Advice: Hardware requirements Vegas Pro 9

Nev_1 wrote on 4/3/2010, 10:21 AM

Hello,
I have Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum. I'm currently running it on a 1.66GHz Centrino Duo processor, 2 GB of ram and Vista OS.
I am non professional and work on my own videos shot on a Panasonic HD camcorder.
Rendering is a bit slow and I am thinking of buying a new computer. 15 minutes of video takes about 40 minutes to render.
First question: is this time normal ?

And if not...
Could anyone advise me on the best hardware to run the software fast ?
Which components should I concentrate on - processor, memory, video card ?

Thanks
Nev.

Comments

xberk wrote on 4/3/2010, 10:50 AM

I'd say the minimum for Vegas Pro 9 is an i5-750 CPU. Video card, for now, is not important. Get the fastest CPU you can afford with at least 6-8 gigs of RAM. Check my specs by clicking on my name in this post. Check other posters the same way.

The i5-750 is a value. Works well for me even when working with AVCHD.

The i7-860 probably is a bit faster and then faster yet is the i7-920 or i7-930 etc and on up the ladder.

I use Win7 64 bit and love it.

Recent thread on CPU ratings

John_Cline wrote on 4/3/2010, 11:13 AM

The recommendation to get 6-8 gig of RAM is only applicable if you're running a 64-bit OS. If you're running a 32-bit OS, then the maximum amount of RAM it will use is about 3.2 GIG regardless of how much RAM is physically installed in the machine.

TheHappyFriar wrote on 4/3/2010, 12:27 PM

basically, the more expensive the part the faster it is.

But unless you give a $$ figure there's no way to help. Sony now has certified (?) vegas editing machines, but mine, which I built myself & cost ~1/3rd the price of their cheapest system ~2 years ago. It's not the best but it does everything I throw at it.

Here's the vegas systems: here

gpsmikey wrote on 4/6/2010, 3:57 PM

One thing missing on the listing of system specs for people is which motherboard they are using. There can be a very significant difference in performance (and reliability for that matter) depending on which motherboard they have. I am also looking to upgrade my system and it is not just about the processor - which motherboards do people like as well (currently have an ASUS P4P800-E that is getting a bit old).

mikey

TheHappyFriar wrote on 4/6/2010, 6:07 PM

I always liked motherboards.org for hardware reviews. I find it less BS-y then other sites but the don't cover everything.

xberk wrote on 4/6/2010, 6:58 PM

which motherboards do people like

In the last few years I've built 5 different systems with Gigabyte MoBo .. I'm using the P55 right now, and love it. No problems. Nice bios. I think for price, value etc. Hard to beat Gigabyte.

Mike M. wrote on 4/6/2010, 8:44 PM

Asus for me all the way.

I've been building systems using their MB's for years and never ever had a problem. Top notch stuff. Currently the two hottest MB's are the p55d series (dual channel memory and the px58 series (triple channel memory. Both are cutting edge. Combine either with a good price point CPU and a SSD for the OS and you'll have a great system. Dell has similar built systems for a bit more since you're not building it yourself.

Here's an example of a "deluxe" home built system that would be a top performer based on current price point:

MB: p6x58d-premium (USB 2.0 and 3.0/SATA 6.0 and 3.0, Firewire
Ram: 16 G Corsair Dominator clocked to 1600
CPU: Intel i7 930
Video Card: Nothing fancy unless you're doing games, then maybe an ATI 5770
Cooler: Corsair h50 water cooler (real easy to install, much better than the stock cooler)
Case: Something with good airflow and some big fans (at least two)
Power Supply: around 600 to 700 watts
Drives: Intel ssd 80g (OS/boot drive), another regular HD for data/media, and a optical (DVD/CD) burner/player (all SATA based drives).
Windows 7 64 bit version (which many packages also include the 32 bit version, so you can use one or the other, but not both).