I saw the Amazon price. $50 cheaper. Both Amazon and B&H are tax and shipping free.

Where did you order the memory and what did you get? I am really close to pulling the trigger on this. I am also thinking about a Square Trade warranty which would be $160 for three years. On an all in one unit like this it seems to make sense.

One thing about the touchscreen that I really like is that I currently use a control surface with Pro Tools. The touchscreen seems like it would be very nice for audio mixes. Plus, I just love the touch screen on my iPad.

The Lenova also has an HDMI out for two monitor stuff with an HD TV. Most all-in-ones don't do second monitors.

I am also moving to South America this spring and want to keep my equipment (and all my belongings) as simple as possible. I really like the idea of an all-in-one touchscreen system and small USB3 bus powered drives.

I am also using a laptop currently and until recently it has been just fine, but a Core2Duo is simply underpowered for using AVCHD without intermediaries, and I also getting into a little animation which immediately brings that system to it's knees.

The Lenovo has a pretty amazing CPU and Graphics card combo for that price range. A Sony with the same CPU and graphics costs almost twice as much, and none of the other budget all in one systems have this kind of horsepower.

Hard disc wise, all I use these days are little USB3 bus powered drives and this has two USB3 ports. The only thing I would miss is the built in Bluray drive, but I've had terrible problems writing DVD-Rs from my HP Bluray/DVD+-R drive, so I am probably better off with the standard DVD+-R drive anyway.

I got the memory from Amazon too (I'm a prime member). This is what I ordered -- seems to work just fine:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YUF8ZG/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details

The HDMI is one out and one in: so you will only get to hook up to one output device.

I wasn't worried about the blu-ray drive as I already have an external USB blu-ray read-write drive.

I'll see if I can run rendertest 2010 tonight and give you some idea of performance.

Thanks.

If it has HDMI input, does that mean it could record HDMI from a camcorder?

No, that would be to use the screen with another HDMI input.

dxdy-Unfortunately I think the HDMI goes directly from the input to the graphics card. It basically turns the B520 into and HDMI monitor.BTW it also has a TV tuner - that I've never tested :-)

I did a quick run of rendertest-2010. It previews Full (Best) at full framerate 29.97 FPS.

The render took 2:55 (175 seconds). The CPU is idling along at less than 20%, GPU is nearly maxed at about 95% the PCI bus appears to be close to maxed. This was with all of the defaults (16 render threads, GPU on).

These results seem to be OK, but not spectacular (about what I expected given the overall cost of the system). I knew the GPU was OK, but not the best.

I'm pretty happy with the performance (especially compared to my core2duo laptop).

I just ordered it. The big thing is that I I am working pretty solidly and I am spending way too much time rendering intermediates. I want to be able to work with AVCHD directly on the timeline, and this should do it nicely. When we move to South America in the spring, we are going to be renting a small apartment somewhere. This should be powerful and comfortable to work on, yet compact for the semi nomadic lifestyle I will be living.

Since I got the iPad, I really am not that interested in notebooks anymore. Not only that, but I find myself starting renders using Logmein, and since I can access my PC from anywhere with wifi (for things other than video editing which needs a faster interface), I really don't feel the need to lug it around anymore.

> I got the memory from Amazon too (I'm a prime member). This is what I ordered -- seems to work just fine:

I just ordered two of those chips for 16GB of memory. Pretty amazing for $86! It always amazes me how much Apple, Sony and HP charge for a memory upgrade like this when it is so cheap at other sources.

I think I've torn down about 10 touchscreen All-in-Ones from a certain manufacturer. They're a bit like a non-portable laptop. Generally they use 3.5" hard drives, SO-DIMMs, and laptop-style MXM graphics cards.

Generally the upgrade options are limited so buy what you want now. You could swap out the hard drive or swap out/add memory, but graphics cards are usually chosen to fit into power and thermal requirements so upgrading it a year or two from now isn't necessarily practical. Basically, what you buy is what you get.

In my experience, an HDMI input on one of these is mainly for game consoles. The video input goes directly to the screen and never reaches the motherboard at all, although audio from the HDMI input would reach the motherboard for amplification.

None of the units I've looked at had HDMI output, although the motherboards used would support it. on this Lenovo you reference the output *could* come from the motherboard or it *could* be a passthrough from the HDMI input, although I don't know why you'd want the later.

I don't see any compelling reason to use one of these with Vegas. You have the same restrictions as a laptop but without the portability, and usually without the option of a second screen. So, what I'd want in one of these is eSATA outputs, an ExpressCard slot, a couple of USB 3.0 ports, and second monitor support. Firewire would be nice too.

The touch functions might be nice for an onscreen control surface although I don't know if you could manipulate two sliders at once. But if that's not a problem for you then touch might get some use. In that case a unit that reclines would be a big bonus. HP's TouchSmart 600's do a really good job of this.

I think these sorts of units are great in dorm rooms or 3-mat apartments. They're compact, no wires, can support a game console and can work as your TV, and could *manage* as an editing machine. But if all I wanted to do was edit I might opt for something small and slim and a separate monitor. Good screens usually outlast the computer.

Rob Mack

> I don't see any compelling reason to use one of these with Vegas. You have the same restrictions as a laptop but without the portability, and usually without the option of a second screen. So, what I'd want in one of these is eSATA outputs, an ExpressCard slot, a couple of USB 3.0 ports, and second monitor support. Firewire would be nice too.

This one has an HDMI out port so you can use a monitor with HDMI as a secondary monitor. As far as I can tell, it is the only all-in-one that will let you add a second monitor. Probably an iMac can with Thunderbolt, but an a Thunderbolt monitor this size costs almost as much as this PC.

As far as your other features, the only one missing is eSATA, and I have hardly used eSATA since USB3.

Since I've been using a laptop exclusively these past few years, going this route is not much of a stretch for me. I really like laptops, but I rarely use the touchpad, and right now for instance I am typing this with an external wireless keyboard.

My HP laptop has the docking station connector and I use it as a desktop in the dock most of the time. I really love that feature but HP has totally dropped their docking station connectors from all their current laptops.

What you say about using it in a small apartment rings especially true to me. I have a pretty big house, but it is for sale. I have been promising my wife for years now that when my daughter (from a previous marriage) went off to college we could move close to her family in Ecuador. Buying a home there really isn't an option for US citizens, so we will be living in some sort of small apartment and this form factor should be perfect for me. Not for everyone I know, but in my case it makes sense. I don't know if it will be screaming fast (aside from when it is compared to my Core2Duo laptop) but it will let me put native AVCHD on the timeline, add my regular filters and titles, preview at high resolution, and get me away from the constant overnight renders that I have grown to hate.

>I got the memory from Amazon too (I'm a prime member). This is what I ordered -- seems to work just fine:

I cut and pasted the link and ordered it. It came yesterday and it is must be something different than what you ordered. This one is two 4GB chips rather than one 8GB chip. So what I have since I ordered two sets is four 4GB chips which I will have to return.

:-)

"No compelling reason to use this over a laptop" isn't the same as saying there's a reason *not* to use it. I just think that the advantages to an All-in-One with Vegas are all personal preferences. Maybe you like the lack or wires all over the place, the clean look of your desk, the unitary design...I think it's an aesthetic choice.

The fact that this one will support a second display is huge and would probably be the one thing to put me over the line to buy an AiO if I was interested.

I haven't really read this about USB 3.0, but my understanding about USB 2.0 is that it incurs more CPU overhead than Firewire or eSATA. That means less CPU available for rendering and playback. I assume this also applies to USB 3.0 but I don't know this for a fact.

Rob

>>I got the memory from Amazon too (I'm a prime member). This is what I ordered -- seems to work just fine:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YUF8ZG/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details

>I cut and pasted the link and ordered it. It came yesterday and it is must be something different than what you ordered. This one is two 4GB chips rather than one 8GB chip. So what I have since I ordered two sets is four 4GB chips which I will have to return.

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear about the memory. The kit contains two 4GB modules. I removed one of the 2GB modules that was pre-installed. That left me with 12GB total.

I got the Lenovo this afternoon and am still configuring it. Very nice PC!

I just realized that the B520 has four memory slots. I had ordered the right memory after all. For some reason I had in my head that there were only two slots and each unit had to contain 8GB. Darn!

edit: I went ahead and ordered the exact same memory I just sent back. I'm just so barely competent some times...

So far pretty good with this PC. I can run my AVCHD Nikon footage at best full resolution without dropping frames except at the transitions. Renders are quick and the GPU modes work well. The mouse that came with it was very sluggish. I replaced it with a Microsoft bluetooth mouse and that fixes that problem. I believe that the Lenovo mouse has some sort of air ability that lets you move it in the air like a wii on certain games. That probably has something to do with why it is so sluggish as a regular mouse.

I just got my $129 Asus 24" monitor today (Black Friday online special from NewEgg) and I am happy to report that the HDMI out on the B520 works with a second monitor perfectly. This is so cool. I have a beautiful setup now with two 24" monitors and only two wires: one AC cable and one HDMI cable running to the second monitor. The keyboard and mouse are bluetooth wireless. On the Amazon ad it mistakenly says that there is a firewire port on this computer. As far as I can see there is not. It also mentions that there are six USB ports, but it doesn't say that two of them are USB 3.0

Negative points: every time I quit Vegas it crashes before it quits completely. It will crash pretty consistently on titles if I'm doing a 60p project. It crashes occasionally on 1920x1080x30p. Monitor looks very sharp and with good color, but it is highly reflective. I get some dropped frames at best resolution full frame preview during transitions.

i just bought this

IMAC 27"

3.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
27-inch LED-backlit display 2560 x 1440 resolution
16GB memory
1TB hard drive
120 GB SSD
120 GB SSD
8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
AMD Radeon HD 6970M graphics with 1GB memory

Built-in FaceTime HD camera
Thunderbolt Ports

bought at:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FD063LL/A#overview
upgrades at:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/turnkey/iMac_2011/27_Inch

you beat me on price

imac refurb:

$1,985.81

upgrades:

120GB OWC Mercury EXTREME Pro 6G SSD (6Gb/s) 5 Year Warranty
Do not Install/Exchange Drive currently in 3.5" Main Bay
120GB OWC Mercury EXTREME Pro 6G SSD (6Gb/s) 5 Year Warranty
Install 16GB DDR3 1333MHz [4 x 4GB]
Three Year Extended (Adds 2 Years to standard - maximum of 3 years)
I will ship or have my iMac drop-shipped to OWC

$ 998.00


it will be interesting to see how they both perform with Vegas

I really thought long and hard about getting an iMac and using dual boot so that I could experiment with the Mac OS as well as Windows. I really thought I would end up spending more than you did for one with comparable power. That sounds like a good deal on that refurb.

The other thing is that I really like using these little portable USB3 1TB drives. Yeah you can get probably better throughput with Thunderbolt drives, but not for less than $100 each.

One advantage you have over me is with that SSD drive. I haven't looked into adding one of those yet.

> "you beat me on price"

Actually, not really. That 27" Apple Display uses IPS technology and cost $999 alone so it's not fair to compare it to a 23" Lenovo display that most likely isn't anywhere near the quality. It's always good to check the Apple referbs. You can get some good deals.

~jr

yes i was about to have a tower built and the display factor is what finally swayed my choice. it is a pain that apple cripples its systems (usb3) but luckily with adapters there are works rounds (unfortunately at a cost)

I know that there are a few PC AiO models that use IPS screens. Sometimes this isn't specifically advertised but IPS has a very specific viewing angle spec of 178x178 so that's the spec to look for if IPS isn't explicitly listed.

The most important feature of any computer is it's ability to run the software you want to use. Everything else is secondary. So if there are MacOS applications you need to use then an Apple product is pretty much mandatory.

Rob