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[rallynavvie]

As the "Computer" forum in DVDRhelp.com the question we see asked the most is "what kind of computer do I need to create and burn DVDs?" The best way to answer the question is to first ask yourself: "What will I be using this computer for?" and "How much am I willing to spend on one?" You should also decide on whether or not you would like to go the Mac or Windows route (or Linux, though please refer to the forum designated for penguins ). I have enough Mac knowledge to know that any G5 and OSX with Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro will do you good

And for the rest of us:
If your rig is going to be for digital video and NOT for gaming you can get away cheaper than you think. Look at the following system specs:

Motherboard: Asus A7N8X Deluxe
Processor: AMD Athlon XP 2500+ "Barton"
Memory: 2x 256MB sticks of PC2700
Hard Drive: 2x 80GB ATA100 7200rpm w/8MB cache
Video Card: GeForceFX 5200
Power Supply: Antec True 350W
DVD-ROM: Liteon 163/166
DVD burner: Pioneer DVR-106

You can source all this hardware online for $740US (February 2004) and all you'd need is your peripherals. Maybe skimp on the RAM and get something cheaper or get some insane deals on hard drives with local retailers and mail-in rebates to save some more money. Bump the CPU/motherboard up to a Pentium 4 with HT and get a faster video card and you'll have a nice gaming rig. Here's a few reasons why I've chosen the above hardware:

Motherboard-
The A7N8X Deluxe has a host of onboard features such as FireWire, USB 2.0, and a decent audio system saving you from having to mess with PCI cards (and saving room for that Canopus DV Storm MPEG card if you wanna spend $$$). It also support dual-channel RAM for a little extra performance (thus the two identical RAM sticks).

Processor-
The Athlons are generally cheaper and work just fine. The XP 2500+ with the Barton core has a 333MHz frontside bus so it's a little faster in that department. This is one of the most economical CPUs on the market right now. The OEM heatsink/fan combo is fine but I would suggest spending $40 on a Thermalright SLK900 or similar with an 80mm ball-bearing fan on top just for quieter/more efficient cooling.

Memory-
I prefer Mushkin memory, but others have also suggested Corsair. I have had problems with unbranded and Crucial memory. Kingston is OK as long as you only use Kingston RAM, and their customer service was excellent when I had problems with their stuff. The two 256MB sticks should be identical for the dual-channel RAM feature and are generally cheaper than one 512MB stick. PC2700 is good enough for the Barton processor. 512MB seems the right amount for just about everything when running Windows XP.

Hard drives:
I highly suggest two drives. You are likely going to have to encode video at some point in time and reading and writing to the same hard drive slows things down considerably, especially when the OS is running on the same disk. Reading from one drive and writing to the other is generally a better thing to do. No need for RAID or anything like that, just a good ATA100 drive with an 8MB cache will do. There are some great deals on hard drives out there now so shop around, maybe you can get even bigger drives for cheaper. Remember that digital video takes up a lot of room in some formats.

Video card:
Honestly almost any card will work for this kind of work. Video is 2D so no need for 3D acceleration. I've always used GeForce chipsets and this one seems to be the most basic using the current chip. Older tech such as ATi 7000-series or GeForce2 chipset cards should work fine as well. You'll want more in this department if you're playing 3D games though.

Power supply:
Never skimp on what powers your whole system. The Antec True line keeps voltages on seperate rails and seems to keep everything running happy. The 350W should have plenty of power to spare which is exactly what you want.

DVD-ROM:
If you have to rip DVDs get this drive. It may be a bit loud but it's cheap and it seems to rip faster than any other DVD drive. Ditch this component if you have no use for fast rip speeds.

DVD burner:
I prefer Sony or Pioneer to make compliant burns. Other drives will work and dual-layer drives are on the horizon. The Pioneer 106 supports both DVD+/-R and DVD+/-RW at up to 4x speeds. Do you really need to burn at 8x? Not to mention the media is more expensive at 8x.

You should be running all this with XP, preferrably Pro. You can get a license at many online dealers with one of these pieces of hardware for surprisingly cheap. With a few tweaks XP Pro is very solid platform.

Below are some threads that contain more in-depth and detailed information that you may want to read before posting a question:

Dual Processor PCs for the ultimate in video workstations:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=231370

RAID to make your hard drives faster, safer, or both:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=183637
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=175668

HTPCs (home theater PCs):
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=191478

Video cards demystified:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=184223

RAM is good:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=197969
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=196734

Windows tips:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=200268

Wireless networking:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=204178
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=204998
http://www.linksys.com/products/images/wireless_comparison.jpg

USB2.0 and FireWire:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=204396

[808smokey]

Wow, nice post!!! I agree with most of that except your choice of DVD burners. I only buy Lite-on. They are the best IMO I currently have a NEC-1300A but I got a good deal on it 8)

[redwudz]

Sounds like a good setup. I use a Gigabyte board with similar specs and the XP2500 Barton and it works great for me. Too many people go out and buy a HP or Dell system when they could put it together themselves (Or find someone to do it) and come out with a high end, reasonably priced system that should last them a few years.

[Faustus]

Excellent advice rallynavvie, I'm working on something for the computer section and I think I'll use this if you don't mind.

[rallynavvie]

No mind, I pretty much live in this forum. We kinda needed an FAQ-like thread in here anyway

[Faustus]

Cool, what I'm working on is personally a little better then a FAQ thread.

[Faustus]

Gonna go ahead and unsticky this as its all located inside the faq at this point.

[Jayhawk]

A great post and an excellent set of guidelines for those that think they can buy cheaper than build. The typical $699 Dell or HP is not a good video machine (and you can now beat the $740 price). Of course there will be a million variations / suggestions from forum members (this is really a religion, isn't it).

As for myself, I prefer Plextor burners, Lite-on readers, and AOpen motherboards with Intel chipsets. All personal experience and preference. That aside, I wouldn't argue with any of your suggestions. Nice job.

[rallynavvie]

See, some folks still think it's useful

[Faustus]

See, some folks still think it's useful

Its quite useful. Matter of fact almost everything in here is inside the FAQ I built.