Built a new video editing computer

[rustysterling]

Hi All,

I know I haven't been around for awhile. But I do lurk. Anyway, I just built a new system and it screams. Here are the specs:

Abit IP35 Pro MOBO
Q6600 CPU GO 2.4Ghz quad-core
4x1G Corsair XMS2 PC2 6400 RAM
WD Raptor 150GB HDD SATA
(2) Seagate 320GB RAID 0
(2) Pioneer DVD/CD R/RW SATA
Vision Tek HD2400 Pro video card 256Mb
Windows XP Pro SP2 32 bit
PC P&C PSU 610 watt Silencer
Cooler Master 690 case
ASUS Triton 70 CPU Cooler
Adobe Premier Elements 4.0
Adobe PhotoShop Elements 6.0
(2) Viewsonic 22" wide screen monitors

I also got the offer from Adobe for the Premier Pro CS3 for $299 and may do that as well.

I got most of my parts at Newegg and at Fry's. The case is a beaut and really keeps everything cool. The quad-core is a bit of overkill but I wanted to be somewhat bleeding edge. I haven't done any intensive editing on it yet but I'll let you all know how it goes.

I went with the RAID array for holding data and the operating system and apps are on the WD Raptor, that way if the RAID fails I won't lose my OS and apps. But I wanted to try RAID after reading here that it's much faster.

[Ken Jarstad]

What a smokin' rig, Rusty! What will you ever do with all your spare time after this rig chews up and spits out your video?

FWIW, I used to send folks who wanted to build a video editing rig over to videoguys.com but they have fallen behind - having no proven quad-core rigs. OTOH, I hear that once software is made multi-threaded, the more threads the better. Now, efficiency is something else, but folks have been saying for quite awhile that multiple cores are used now by most media software. (I think WinXP SP2 improved the thread scheduler, too).

Someone here recently built a new rig with the raptor system drive and said it helped speed things up significantly. I'm not so sure about the RAID system, however. As I recall, CPU magazine did a pretty good test on RAID susystems and found they weren't significantly faster and not really worth the money (sorry!) But, your mileage may vary. Please, do give us a report.

[rustysterling]

Ken: I looked at the DIY stuff at Video Guys, but also read as much as I could at other sites. I agree the VGs are now out of date. And I agree that not much software is quad-core supported. But I just want to be ahead of the curve for once instead of playing catch up all the time.

Building this was a challenge and a lot of fun. I very carefully considered the motherboard and the power supply first. Since I wanted to build a quad I had to narrow the mobo choices. I went back and forth between a couple of Asus board, Gigabyte board, and the Abit board. Every time I decided on Asus or Gig, I'd always somehow come back to the Abit. But it demands a quality PSU, and I found that with the PC P&C Silencer. In fact, I learned that PSU is one of the most important components in a build.

The RAID was something of a challenge, but the mobo has built in RAID controllers so it really wasn't any more expense. And I'll see if it improves things or not. At the very least, I can set the drives back to individual drives and have plenty of HDD space.

My next challenge is overclocking. The Bios is very easy to navigate and overclock the CPU and RAM. I'm running into an issue with my CPU cooler fan shutting down any time I make a change. But I'm starting to sort that out. The Q6600 is a very overclockable CPU, with some users pushing it to 3.6 Ghz on air, and even higher on water. I'm not going to go to a water cooler system, but I may have to change my CPU cooler, probably to a Zalman 9700.

I'm a techie kind of guy so this is a fun project for me.

[Ken Jarstad]

Great, Rusty! If you create wmv files, I have heard that most media software cranks on all four cores. Must be a pleasure to watch.

I built my rig based upon the videoguys design and no problems - except for the PSU. I got a cheap one, brand new, and it took me about four months to figure out it was the PSU - after replacing the MB, RAM twice, video card! What a headache. I had a PC P&C silencer a bunch of years ago and can vouch for them being one of the best companies in the business.

I used the ASUS premium MB because I had trouble with ABIT in my previous project. Then I found out all the mfrs had problems with the electrolytic capacitors on their MBs, so ABIT is likely good. Don't know the features these days for ABIT, but my ASUS has an automatic overclocking circuit that works flawlessly. 3 GHz HT OCs to 3.9 GHz on load demand. I had to get a good after-market fan, too.

[Chuck Engels]

Hi Rusty, great to see you are still around
What a fantastic machine you have there, sounds like you enjoyed the experience too.

We were talking about you a month or so ago, how is your step daughter doing these days?

[rustysterling]

Chuck: She doing great. About to go out on the road for a tour for Disney and she's negotiating to have her Choo Choo Soul show became a regular show on Disney Channel.

And I did enjoy building it. I haven't built a machine in about 10 years and it was very satisfying. And best of all, no bloatware on it whatsoever.

Ken: Abit has come back from a few years of building some troublesome motherboards. Their new board are very highly regarded now and the IP35 Pro is among the best out there. I has the P35 chipset and also ICH9R support for RAID. And I know about what was happening with the capacitors. I think those days are going to be past.

[JRjr]

I also got the offer from Adobe for the Premier Pro CS3 for $299 and may do that as well.

Is this a NEW offer? I received a similar one sometime last year, didn't take it, and I've regretted it since.

JRjr

[Gooder]

Very nice system you have there!

What kind of money are we talking about to bild something like that?
If, you don't mind me asking.

Cheers,
Lee

[Chuck Engels]

Is this a NEW offer? I received a similar one sometime last year, didn't take it, and I've regretted it since.

JR, Others have gotten the same offer so it is a new one.
There was a post a few days back offering the code/coupon to anyone that wants it.

[rustysterling]

Like Chuck said, it is a new offer. But it expires on Friday.

Gooder: With the operating system and all hardware it cost me about $1300 for the rig. The most expensive components were the CPU ($265), the motherboard ($175), the power supply ($120), and the WD Raptor ($175). RAM is getting really inexpensive for DDR2. I got an OEM version of Windows XP from Newegg for $135, which included SP2C. I already had the monitors.

I'd suggest Newegg or Tiger Direct for components and operating system. Their prices are extremely competitive. I didn't buy everything at once. I bought it a piece at a time over about 6 weeks. The biggest challenge was making sure all the components were compatible -- especially the power supply.

[Gooder]

Thanks very much for the price listing!

I have always wanted to try building my own system and buying the parts every so often, is a good way of doing things!

Thanks,
Lee

[rustysterling]

I might add that the price of the Intel Q6600 is dropping almost daily. Today it is listed as $255 on Newegg, while yesterday it was $270. This is because of the new 45nm processors that Intel has introduced (the Penrym series). Only the Penrym duo core (Wolfdales) are out now but the quad's are expected any day. So that means there may be further price drops on the Q6600, which is a great little processor and very easily overclockable. Even if you don't overclock it, the CPU screams.

[jeffterm]

My quad system was purchased over a 3 month span. I started by offering an incredible low-ball offer on an FX1400 video card on ebay and actually won the thing!
Never expected it, but then realized that I did not have a MB that could take a PCI x16 card. The shopping ensued.
Somewhere on the net there is an order list of components for people who do this kind of shopping, based upon items that change price frequently. Like buy your case and PSU first since prices are less likely to fluxuate while its sitting on the shelf.
A friend was so proud of buying his P4 (back in the day) that by the time he powered up the thing he could have bought the same CPU for like 1/5th what he paid.
I can try to find the list if anyone is interested.

Rusty - Is it the same Choo-Choo-Soul show my daughter passionatly loves now in bites? It would get our vote for a time slot!

[JRjr]

Like Chuck said, it is a new offer. But it expires on Friday.

Thanks for that info. I've been out of the loop until today, since last Thursday because of a death in the family... small town and no internet availability.

JRjr

[Chuck Engels]

Sorry to hear about your loss JR, glad you are back to civilization though.