Buying New PC

blentz wrote on 11/17/2004, 8:36 PM

I have been using Vegas for a while now, since 3.0, and it is time for a computer upgrade. This system won't necessarily be dedicated to video editing, and cost is kind of an issue. The problem that I am having right now is which processor to buy. I have heard many good things about both processors, including that Vegas 5 splits it's rendering process into multiple threads, so on a P4 HT, rendering should be much quicker. I am leaning toward an AMD 64 right now, maybe an FX-53. AMD is usally much cheaper, and it supports 64bit processing.(duh...). I have tried googling this same topic and have not come to any kind of conclusion, due to outdated data. Also, to through another wrench into the works, I would also consider multiple processors.

I would go with 1GB DDR 333 or 400 Ram.

Another issue is, once I have chosen a processor, which motherboard to use. ugh! I have built many computers in my life, but it is such a pain to choose the components!

I am thinking about having four drives: one 80GB UATA-IDE for OS and programs, two 80-120 SATA raid 0 (striping, I believe) for speed, and one for final mpg's and other such stuff. I might eliminate the fourth one and just go with three, but anyone who has experience with Raid striping and performance, feel free to speak up.

By the way, I will be using Vegas 5, probably with DVD Architect.

Thanks guys!

Comments

busterkeaton wrote on 11/17/2004, 11:02 PM

I wouldn't choose the Pentium chip just because of hyperthreading. Someone here did a test and said it got him a 12% boost when rendering. Other people have said it actually slowed them down when rendering. I think motherboard throughput is the issue. I like hyperthreading because I often run multiple instances of Vegas, so in that case, it helps.

I don't think 64bit processing is such a big deal on the AMD, frankly by the time it's useful, you will probably be upgrading your computer again. The great floating point power of the AMD chips means they are nice and fast for Vegas. Personally I would go with the highest FSB the motherboard will support.

If you want to take the guess work out videoguys.com built a NLE machine for just over a grand without the monitor and they list all the parts they used

http://www.videoguys.com/DIY.html

scissorfighter wrote on 11/19/2004, 3:22 PM

Well, this could be a big topic. Everyone has a different opinon. But we should all be able to come to a consensus on at least a couple rules of thumb:
1) Processor speed is important, but more so for rendering than actual editing. If you've got plenty of time on your hands to let things render, then you may want to buy a slower processor.
2) Hard disk througput is important, especially when working with multiple streams. You're on the right track with RAID 0, as that will give you decent performance from ATA or SATA drives. Since it doesn't appear that you'll be doing this professionally, you probably have no need for SCSI drives or huge-capacity.
3) Lots of screen real-estate is important. Many users utilize two PC monitors for working in Vegas, and often a seperate external preview monitor on top of that. So don't forget to budget for a couple 17-19" monitors or, better yet, LCD panels.
4) Lots of RAM is nice.

That said, my personal opinions (as of the time of this writing,) are as follows:
1) I'm just not an AMD guy. They've supposedly got the edge on gaming right now, but to me their big advantage is 64-bit. But who cares about that today, or for the next 3-5 years? Intel's HT is much more appealing to me. I don't think the P4 Extreme Edition is really necessary considering the price premium, but the 560 is a nice chip.
2) The only way to go for hard drives is the new Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 series. JUST released this week and still not available at most places, these are the only SATA drives to support Native Command Queueing at the moment (I think). NCQ holds the potential to greatly increase disk efficiency as well as reduce wear and tear, by allowing the disk controller to service requests out of order and in a more physically efficient manner.
3) Most LGA775 motherboards also support Intel's ICH6 chipset, which means you can do Matrix Raid. Basically, that allows you to configure multiple RAID volumes on just a single pair of drives. So, if you were to get a pair of 300 GB drives, you could set up a 100 GB RAID 1 volume for your OS, apps, and important data, and then also set up a 400 GB RAID 0 volume for your media. You get the advantage of RAID 0 speed and the security of RAID 1 redundancy from just a single pair of drives.
4) My preferred monitor at the moment is the HP L2335 23" widescreen LCD panel. This baby uses the same LG LCD as the apple 23" cinema HD display, but costs $500 less and has a lot more inputs. For all you could ever want to know about it, check out this forum: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=757963
5) I could go on and on, but my wife is hungry for dinner. Make sure to keep your PC and wife priorites straight for best results.

Good luck,
Ryan