New Computer possibility - comments?

plasmavideo wrote on 9/26/2008, 8:46 AM
I'm looking to upgrade my current P4 3.0 HT computer with something multicore. A local supplier is currently running a special on the following system. The price is better than I can do building my own this time around.

Here are the system basics. Any comment from users of this MB and processor would be appreciated. I will be using it primarily for Vegas and GV Edius.

I admit very little knowledge of the current multicore architecture. Hyperthreaded Pentiums were the last place I had time to roll my own and learn a lot.

I will be adding my own video RAID array.


Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4Ghz Mid-Tower

Antec NSK4480 Black Mid-Tower Case w/ 380W Power Supply
Intel DG33FB ATX Sound, VGA, Gigabit Ethernet
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4Ghz, 8MB Cache
Apacer 2GB DDR 2 800Mhz
Sony (Black) 1.44MB Floppy Disk Drive
Seagate 500GB SATA II 300Mbps ST3500320AS 7200RPM
Sony 16X Black DVD+/-RW
Sony 1648 Black DVD-ROM
EVGA 8800GT 512MB PCI Express VGA Card
Microsoft Windows Vista Business -32-Bit (DVD) (Downgrade to XP if needed)
Microsoft Wireless Dektop (Keyboard/Optical Mouse)

Thanks everyone!

Tom

Comments

AtomicGreymon wrote on 9/26/2008, 9:18 AM
380W is on the low side for power. 500W should be the minimum, IMO. The Antec Sonata Designer 500 Midtower is a nice-looking case, and it comes with a good-quality 500W power supply (surprising, for an included PSU).

The board you're looking uses the G33 chipset, which features integrated graphics. There's no point in this if you're going to be getting a seperate graphics card. The P35 is the equivalent of the G33, but with no integrated graphics. It's a good chipset; my Asus P5K-E WiFi-AP has never given my a bit of trouble, and I'm overclocking a 2.66GHz to 3.2Ghz. There are more modern ones that've come out in the year since I bought my system, though. The P43 and P45 come to mind... though I haven't read up on them that much since I'm not in the market for a new board myself for another while. My P35 will accomodate a 45nm quad core when I want one.

The Q6600 is also a little on the old side. You can now get a more modern 45nm quad core with a greater L2 cache and supporting a 1333Mhz FSB without paying a mint. They're a bit more expensive than the Q6600 now is, but you should at least take a look at the Q9400, 9450 or 9550. I'm using a dual core E6750 right now, but I'll probably upgrade to the 9550 in the next few months.

A Terabyte hard drive shouldn't be much more, at OEM, than 500GB these days.

Not sure how good the Sony burner would be... many are just rebranded Lite-Ons. The Samsung SH-S203B 20x burner is well-reviewed, and I like mine. The S203N is the same thing, but with lightscribe.
Jeff9329 wrote on 9/26/2008, 9:21 AM
How does the price compare to this similar computer?

http://www.buy.com/prod/hp-media-center-desktop-m8507c-intel-core-2-quad-q6600-2-4-ghz-4gb-pc2/q/loc/101/208893560.html

plasmavideo wrote on 9/26/2008, 11:07 AM
Wow Jeff - that price beats the pants off of the one I was looking at.

Thanks for all the comments. They do have one with the 1333 fsb processor for a bit more.

From the looks of things, it looks like a bit more research on my part is in order.

I'm not too sold on the Sony DVD burner either. I've had one that did not hold up, but I did have a different brand siting on the shelf I could substitute.
Jeff9329 wrote on 9/26/2008, 1:16 PM
Here is another Q6700 machine:

http://www.ecost.com/Detail/Desktops/Hewlett-Packard/KN224AARABA/42245938.aspx?navid=155441533

There is one Q6700 at Ecost with a BD & HD-DVD reader for $600.

tcbetka wrote on 9/26/2008, 2:03 PM
I just built a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) PC to process audio and video. I researched many different components, and decided on the Q9450 quad core processor. After researching this build for about a month, I hired a fellow who builds a lot of systems (Jim Roseberry) for folks in the audio industry. He frequents the SONAR forums, as well as others, and I met him there. Well, not only does he consult but he also builds systems. You can check out his site at www.studiocat.com. He advised me as to which motherboard, RAM, and cooling accessories would best work with my chosen CPU--and he also helped me to overclock my 2.66GHz Q9450 to 3.2GHz; the speed he clocks all his DAW machines to.

My point in mentioning this is not to have you buy a system from Jim--he's a very nice guy, but I have no affiliation with him, other than as a previous (very satisfied) customer. But since he builds PCs for audio and video work (his clientele is most impressive), he might be a good reference for you to speak with as to which features are most desirable, and which components might get the job done. You could simply call or email him to talk about your needs, and at the very least become more educated on what you need in a system to process video. I know him well enough to know that he realizes people shop around before spending the kind of money it costs to buy a higher-end PC.

At least it's worth considering...it sure worked out well for me!

TB

EDIT: I forgot to mention that as far as I know, the Q9450 CPU is no longer available. I checked newegg.com about 2 weeks after buying my CPU, and it said they were discontinued. I am not sure which unit is a direct replacement though.