Building a Video Editors Computer

[Chri5]

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/chqjCJ(Canada Price List)

 

So I'm building a coworker a a video editing computer and he wants the best bang for his buck.

 

I tried Googling but the results seem very anecdotal or just some person spewing whatever they've read.

 

How important is the graphics card in video editing? Does it just help with rendering or does it help with live editing as well?

Should I swap out the 4790k for something with more cores and go cheaper on the graphics card?

 

Budget is $2000 but the less he spends, the better (he says).

 

The aesthetics items will be swapped out later. He'll probably be getting a fractal case with some fan filters.. maybe the node 804.

 

NEEDS

• Fan filters for all intakes
• Maximum reliability

[the jolly roger]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($415.00 @ Canada Computers)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($33.98 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($138.75 @ Vuugo)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($140.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($79.99 @ Memory Express)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($92.98 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R7 260X 2GB Core Edition Video Card  ($154.95 @ Vuugo)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  ($113.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($118.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Monitor: BenQ RL2455HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($198.75 @ Vuugo)
Other: Chris' $50 Build and Software Install Fee ($50.00)
Total: $1628.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-06 13:58 EDT-0400

 

 

all i did here was some general optimization,

 

the WD Black does not justify the extra cost in speed, stick the the blue

 

i added an ssd becaue in video editing, having adobe or whatever you use in an ssd makes everything sooo much faster and smooth

 

the r7 260x costs about the same as the 750ti but it performs better, if he ever wants to do some gaming

 

i got you an 80+ gold PSU for dat efficiency, rosewill capstone PSU are very good

 

corsair Vengeance RAM is overpriced,

 

and if you want maxmimum reliability go ASUS, i slapped a z97-e on there

 

thats it m8

 

 

How important is the graphics card in video editing? Does it just help with rendering or does it help with live editing as well?

Should I swap out the 4790k for something with more cores and go cheaper on the graphics card?

for editing the CPU is more important, it is what renders stuff.

 

exept in programs like blender, that supports cuda, then an nvidia titan or quadro will make a big impact

 

EDIT: i changed the part list for an identical one but with a 2tb HDD for more space

[Atmos]

Imma bout to show you how to save crap tons of money on that build, without sacrificing performance, and getting an upgrade.

 

The 1231v3 has roughly the same performance as the 4790K, just reduced single-core performance. The motherboard is a slightly cheaper msi board. The memory is a slightly less expensive kit, the storage is slightly less expensive, but includes an SSD for far greater speeds. the video card is a HUGE step up, allowing for much greater cuda acceleration. and the case and psu are slightly less expensive. 

 

No quality is sacrificed, and barely any performance is lost on the cpu end. The graphics card upgrade and the storage upgrade more than make amends along with the $100 less in total price.

 

Ah yes, and the OS is through reddit/r/microsoftsoftwareswap  it's $25 for a legitimate copy, or you can get a copy on G2A for like $40. No reason to buy that OS in retail.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($336.98 @ Amazon Canada) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($33.98 @ DirectCanada) 

Motherboard: MSI Z97 U3 Plus ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($133.00 @ Vuugo) 

Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($143.23 @ DirectCanada) 

Storage: Sandisk Solid State Drive 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($60.82 @ DirectCanada) 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($64.95 @ Vuugo) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card  ($244.75 @ Vuugo) 

Case: Fractal Design Core 2300 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($44.99 @ NCIX) 

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($64.99 @ NCIX) 

Monitor: BenQ RL2455HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($198.75 @ Vuugo) 

Other: Windows 8.1 Pro -- Reddit/r/softwareswap ($25.00)

Total: $1351.44

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-06 13:59 EDT-0400

[Cubical Productions]

Instead of suggesting a modified build, I'll simply give you my advice.

 

The graphics card is not necessarily used in the rendering process (unless the editing program can be configured to allow it). GPUs are mostly involved in the responsiveness of the editor, things like real-time rendering for a preview. My rig, when I built it two years ago, was built with two GTX 650Ti Boosts by EVGA, but they only had 1GB of VRAM each, which does not actually amount to an effective 2GB (Linus explained in one of his videos that VRAM across multiple cards is not addative). So when you buy, look for something with more VRAM (2GB minimum, I recommend more) as well as a little higher end, like an NVIDIA GTX 900 series.

 

Your CPU selection is about as good as it gets on a budget.

 

Now, considering there is room left in the budget (over $400 CAD), I'd spend a little extra on a higher end card, like this GTX 970 4GB.

 

I also agree with Jolly Roger:

 

i added an ssd becaue in video editing, having adobe or whatever you use in an ssd makes everything sooo much faster and smooth

He's absolutely right. Have an SSD for the OS and programs, and use the HDD for mass storage.

[Chri5]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($415.00 @ Canada Computers)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($33.98 @ DirectCanada)

Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($138.75 @ Vuugo)

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($140.98 @ Newegg Canada)

Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($79.99 @ Memory Express)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($92.98 @ DirectCanada)

Video Card: XFX Radeon R7 260X 2GB Core Edition Video Card  ($154.95 @ Vuugo)

Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ Memory Express)

Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  ($113.98 @ Newegg Canada)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($118.98 @ Newegg Canada)

Monitor: BenQ RL2455HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($198.75 @ Vuugo)

Other: Chris' $50 Build and Software Install Fee ($50.00)

Total: $1628.33

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-06 13:58 EDT-0400

 

 

all i did here was some general optimization,

 

the WD Black does not justify the extra cost in speed, stick the the blue

 

i added an ssd becaue in video editing, having adobe or whatever you use in an ssd makes everything sooo much faster and smooth

 

the r7 260x costs about the same as the 750ti but it performs better, if he ever wants to do some gaming

 

i got you an 80+ gold PSU for dat efficiency, rosewill capstone PSU are very good

 

corsair Vengeance RAM is overpriced,

 

and if you want maxmimum reliability go ASUS, i slapped a z97-e on there

 

thats it m8

 

for editing the CPU is more important, it is what renders stuff.

 

exept in programs like blender, that supports cuda, then an nvidia titan or quadro will make a big impact

 

EDIT: i changed the part list for an identical one but with a 2tb HDD for more space

Thanks for the PSU and other part suggestions. I always wondered about rosewill and I used to stick to just corsair and xfx.

 

 

Imma bout to show you how to save crap tons of money on that build, without sacrificing performance, and getting an upgrade.

 

The 1231v3 has roughly the same performance as the 4790K, just reduced single-core performance. The motherboard is a slightly cheaper msi board. The memory is a slightly less expensive kit, the storage is slightly less expensive, but includes an SSD for far greater speeds. the video card is a HUGE step up, allowing for much greater cuda acceleration. and the case and psu are slightly less expensive. 

 

No quality is sacrificed, and barely any performance is lost on the cpu end. The graphics card upgrade and the storage upgrade more than make amends along with the $100 less in total price.

 

Ah yes, and the OS is through reddit/r/microsoftsoftwareswap  it's $25 for a legitimate copy, or you can get a copy on G2A for like $40. No reason to buy that OS in retail.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($336.98 @ Amazon Canada) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($33.98 @ DirectCanada) 

Motherboard: MSI Z97 U3 Plus ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($133.00 @ Vuugo) 

Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($143.23 @ DirectCanada) 

Storage: Sandisk Solid State Drive 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($60.82 @ DirectCanada) 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($64.95 @ Vuugo) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card  ($244.75 @ Vuugo) 

Case: Fractal Design Core 2300 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($44.99 @ NCIX) 

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($64.99 @ NCIX) 

Monitor: BenQ RL2455HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($198.75 @ Vuugo) 

Other: Windows 8.1 Pro -- Reddit/r/softwareswap ($25.00)

Total: $1351.44

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-06 13:59 EDT-0400

 

I'll be getting him the 4790k for about $300-350 CAD but your other suggestions are really solid. Thank you.

Also windows products are not allowed on /r/softwareswap anymore and I hear bad things about the new microsoftsoftwareswap.

I didn't know about G2A though. Thanks!

 

I forgot to mention the case absolutely needs filters as he has a shedding dog.

 

Instead of suggesting a modified build, I'll simply give you my advice.

 

The graphics card is not necessarily used in the rendering process (unless the editing program can be configured to allow it). GPUs are mostly involved in the responsiveness of the editor, things like real-time rendering for a preview. My rig, when I built it two years ago, was built with two GTX 650Ti Boosts by EVGA, but they only had 1GB of VRAM each, which does not actually amount to an effective 2GB (Linus explained in one of his videos that VRAM across multiple cards is not addative). So when you buy, look for something with more VRAM (2GB minimum, I recommend more) as well as a little higher end, like an NVIDIA GTX 900 series.

 

Your CPU selection is about as good as it gets on a budget.

 

Now, considering there is room left in the budget (over $400 CAD), I'd spend a little extra on a higher end card, like this GTX 970 4GB.

 

I also agree with Jolly Roger:

He's absolutely right. Have an SSD for the OS and programs, and use the HDD for mass storage.

Thanks for the advice on the graphics card. I'll look for something with more VRAM. 

How does something with less VRAM impact the editing process? Just generally slower?

 

I've also added some more requirements to the original post.

[Cubical Productions]

 

Thanks for the PSU and other part suggestions. I always wondered about rosewill and I used to stick to just corsair and xfx.

 

I'll be getting him the 4790k for about $300-350 CAD but your other suggestions are really solid. Thank you.

Also windows products are not allowed on /r/softwareswap anymore and I hear bad things about the new microsoftsoftwareswap.

I didn't know about G2A though. Thanks!

 

I forgot to mention the case absolutely needs filters as he has a shedding dog.

 

Thanks for the advice on the graphics card. I'll look for something with more VRAM. 

How does something with less VRAM impact the editing process? Just generally slower?

 

I've also added some more requirements to the original post.

 

 

I wouldn't know too much about fans and such, so I won't make any suggestions.

 

As for the GPU, VRAM is used for the Frame Buffer, where processed images are stored while they are being used by the program. Typically, the more images processed by an editing program, the more that VRAM starts to fill up. So when you first launch your editor, everything is smooth, but as more and more resources are used up by the editing program over time, the program starts to lag and can even crash when you attempt something too big and intense for whatever VRAM you may have left to use.

 

Personally, when I'm editing large blocks of footage, my program will begin to lag because I only have effectively 1GB of VRAM to use for processed frames in the preview. It's not uncommon for my editor to crash if I've been going for any more than 2 hours straight with the editor open.

[Chri5]

I wouldn't know too much about fans and such, so I won't make any suggestions.

 

As for the GPU, VRAM is used for the Frame Buffer, where processed images are stored while they are being used by the program. Typically, the more images processed by an editing program, the more that VRAM starts to fill up. So when you first launch your editor, everything is smooth, but as more and more resources are used up by the editing program over time, the program starts to lag and can even crash when you attempt something too big and intense for whatever VRAM you may have left to use.

 

Personally, when I'm editing large blocks of footage, my program will begin to lag because I only have effectively 1GB of VRAM to use for processed frames in the preview. It's not uncommon for my editor to crash if I've been going for any more than 2 hours straight with the editor open.

 

That makes a lot of sense. I'll be sure to look for something with more VRAM then.