New computer build - occasional video editing

[EGrier]

Hello all,
I want to build a new computer to use for video editing and the typical surfing and email, also light photo editing. I don't need all of the bells and whistles just something to get the job done. I was looking at the micro atx boards because I don't game. (Any decent ones out there?) Also, I can't decide if I should get the Athlon 64 3200+ or the Pentium D 805. I was also considering getting at least 1 gb of ram. I don't want to spend too much moola. (Approx. $300 US) I have a good atx case and I plan on getting a 350-400 watt FSP or a Sparkle power supply. I will have a DVD rom and a DVD burner and a Seagate 80gb PATA HD for the boot drive and probably a Seagate 80gb SATA for a backup drive. I also have an external to hook up to it. Can you guys give me any advice as to which way to go? Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Ethan

[CrayonEater]

Either processor is good although the 805 seems to have a bit of an edge if you want to overclock, and it is generally felt that Pentiums are slightly faster at encoding; the AMD leads in all else.

I have to run and can't list specifics at the moment but I would think about getting TWO SATA hard disks and use the PATA as a spare. This will make a big difference. Not that your mixture of SATA and PATA won't work nicely, but you probably will get much better performance with two SATA-IIs. 1 Gb of memory is fine.

[redwudz]

Here's a economy setup using Newegg for parts, about $200US:

ECS Micro-ATX RS485M-M Motherboard with audio and ATI video: $45US
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813135011

AMD Athlon 64 AM2 CPU 3000+ with cooler79US
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103639

Corsair XMS DDR2 800 memory, 512Mb. $67US
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145567

It should be fairly fast. You can upgrade the CPU for a few dollars more. It uses SATA hard drives and has 2 IDE (PATA) channels for optical drives. The AM2 CPUs and DDR2 800 memory are a bargain at the moment for speed vs cost. Even if you have to pick up 2 SATA 80GB hard drives, it should all come in under $300US.

[EGrier]

Thanks for the suggestions guys,
I think I will lean toward the AMD CPU for my build. I was also looking at this ECS board and a Biostar Tforce 6100 AM2 board but, I read on other forums that Biostar isn't to great. Do you think the FSP or the Sparkle would be a good PS?

[EGrier]

What do you think of the ASRock AM2NF4G-SATA2 board and an AMD 64 3200+?

[redwudz]

For power supplies, both Sparkle and FSP, it depends on the model. One 'not so professional' way to compare is to check the weight of the PS, compared to a better brand like Antec or similar. Heavier often means better built. Most of the AM2 MBs can use a 24 or 20 Pin ATX PS. But it's something you want to check.

About the same with Biostar and ECS motherboards. They are pretty much equal in quality among the lower end motherboards. One thing about AM2 MBs is that they haven't been out a long time, so there are not a lot of reviews and information. What a purchaser says, you have to weigh, especially if there are only a very few comments on the MB. I prefer ECS a little over Biostar, but I have used both brands in several computers with no problems. I just put together a AMD Athlon 3800+ AM2 CPU with a ASUS M2NPV-VM MB and 1GB of Corsair XMS DDR2 800 memory for a HTPC and I was impressed with the PCs performance, especially with the memory bandwidth and the reasonable cost.

[EGrier]

I wish that I had more money to spend on a system but, I have a family. What do you think of these specs:

ASRock AM2NF4-SATA2
AMD 64 3200+
Corsair Twin2x512-5400C4

all for a little over $200 through mwave.com

I think that this would be better than my current config of a Dell 2300 with a Celeron 1.8 and PC 133 memory. Man, you talk about taking forever to encode a video with Adobe Media Encoder!

[xxiangg]

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=0&t=293907&highlight=outpost

It is an Intel 3.2G (2 core?) with a cheap MB. Looks like a good
deal for me. I am not sure if it is within your budget.

Thanks for slickdeals.net
-- Kevin

[jagabo]

You really want dual core for video encoding. AMD just dropped the X2 pricing by about 50 percent. The A64 X2 3800+ is $169 at Newegg now. That will run 50 to 100 percent faster than a A64 3000+ with most video encoders.

[budz]

I wish that I had more money to spend on a system but, I have a family. What do you think of these specs:

ASRock AM2NF4-SATA2
AMD 64 3200+
Corsair Twin2x512-5400C4

all for a little over $200 through mwave.com

I think that this would be better than my current config of a Dell 2300 with a Celeron 1.8 and PC 133 memory. Man, you talk about taking forever to encode a video with Adobe Media Encoder!

My suggestion is to buy your components from Newegg.com rather than Mwave.com. I've had bad experience with Mwave.com, they resell defective motherboards. It's a long story and I won't go into it. Check the Online Better Business Bureau on how many complaints Mwave.com has had in the past and present. Newegg.com is much more reputable than Mwave.com.

The AMD 64 X2 DUAL CORE 3800 processor is dirt cheap right now at $169.00. I'd buy it for myself if I had the spare cash. I use the BIOSTAR TFORCE 6100 Socket 939 motherboard with a AMD 64 Venice 3200+ processor. You can always upgrade the cpu to a dual core processor with that BIOSTAR motherboard.

[ViRaL1]

Not hearing fabulous things about the board, but Newegg is running a deal for an Athlon 64 3400+ and a Biostar mobo for $89.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?ATT=13138247&CMP=AFC-SlickDeals&Item=N82E16813138247

Click on Add to Cart and choose the combo with the chip.

[redwudz]

ViRaL1, it's unclear which CPU they are using they say 'Athlon 64/Sempron', which tells me it's probably a Sempron, not a Athlon CPU. The big difference is in the cache size. I have a couple of 754 AMD computers, but the 754 is somewhat outdated at present. That's the main reason for the low price. The reason I mentioned the AM2 earlier is that it is likely the successor to the 754 CPUs. You can get it in Sempron or Athlon models. And besides being an economy setup, it's a newer processor, with some 'shelf' life still left in it. The addition of DDR2 memory makes it even better.

The ASRock AM2NF4-SATA2 looks to be a decent MB. You might want to do a Google search for reviews on it. As with most AM2 MBs, there's not a lot of info out there as this is a new CPU and there are new MBs for it.

[EGrier]

I looked at some reviews on the ASRock board. I think that it will fit the bill. Too bad AMD doesn't have a dual core comparable in price to the Pentium D 805. Thanks for the heads up budz. I really appreciate everyone's input and advice.