Super cheap video editing rig

[BaboonGuy]

Hey guys,

so I currently edit AVCHD 1080i video on my Sempron laptop. It's not fun. So I need to build an editing rig... but I want it very very cheap (and good still LDO!)


1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
video editing mainly, photoshop work, and 3d stuff

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
$400

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
america

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc, etc, etc, you get the picture.
cheap, reliable, hassle-free

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
keyboard, mouse, monitors

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
yes

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
default, hassle free as much as possible

8. WHEN do you plan to build it?
asap


OK, so here's what I've come up after researching today (which was very very fun):

CPU: AMD Phenom II X3 710 2.6GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819103648
$99

MOBO: ASRock K10N78
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813157159
$64.99

RAM: OCZ 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820227362
$48.99

CASE: Rosewill R5604-TBK 0.8mm Japanese Cold Rolled Steel Screw-less Dual 120mm Fans ATX Mid Tower
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811147033
$44.99

HARD DRIVE: HITACHI Deskstar P7K500 0A35415 500GB SATA 7200 RPM 16MB
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...p?ProductCode=10007436 (newegg reviews)
$52.99

PSU: SeaSonic SS-400ET 400W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V V2.91 80 PLUS Certified
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817151061
$49.99

or

Antec earthwatts EA430 430W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817371006
$59.99

or

CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ATX12V V2.2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139008
$59.99

OPTICAL: LITEON iHAS124-04 24X SATA DVD Burner
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...p?ProductCode=10010552
$31.99

total: $392.94

Before you say anything...
-I will use onboard video (Geforce 8200) for the time being planning on upgrading later
-Single hard drive is sub optimal for video editing however I plan to get two more in the future when I have more $$
-I could've gone $15 cheaper with my case but the looks difference is astounding, and I really like the look of the one above.

Questions I have:
-The motherboard (mnfr link) uses the Geforce 8200 chipset from what I can tell. The sticky on the top says to stay away from Nvidia for mobos. However, on newegg the one I picked has excellent reviews. I want to be able to install my Phenom II X3 with no problems and preferably no bios flashing.

-Is the Seasonic 400W going to be enough if I plan to later get a video card, firewire, two more hard drives, and 4GB more RAM? Should I get the Corsair or the Antec Earthwatts for $10 more?

-For $46 more I can get a Phenom II X4 940 3.0GHz with a Biostar TA790GXB 790GX motherboard which has onboard video of ATI Radeon HD 3300. I'd rather not spend this extra money and certain video editing things make use of NVidia but not ATI. Although it is a 3.0GHz 4core vs 2.6GHz 3core. And it gets rid of the Nvidia chipset on the motherboard, which I'm not convinced is an issue.

Thank you thank you thank you for your help guys. I love AT.

 

[BaboonGuy]

Oh I also found this PIC in the basement. I'm pretty sure it's some arctic silver or something that I used the last time I built a PC. Can anyone confirm? That'll save me $6

 

[Lunyone]

Okay here is what I'd consider:
* The $46 more for the PhII x4 940 w/the better 790gx chipset is worth it in this case. The upgrade paths seem to be similar. I would assume (since I don't do video editing) that the 4 cores will do better than 3, but that would be assuming the programs that you use are programmed to handle the extra cores.
* The Corsair for $60 - $20 MIR = $40 is a better buy. The Seasonic has >$8 shipping, so you would be paying $2 more for the Corsair now and then $18 less after the MIR. The Corsair and Seasonic PSU's come with a 3 yr. warranty so that is a wash there. Seasonic and Corsair both make good PSU's, so either will do the job. Just remember that you only get 1 x 6 pin PCI-e power connectors with the PSU, so this might limit your GPU upgrade later.
* The RAM you selected will work (>$50 w/shipping) but runs at 2.1v and at 5-6-6-18 speeds. A bit slow for 1066 mHz if you ask me. You'd be better off with this G.Skill RAM that runs at stock voltages of 1.8v (cooler and easier to OC, if you decide to do that) and runs at 4-4-4-12 timings!!

 

[BaboonGuy]

Originally posted by: Lunyone
Okay here is what I'd consider:
* The $46 more for the PhII x4 940 w/the better 790gx chipset is worth it in this case. The upgrade paths seem to be similar. I would assume (since I don't do video editing) that the 4 cores will do better than 3, but that would be assuming the programs that you use are programmed to handle the extra cores.
* The Corsair for $60 - $20 MIR = $40 is a better buy. The Seasonic has >$8 shipping, so you would be paying $2 more for the Corsair now and then $18 less after the MIR. The Corsair and Seasonic PSU's come with a 3 yr. warranty so that is a wash there. Seasonic and Corsair both make good PSU's, so either will do the job. Just remember that you only get 1 x 6 pin PCI-e power connectors with the PSU, so this might limit your GPU upgrade later.
* The RAM you selected will work (>$50 w/shipping) but runs at 2.1v and at 5-6-6-18 speeds. A bit slow for 1066 mHz if you ask me. You'd be better off with this G.Skill RAM that runs at stock voltages of 1.8v (cooler and easier to OC, if you decide to do that) and runs at 4-4-4-12 timings!!

Yeah after I made the post the x4 940 seems like the obvious choice. DAMN!! lol... I initially envisioned doing this for $350. looks like it'll be closer to $500 now.

Good call on the Corsair with free shipping, didn't notice that. I'll go for the Corsair then. Also I would've never known that the OCZ RAM wasn't as good, for $5 more I think the G.Skill is a good buy. Thanks!

edit: Wait, the G.Skill you linked is only 800 speed not 1066... gonna look for the 1066 version.
-looks like this it
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231166
Timing: 5-5-5-15
Voltage: 2.0V - 2.1V

not quite as good but looks like the best for 1066 on newegg

 

[BaboonGuy]

Okay new total: $445.94 + $24.60 shipping = $470.54.

Changes I made:
-switched out OCZ for better G.Skill RAM http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231166
-decided to get the faster CPU/mobo combo deal http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.209473
-getting Corsair PSU w/free shipping http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139008
-getting Hitachi HD from newegg for free shipping
-getting LG dvd burner instead as its cheaper and free shipping http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827136167... discovered annoying bluebird firmware spyware can be removed easily

i'm pretty happy with this. any other comments?

 

[Lunyone]

Looks pretty good. The reason I listed the 800 mHz RAM, was because of the tight timings that it has and the voltage was at stock voltage. Most 1066 mHz RAM is just OC'd 800 mHz RAM that the manufacturer supports at the given speed. It's up to you, but either will do just fine and since there at the same price, why not??

Edit:
The $55 Antec 300 case would be a better selection, IMHO. It is $5 cheaper than the Rosewill that you selected ($45 + $15 shipping = $60). The case comes with 1 x 120mm rear fan and 1 x 140mm top fan. Also has washable air filters. Although the Rosewill comes with a Firewire port on the front, so I don't know if that makes a difference.

 

[BaboonGuy]

hmm so how do I turn the 800 into 1066 then?

edit: looks like you have to OC it, but most people on newegg don't seem to be getting all the way to 1066... i'm not sure if 800->950 with fast settings is going to be faster than 1066 with decent settings.. i think i'm gonna go for the 1066 just cause i really don't want anything to go wrong

 

[Lunyone]

Originally posted by: BaboonGuy
hmm so how do I turn the 800 into 1066 then?

edit: looks like you have to OC it, but most people on newegg don't seem to be getting all the way to 1066... i'm not sure if 800->950 with fast settings is going to be faster than 1066 with decent settings.. i think i'm gonna go for the 1066 just cause i really don't want anything to go wrong

You don't need to get to 1066 mHz. You would run at 800 mHz at 4-4-4-12 timings. The 1066 mHz would normally run at 5-5-5-15 timings. These are pretty much the same, if you factor speed and timings together. Like I said, you can just get the 1066 mHz ones and be done with it, if you so desire

 

[BaboonGuy]

that Antec case unfortunately doesn't come with free shipping though.

plus the rosewill is sexxxy <3

btw: thx for all ur help, here's for ur trouble :gift:

 

[Lunyone]

Originally posted by: BaboonGuy
that Antec case unfortunately doesn't come with free shipping though.

plus the rosewill is sexxxy <3

btw: thx for all ur help, here's for ur trouble :gift:

Ahh, it was with free shipping until 12:01am, about 20 min ago Sorry didn't know they changed the price

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: BaboonGuy
first comp build in 6 yrs

Oh I also found this PIC in the basement. I'm pretty sure it's some arctic silver or something that I used the last time I built a PC. Can anyone confirm? That'll save me $6

1. It's six years old
2. It's not Arctic Silver
3. Cash in some aluminum cans and spend the $6 for some Arctic Silver

 

[WildW]

If you can, always have two hard disks in a video editing rig. Encoding is very disk-access limited. One drive reading data in while another writes out the encoded data is much much faster. You can have as fast a cpu as you like, one hard disk reading and writing at the same time will become a bottleneck VERY quickly.

 

[gsellis]

When you can afford it, after the HDD upgrade, look at the mfgr specs for your editor and consider getting a video card. Some of the editors that will with HD video will benefit from GPU performance.

Also, with onboard audio, do not overload it with other tasks (like playing music on the PC) while doing any editing. Many editors use the CPU, GPU, and the audio processor while working with your video. Commonly, out of synch audio can be related to delays in the audio processor while capturing (not an issue with AVCHD) or rendering.

 

[elconejito]

@BaboonGuy - Do you have a Microcenter or Fry's near you? Some really good prices there if you shop around...

Definitely get new TIM, 6 year old AS5 (if that's what it was) has definitely settled. Although, if you're just using the stock heatsink/fan you wouldn't need it anyway.

 

[BaboonGuy]

Originally posted by: elconejito
@BaboonGuy - Do you have a Microcenter or Fry's near you? Some really good prices there if you shop around...

Definitely get new TIM, 6 year old AS5 (if that's what it was) has definitely settled. Although, if you're just using the stock heatsink/fan you wouldn't need it anyway.

Really? That's what I was planning on doing for the HSF... why would I not need AS? I'd think it'd make it less reliable ? Or do they still come with that pad or w/e that I can use?

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: BaboonGuy
Or do they still come with that pad or w/e that I can use?

Some do and some don't.

 

[elconejito]

As long as you get a retail CPU, the stock HSF "should" have a thermal pad on it (at least all the ones I've seen). It's not the greatest, but it works. If you get an OEM CPU, then you need AS (or similar) as well as a HSF.

If you bought AS, I suppose you could remove the pad that comes with the stock HSF and then apply AS instead. It's more trouble than i would go through for a stock HSF, but YMMV...

 

[brblx]

i'm overclocked to by nearly 800mhz on stock thermal compound from intel. no temp issues until i start overvolting significantly, which is to be expected. it works fine, AS is good for maybe a few degrees.

his build looks good, i don't neccesarily think he needs to spend outside his original budget for an x4, but it's certainly not a bad upgrade. i'd pick up the 640gb wd black drive for around the same money as the hitachi, two 320gb platters means disc performance on the level of the fastest 7200rpm drives (mostly 3 platter 1tb's).

psu is overkill, you could easily run a seasonic 300w (same guts as the antec 380w), although if you want to add a higher end graphics card in the future a solid 400w might be a good idea.

 

[WaitingForNehalem]

case/psu combo $52

cpu/mobo 210-20 rebate

1TB hdd 76-10 rebate

RAM 45-10 rebate

DVD Burner 28

TOTAL- 411

TOTAL AR- 371

If you need Nvidia, use the spare money to buy a video card.

 

[Lunyone]

Originally posted by: WaitingForNehalem
case/psu combo $52

cpu/mobo 210-20 rebate

1TB hdd 76-10 rebate

RAM 45-10 rebate

DVD Burner 28

TOTAL- 411

TOTAL AR- 371

If you need Nvidia, use the spare money to buy a video card.

I wouldn't recommend an HEC PSU on the lower-end of things. I wouldn't trust them, although there has been some luck with them, but that is my opinion.

 

[brblx]

no to hec indeed.

he should pick up the sonata with an earthwatts 500 for 100 bucks with $10 shipping.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811129024

cannot beat that, case is worth at least as much as an antec 300 and he'll have plenty of headroom with that psu.

 

[WaitingForNehalem]

What's wrong with it? He isn't running a high powered rig. You guys have a phobia of anything that's not Corsair/Antec/PC P&C SLI Certified 80 plus. Look at his rig. I and people I know had "budget" psu's and never had a problem with them. Read the reviews. You're asking him to pay $50 more for something he really doesn't need. How many of you have actually in your experience had a PSU damage your components?

 

[Blain]

HEC power supplies have a reputation for quality, in the low cost PS market. :thumbsup:
I've used several of them and never had any problems.
Sure they aren't PC Power & Cooling quality, but they don't carry a heavy price tag either.

 

[WaitingForNehalem]

Originally posted by: Blain
HEC power supplies have a reputation for quality, in the low cost PS market. :thumbsup:
I've used several of them and never had any problems.
Sure they aren't PC Power & Cooling quality, but they don't carry a heavy price tag either.

Thank you

 

[BaboonGuy]

Thanks for all your input guys!
Just ordered today. With 3-day shipping, two extra long SATA cables just in case (I know mobo comes with 2), and AS Ceramique total comes to 467.26. Thanks thanks thanks everyone. (Ended up not going with the cheaper PSU because I do plan on upgrading with a good video card later)

Hopefully my next post in this thread will be from the new rig. I'm very happy... under $470 for over 5x the performance for my uses. Previously using Sempron 2.0Ghz laptop LOL.
http://images.anandtech.com/gr...060109222115/19383.png (mine at top, comparable old at bottom)



i love that technology gets so cheap so quick WOOT