad-core processor [3.0GHz, 2MB L2 + 6MB L3 shared, up to 4000MT/s]
• 8GB DDR2-800MHz SDRAM [4 DIMMs]
• Western Digital 640GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive (main drive w/ OS - using about 85GB of non-media on this, I'd like to move to a SSD for this new build)
2nd hard drive Seagate 1.5TB
3rd hard drive WD 640GB
4th hard drive Hitachi 1TB
• 1GB ATI Radeon HD 4650 [DVI, HDMI, VGA]
I'm running 2 LG 24" W2486L 1080p monitors on this, one connected by HDMI, other by DVI.
• LightScribe 16X max. DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
• Integrated 10/100 Ethernet, No wireless LAN
• 15-in-1 memory card reader, 1 USB, 1394, audio, video (for TV Tuner)
this TV tuner has been absolutely useless to me:
• TV tuner, dual format ATSC-NTSC with PVR, remote
• Integrated 7.1 channel sound with front audio ports
• I use a crappy computer speaker - most of the sound can be played through headphones for many uses. Any recommendations on a nice set of headphones, over the ear, under $150?
• HP wireless keyboard and HP wireless optical mouse

 

[Absolution75]

That's a pretty beafy system still.

If you feel things are slowing down - buy an SSD and put your a new copy of windows 7 on it. You could also buy a new set of hard drives, that may help a little since platter density has increased in the last year.

Your slowdowns on videos may be due to software problems. What playback software are you using?

I mean, you could spend $900-$1200 on a brand new pc, but an intel i7 system with 8GB of DDR3 isn't going to be that much faster than what you already have. Certainly not even worth $500 imo.


And - You could probably drop in your current PC into a new case. No guarantees though because your PC is HP (I know for a fact Dell's used to have non standard motherboard standoffs).

 

[mfenn]

I agree with Absolution. There is absolutely no reason that your current system shouldn't be capable of performing the tasks that you listed. Just get an SSD (60-120gb Sandforce based) and do a fresh install of Windows 7.

 

[east1999bt]

That's a pretty beafy system still.

If you feel things are slowing down - buy an SSD and put your a new copy of windows 7 on it. You could also buy a new set of hard drives, that may help a little since platter density has increased in the last year.

Your slowdowns on videos may be due to software problems. What playback software are you using?

I mean, you could spend $900-$1200 on a brand new pc, but an intel i7 system with 8GB of DDR3 isn't going to be that much faster than what you already have. Certainly not even worth $500 imo.


And - You could probably drop in your current PC into a new case. No guarantees though because your PC is HP (I know for a fact Dell's used to have non standard motherboard standoffs).

The slow downs are due to multitasking and moving files around on the hard drives / constant downloading / streaming to other sources. I use VLC to play WMV 1080p files on my computer. WD Live TV player is what I stream to. I'll be watching and streaming at the same time and if I want to edit video while other stuff is streaming to those WD Live TV players then it slows down considerably.

Also the motherboard I have in the current PC is Pegatron M2N78-LA with these specs (http://www.aliexpress.com/product-g...GL8E-Motherboard-9100-AM2-HP-wholesalers.html). One of my questions (as a newb) is that there's only 4 SATA connections here. I have 4 hard drives now and one CD/DVD drive. Which means I've got 1 of my hard drives connected via USB 2.0 which is even slower. How can I install multiple 6+ hard drives on a new motherboard with only 6 SATA connections? (such as the ASUS M4A89TD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard) Am I missing something as far as mass storage goes?

As I said earlier, that extra "external" hard drive (which is using a rosewill case at the moment) connected by USB 2.0 is not only slow but also an eye sore, hence my reasoning for a totally new build. I'd like to keep all my hardware INSIDE the case this time. Im paranoid about heat issues too, since I like to keep my room relatively warm, so getting a better case/cooling system is high on my list. Willing to spend up to $1200 on this total. I figure if I have a to a new motherboard (for 6GB / USB 3.0), case, processor... might as well go all the way right (especially with all these black friday deals).

I just need some advice as to which ones to get... Thanks for the help!

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

My advice is to buy a new motherboard that is compatible with your current AMD CPU and 8gb ddr2. You could put the new motherboard in a new case, reuse your CPU and 8gb ram. Buy an aftermarket CPU cooler and since you have an aftermarket motherboard you could overclock the CPU. That will give you a speed increase along with a ssd for your boot drive. I doubt you'd see any performance increase with the 6 core compared to your current quad due to the fact not many programs are optimized for more than four cores. You'd get more speed by overclocking for most programs. I think most motherboards only have 6 sata connectors. I believe a few might have 8. You might just have to get some 2tb hard drives. My plan saves some cash and can still be a beast of a computer in the end. A quad running at 3.8ghz with a SSD as your boot drive. Also you might look over some DVD drive reviews and see what has the best read and write speeds. Then put 4 barracuda 2tb hard drives and you got a screaming pc.😉

Bone thugs and harmony?

 

[RavenSEAL]

$1200 movie PC? I'm hoping you're gonna be running a 50" screen 6-way display port set up for B-R.

 

[east1999bt]

My advice is to buy a new motherboard that is compatible with your current AMD CPU and 8gb ddr2. You could put the new motherboard in a new case, reuse your CPU and 8gb ram. Buy an aftermarket CPU cooler and since you have an aftermarket motherboard you could overclock the CPU. That will give you a speed increase along with a ssd for your boot drive. I doubt you'd see any performance increase with the 6 core compared to your current quad due to the fact not many programs are optimized for more than four cores. You'd get more speed by overclocking for most programs. I think most motherboards only have 6 sata connectors. I believe a few might have 8. You might just have to get some 2tb hard drives. My plan saves some cash and can still be a beast of a computer in the end. A quad running at 3.8ghz with a SSD as your boot drive. Also you might look over some DVD drive reviews and see what has the best read and write speeds. Then put 4 barracuda 2tb hard drives and you got a screaming pc.😉

Bone thugs and harmony?

Bone thugs yes! old school now & my favorites back then.

That's not a bad idea actually, to upgrade the motherboard & case. But I'm going to sell my current computer after I build this new one... Plus I wanted an upgrade. I probably don't need the 6 cores at all... But when I do this right I will use this computer for the next 3 years.

Here's what I have so far... let me know what I need to change or add:

Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case

$90 (after $20 rebate)

Motherboard: ASUS M4A89TD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard

$175

Power: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

$70 (after $25 MIR)

CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Thuban 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT90ZFBGRBOX

$229

OR
AMD Phenom II X6 1075T Thuban 3.0GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT75TFBGRBOX
$180 after MIR


SSD: OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE90G 2.5" 90GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

$150 after $20 MIR

Still need suggestion for video card, CPU cooler, RAM, and whatever else I've missed...

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I'd go with the 3.2ghz if you're not gonna overclock. If you overclock go with the cheaper 6 core. For ram get a good name brand like corsair, g-skill, patriot. I avoid OCZ ram nowadays. Make sure whatever ram you get it's compatible with the particular motherboard you have. As far as CPU cooler there really isn't any better performing or easy to install cooler than the prolimatech megahalems. 90gb ssd might be kind of small for you. I started with a 30gb so my 80gb intel ssd seems huge now but using a small primary drive takes a little getting used to. With the low prices of ssd today I'd say a 120gb minimum. I have a haf 922 on my second rig and it is great. Pretty much a haf 932 just smaller. I think you'll like it.

 

[mfenn]

That's not a bad idea actually, to upgrade the motherboard & case. But I'm going to sell my current computer after I build this new one... Plus I wanted an upgrade. I probably don't need the 6 cores at all... But when I do this right I will use this computer for the next 3 years.

That's the thing we're trying to tell you, what you're buying is simply not going to be much of an upgrade at all. The CPU that you're planning to "upgrade" to is the same microarchitecture and clock speed as the one you've already got.

If you need to run some more HDDs internally, just buy a SATA controller card.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

That's the thing we're trying to tell you, what you're buying is simply not going to be much of an upgrade at all. The CPU that you're planning to "upgrade" to is the same microarchitecture and clock speed as the one you've already got.

If you need to run some more HDDs internally, just buy a SATA controller card.

I'm pretty sure this is more him wanting to build his own rig for the first time than it is needing a faster computer. It's fun configuring, shopping for, and then finally putting together your own rig. I'm the same way. Just go along with his "need" for a faster computer. 🙂

 

[east1999bt]

I'm pretty sure this is more him wanting to build his own rig for the first time than it is needing a faster computer. It's fun configuring, shopping for, and then finally putting together your own rig. I'm the same way. Just go along with his "need" for a faster computer. 🙂

If you're not in sales already... you may want to try it. Thanks for hearing out what I really wanted to do. Although everyone else was trying to steer me in the right direction (thanks for that too, always good to save $$$)... I'm ready to do my first build.

Here's what I've purchased so far:

• OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE120G 2.5" 120GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
• AMD Phenom II X6 1075T Thuban 3.0GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT75TFBGRBOX
• G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
• CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power ...
• COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long ...
• Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
• ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890GX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
• ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
• Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
• COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case

Anything missing or notable when I do the install? Advice for a first time builder?

Thank you guys.

 

[mfenn]

Holy overkill PSU Batman! Your system won't even draw a 1/3rd of that. Not good for efficiency, I'm afraid. Otherwise looks fine. Expect performance very similar to your old machine except for HDD-limited tasks because ultimately, you're still looking at a 3GHz Phenom II.

For the build, just read the mobo manual beforehand and take your time. It's really pretty easy. If you're unsure, feel free to post here.

 

[east1999bt]

Holy overkill PSU Batman! Your system won't even draw a 1/3rd of that. Not good for efficiency, I'm afraid. Otherwise looks fine. Expect performance very similar to your old machine except for HDD-limited tasks because ultimately, you're still looking at a 3GHz Phenom II.

For the build, just read the mobo manual beforehand and take your time. It's really pretty easy. If you're unsure, feel free to post here.

I'm not sure exactly how the PSU works - so if my system pulls 300 watts average... would I be using more power by going with a 750w PSU over a 500w PSU? I thought that the amount of power I'm actually using was the amount it would draw... and that the 750w would offer me some future upgrade options?

BTW the parts will be here tomorrow so I can start putting it together

 

[mfenn]

I'm not sure exactly how the PSU works - so if my system pulls 300 watts average... would I be using more power by going with a 750w PSU over a 500w PSU? I thought that the amount of power I'm actually using was the amount it would draw... and that the 750w would offer me some future upgrade options?

BTW the parts will be here tomorrow so I can start putting it together

Basically the formula for how much power a PSU will draw from the wall outlet is:
W_wall = W_system / PSU_efficiency

If the efficiency of two given power supplies is the same, then a given system will draw the same amount of power from the wall, no matter the max rating of the PSU. However, this normally is not the case. Generally speaking, a PSU's efficiency is a function of load, peaking somewhere between 30-80% load.

Thus, an oversized PSU will generally be operating at a lower efficiency. From the equation above, you can see that the lower the efficiency, the more power that you will draw from the wall.