mpeg encoding, cpu or vid card, which is major factor?

[VegasF6]

It seems like I am constantly tying up my main system while encoding mpeg's or other video files. I would like to get a second computer (actually it is the 4th one, but who is counting) specificaly for encoding video. There is a very nice price on the dimension 3000 right now at Dell, that ends tomorrow (11-17) It has this cpu, Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor w/ HT Technology (3GHz, 800 FSB), which is actually quite an upgrade from what I am using on my main system. But, the problem is, it only has integrated graphics, ( Integrated Intel® Extreme Graphics 2) and no AGP slot. Is the video card even a factor in encoding? I am thinking not.

Anyhow, quick replies appreciated!!
VegasF6

 

[gsellis]

No. If you want to play it back and watch it, maybe. But No otherwise.

 

[Sunner]

The graphics card has no effect whatsoever on video encoding, unless you don't have a graphics card at all, in which case the computer won't boot, and video encoding will become rather problematic

 

[RaiderJ]

Maybe an older dual-proc system (P3 era) might be cheaper and faster for encoding over a newer single-proc system? Anyone know for sure?

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: RaiderJ
Maybe an older dual-proc system (P3 era) might be cheaper and faster for encoding over a newer single-proc system? Anyone know for sure?

Fastest p3s were what, 1400mhz? A p4 3.0 or higher will obliterate that. On top of which you'll have HT adding another 10-20% to encoding speeds.

Encoding from a source on the hard drive hinges almost entirely on the CPU. If, however, you're talking about recording (encoding) television programs, there are tuner cards with onboard encoding starting at about $100 or $150, iirc. Those will free up your CPU.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: RaiderJ
Maybe an older dual-proc system (P3 era) might be cheaper and faster for encoding over a newer single-proc system? Anyone know for sure?

Not a chance. Between the much faster quad-pumped FSB (and DDR400 RAM), SSE2/3 (if the encoder supports them), and way higher clockspeeds, a modern 3+Ghz P4 would still trash a dual P3, unless you managed to get them up to, oh, 2Ghz or so. Even in the best circumstances, a dual processor running a multithreaded program is unlikely to give you much better than an 80% improvement over a single processor of the same speed, due to synchronization overhead (although you could probably run two single-threaded encodes at nearly full speed simultaneously, assuming you had enough memory and disk bandwidth for them).

 

[cheesehead]

The new Nvidia 6200's support integrated Mpeg2 encoding, so they might be the way to go. Also, consider the fact that Intel Extreme graphics actually take up a lot of memory, and more than a few CPU cycles as well, and the fact that you can't upgrade them make the computer lose a lot of value pretty fast. Lastly, Dell computers tend to be miserably slow; a Sempron 3100+ in a homemade box can beat the pants off of a 3ghz P4 in video encoding, and it is possible to make a system that does everything you need for about 800$ or so, including a good graphics card, PVR150 MPEG-encoder PCI PVR card, and 1GB of RAM.
-Cheesehead.

 

[VegasF6]

Thanks for all the help guys. What a freindly board, I am mostly just in the "hot deals." Anyhow, I should have specified this is at least 90% existing video, not much actual capturing, and if I do capture I will just do it on my main system and push it across the network.

Cheesehead, you make some very valid points, and I have to admit, I leaned towards what you are saying for a minute or two, but I don't think I want to invest that much money into it. No, I think the Dell sounds like just about what I want. I have been in the land of AMD for so long now it will be strange going back, and I am excited about the Hyperthreading technology. I think I will order the Dell, even though, you are right about not being able to upgrade much and losing value. I have certainly never considered a computer something to hold it's value. After all, I just look to my left at the PIII laptop that I paid $2200 dollars for, sigh. But, at least it has served me well for several years.


VegasF6