Recommendation for Video editing/Gaming PC

[mr-scarface]

I'm upgrading my PC after a long while, and I need a fast desktop for video editing and gaming.
I want a high end desktop since it will be used for video editing, gaming, and may also be used as a home theatre system to a 42" TV.
I was thinking of something like this, as recommended by someone:

Intel Core i5 2500K ($219.99)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD4-B3 ($189.99)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128494
SAPPHIRE 100314-2SR Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 ($199.99)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102913
G.Skill Ripjaws 4 x 2 GB DDR3-1600 @ CL8 F3-12800CL8Q-8GBRM ($113.99)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231327
COOLER MASTER RC-692-KKN2 CM690 II Advanced Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ($99.99)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119216
CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 ($79.99)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139019
SAMSUNG SpinPoint F3 1 TB 7200 RPM ($74.99)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185
LG GH24NS70 DVD Writer ($18.99)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136236

Subtotal: $997.92

[/QUOTE]

Not sure about the 6870 though. I have a 22" crt that I insist on using with this machine, but it connects via vga. I'd also like to connect a flat panel LCD 22 or 23". But I'm not sure, the 6870 has two DVI outputs it seems, and 1 hdmi.
Any suggestions are appreciated.

[lowellriggsiam]

I question the 8gigs of Ram, I have an i6 with 8gigs and after effects cs5 still lags. You might need more memory depending on what kind of editing you're planning on doing.

[CaptainVideo]

I would get the Intel i7 2600k which can be overclocked to insane levels. Worth the extra money. If you can't add money, then I would swap out the 6870 for the 6850. You'll take only a slight performance hit in gaming performance for a $30 savings.

I'd also go with this motherboard

GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128502

This will allow you to utilize the Sandy Bridge GPU features for transcoding/encoding via LucidLogix Virtu software. That other board doesn't allow that. It's also a lot cheaper and has most everything the other board has. I think it's missing the Marvell RAID chip and eSATA. If those are more important then I would stick with your original board.

Here is a good document on the Z68 chipset and how some boards take advantage of Virtu: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/everything_you_need_know_about_intels_new_z68_chipset

[lordsmurf]

Gaming and video don't really coexist well.
You'll often add drivers and gaming-related crap that wonk up video.

It's not simply a matter of expensive CPU and lots of RAM.

[The Mariner]

I might be stating the obvious, but make sure the OS can address all that RAM. 32bit Windows can see only 3Gb max.

[redwudz]

I would also wonder what OS you are planning to use. Windows 32 sees about 3.7GB of RAM. You would need a 64bit OS to see more than that or you're just wasting money on RAM.

I also see only one hard drive. I build all my PCs with three or more hard drives. A small fast one for boot, (I use a WD 150GB, 10K RPM Raptor) two larger hard drives for editing and archiving. 1.5GB HDDs are at a good price point at present. I prefer WDs or Samsung for that.

For gaming video cards, it depends on what you want to spend. They can get very expensive for cutting edge gaming. Dual SLI is one option. For that you need a huge power supply, about 700W or so and direct power connections to the video cards. And very good case cooling. Those cards put out a lot of heat.

I also didn't see any CPU cooler info. For your setup I would recommend a aftermarket cooler. Intel factory coolers may not be up to your task.

[mr-scarface]

I would get the Intel i7 2600k which can be overclocked to insane levels. Worth the extra money. If you can't add money, then I would swap out the 6870 for the 6850. You'll take only a slight performance hit in gaming performance for a $30 savings.

I'd also go with this motherboard

GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128502

This will allow you to utilize the Sandy Bridge GPU features for transcoding/encoding via LucidLogix Virtu software. That other board doesn't allow that. It's also a lot cheaper and has most everything the other board has. I think it's missing the Marvell RAID chip and eSATA. If those are more important then I would stick with your original board.

Here is a good document on the Z68 chipset and how some boards take advantage of Virtu: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/everything_you_need_know_about_intels_new_z68_chipset

Thanks for that info. The Z68 seems like a must. However, I'm leaning towards the 2500 since it's cheaper, and I've already gone over budget a little. The 2500 is still plenty fast right?
Also, I was told to go with an nvidia card due to CUDA support, and better driver support. I'm not sure about this. I was leaning towards the 6870 or 6950. I love how they have 2 DVI outputs and 1 hdmi output.
I was thinking of having a dual monitor setup (using the 2 DVI's) for video editing , and connecting my HDTV to the hdmi for watching movies. Not sure how that would work.

I would also wonder what OS you are planning to use. Windows 32 sees about 3.7GB of RAM. You would need a 64bit OS to see more than that or you're just wasting money on RAM.

I'll probably go with a 64bit operating system as that makes the most sense I take it.