Worthy Video Editing Box @ $799 or less?

[dejacky]

I want to build a computer for my bro that's capable for video editing well. He paid $799 for some sony vaio desktop that has 5400rpm hard drive, 1X dvd burner, 256MB ram, & Pentium 4 2.0Ghz. Since he has 30 days to return it, I told him I could build him a better and faster one for less money. Basically he's using a firewire port from a DV video camera to input his video. So, I came up with this list. Does any1 know of a better component list in my $500-$690 price range? Any and all help is MUCH appreciated.


Hard Drive: $107 <--WD800JB (7200rpm, 8mb cache)
cpu: Athlon XP1700+ <--$53
Heatsink: $31 ThermalRight SK-7
Motherboard: $60 <--ECS K7S5A PRO
FireWire Card: $24 <--GWC 3 pORT ieee 1394 Model EC-100
DVD Burner: $315 <--Pioneer DVR-A05SPK3 (DVRA05) (4x dvd-r)
OR $176 <--Toshiba SD-R5002TA (2x dvd-r)
RAM: $120 <--512MB crucial pc2700 dimm
OR $100 <--512MB crucail pc2100 dimm
Power Supply: $60 <--Antec TruPower 330
Case: $30 (generic)

==============================
$641 with 2x dvd burner & 512MB pc2100 ram

*i realize there's no video card, but he says he already has one, but I'd still like to add a capable video card into this price range

-dejacky

 

[Duvie]

was that p4 2.0ghz not a northwood with 512kb??? Was the ram sdram and on a i845 platform or ddr and ona i845d or e platform..

If it was a northwood and ddr then minus the sony blaotware but a 1700+ athlon and a sis735 ECS mobo is a downgrade....

That 5400rpm is definitely whacked for a good video anything box...

question...

What vid card???? I would look at a nice lower end radeon AIW cards....

evaluation...

1) I like the HDD
2) cpu relates to question above...may take that up a notch...
3) I own ecs and have built them but I do not recommend this. trust me I just built 2 in the last 3-4 months and had dead ide controller and the same old cmos batteries dieing....QC is not there
4)I like the pioneer...has good bundle of software with retail pack
5)Go with the pc2700 for future proof and if he want to oc a bit of pefromance out of the cpu...That amd could be easy money in getting a bit more out of it which is why complimenting it with a better then ECS mobo could be very nice incentive...
6) I like the power supply...

 

[dejacky]

Thanks Duvie, your response is EXACTLY what I needed.

I was wondering if the AthlonXP 1700+ would be enough if I used a powerful video card?
My brother doesn't need all 5 pci slots of a normal sized board, so if there is a cheaper, smaller, and more powerful motherboard that will boost performace, I'd like to hear it.

My bro doesn't overclock, but if this will save money and not sacrifice stability, it would be nice.

I'm not sure on the specs of the Sony Vaio desktop, but the fact that it only has a 5400rpm hard drive that causes frames loss is not good and suggests that the system is not really high end.



OR I should just build a Shuttle SN41G2 Nforce2 based system?


-dejacky cheers!

 

[rbV5]

That 5400 HD will be plenty fast for DV capture (3.5Mb/sec) without dropping frames. I'm not so sure the rig your building is better for less actually.

 

[HokieESM]

Dejacky... I recently built two Shuttle systems (a SK41 and an SN41)... and I was very very pleased with how they turned out. One of them is my parents'... who occasionally capture TV and encode it to DivX (since I wrote them a nice script to do so). They're PERFECT for this job if you're going to buy a DVD burner--the shuttle only has one 5.25" bay available. Honestly, I would stick with a SK41... they're about $100 cheaper (NewEgg has them for $255), and they'll support all of the XPs with the 266MHz FSB (I put a 1800+ in the one I built). They have onboard firewire and USB2.0, and include the heatpipe for cooling (although, I swapped the stock fan for a Panaflo).

So, if you did this, you'd have:

Shuttle SK41: $255
512MB of Crucial PC2100: $100 (there's no need for PC2700 with a 266MHz FSB)
Pioneer DVD burner: $315
Athlon XP1700+: $53
WD800JB: $107

Total: $830 w/ the Pioneer, $691 with the Toshiba.

Its a TAD bit more.... but not much. And you get the neat little case... which is VERY nice to pack up and take it to a friend's house (or move it near your other computer or whatever).

Otherwise, your choices look good.... although, encoding might be a tad slow on a 1700+. If he's got the money, pop for a 2100+.

Good luck!

 

[dejacky]

bump

 

[LethalWolfe]

He needs a dedicated HDD to capture to. Capturing and editing on the same drive that has the program files is a no-no. HDDs over 75% full could start to slow down and drop frames. 5400 RPM drives are fine until you start pulling multiple DV streams (multiple layers of video, picture in picture FX, super imposing, etc.,) then they could start droppin' frames.Vid card doesn't matter unless he likes to game.


Lethal

 

[dejacky]

UPDATE:

The Sony desktop has THESE specs.

--> 2 Maxtor 7200rpm 40.0GB (2MB cache) hard drives instead of 1 Western Digital 7200rpm 80.0GB (8MB cache) hard drive?


Does he really need a faster cpu than this? He's not going to be really focusing on a lot of effects, just producing his own films from DV camera's mostly. Thanks all!

-dejacky

 

[oldfart]

DVD Burner: $315 <--Pioneer DVR-A05SPK3 (DVRA05) (4x dvd-r)

Thats way high. I just got the Cendyne (same Pioneer A05) for $150 after rebate and coupon from Staples. This was a hot deal, but you can easily get one for a better price if you look around. If you cant find a good deal, save some $$ and get the 2X. The burning time is nothing compared to capture/edit/encode anyway.

FWIW, I have one HD, WD1200JB with 3 partitions. I run the OS, capture, edit, encode all on that same drive. Never had any performance issues.

 

[dejacky]

I found the Panasonic 4x DVD-R multi cd writer for $259, but that's the cheapest. I'm leaning toward the following setup:

ASUS A7N8X Deluxe: $145.99
Antec TruPower 330: $60
AthlonXP 1700+: $53
512MB RAM: $120
DVD-Burner: $177
2 Hard Drives: $174
1) Maxtor 20GB-$76
2) WD 80.0GB-$107
ThermalRight SK6+ w/fan: ~$26
Generic Case: ~$35


I might leave out the Maxtor 20GB becuz u can apparently edit fine on the WD JB series hard drive...the extra $ can go towards a faster cpu (Amd athlonXP 1900+ or 200+).

 

[dejacky]

bump

tell me more!

 

[oldfart]

Check the hot deals forum. Couple of good deals starting 2/16 on DVD-R drives. The Cendyne (4x Pioneer 105) is on sale @ Staples again.

 

[dejacky]

old fart i read that thread, but no one is specifiying any links to a particular coupon(s) ..

 

[oldfart]

Still a ggod deal. Do a Google search for Staples Coupon. I think there is a $30 one that works.

$299 - $50 - $60 - $30 = $159 after rebate

 

[Duvie]

dejacky...hey stay away from ecs products...trust me....

I would spend some money and get a nforce2 mobo (one of theleast expensive but fro a reputable company) nd run 2 sticks of 256mb ddr in dual channel mode...