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Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Talk about computer software/hardware problems, related to digital video or otherwise.

Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Postby Tony Wade » Fri Oct 11, 2013 4:36 am

I'm browsing for a new computer.
Do you think these specs would do the job?
Am I missing something?
(I have 5TB of external storage already)(I think I'm light on RAM, need 4 or 8gb?)
I'd appreciate your comments, given that the price for this is all I can afford (and then some).
Thanks...


Showing Quote Reference 602928
Case PCS DEFENSOR 7203B BLACK CASE
Processor (CPU) Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-4430 (3.0GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard ASUS® Z87-A: ATX, USB2.0, USB3.0, SATA6GB/S, SLi, XFIRE
Memory (RAM) 4GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 4GB)
Graphics Card 2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 660 - 2 x DVI, HDMI, - 3D Vision Ready
2nd Graphics Card NONE
3rd Graphics Card NONE
Memory - 1st Hard Disk 500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 16MB CACHE
2nd Hard Disk NONE
3rd Hard Disk NONE
4th Hard Disk NONE
RAID NONE
SSD CACHE DRIVE NONE
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive 24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
2nd DVD/BLU-RAY Drive NONE
Memory Card Reader NONE
Power Supply CORSAIR 450W VS SERIES™ VS-450 POWER SUPPLY
Processor Cooling INTEL STANDARD CPU COOLER
Extra Case Fans NONE
Fan Controller NONE
Sound Card ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
Wireless Router/HomePlugs NONE
USB Options MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Modem NONE, I WILL BE USING BROADBAND
Firewire 3 Port IEEE 1394a Firewire PCI Card
TV Card NONE
Power Cable 1 x 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 32 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
DVD Recovery Media Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Monitor NONE
2nd Monitor NONE
3rd Monitor NONE
4th Monitor NONE
DVI-D & HDMI Monitor Cables NONE
Eyefinity / GeForce 3D Vision NONE
Keyboard & Mouse NONE
Mouse NONE
Gaming Mouse Pad NONE
Speakers NONE
Webcam NONE
Headsets NONE
Surge Protection NONE
Cable Tidy NONE
Printer NONE
External Hard Drive NONE
Warranty 3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Home Installation NONE
Data Recovery NONE
Delivery STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
Miscellaneous FREE BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS GAME with GTX 660 & 7 Series GPUs!
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4790 (3.6GHz) 8MB Cache.
ASUS® H81-Gamer: ATX, LG1150, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs.
8GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB).
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 950 - 2 x DVI, HDMI, DP
240GB KINGSTON V300 SSD, SATA 6 Gb (450MB/R, 450MB/W)
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Re: Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Postby Tony Wade » Fri Oct 11, 2013 5:25 am

Here's a similar but cheaper spec for a system.


Showing Quote Reference 602952
Case PCS DEFENSOR 7203B BLACK CASE
Processor (CPU) AMD FX-4300 Quad Core CPU (3.80GHz/4MB CACHE/AM3+)
Motherboard ASUS® M5A78L-M/USB3 (M-ATX, DDR3, USB 3.0, 3Gb/s)
Memory (RAM) 4GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 4GB)
Graphics Card 2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 760 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
2nd Graphics Card NONE
3rd Graphics Card NONE
Memory - 1st Hard Disk 500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 16MB CACHE
2nd Hard Disk NONE
3rd Hard Disk NONE
4th Hard Disk NONE
RAID NONE
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive 24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
2nd DVD/BLU-RAY Drive NONE
Memory Card Reader INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Power Supply CORSAIR 550W VS SERIES™ VS-550 POWER SUPPLY
Processor Cooling STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Extra Case Fans NONE
Fan Controller NONE
Sound Card ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
Wireless Router/HomePlugs NONE
USB Options MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Modem NONE, I WILL BE USING BROADBAND
Firewire 3 Port IEEE 1394a Firewire PCI Card
TV Card NONE
Power Cable 1 x 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 32 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
DVD Recovery Media Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Monitor NONE
2nd Monitor NONE
3rd Monitor NONE
4th Monitor NONE
DVI-D & HDMI Monitor Cables NONE
Eyefinity / GeForce 3D Vision NONE
Keyboard & Mouse NONE
Mouse NONE
Gaming Mouse Pad NONE
Speakers NONE
Webcam NONE
Headsets NONE
Surge Protection NONE
Cable Tidy NONE
Printer NONE
External Hard Drive NONE
Warranty 3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Home Installation NONE
Data Recovery NONE
Delivery STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
Miscellaneous FREE BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS GAME with GTX 660 & 7 Series GPUs!
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4790 (3.6GHz) 8MB Cache.
ASUS® H81-Gamer: ATX, LG1150, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs.
8GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB).
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 950 - 2 x DVI, HDMI, DP
240GB KINGSTON V300 SSD, SATA 6 Gb (450MB/R, 450MB/W)
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Re: Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Postby Steve Grisetti » Fri Oct 11, 2013 7:20 am

It gets harder and harder to compare processors. Quad core or even 8 core AMDs sometimes run slower than dual core Intel chips! But here's the benchmark results for your AMD processor.
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu ... +Quad-Core

The Intel i5 will probably do the job (though of course a lot depends on what type of video you're editing and what program you're using to do it).

But the 32-bit OS for either computer? That's antiquated. You'd be much happier with 64-bit Windows 7 and 8 gigs of RAM. In fact, I'm surprised to see that computers are still being sold with 32-bit operating systems. I'd definitely hold out for a 64-bit OS.
HP Envy with 2.9/4.4 ghz i7-10700 and 16 gig of RAM running Windows 11 Pro
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Re: Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Postby Tony Wade » Fri Oct 11, 2013 7:25 am

Thanks Steve,
These computers are mix & match. I can put a 64 on there and whatever I want. I just have never had a 64 before and don't know which of my programs will work on it.
I'll be using the PE10 I just bought as well as the trusty PE3, and all the myriad programs one has.
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4790 (3.6GHz) 8MB Cache.
ASUS® H81-Gamer: ATX, LG1150, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs.
8GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB).
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 950 - 2 x DVI, HDMI, DP
240GB KINGSTON V300 SSD, SATA 6 Gb (450MB/R, 450MB/W)
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Re: Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Postby Steve Grisetti » Fri Oct 11, 2013 7:41 am

Here's a great reference page for processor benchmarks.

I wouldn't recommend buying a computer with a processor scoring less than 6,000.
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html

The i5 meets that performance level. The AMD does not.

But that's just my rule-of-thumb opinion.
HP Envy with 2.9/4.4 ghz i7-10700 and 16 gig of RAM running Windows 11 Pro
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Re: Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Postby Tony Wade » Fri Oct 11, 2013 8:45 am

That's what I'll do then.
Thanks as always...
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4790 (3.6GHz) 8MB Cache.
ASUS® H81-Gamer: ATX, LG1150, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs.
8GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB).
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 950 - 2 x DVI, HDMI, DP
240GB KINGSTON V300 SSD, SATA 6 Gb (450MB/R, 450MB/W)
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Re: Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Postby Peru » Fri Oct 11, 2013 12:04 pm

Tony Wade wrote:I just have never had a 64 before and don't know which of my programs will work on it.


Pre El 3 will probably work, but with only limited function and possibly some crashes.

Most other programs work well, however. Which programs are you concerned about?
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Re: Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Postby Chuck Engels » Fri Oct 11, 2013 12:44 pm

I switched to 64 bit a few years ago without any problems running Premiere Elements 10 and above, didn't try any others.
Both of the units that you provided specs for are only 32 bit Windows 7 systems. I think they have reasonable specs for using Premiere Elements 10 and for video editing in general. Just remember, the faster the processor the better the render times and overall video editing speed. More RAM (over 4GB) will only help on a 64 bit system and only to the degree that the program can use it. Premiere Elements will take advantage of some video RAM, but only certain video cards apply.

You can get some pretty nice laptops now days, they can also be attached to docking stations so you can use them like a desktop with multiple monitors, external speakers, keyboard and mouse. Worth looking into those if you would like to edit while traveling.
1. Thinkpad W530 Laptop, Core i7-3820QM Processor 8M Cache 3.70 GHz, 16 GB DDR3, NVIDIA Quadro K1000M 2GB Memory.

2. Cybertron PC - Liquid Cooled AMD FX6300, 6 cores, 3.50ghz - 32GB DDR3 - MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 4G, 4GB Video Ram, 1024 Cuda Cores.
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Re: Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Postby Bob » Fri Oct 11, 2013 1:11 pm

Yes, I agree, go with the Intel processor. Video is cpu intensive and the Intel outperforms the AMD considerably. It's also requires less power.

You need to rethink the 32-bit vs 64-bit issue. A 32-bit OS can only support 4GB of RAM, which is what you specified. But, what you probably don't realize is that in a 32-bit OS, the memory on the graphics card has to be in that same 4GB space. In other words, you'll only effectively have 2GB of usable RAM because the 2GB on your video card overlays the rest. In a 64-bit OS, it's different. The video card memory does not overlay RAM and you will have full access to the full 4GB RAM and the 2GB video memory. If you do decide to go with 64-bit Windows 7, I would consider 4GB of RAM a minimum. 8GB seems to be a sweet spot, if your budget isn't too tight I would consider it, but 4GB would probably be fine. If you were doing something that required large amounts of memory, such as 3D modeling or CADD, it would benefit from more RAM.

The downside of going with a 64-bit OS is that some of your old 32-bit programs may not work -- especially those that require a 32-bit driver. But, many will work. I've heard mixed results on Pr El 3 on Win7 64-bit. You need to have the 3.02 patch installed and set the program properties to Windows xp compatibility mode. But, even then some people still have problems with it. If you get the Windows 7 Professional 64-bit version, you can download and install "XP Mode". This is a version of Windows XP that runs as a virtual operating system from within Windows 7. It may work using that, but it might not be able to capture over firewire. You were going to be buying a newer version of Premiere Elements, perhaps it's time to just switch over completely.

If your budget will tolerate it, I'd recommend getting a second internal hard drive. You'll get better performance if you don't place your video projects, cache files, and media on the same drive as the OS.
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Re: Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Postby Chuck Engels » Fri Oct 11, 2013 1:30 pm

Bob wrote:If your budget will tolerate it, I'd recommend getting a second internal hard drive. You'll get better performance if you don't place your video projects, cache files, and media on the same drive as the OS.


I completely agree with everything Bob said, especially the above.

Excellent advice as always Bob :)
1. Thinkpad W530 Laptop, Core i7-3820QM Processor 8M Cache 3.70 GHz, 16 GB DDR3, NVIDIA Quadro K1000M 2GB Memory.

2. Cybertron PC - Liquid Cooled AMD FX6300, 6 cores, 3.50ghz - 32GB DDR3 - MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 4G, 4GB Video Ram, 1024 Cuda Cores.
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Re: Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Postby Tony Wade » Sat Oct 12, 2013 4:05 am

Thanks Chuck & Bob,

I have 4 external drives total 5TB for video projects etc. This works well for me at the moment.
I hear you on the 32/64 bit front. I will examine my budget. I use programs like Expressit, DVDFab, DVDshrink etc for my dubbing business. I'll need to see if these work on 64 bit. Apart from those, I only have common programs that everyone uses. I guess I should aim for 64 bit.
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4790 (3.6GHz) 8MB Cache.
ASUS® H81-Gamer: ATX, LG1150, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs.
8GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB).
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 950 - 2 x DVI, HDMI, DP
240GB KINGSTON V300 SSD, SATA 6 Gb (450MB/R, 450MB/W)
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Re: Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Postby Chuck Engels » Sat Oct 12, 2013 2:52 pm

As Bob said, you will get better performance if you put your video projects on a drive separate from the operating system. That is unless it is on an external drive, then you would get worse performance. The second drive only needs to be 500GB and only used for your project files until the project is complete, then move it to an external for storage. It really does help having the second drive and they aren't very expensive anymore. Anyway, just a thought :)
1. Thinkpad W530 Laptop, Core i7-3820QM Processor 8M Cache 3.70 GHz, 16 GB DDR3, NVIDIA Quadro K1000M 2GB Memory.

2. Cybertron PC - Liquid Cooled AMD FX6300, 6 cores, 3.50ghz - 32GB DDR3 - MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 4G, 4GB Video Ram, 1024 Cuda Cores.
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Re: Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Postby Bob » Sat Oct 12, 2013 4:01 pm

FYI, I just tried Expressit on my Windows 7 64-bit system. I set the compatibility to Windows xp service pack 3 and it ran. I didn't test the other two programs you mentioned, but I expect they would run also -- the Windows 7 compatibility database said there was a compatible version.
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Re: Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Postby Peru » Sat Oct 12, 2013 5:33 pm

I wonder if it would matter which version of W7 (Home Premium, Pro, Ultimate)?
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Re: Is this computer spec OK for editing?

Postby BuddyB » Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:06 pm

Peru, I'm not the resident expert here, but I would think not. Ultimate to my understanding just has more abilities built in.
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