computer system - good enough for capture

[caway]

Hi

I am looking to buy a new computer system to convert my video collection to dvd. Will buy Canopus advc-100 so know I don't need a video card but do graphic card play a part in video capture? Want to play games but its not important. Also sound card is it worth upgrading to Creative soundblaster or is onboard sound is as good.

Heres 2 quotes I have had I am looking to spend around £900 with dvd burner (no monitor required)

So any advice on what minimum system to go for or companies to recommend.

Heres 2 quotes I've had

Case: ATX MidiTower +360W PSU with tool free access (Beige/Black)

Motherboard: ASUS A7N8X Deluxe nVIDIA nFORCE2 with 10/100 Ethernet LAN

Processor: AMD Athlon XP 2600+ with Quantispeed Technology

Memory: 512Mb PC2700 DDR
Floppy + Portable Storage Options: 1.44MB Floppy Drive

Hard Drives: 120Gb Ultra Fast with 8Mb Buffer (7200rpm) at £55

Video Card: 256MB nVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 - TV Out + DVI

Optical Drives: SONY DVD-RW Multi Burner Drive

Sound: Soundblaster compatible multi channel audio

Modem: 56kbps V92 Modem, featuring data and fax.

Keyboard & Mouse: Logitech Internet Keyboard & Optical Mouse (Black)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

Video Editing: Pinnacle Studio 8 Full Version

Warranty: 3 years On Site Warranty (Mainland UK only - Terms Apply)

Price Including VAT + DEL: £ 864.80

--------

Codegen 6049 300W ATX 4 Bay Case
XFX Mach4 KT400 Mainboard
AMD Athlon 2400+ XP Processor
Microfin Copper Based Cpu Cooler 2700+
512Mb PC2700 Elixir DDR Memory
120Gb 7200Rpm Maxtor ATA133 Hard Drive
1.44Mb Sony Floppy Drive
16x40 DVD-Rom Drive
Pioneer A106 DVD-RW 4x
128Mb GeForce 4 MX440 AGP Graphics Card
5.1 C-Media Integrated Audio
3x IEEE1394 Firewire Adapter
4x USB Ports
56k Internal Modem
MS Windows XP Home Edition

£799.99 Inc Vat


Any help advice would be appericate

Catherine

[pbhalerao]

Hi Catherine,

Here is a reply to eaxactlly same topic that I posted today:

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=169539&highlight=

Both of your configurations sound good enough to me. But I would advise you to go in for DVD±RW drive rather than a DVD-RW, for obvious reasons. This might make your quote a little higher.

To answer your other questions:

a) Graphic card plays no part in video capture, rendering, encoding or DVD authoring. If you want to play graphic intensive games, then it is a different matter.
b) Sound Card also does not play any part in video capture, rendering, encoding or DVD authoring. A good sound card is important if you are going to play back DVD's on your computer. Otherwise onboard sound card is good enough.

Regards,

[holistic]

Get 400 + watt PSU. AMD CPU's suck power. Tool free - ya so what !

Nice mobo the --- ASUS A7N8X Deluxe

512Mb PC2700 DDR ???? why when mobo supports DDR400 spec

Floppy = waste of money

"backing up" DVD
- harddrive is overkill
- same for video card

**Optical Drives: SONY DVD-RW Multi Burner Drive
more choices
https://www.videohelp.com/dvdwriters

Onboard sound is OK . Depends on YOUR ears. It will not affect your "back ups"

Modem ??? do you need one ?? Make sure it isn't a shity winmodem

**Logitech Internet Keyboard & Optical Mouse (Black)
Red , Green - whatever feels most comfortable

**Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
YUCK - spend a little more for the PRO

**Video Editing: Pinnacle Studio 8 Full Version
Other option is Vegas Video AND it can 'frameserve'

**Warranty: 3 years On Site Warranty (Mainland UK only - Terms Apply)
WARRANTYS blah - not worth the paper they are on. Most computer computer components are built quite well theses days - failure usually in first few days and not 3 years. MOST computer problems are between chair and keyboard (USER). Usually NOT covered under any warranty.

][

[MikeV]

With either system get a second hard drive to be used for the OS and programs. 40-80gig will be fine then use the 120gig for capture and conversion. The Asus A7N8X Deluxe is a great board, did alot of research on motherboards before I decided on mine. The on-board sound is great, don't need to add any other sound cards. Either system should work fine for what you want to do.

[caway]

Thanks for all your replies - been a big help.

Sound card was confusing me - but the computer isn't going to be the main dvd player.

Also all the graphic cards, now know it plays no part. But which is best graphic to go for (can be different to whats listed) to cope with most games? As price varies so much but don't want to spend £200 as not a big game player but if needed would cope with most games.

Will look into another hard drive.

Whats the difference between windows xp pro and home - really worth upgrading to Pro?

The dvd writer is Sony DWU 10A but after reading reviews prefer the Pioneer A06.

Thanks

Catherine

[Treebeard]

If your looking for a good reasonably priced video card I'd go w/ the ATI 9500 128mb. about $135 (us) well worth it. get the 9700 if u can spend the extra.

[gmatov]

Caway,
I'd suggest you get the ATI, also, but you should go for an All in Wonder, as it has video capture capability. The 72 and 7500s go about 150USD, and the one they have in the proposal is probably 2 to 300, unless it's integrated, then, again, it's a crippled version. Idon't think it is on that Abit.
You may not, at this moment, have intent to transfer your video tapes, but may in future, and would not have to go through the agony of deciding which capture card.

If you search for txpharoah's posts, you will find much good information on the ATI cards, as well as recommendation to get a separate sound card for capture purpose, as built in sound is crippled, after all how can they put a 100 buck sound chip on a 125 buck board. C-media chips have given me much grief, they are resource hogs, and always seem to conflict with something.

He's right, a second drive, for OS and apps would be nice, with enough room for a rip or capture, so that the machine would read from 1, render, and write to the other. One drive can't read and write simultaneously, so some transfer speed is lost..

A floppy is 10 bucks, big deal, get it, we still generally use a boot disk to start a crashed computer.

I have a machine on the bench for repair that expired 3 years and 3 days after purchase, with a 3 year warranty. The girl raised so much hell over the 3 days, that, to shut her up, they sent her a refurbed machine, told her to keep the old one, refurb had no warranty, expired last week, first machine, dead power supply. I replaced a 30 buck power supply, now it runs. PSU coming for the second machine, also.

Take the warranty. Some of these guys delve into their machines. A non-techie is at the mercy of the local shop, unless he/she has a warranty.

I had another that was hit with a power surge from a lightning strike. He took it to the gateway store, they gave him an 1100USD estimate, the case was the only salvageable part, he brought it to me, I pulled the modem, and that was the only damage, a small component on the modem.
Replaced the modem, the machine is still in use. That one was out of warranty, also.

Oh, and make sure you get a good surge protector, and plug the modem, or the cable or whatever your internet connector is into it also. His was on a surge protector, but the modem was plugged into the wall; that was the path for the power surge that "done him in".

Hope there's something here to help.

Cheers

Edit. I missed the first line, vid to DVD, and the Canopus, disregard that aert above, if you wish. But, if, in future, you decide to do DVD backups, you should get a DVD-ROM, so to not wear out your burner playing nor ripping DVDs. A DVD-ROM is about 40USD, here. They read CD as well as DVD.