Advice on components for new 2600K computer

[Mike A]

I've looked at a number of posts but haven't seen anything pertinent. I'm not very sophisticated with the new technology but have replaced a cpu, installed drives, power supply etc.

The purpose of the computer is solely to do video editing. Since I upgraded my video camera to HD my dual core processes like molasses.

Based on the little I have read, a 2600K seems one of the best CPUs to use. Thoughts?

If so, I would like advice on a motherboard that would suit this cpu and purpose.

Recommended makes and sources for a 1 Tb drive, 8 Gb (enough?) of memory, a case, a suitable power supply would be handy. I'd also like one of those media card readers.

I am confused about the need for a separate video card as I understand that the 2600K has its own graphics processor. Would it be better to have a separate card, and if so, what would be good?

I aim to run Windows 7 64bit, and would like to pay $1000 - $1500. I have seen a couple of commercial systems with a 2600 out there for about $1000. I have a 2 Tb drive (I want two), and I have a BluRay drive that is fairly new.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[mfenn]

Check out the builds from this thread for a starting point. If you're going to be using Adobe Premiere or another CUDA-enabled software package, you'll probably want something like the GTX 560 instead of the 6950.

The 2600K is a decent amount faster than the 2500K, but it costs 50% more. You do have the budget for it though. You might also want to consider getting an SSD like the Intel 320 120GB for improved application performance.

 

[Mike A]

I have seen a couple of cpu/mobo deals

1) NewEgg 2600K + MSI-P67A-G43 B3 at 439.99 together
2) Tiger Direct 2600K + ASUS P8P67 LE B3 at 459.99 together

On the Passmark video card evaluations the Radeon HD 5830 comes up top. I would get 1 GB version, if this was a suiteble card for my purpose.

Would all of these be good for HD video editing (not gaming)? Any preference over motherboard? Video card OK?

Thanks to responder. Certainly, the SSD is a thought. In my experience at least 2 drives are necessary. One for native video and one for the C drive. A third, fast drive might also be useful, especially for programs that make intermediate rendered files like Pinnacle.

M

 

[mfenn]

I have seen a couple of cpu/mobo deals

1) NewEgg 2600K + MSI-P67A-G43 B3 at 439.99 together
2) Tiger Direct 2600K + ASUS P8P67 LE B3 at 459.99 together

Either one of those is fine, but (1) is a better deal.

On the Passmark video card evaluations the Radeon HD 5830 comes up top. I would get 1 GB version, if this was a suiteble card for my purpose.

Would all of these be good for HD video editing (not gaming)? Any preference over motherboard? Video card OK?

Disregard any Passmark scores; they're a load of synthetic nonsense that only have a mild bearing on reality. The 5830 is a terrible card in general because hot, slow, and power hungry and for you because it's AMD and thus does not support CUDA. A better idea at the same price point is the GTX 550 Ti.

Thanks to responder. Certainly, the SSD is a thought. In my experience at least 2 drives are necessary. One for native video and one for the C drive. A third, fast drive might also be useful, especially for programs that make intermediate rendered files like Pinnacle.

The general idea with an SSD is that you pair it with a normal HDD.

SSD: OS, applications
HDD: Bulk storage

 

[Mike A]

Many thanks for the advice. I am very ignorant when it comes to evaluating cards.

How does the GTX 550 Ti compare with the 560 Ti and the 460? The latter seems to be about the same price but a tad faster? The former seems an improvement on both but is rather more expensive.

 

[mfenn]

Many thanks for the advice. I am very ignorant when it comes to evaluating cards.

How does the GTX 550 Ti compare with the 560 Ti and the 460? The latter seems to be about the same price but a tad faster? The former seems an improvement on both but is rather more expensive.

The GTX 560 Ti is quite a bit faster in games, but it is about $100 more. I don't think it's worth it for a video editing machine. The GTX 460 1GB is also a bit faster but is a bit more expensive as well. You wouldn't want to go with the GTX 460 768MB because from what I've read, Premiere, etc. need 1GB of VRAM in order to work well.

So, in essence, all three cards are decent bang for the buck in the gaming arena. However, I don't think that you're going to see enough of a performance improvement when doing video editing to make the more expensive cards worthwhile.