Ok, All of this talk about heat sinks and fans. Important info I know.

Now I could have paid quite a bit less for my ASUS had I built the thing myself. I just wasnt in the mood. I can tell you this, I have rendered three projects since my last posting, each render took all night.

One night two at the same time. No high temps, no warnings. I just looked at my system and I have eight fans.EIGHT! DAMN! Ok, well they are working it seems. THESE GUYS PUT TOGETHER A STELLAR SYSTEM FOR ME. Turn Key is my new rule. Well until I get the "do it yur self bug again"... ;-)

Hey, anybody know any sites where people can showcase their work.

I.E...editors who have done shorts....?I'd just like to know if thewre is a place we can see whats out there and whom is doing what.

Heres to all of us, who take crappy footage and turn it into eddible delights!

LOL

L8

Take a look here...

VegasUsers.com

There are places to share your *veg files as well as audio and video files.

Michael

vmcdee, a high number of fans isn't always better. Bigger fans are better though since they move more air but at a lower noise level.

2- Which turnkey vendor did you go with? I'm curious.

Hey. well long time no see.....I've finished three projects since I last logged on. I cannot beleive the difference STILL!

Oh, my vendor was 123dv.com out of New York. I did a lot of research before going turn key..As I have always put my own systems together. However, I've never put a system together to run video, so I thought it best to turn to some real pros. Even though Ive already over clocked this bad boy, lost a fan and added liquid cooling. I HAD TO PLAY WITH SOMETHING!

Anyway, this thing smopke! So hats off to 123DV.com! I am not a paid actor!

So Anyone going to check out Vegas 5.0...My palms are sweating!

Oh yreah, as far as the fans go..Like I said I have eight, and they are much more quiet than my buddies one fan on his Mac. Also, the air flow is amazing..this was done right.....

Vmcdee,,L8

.

Hi Vegas Hardware Experts,
I have been reading the forum for several years since starting with Vegas 3 a few years ago. I really like the new format, it sure is easier to read.

I guess it is time to participate since I just FRIED my second system editing with Vegas. I have "semi homemade" computers and have lost two MOB and one processor (I have 3 systems all AMD based, I have used Vegas 3 successfully until this summer, then got Vegas 5 on one machine).

The last one burned out yesterday but LO and BEHOLD, I was able to take the Promise RAID Card and two drives out, install them in another machine and get the data back.
That was an improvement over the last MOB loss when I didn't know I could do that with RAID cards between machines.

Still need to install the whole system again and am wondering about the Vegas install limitations since I have had several hardware crashes and now lost a complete system install. Maybe I need to write to tech support to get another install? I have not tried the rendering only options yet.

Also now I am looking to replace my MOB (PC CHIPS - yea, I was not a hardware expert when I started this...) with VIA CHIPsets and SIS chipsets...).
Been reading the various posts about ASUS P4p800 and the ASUS A7N8X-E (and the
GIGABYTE 8KNXP - $375 is too much for right now though, from my local dealer).

Would like to stay with AMD but want raid on the board and firewire too so I don't have to keep turning off everything in the bios before capturing with my DCR TRV900 camera.
( I also have the Matrox G500 dual monitor card so I would like that to still work...)

I just recently got the Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro (even though I know there are probably better cards, but found a good deal on it...)

There are IRQ conflicts that I have tried to resolve with the firewire and raid and Matrox card but have not been able to even after moving them in different slots, etc. . I had the system working quite well and was in the middle of a project when this last FRY occurred.

IT would be nice to have a machine work without rebooting and resetting everything in the BIOS beteen capturing and editing.
I am Using Win2K and waiting for Linux to support Vegas...and prefer to not go to XP.)

I think I lost the motherboards by using 4 videostreams with Motion Tracking and then adding a Graduated filter. Click and the black screen of death...again.

Any new ideas for hardware (MOB and 512 meg of Memory and Processor) for less than $500 total? Oh, probably need a new case too, maybe not enough FANS in the current case configuration. I am in Northern California so it is not too hot here.

I got a quote from my computer supplier for $414 for the AMD ASUS A7N8X with 512 Ram and AMD XP2800 and about $500 for a Pentium version with ASUS P4P800 Deluxe with P4 2.8. This includes an hour of installation.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I hope to take one of the VASST trainings soon. Could use some help with video but audio also. Have been working all summer on getting up to speed on DVD Architect 2.0 and Vegas 5. The updates sure solved a lot of glitches in both DVDA2 and Vegas 5, like finding my burners with dvd-r media and making the DVD's play in various players with various media.

I do documentary work of the non intrusive kind, filming various healing arts masters and producing educational dvds and videos.

Thanks much in advance,
MoNa

ASUS P4C800 Deluxe motherboard... here too! It IS the business! No, I'm still not jaded by the performance . .. 2gig RAM for them RAM renders for Preview ... And YES . . . the creativity factor in exchange for render times .. ALL THE WAY Pal - with you on that one! AND yes the difference for me coming from a P3 working at 1ghtz 256 RAM and WinMisery to this "MOTHER" of mobos plus the audio side AND the extra ports ... well . .. tails are wagging EVERY time I use my V5b . .. but thanks for reminding me where I was . . I've NEVER ever used Premmie, seen others use it - ... er .. no thanks . . . not for me .. . . PLUS all the support audio s/w? Sound Forge, NR and ACID - what yer might call a Sweet Suite .. . .

Jaded? Nah . .. not enough hours in the day!

So, do we think Sony and VEgas have got it right when they produce a s/w driven package rather than a R/T card type thingie? With all the advancements and speed increases in RAM and MoBos? Yer bet your sweet Bippy! - I wager that there is gonna come a time when the render thing will be pushed into the corner of a Mobo and just left to get on with things - maybe in SOny we've got a company that knows that and is supoprting a NLE that is hardware agnostic. Sony bought this s/w at a time when more and more of the "market" [ me and a few mates - aha! ] could afford these the lower priced "speedsters"" ... . clever old Sony!

Jaded? Nah .. . "Somebody Stop Me"

Grazie

Here's my bang for the buck recommendation:
Motherboard:
Abit IS7. Has the basics (firewire), is cheap, does the job.
THe P4P800 deluxe is also good- gigE, 2 extra IDE channels, passive heatsink, slightly better sound.

Processor: 1 or 3 steps down from the current top processor (i.e. 3.0ghz, 3.2ghz, or 2.8ghz). Get the Canterwood processors instead of the Presscotts (lower heat, lower electricity bills).

512MB of RAM is really all you need. I don't find myself using RAM preview for long lengths. 1GB is nice to have if you do other things. You can really get away with using the cheapest RAM possible, although it may be slightly more likely to be DOA. If you test RAM with memtest86 or microsoft's RAM tester then it's perfectly ok to get the cheapest RAM. Make sure you buy RAM in pairs and all the same model for best performance.

Hard drive: Go for larger capacity hard drives. THe extra capacity will save your bacon on large projects (not having enough space is a showstopper) and can be used for archival. Get more than you think you need. If you have clients that come back to you for changes, the hard drive space could be really, really handy.

Brand doesn't matter too much (they all have their own tradeoffs). Go for PATA drives now.

Power supply: I'd lean twoards the Seasonic Super Tornado (300w is enough- this PSU is conservatively rated) since it's quiet and will roughly cut your electricity bills in half. I'm not sure what your electricity situation is so I don't know if it will save you money over the long run. If you keep your computer on 24/7 and you wil own it for 4 years, chances are you are saving money by going with the Seasonic PSU.

Case: Antec 3700AMB and 3700BQE are good if you need a power supply (the 3700BQE has low noise features; the 3700AMB is a better buy if you don't care). The Chenbro gaming bomb is a good case if you don't mind its style (this does not come with a PSU).

Video card: any Nvidia dual monitor card. Nvidia has better drivers.

It seems like your computer supplier is giving you a good price. You can check against monarchcomputer.com (which charges a $50 build fee on top of street prices and has an excellent resellerratings.com rating). I would go local if you get better service and support.

ok I'm bored.

If you built two systems and fried them, I would consider going to a good NLE system builder. Think about it, have you saved yourself any money, by building yourself and having them fail?

Also it's not what Vegas was doing, it's what your motherboard/cpu was doing. It sounds like your problem has been inadequate cooling. AMD chips have tended to run hot, I don't know if that's true on Opterons or not. When you are doing long rendering sessions, you cpu is working hot for a long time. If you don't have adequate cooliing going on, you can fry your chips. Have all your failures happened in the summer? When the ambient temperatures get hot, it becomes much harder to cool a computer. When it gets hot in my room, I put a room fan on the computer just in case.

$375 for the Gigabyte 8KNXP sounds like you were quoted the price for the one with built-in Ultra-320 SCSI. The version with IDE, IDE RAID and SATA RAID is considerably cheaper. I am in the process of building up the third machine based on this motherboard and I am extremely happy with the 8KNXP's performance and features. The next machine will probably be based on the 8ANXP-D motherboard which a the "flagship" of Gigabyte's new "8 Sigma" series.

Gigabyte 8ANXP-D specs

Regarding smoking your two AMD motherboards, I have to agree with Buster that it must be a cooling issue. Intel processors will throttle back when they sense they are getting critically hot, AMD processors will simply continue to heat up until they fail. An Intel processor on a motherboard that uses an Intel chipset is usually fast and stable.

John

P4P800 Deluxe here. 3 GHz P4 O/C'd to 3.2 GHz. 2x512 (1 Gig) Corsair XMS RAM, ATi 9800 Pro, Win XP pro.

System is stable as a rock, runs in 35-40 deg range.
DSE's render test times 1:29

1 Gig of RAM is UNSUFFICIENT for me to run 3072x2048 images thru V5 without choking my system. The system fills the RAM, then proceeds to start writing to the pagefile, which brings it to its knees. DSE is right..go for 2 Gigs or greater of RAM. Otherwise, this is a great build.

John:
What brand of memory are you using and how much?

JJK

JJK,

I use Corsair XMS memory in a dual-channel DDR400 configuration. I normally run 1 gig, but one machine has 4 gig.

John

Thanks much for all the vegas user responses.

<<Also it's not what Vegas was doing, it's what your motherboard/cpu was doing. It sounds like your problem has been inadequate cooling. AMD chips have tended to run hot, I don't know if that's true on Opterons or not. When you are doing long rendering sessions, you cpu is working hot for a long time. If you don't have adequate cooliing going on, you can fry your chips. Have all your failures happened in the summer? >>

It has been maybe a little bit warmer than usual but not much over 75 F. I think it is a inadequate case/MOB/AMD overheating issue. Since I have my computer in my main workspace, I don't like noisy fans, but looks like I will have to get a better cooling situation going, more fans and maybe a bigger case.

<<$375 for the Gigabyte 8KNXP sounds like you were quoted the price for the one with built-in Ultra-320 SCSI. The version with IDE, IDE RAID and SATA RAID is considerably cheaper.>>

I haven't looked at the specs for this motherboard but the one I was quoted has two 64 bit PCI slots.

<<If you built two systems and fried them, I would consider going to a good NLE system builder. Think about it, have you saved yourself any money, by building yourself and having them fail?>>

These computers were built by a regular system intergrator, but not specifically for video. Now I know more about what
I want so I will build one with better components, actually I will have the basics installed and do the rest myself.
A special system integrator for video is over my budget right now, I think, though maybe when more paying jobs arrive I will upgrade one of my other systems as well.

I think I will get 1 gig of RAM instead of 512 though.

The computer supplier I am working with (independent local, walk in shop) says that Abit MOB are more difficult to get replaced by MFG if they burn out and service is longer. ASUS are great for replacing fried MOB without a hassle, they say.

Thanks for the other integrator links too, I wil check them out.
Anyone have any experience with getting installs in case my Vegas 5 won't install again due to their install limitations?

Off to Linuxworld for a quick overview of the status of Video under Linux...probably not my system this month though...

MoNa

I think it is a inadequate case/MOB/AMD overheating issue. Since I have my computer in my main workspace, I don't like noisy fans, but looks like I will have to get a better cooling situation going, more fans and maybe a bigger case.

I have been using the Antec P160 aluminum case. It uses two 120mm (4.72 inch) case fans, which move a lot of air, very quietly. It has 10 drive bays and a unique vibration-isolating rubber mounting for four of the bays. The Antec Sonata is also a very nice case, it is steel with a "piano black" finish. Not quite a big as the P160 with fewer drive bays, but also uses two 120mm fans and the rubber isolation drive mounts. The Sonata is really classy looking and it seems to be a little bit quieter than the P160, but either case is very quiet.

Antec P160 case

Antec Sonata case

For CPU cooling, Zalman makes some highly efficient coolers. They are also among the quietest air coolers you can get. I like the Zalman CNPS7000B-AlCu.

Zalman Web Site

The Thermalright SLK-948u coolers are very good, too, particularly when used with a 92mm fan. (But check out their XP-120, it's about as serious a CPU cooler as it gets without going to a water cooling system.)

Thermalright Web Site

John

OK, so who's Holly Gigabyte? And why should we care if she's cooking?

Anyways, I have an ASUS A7N8X-E Deluxe, with Athlon XP 2800+ with 512Megs of RAM with a Sonata case with an extra 120mm (Stealth) case fan in the front.
To me the case is very quiet. The downside is that there's a door to access the CD/DVD drives and the ON button. I'm finding it a pain to open and close the door to start the PC and access the drives. Also making sure the door is open when I'm burning a CD/DVD to make sure the drive doesn't eject when the door is closed.
Ventilation seems more than adequate, although I've never measured what the temp was. However, I can tell you that I played Unreal Tournament for about an hour, using an ATI 7500 Radeon who's fan has been removed, and there were no lock ups. I should mention that I'm using two SATA drives which has the smaller cables and I also selected a round cable for my DVD burner. That really helps ventilation. The tech that put my PC together also hooked up all three fans so that they all go on/off depending on the temp. He liked the hardware I'd selected so he put the extra effort in the "cleanliness" of the inside of the case. Tie-wrapped all the wires, etc. It really looks well organised with LOTS of open space.

Vegas seems VERY slow when trying to minimize it to do something else, but I'm thinking it's probably my fault since I'm inexperienced regarding video editing. I might be asking too much when Vegas is processing. I really don't think it has anything to do with the hardware.

The motherboard is really well reviewed. I have the following hooked up to it:
Firewire 410 soundcard.
USB2.0 40Gig external hard-drive
USB ShuttleXpress
Digital8 Camcorder via Firewire when capturing
Liteon CD-Rom
Pioneer DVR-107D DVD burner
Sony floppy
(2) Maxtor 120Gig SATA HD
ATI 7500 Radeon graphics card

Overall, I'm quite happy with it.

Mario

Thanks John and Mario for the case suggestions.
I will check with my computer dealer here to see if he has any of them. I think he
has some Antec cases so he can probably order them.

I read some of the posts on memory....

I would like to have as much as possible but might try to get 1 gig and work up
to more if I need it. I will definitely be doing compositing and bringing in files from
digital stills and doing motion tracking. I also work with flash so hope to integrate that
into the video. Too bad one can't import flash 6 files yet.

I spent a few hours at Linuxworld and this was kind of an interesting find.
(not there but someone told me about this. Not much video there but much of high
end video runs on Linux, so I was told...)

MainActor for SuSe
www.mainconcept.com/products.shtml

Thanks again,
MoNa

If you're building your own the number one mistake is either putting too little or too much heat sink compound on. The idea isn't to use the compound as glue. A THIN layer is what you want. Many web sites give step by step how to apply it. The best way is with a stiff little piece of plastic like a credit card. Spread it even like you're putting down compound for a tile floor... but a THIN layer!

When you fire up the first time you SHOULD smell it a little. That's good. the compound melting a bit and forming a thin layer which when done properly provided conduction to take the heat off. If too little, it don't happen, too much is even worse and can cause your chip to heat up more under load. If you do a real horrible job your CPU can burn up in about a minute.

I feel so ancient. My videos are done on a P III 800 with 512 megs of the "old" ram. Tiny little Elura Camcorder.

No Hypertheading, No Gigahertz processors, No realtime preview. I wonder if it's affected my creativity ? What do you think ?

www.stonefieldmedia.com

Vegas rocks on even the most humble systems.

It's all about the art folks. Just my opinion.