Computer configuration for video editing?

[LindaColli]

Hi, I have spent many hours reading through everything I could find on a new computer configuration but as my knowledge is so limited I find myself still baffled. Please spoon feed me.

My main computer use is lots of video editing in Premiere Elements 10 as well as Lightroom 4 editing. No gaming.

My thinking so far:

Sandy Bridge i7 2600K  3.4 GHz Quad Cor processor.

M/Board – Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 1155

4x4 GB Transcend Jetram DDR3  1333

Does that seem appropriate so far?

I have, and hope to be able to use:

Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit.

Internal Hard Drives: 2x Samsung 1TB SATA.

Internal Hard Drive:   1x Seagate 2TB 5900RPM 3.5” SA 5YD17W4A.

Internal Hard Drive:   1x Western Digital 2TB SATA WCAZA4364457.

Case – Gigabyte x7 black chassis 24ZX7BMD40000RSN023AD5709 (Don’t have to keep this one)

Next is the Graphics Card debate.

I can’t find a list of Adobe recommended graphics cards for Premier Elements 10 & Lightroom 4. Heat and cooling implications. Onboard graphics Intel HD graphics 3000. One thread said that they could be used in conjunction with each other using Quick Sync on a Z68 motherboard, while another thread said that one should get a sufficiently capable Cuda card and disable the onboard HD 3000 graphics, but this was related to Premiere Pro and a different m/board and not specifically Premiere Elements 10 or Lightroom 4. Please could you give me the details of a Video Card that would work well with the recommended configuration and Premiere Elements 10 and Lightroom 4. I understand that spending money on a good Video Card can make a huge difference to processing times of HD video.

Adobe spec said Color monitor with 16-bit color video card.  Is this video card the same as the graphics card above?

A good Power supply (PSU?) and case. Recommendations if possible please. I read something about turbo boost needing accurate volts. Does this apply to the above configuration? Someone recommended Corsair 120 watt P/S - very silent ?

A CPU cooler?

I would really appreciate your input. This is completely foreign territory for me. My last computer only lasted 18 months as it was too underpowered. I don’t want to make the same mistake again so would rather be slightly over powered than underpowered.

Other threads have got me this far so many thanks for your help already.

Linda

[John T Smith]

>graphics cards for Premier Elements 10 & Lightroom 4

PrElements currently does not make any special use of extended graphics card abilities... so any good card will work, 512Meg or more will work

If you EVER think you will move up to Premiere Pro, you want an nVidia card to take advantage of hardware assisted video processing

For a list of supported nVidia CUDA cards go to the FAQ

First read http://forums.adobe.com/thread/773101

PPro Video FAQ http://www.video2brain.com/en/products-118.htm

http://forums.adobe.com/community/premiere/premierepro_current/cs5_faq_sheet

Quadro cards compared http://forums.adobe.com/thread/910140

http://blogs.adobe.com/premiereprotraining/2011/02/cuda-mercury-playback-engine-and-adobe-premiere-p...

.

For "some" others, with at least 1Gig of video ram, use the nVidia Hack http://forums.adobe.com/thread/629557 - which is a simple entry in a "supported cards" file

>Corsair 120 watt P/S

If you really mean at 1,200 watt unit... yes

>CPU cooler?

Go to a place like Newegg and search for what they have for your model CPU, to replace the stock cooler

I use http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103057 on my older CPU... use something similar

[LindaColli]

From: John T Smith

Sent: Friday, 23 March, 2012 12:29 AM

To: LindaColli

Subject: Computer configuration for video editing?

Thanks so much for your help John. It is 1.30 am here so I will read the links tomorrow. Very grateful.

Kind regards

Linda

Re: Computer configuration for video editing?

created by John T Smith in Hardware Forum - View the full discussion

[JEShort01]

Linda,

Regarding overall system specs and "balance" you seem to be right on track; don't feel baffled, your "many hours of reading" have paid off!

Regarding drives, suggest:

- small SSD for OS/programs (ie Crucial M4 128GB or Intel 320 series 120GB)

- 2x1TB (or substitute 2 or 3 TB drives considering your space needs and budget); I'm really loving my 2 and 3TB Hitachi 7k3000 series drives - very fast

Regarding video, suggest something with at least a GB of fast DDR5 RAM; RAM speed does make a difference when moving quickly through photos (Bridge, Lightroom, etc.). I also agree with John that if you ever plan on moving up to Premiere Pro CS5.5 getting a GTX gamers card (ie GTX 460 470 etc) is very important to tap the power of Adobe's MPE (Mercury Playback Engine) technology to make HD video editing SO MUCH FASTER! Check out the MPE thread on the CS5 forum if you want more information about that.

Regarding power supply, suggest high quality, large fan p/s's of at least 850 watts will give you a stable, quiet system.

Regarding case, suggest an open design with 200mm or larger front fan for quiet and cool, or one of the design with baffles or a front cover (another way to keep the noise down).

Agree w/ John, get a good cooler. The i7 2600k is very easy to overclock and will give you a noticable performance gain. And, even if you are scared of overclocking, a 3rd party cooler is still suggested - quieter and keeps cpu cooler.

Regards,

Jim

[LindaColli]

Thank you John, Jim, Harm and Moose-Breath for your help.

I would like to get something similar to Harm’s “Economical” build mentioned on his post earlier in this forum titled “What PC to build, updated January 2012”

Chassis:                     CoolerMaster HAF 932         

PSU (Power Supply):   Corsair Pro Gold AX850       

Motherboard:              GA Z68-UD5                        

CPU:                          i7-2600K                                

CPU Cooler:               Cooler Master H212                          

RAM:                         4x4 GB DDR3-1600             

GPU                           GTX 560 Ti                            

Please could you help me understand a few things better.

CPU COOLER: For the CPU cooler, Harm recommended the Cooler Master H212 in this price bracket. Is there a reason that you didn’t recommend the “Cooler Master H212 plus” as it seems to be the updated model catering to the i7?

John recommended that I get something similar to the Cooler Master Hyper N520 RR- 920-N520-GP 92mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Intel Core i7 compatible.

I have looked at both of them but can’t understand the difference. Some people seem to have had problems fitting the H212 plus into their chassis. Is the Hyper N520 better than the H212 (Plus ?)  or are they similar?

My present tower is conveniently located inside a small cupboard so it is encased on 3 sides with only 4 small vents on each of two sides and an open front. If I wanted to house the new computer in the same cupboard, does this have implications for the model cooler that I use or would you recommend against the cupboard?

CHASSIS: The Chassis comes with options for 3 additional fans if I understand it correctly. Would I use the Cooler Master CPU cooler instead of the three fans or in addition to the fans that come optional with the chassis?

POWER SUPPLY: Would there be an advantage to using the Corsair 1200 watt power supply over the 850 watt on the above configuration? Does this power supply sit outside the chassis?

GRAPHICS CARDS: GTX 560 Ti, GTX 460, GTX 470. Which one is better? The prices seem to differ amazingly depending on which make you use eg MSI, Gigabyt or Palit. Palit seems the cheapest. I am at this stage only using Premiere Elements 10 and Lightroom 4 for video editing. Not planning on upgrading to Premiere Pro any time soon. I know that some graphics cards caused problems with Premiere Elements 9 but can only find an outdated supported devices list on the Adobe Premiere Elements site which was last updated in October last year. None of the three cards mentioned above appear on the list although I found reference somewhere else to the GTX 470 being supported. John said that Premiere Elements does not make any special use of extended graphics card abilities. Does this mean that I could actually just use the onboard graphics facilities of Sandy Bridge i7 2600K or do I need a card for another reason? I would be happy to save the money if it won’t help me at all and put in a good card if I do decide to upgrade to Premiere Pro in the future.

Thank you very much for your help. This has been quite a steep learning curve for me.

Kind regards

Linda

[Bill_Gehrke]

Linda for the cooler get the COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO with a second fan for push-pull operation

You may have to install a rear exhaust fan in the cupboard.

[John T Smith]

>recommend against the cupboard?

YES !!!

Video editing in general, and some/most HD codecs in particular, put a large load on the hardware... especially the CPU

Heat is the enemy of hardware... you not only need LOTS of fans to blow cool air into the case, you need that case where the heated air will be blown out the back of the case

All power supplies go inside the case, in the "special" spot reserved for the power supply

Go to the CS5 Benchmark http://ppbm5.com/ and look at the results

I have an 850watt PS http://forums.adobe.com/thread/652694 which is plenty for my total hardware

To verify the size you need (850watt minimum)

Power supply calculator http://extreme.outervision.com/index.jsp (the PRO version)

[JEShort01]

Linda,

Regardging housing your PC in the cupboard, I would agree with John if you cannot modify it. I actually run a fully configured overclocked PC in a HAF 932 case in a cabinet, but the front doors are left cracked open and the entire of the back of the cabinet has been removed so hot air can escape easily. So, for your case, if you or someone you know can remove the entire back of the cupboard (behind the PC), then it should work just fine.

Regarding the 932 case fans, you don't need to buy any more fans, but I would suggest doing the following modifications so that you have a nice air flow - whether or not you end up putting it in the your cupboard:

1) Relocate large top fan to side (blowing "in")

2) Plug holes on top of case and on bottom of case (in front of where the power supply sits) with some black cardboard and packing tape. If you do this from the inside of the case it will still look "finished" from the outside of the case

3) The power supply (AX850 should be just fine) should be mounted at the lower rear of the case with the "inlet" fan facing down. That way cool air with come in from beneath the case (feet raise it up plenty) and exit the back of the case to cool the power supply.

Regarding the video card, for your situation the "best deal" you can get on the 3 cards you mention should be fine, just make sure the memory is at least 1GB for the one you select.

Regards,

Jim

[Zoop studio]

For your overclocking needs I can recomment   the Asus P8Z68 V pro motherboard with plenty of Sata connections and automatic overclocking with the included AI suite app:

one click and oops the cpu runs at 4.4Ghz.(with the above suggested cpu cooler)

[LindaColli]

Gentlemen, thank you for all your advice. I submitted your specs for my new computer to our computer shop in Port Elizabeth in South Africa and it seems that we cant get all the components here. He came back with the following configuration. It looks completely different to what I ordered. I can try and order the exact components from Cape Town but then after sales service can be a problem. Please advise.

Kind regards

Linda

Hi Linda

I can get the following components for you

Chassis: CC500R-B - CORSAIR CARBIDE 500R SERIES BLACK CASE R1400

PSU (Power Supply): CORSAIR® Professional Series 850Watt 1 R2240

Motherboard: GA-Z68X-UD7-B3 - GIGABYTE Z68X-UD7-B3 ATX LGA1155 R4618

CPU:

INTEL CORE I7 2600K 3.40 GHZ 8MB CACHE SKT 1155 R3570

CPU Cooler: CWCH80 - CORSAIR H80 HYDRO SERIES - CPU LIQUID COOLER R1260

RAM: 4x4 GB DDR3-1600 @ R280 Each R1120

nVidia GTX 560 Ti 1 GB R3150

DVD Writer 2X @R240 Each R480

Hardware Total R17838

This is what I actually ordered:

Chassis: CoolerMaster HAF 932

PSU (Power Supply): Corsair Pro Gold AX850

Motherboard: GA Z68-UD5

CPU: Sandy Bridge i7-2600K

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master H212 EVO

RAM: 4x4 GB DDR3-1600

GPU nVidia GTX 470 I GB vRAM (preferred as is supported by Premiere Elements),

or nVidia GTX 560 Ti 1 GB,

or nVidia GTX 460 1 Gig if much cheaper than nVidia GTX 470.

It must be OpenGL compatible as well as Cuda enabled therefore nVidia in case I change software.

2 CD/DVD Rom Drives

[RjL190365]

Linda,

There have been two different Z68-UD5 boards from Gigabyte: The original GA-Z68X-UD5-B3 (which lacks a video out and most of the goodies that come with the Z68 chipset, and therefore is little more than a P67 motherboard with Intel's SRT added on), and the newer GA-Z68XP-UD5 (which has an HDMI port for video-out from the CPU's integrated IGP, and therefore supports QuickSync and Virtu - and as such is a newer board that's more likely to fully support the new Ivy Bridge (e.g. i7-37##) CPUs (which are tentatively scheduled to come out at the end of next month) with their PCI-e 3.0 hub integrated). When the Z68XP came out, the original Z68X was discontinued.

On the other hand, the GA-Z68X-UD7-B3 has never been updated since it was first introduced: As a premium board that's (over)loaded with many premium features, there is no room at all whatsoever to even include a video out for the IGP. As such, my comment on the UD7 is the same as the original GA-Z68X-UD5-B3.

And both of the boards that do not have video out will restrict the PCI-e 3.0 operation of IB CPUs to only x8 mode because those boards have only a Gen2 x8/x8 switch. And Gen2 switches cannot do anything at all whatsoever with eight of the PCI-e 3.0 lanes because the switch cannot read them at all. Newer revisions of the Z68XP-UD5 board do have a Gen3 x8/x8 switch, so that you would be able to take full advantage of future PCI-e 3.0 graphics cards (however, the newest GeForce 600 series GPUs do not yet take anywhere near full advantage of even PCI-e 2.0, let alone PCI-e 3.0).

As for the choice of the GPU, stick with the 560 Ti even if it has only 384 CUDA cores and a 256-bit VRAM bus: The GTX 470's technically superior specs (448 CUDA cores and a 320-bit VRAM bus) is more than offset by that GPU's tendency to run relatively hot even at idle. This, in turn, results in the GTX 470 frequently speeding up its fan to maximum speed in the middle of an encode, and the GPU itself might throttle back as the encoding progresses, creating a new bottleneck. In fact, in my own testing the GTX 470 with its reference cooler is only slightly faster than a reference non-Ti GTX 560 (with only 336 CUDA cores and a 256-bit VRAM bus). I am now running my system with a "GTX 560 Ti 448", which has 448 CUDA cores and a 320-bit VRAM bus but is a newer GPU with a higher clock speed (as it is actually based on a GTX 570 with one of its processing units disabled). The "GTX 560 Ti 448" should have really been named the "GTX 565" or "GTX 568" because its performance is much closer to a GTX 570 than to a regular GTX 560 Ti.

Also, search the forums for "CUDA hack". Those posts and threads will give you an idea on how to enable MPE GPU acceleration on a CUDA card that's not officially supported by Adobe in that mode.

Randall

[LindaColli]

Gentlemen, thank you all for your generous input. Randall, you seem to have saved me from a big mistake as I would have assumed that the GA Z68X UD7 was an improvement on the UD5. I am still trying to have this computer built but it seems that the GA Z68XP UD 5 may not be available here yet. Local sites are offering the GA Z68XP UD4. Would the Asus P8Z68 V pro motherboard be better than the UD4 with the below configuration or should I import the UD5 ...  or a different option?

Thank you for your patience.

Kind regards

Linda

Chassis: CoolerMaster HAF 932

PSU: Corsair Pro Gold AX850

Motherboard: GA Z68XP-UD5 (Not sure if it is available here only the UD4)

CPU: Sandy Bridge i7-2600K

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master H212 EVO

RAM: 4x4 GB DDR3-1600

GPU nVidia GTX 560 Ti 1 GB,

2 CD/DVD Rom Drives

[LindaColli]

Chassis: CoolerMaster HAF 932 With Jim’s modifications

PSU: Corsair Pro Gold AX850

CPU: Sandy Bridge i7-2600K

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master H212 EVO

RAM: 4x4 GB DDR3-1600

  GPU nVidia GTX 560 Ti 1 GB,

  2 CD/DVD Rom Drives

Motherboard: GA Z68XP-UD5 (probably not available here yet)

Hi. I have now managed to find all the components for the jointly recommended computer except the motherboard. The local Gigabyte website says that the GA Z68XP – UD5 is “coming soon”. I have written to Gigabyte asking how soon that may be but have as yet not had a reply. I think the GA Z68XP-UD4 is available but I presume that it is an older version so have discounted it.  I was hoping that you could give me a recommendation of a different motherboard / different make? that would be as good as the GA Z68XP – UD5 in the above configuration. Does a different company eg ASUS make the same motherboard with a different model number/code?

Luc recommended the ASUS P8Z68V pro but I saw that it was much cheaper than the GA Z68XP-UD5, and not knowing any better, assumed that it was therefore not as good.

Randall I really valued your input on the GA Z68XP-UD5. I am just sorry that it doesn’t seem to be available here yet. If it is imminent I will wait, but if not I need to make a different decision. Harm recommended the ASUS P9X79WS for the Warrior version. Would that throw the above configuration out of balance? For someone with no knowledge, the model names are just a string of letters and numbers with no meaning. Thank you for your continued patience and help.

Kind regards

Linda

[Zoop studio]

For your motherboard in the PrePro world higher price is not always higher performance.

They are both nice mobo's.

A lot of high end  boards are more expensive because of gamers or OC hobbist.

Here's a link to compare the both (don't bother some dutch)

http://nl.hardware.info/vergelijkingstabel/154641/zoopstudio/moederborden-vergelijkingstabel-31-03-2...

[Zoop studio]

Asus P9X79 WS is not for the 2600 K cpu I think

[LindaColli]

Bill, John, Jim, Luc and others previously mentioned. Thank you all so very much for your help. I am most grateful. I certainly could not have attempted this project without the invaluable help of this forum. It is very much appreciated.

Kind regards

Linda Collison