Thanks Reyfox. Reading further, the site I was using suggests the GTX 1660 Ti graphics card for 4k video, adding about $120 to the cost. I'm leaning toward a graphics card with cuda because I do a fair amount of Lightroom and some Photoshop editing.

Asrock makes fine products. Took a quick look at this board on their site, and have seen some reviews. It will definitely do the job.

Make sure you go to their website (Asrock) and verify the memory you want to use from their QVL.

I would have suggested a video card with at least 6 GB like the 2060, but the 1660 Ti should do fine and you did mention using LR/PS.

Get at least one NVME 1TB drive (again check Asrock site as one of the two M.2 slots will "Shut Off" one of the SATA 3 6GB ports). Also, should get another SSD (or good HDD of 7200 rpm) for your source, typically 1 or 2 TB capacity. Possibly even a slower HDD (5400 or 5900 rpm) for back-ups/extra storage. Hey, drives are definitely cheaper than they use to be!

And if you have the opportunity and/or budget, I would really recommend getting a slightly better Air Cooler. It does come with the Wraith Spire, but since editing will stress that processor, get a slightly better one like the CoolerMaster Hyper 212, be Quiet Dark Rock 4 (I used this model on an Intel 6C/12T i7-6800K X99 platform and it worked great), or the Noctua UH-12. Heck, heard positive things about that new Scythe Mugen 5 as well.

Oh, and if no one has mentioned it before, BACK UP ALL YOUR DATA FIRST!!!!!!!! And while checking component viability on Asrock's site, might as well download all the current device drivers for that board. And should you forget:

BACK UP ALL YOUR DATA FIRST!!!!!! Then take your time building your new rig

Backup the system image of your new system as you build it and save yourself a lot of time starting over.

AOMEI Backupper Standard is what I use.

Excellent advice, all of it. I have been working the past few weeks improving my backup situation. I've deployed a Synology NAS to which I backup data every day and system images every week. I also backup all the data to Backblaze Cloud every day. Call me paranoid, but I feel better now that it's in place. It replaces my very aging and no longer supported Windows Home Server which is what I was using for backups. So now it is on to replacing my editing PC which is even older (currently runnig Vegas 12).

I will be sure to backup frequently DURING the build process - I hadn't thought of that.

Thanks again.

Asrock makes fine products. Took a quick look at this board on their site, and have seen some reviews. It will definitely do the job.

Well, as luck would have it, no one has the Asrock B450 PRO4 motherboard. Perhaps COVID has impacted production, and/or demand? So, I've been researching and reading a lot of reviews and it looks to me like the Asus ROG Strix B450-F would be a suitable alternative. Any issues with this choice as it relates to Vegas?

Thanks again for your insights!

Well, after a quick check (US NewEgg site for me), that Asus board is approximately $190, so around $120 more than you posted for the Asrock board. If you are thinking of allowing your budget to go that much more, than I would actually recommend going with the X570 chipset, with This Board.

On NewEgg's site, it is the same price as the B450 you listed, but going the X570 route would allow for "All that Goodness" of the R7 3700X processor you listed: Namely allows for PCI-e Gen. 4 - not so much really better performance for the GPU, but oh yeah for the Storage! (SSD's).

Of course, it is your "Pocket Book", so you have to decide. And the board I listed has gotten some decent reviews, though do your own research as well.

I'm showing the Asus ROG Strix B450-F at $129 on US NewEgg, but out of stock. Not sure why we are getting different price. It is same price at Amazon and in stock. BTW, I found the price for the Asrock B450 has gone up considerably from what I posted earlier - around $140-160 but out of stock everywhere. Go figure!

I'll do some research on your TUF recommendation - it does look NICE.

Also, are you a fire chief, or US Navy chief, or other? I was USN GMM2 a hundred or so years ago ;-).

https://www.shop4megastore.com/pc-motherboards/asrock-b450m-pro4-amd-socket-am4-micro-atx-vga-dvi-d-hdmi-ddr4-usb-c-3-1-motherboard?language=en&gclid=eaiaiqobchmi0oxn99e-6givvj6tbh2qiwvleayybsabegjyxvd_bwe

This is the FULL search parameter I just did at NewEgg. It is for US Shopping. Unless you meant a different board, or your search came up with something else???? Though, I would still recommend the X570 if you have the budget for it.

OT: Yes, I am a Retired Machinist Mate Chief of 24 Years (2001). And Thank You For Your Service!

This is the FULL search parameter I just did at NewEgg. It is for US Shopping. Unless you meant a different board, or your search came up with something else???? Though, I would still recommend the X570 if you have the budget for it.

OT: Yes, I am a Retired Machinist Mate Chief of 24 Years (2001). And Thank You For Your Service!

I triple checked and the MB I was looking at is $129 at Amazon. It looks like that same MB from your NewEgg search is $119 but from a seller with 27% approval rating. Unfortunately, I can't justify an extra $100. If there is some issue with this board compared to my original Asrock B450 choice please advise. I understand I can spend more and get better performance but my primary use case is photo editing, with very occasional 4k video shorts. BTW, I am currently using Vegas 12 for 1080 videos on an ancient i7 940 Mhz with 16GB and an SSD. It works surprisingly well, but obviously 4k is a whole different ball game.

EDIT: I just checked NewEgg - why is the ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus only $165?

OT: I left the Navy after 6 years in 1972. I served on the USS Springfield CLG7. We were flag for 2nd, then 6th fleets. Nice ride. And Thank YOU for your service!

https://www.shop4megastore.com/pc-motherboards/asrock-b450m-pro4-amd-socket-am4-micro-atx-vga-dvi-d-hdmi-ddr4-usb-c-3-1-motherboard?language=en&gclid=eaiaiqobchmi0oxn99e-6givvj6tbh2qiwvleayybsabegjyxvd_bwe

I just checked out their reviews in reddit and other places and was surprised to learn they are quite good. I learned they are in England and are experiencing general shipping delays and some snafus due to COVID. Still, I want to consider this option. Thanks for your recommendation.

you are saying b450 sometimes, and b450m other times. As long as you know they're completely different mothervboards, and b450 ATX has more pci slots and better heat sinking. You can't price compare between the 2, b450m boards are always cheaper

Sorry, you were correct on the price, though the one "Sold" via NewEgg is "Out of Stock". Still find the way NewEgg has changed to using so many different "Suppliers", as compared to how they only showed what "They Had" available, problematic & irritating.

And, you definitely make a good point on spending the extra $100 or so. If what you are searching for suits Your Needs, don't worry about others. As I mentioned, based on what I was seeing price-wise, is the reason for suggesting the "Higher End Featured" board. But, cannot fault you on your choice, and the reviews seem legit and fair for the the Asus B450-F board. Or, even if you decide on the link provided by @fred-w, it should serve you well. Most of the board partners for either AMD or Intel platforms, are putting out some really good merchandise, and have lately been a bit more keen to listen to their customers and the reviewers on problems found, and possible corrections. I've used Asus, Asrock, MSI, Gigabyte, and others over the years, and typically, unless there is some manufacturing issue, the typical cause of failed boards are: Yep, the End User!

So, once you have dialed in the final pieces of your new build puzzle: Take your time, back up your stuff, and enjoy putting that new "Beasty Machine" together and through its' paces! That also includes getting the insides of the case tidied up, ensuring proper/good air flow for the components, etc. Have a case that will support the components you have settled on, it provides the needed cooling, especially since you know the innards will get a bit "toasty" from editing.

OT: The USS Springfield CLG7 - considered a "Light" Cruiser? Retired from the USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72, but best fun was while stationed aboard the USS Sampson DDG-10. First ship was the USS Compass Island AG-153 (a research ship).

I've managed to upgrade my PC during lockdown. Similar route to you, but a more budget friendly version. I edit a lot of short 4k clips, and it's very succesful for that. I can playback at 'Good' quality (i.e. no proxies) and it's smooth enough to work with. I know proxies would be smoother, but I don't like the workflow!

Gigabyte AB350 gaming board. Cheapest route for AM4.

32gb RAM (3200 mhz)

Ryzen 5 3600 (amazing value).

Nvidia rtx2060 (non super version - also very good value at the moment). I tried a 2070 as well, but for £120 more it only gives a slight speed improvement and was much noisier in my rig.

Personally I find drive speed has less impact on playback and render times (external HDDs and internal SSDs give similar results for me). But having plenty of space is of course very useful.

Anyway, that might give you some ideas for saving money if you need to.

you are saying b450 sometimes, and b450m other times. As long as you know they're completely different mothervboards, and b450 ATX has more pci slots and better heat sinking. You can't price compare between the 2, b450m boards are always cheaper

Your point is a good one - it is easy to confuse the two. I think fred-w linked a micro board. My links should all be ATX, for the reasons you mention.

I've managed to upgrade my PC during lockdown. Similar route to you, but a more budget friendly version. I edit a lot of short 4k clips, and it's very succesful for that. I can playback at 'Good' quality (i.e. no proxies) and it's smooth enough to work with. I know proxies would be smoother, but I don't like the workflow!

Gigabyte AB350 gaming board. Cheapest route for AM4.

32gb RAM (3200 mhz)

Ryzen 5 3600 (amazing value).

Nvidia rtx2060 (non super version - also very good value at the moment). I tried a 2070 as well, but for £120 more it only gives a slight speed improvement and was much noisier in my rig.

Personally I find drive speed has less impact on playback and render times (external HDDs and internal SSDs give similar results for me). But having plenty of space is of course very useful.

Anyway, that might give you some ideas for saving money if you need to.

 

 

Thanks for posting this - very useful information for my endeavor. I just looked it up and the MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 I am looking at is 12% slower than your gpu.