Help: Building Computer for HD Video Editing

[Rantlers]

Hi, I'm trying to build a computer that is capable of converting my rather large blu-ray collection into a massive HD video library that will eventually be run off an HTPC. That's actually how I came across this site, the "How To" guides are impressive and appear to have all the information I need!

I am, however, a n00b when it comes to building computers, but am really looking forward to the experience. I've been doing a lot of research over the past week, I think I finally have it narrowed down to the components I'll need, but I just wanted to get some opinions from some more experienced people before I start spending like crazy. Here's the setup I'm currently considering:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=17727047

I am open to any changes you may think are necessary. Any feedback at all would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[Soopafresh]

Looks fine. It'll be a really peppy machine. Are you sure you want to buy a Blu Ray burner just yet? There are Blu Ray readers for 1/4 the price. Save the $150 and buy a media player like a WD TV Live with it.

The video card is a bit overkill, especially if you're just doing video related things on your system. The GT 220 is ~$80 and will work just great with your application.

PCs run much cooler these days, so your case doesn't have to resemble a jet engine turbine to get more than adequate cooling.

[HotDamn!]

Looks like a pretty nice list. I'm going to just make some suggestions but don't let it throw you off of what you want.

Computer Case: The Antec 1200 and 900 are pretty big computer cases that a lot of gamers use and when it comes to gaming your components get hot. This case creates LOTS of airflow and comes with fans. Lots of reviews.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129043

Video Card: soopafresh said it. The GTX is a nice gaming card and if you were to want the GTX I would consider BFG to save money and they have good customer service and a step up program. (link for the 220)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Descr...+220+&x=7&y=27

Thermal Paste: I've heard really good things about the MX-2 or MX-3 but I'm using reg. Arctic Silver until I upgrade again. (newegg doesn't seem to have the mx3 but I'm sure you can find it if needed)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020&cm_re=mx-2-_-35-186-020-_-Product

Heat Sink: You might want a larger heat sink to keep you CPU a little cooler.

good luck to you, I'm sure you'll get plenty of help soon

[Moontrash]

power supply (unless u have to have modular...i've been using this model for a year..no probs)
$50 after rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341019

processor (save the hundred bux, this one does the job perfectly)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727
$190

Case ( I have this case, cooks rice and beans....fantastic airflow)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137
$70
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156241
$60 (good airflow)

Motherboard (does everything you'll ever need it to do)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128419
$85 after rebate

Graphics Card (i just like to keep graphics cards "close" to up to date..the 2nd one will keep u updated speed wise for quite a few yrs)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102858
$130
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102858
$165

RAM (imo, no need for the xtra 2 gb's)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226092
$110
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220435
$100 after rebate

LCD Monitor (spend the xtra scratch and get a better brand)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236052
$190 after rebate

total = $1,200

i tend to agree on the Blu Ray burner...i would wait as the prices will surely drop like a stone in the next 6 months...no need for one atm if your gna HTPC...the graphics card i could have easily picked what the 2 users posted above, solid for the money but i always tend to go a step above for gaming purposes. If u don't game then what they mention is a solid choice all the way around. All these prices fluctuate at newegg...so pay close attention to the sales and rebates..they can really help the price come down...i do like Intel quite a bit but for the money, this AMD system will do the same job. Unless u have to have a high end system, save the xtra $600 and spend the savings on a new burner when the price comes down and some BR blanks

[headhunter03]

If a blu burner is a must, I've been using one like this..

http://www.frys.com/product/5928944?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Reads blu and HDDVD and writes blu--about $130...

[rallynavvie]

I always look at the PSU first since it's the most important part of your system. I'd go with the OCZ recommendation made above or just get a PC Power & Cooling 750W.

I agree with the above users regarding the video card and the BluRay burner. The video card is really only relevant for 3D work, such as gaming, and won't make much different on your 2D video work. Video encoding is almost entirely CPU-intensive so spend the money there. The burner is a little early (expensive) and since you're only making backup rips of your videos then there's no reason to write back to disc.

The other recommendation I'd make would be to add another 2TB drive. You may not need this depending on how you're ripping your BRDs. If you're encoding on-the-fly as you're ripping then it isn't needed, but if you're ripping the whole video and then encoding down you'll want to rip to one of the 2TB drives and then encode to the other. Whatever you do don't read/write to the same drive when encoding if you can at all help it. It's easy to move the files back and forth to balance space once you start filling up the destination drive.

[budz]

Just my 2 cents. Here's my suggestions:

CM 690 II Advanced case. It has excellent airflow and good cable management. I have the first generation CM 690 case but this 690 Advanced has a few more added features to it such as a hard drive docking station on the top of the case.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119216

CM 590 case. It's just the little brother of the CM 690. I like this case better than my CM 690.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119152

GSkill RipJaws series 4GB DDR3-1600 Ram, F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277

IMHO 4GB of ram is more than enough.

CM Hyper 212 Plus CPU cooler:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

Best cpu cooler at the moment for it's budget price. I just picked one up for my new AMD Quad system.
As mentioned get some Artic Cooler MX2 or MX3 thermal paste.

http://www.svc.com/fan-mx3.html
http://www.svc.com/fan-mx2.html

Scythe S-Flex "F" fan for cpu cooler or for case fans. The S-Flex "G" fans are good too for cpu heatsinks.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185006

http://www.svc.com/sy-fan-sff21f.html
http://www.svc.com/sy-fan-sff21g.html

CM R4's fans are good too for case fans or cpu coolers.
http://www.svc.com/r4-l2r-20cg-gp.html
http://www.svc.com/r4-c2r-20ac-gp.html
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-120mm-Case-R4-C2R-20AC-GP/dp/B0026ZPFDE/ref=sr_1_7...8595457&sr=1-7

[HotDamn!]

Just my 2 cents. Here's my suggestions:

GSkill RipJaws series 4GB DDR3-1600 Ram, F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277

IMHO 4GB of ram is more than enough.

CM Hyper 212 Plus CPU cooler:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

Best cpu cooler at the moment for it's budget price. I just picked one up for my new AMD Quad system.
As mentioned get some Artic Cooler MX2 or MX3 thermal paste.

I agree 100%. As soon as I'm able to get money saved up for my upgrade I'm going with the RipJaws. I've had those on my list for quite some time. GSkill is a very good brand and 4GB is all you really need.

Also the heat sink you've suggested to me once, I've seen lots of great reviews on it and that will soon be mine for my upgrade.

[Rantlers]

Looks fine. It'll be a really peppy machine. Are you sure you want to buy a Blu Ray burner just yet? There are Blu Ray readers for 1/4 the price. Save the $150 and buy a media player like a WD TV Live with it.

The video card is a bit overkill, especially if you're just doing video related things on your system. The GT 220 is ~$80 and will work just great with your application.

PCs run much cooler these days, so your case doesn't have to resemble a jet engine turbine to get more than adequate cooling.

Yup, you guys convinced me to save the $$$ and just go with a BD-ROM drive. I honestly don't have any current need to burn BDs, it was just my attempt to future proof myself once blu-ray burning becomes the norm.

I actually went middle ground with the video card and picked up the one moontrash recommended to me. Probably the only "gaming" I'll be doing will be with Nintendo emulators.

Haha, yeah, I was pretty worried about overheating with the original build I had so I went with the overkill fan setup. I thought it looked pretty cool at the time, however I'm glad I didn't, its kinda cheesy.

Thermal Paste: I've heard really good things about the MX-2 or MX-3 but I'm using reg. Arctic Silver until I upgrade again. (newegg doesn't seem to have the mx3 but I'm sure you can find it if needed)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020&cm_re=mx-2-_-35-186-020-_-Product

Heat Sink: You might want a larger heat sink to keep you CPU a little cooler.

good luck to you, I'm sure you'll get plenty of help soon

Thanks, you convinced me, I went ahead and ordered up some MX-3!

Good call, I ended up picking up the one that budz recommended.

power supply (unless u have to have modular...i've been using this model for a year..no probs)
$50 after rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341019

processor (save the hundred bux, this one does the job perfectly)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727
$190

Case ( I have this case, cooks rice and beans....fantastic airflow)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137
$70
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156241
$60 (good airflow)

Motherboard (does everything you'll ever need it to do)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128419
$85 after rebate

Graphics Card (i just like to keep graphics cards "close" to up to date..the 2nd one will keep u updated speed wise for quite a few yrs)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102858
$130
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102858
$165

RAM (imo, no need for the xtra 2 gb's)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226092
$110
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220435
$100 after rebate

LCD Monitor (spend the xtra scratch and get a better brand)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236052
$190 after rebate

total = $1,200

Amazingly $1200 was my original budget but I somehow convinvced myself to spend almost $2k because I thought that's what I needed to get this HD audio/video ripping/encoding process going.

I can't thank you enough, if you take a look at my final setup I pretty much went with all your suggestions (case, PSU, Processor, MB, Video Card, RAM, & monitor) and saved myself quite a bit!

The other recommendation I'd make would be to add another 2TB drive. You may not need this depending on how you're ripping your BRDs. If you're encoding on-the-fly as you're ripping then it isn't needed, but if you're ripping the whole video and then encoding down you'll want to rip to one of the 2TB drives and then encode to the other. Whatever you do don't read/write to the same drive when encoding if you can at all help it. It's easy to move the files back and forth to balance space once you start filling up the destination drive.

Thanks for the feedback! I was hoping you could clarify why its not good practice to "read/write to the same drive when encoding?" I ended up going with a WD Velociraptor for my main drive which I figured would do the grunt work and the WD 2TB Green would be for storage/playback. You think I should add a 3rd drive?

CM Hyper 212 Plus CPU cooler:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

Best cpu cooler at the moment for it's budget price. I just picked one up for my new AMD Quad system.
As mentioned get some Artic Cooler MX2 or MX3 thermal paste.

http://www.svc.com/fan-mx3.html
http://www.svc.com/fan-mx2.html

Scythe S-Flex "F" fan for cpu cooler or for case fans. The S-Flex "G" fans are good too for cpu heatsinks.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185006

Very nice, thanks! I ended up picking up that CPU cooler as well as a couple of the Scythe S-Flex fans. :thumbsup:

Again, thanks to everyone, I obviously came to the right place which still blows my mind since I found this site by complete chance. If everything goes to plan, I should have this new computer built and running sometime this weekend!

[Rantlers]

I do have one stupid question, in addition to the standard monitor cable, will I also need to run an HDMI cable from the video card to the monitor in order to view 1080p?

[HotDamn!]

So, do you need an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) cable, which handles both audio and video in one cord, in order to get a 1080p signal?
We asked this to Robert Gumiela, Sr. Product Manager, CE Division at Samsung Electronics Canada. His response is as follows:
Currently HDMI (versions 1.2a, 1.3) is the only commonly available connection that can deliver 1080p resolution from a video source (such as a Blu-ray player) to a television. 1080p resolution requires a high level of bandwidth that only HDMI can provide. There are however other means of delivering a 1080p signal via Ethernet (using various video compression technologies) and a possible future Component Video solution that is currently under study and review by various industry associations. In general, if you want to absolutely ensure that you have a 1080p connectivity option, you should look for a television that specifies HDMI v1.3 as its input capability.

By the way, Budz is the one that suggested the MX3 MX2 to me also. He knows his stuff. Let us know how the build goes after you do some testing

ps this quote is from 2007

[Rantlers]

By the way, Budz is the one that suggested the MX3 MX2 to me also. He knows his stuff. Let us know how the build goes after you do some testing

Well, I am happy to report back that I am posting this post from my new computer! I definitely had my fair share of bumps, and there was a couple times I wanted to throw everything out the window, but I stuck with it and am already well into the process of backing up my blu-ray library.

Just wanted to thank everyone once again, the computer runs like a dream, definitely puts my Inspiron 1720 laptop to shame!

Here's the final setup (except I used MX-3 instead of MX-2)

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=17728627

[HotDamn!]

By the way, Budz is the one that suggested the MX3 MX2 to me also. He knows his stuff. Let us know how the build goes after you do some testing

Well, I am happy to report back that I am posting this post from my new computer! I definitely had my fair share of bumps, and there was a couple times I wanted to throw everything out the window, but I stuck with it and am already well into the process of backing up my blu-ray library.

Just wanted to thank everyone once again, the computer runs like a dream, definitely puts my Inspiron 1720 laptop to shame!

Here's the final setup (except I used MX-3 instead of MX-2)

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=17728627

I'm glad to here you got it up and running

I'm really curious about your temps with the paste, heat sink/ fan, and the case your using because I may possibly be building with those products soon.

If it's not too much trouble maybe you can post a screen shot of your motherboards temp reader or of one that I'll provide below using the "print screen" key on the keyboard and pasting to "paint" then uploading here.

Core Temp: http: //www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/

HWMonitor: http: //www.cpuid.com/hwmonitor.php

HWMonitor gives you temps for more than just your CPU. Such as GPU and system, ect...

Also a picture of your build would be interesting to see also. It would give me a great idea of what I would be dealing with. If anything, good luck to you and come back for more questions.

[Rantlers]

Hey, no problem, here you go:



The fan speed you see is for the one on the heat sink. The other three don't show up since I connected them directly to the power supply rather than to the motherboard.

Here's a snapshot I took during the build, I definitely should've taken more, especially of each component.

[budz]

^^^^Hey! good to hear you got your build up and running. Dude you need to do some cable management. Run the all the hardware cables behind the motherboard and your pc will look much cleaner and have even better system temps. You can run the 8pin power supply cable through the top slot that's behind the motherboard. Take a look at the CM 690 Club thread at overclock.net. You can get a idea of how the cables are run behind the motherboard by using zip ties and cable mounts. Once the cables are behind the motherboard it may take some strength to slide the case cover on but in the long run you'll have better airflow in there.

http://www.overclock.net/computer-cases/294838-cooler-master-690-club.html

I'm curious as to why the CM Hyper 212 Plus cpu cooler looks like it's slanted in your case.

[redwudz]

With a little work and a few wire ties, you can make it look more like this. Much better airflow.



I ran most of the cables behind the motherboard and behind the motherboard mounting plate.

I'm also wondering why the cooler is sideways. If that was to direct the output air more towards the exhaust fan, not a good idea unless you are still getting full contact with the CPU.

[Rantlers]

^^^^Hey! good to hear you got your build up and running. Dude you need to do some cable management. Run the all the hardware cables behind the motherboard and your pc will look much cleaner and have even better system temps. You can run the 8pin power supply cable through the top slot that's behind the motherboard. Take a look at the CM 690 Club thread at overclock.net. You can get a idea of how the cables are run behind the motherboard by using zip ties and cable mounts. Once the cables are behind the motherboard it may take some strength to slide the case cover on but in the long run you'll have better airflow in there.

http://www.overclock.net/computer-cases/294838-cooler-master-690-club.html

I'm curious as to why the CM Hyper 212 Plus cpu cooler looks like it's slanted in your case.

Thanks! Wow, You just blew my mind. I couldn't figure out for the life of me where to put all those extra cables that weren't even being used from the PSU. I already see from those pics exactly how I'm going to re-run everything. As for why the Heatsink is slanted slightly, that was the only I could get it to line up with the mounting bracket. It's still mounted perfectly flush with the CPU so I imagine its still doing what its designed to. I'm planning on adding an extra HDD very soon, I most certainly will be re-wiring then and will post up a cleaner pic!

Actually, that brings me to another question. I'm interested in adding another 2TB WD Green HDD (possibly TWO more!), do you think my 700W PSU will be sufficient?

[rallynavvie]

Actually, that brings me to another question. I'm interested in adding another 2TB WD Green HDD (possibly TWO more!), do you think my 700W PSU will be sufficient?

Yes. If you were running more GPUs then you would want something more powerful but that PSU you've got should be good even with the case loaded with HDDs.

[redwudz]

Actually, that brings me to another question. I'm interested in adding another 2TB WD Green HDD (possibly TWO more!), do you think my 700W PSU will be sufficient?

More than enough. I run a PC with 9 hard drives with a 500W PS. The easiest way to determine if your PS is overloaded is to check the temperature of the PS exhaust output. Very hot like a hair dryer is bad. Warm or cool is good. The WD 'Green' drives also use a bit less power.

[HotDamn!]

Thanks for the pics!!! Its always good to post a pic of your build to get other opinions. The wire management will help with the airflow a lot.

I think I have my choice in cases narrowed down to just two now. It's only the ending price that will make my decision.

Also, leaving a slot open between each hard drive will help you with airflow, such as the pic redwudz posted.

Getting those wires where they need to go is a hassle but you'll be happy with the ending picture and temps.

[budz]

You could put the hard drives on the lower bays that way the front intake fan isn't blocked. Although some say it's good that the hd's are there so the front intake fan can cool them off. You could also add a additional front intake fan by using zip ties to mount it in the 5.25 bay which will give you more intake of cool air into the case. I've done that with my CM 590 & CM 690 case. Zip ties is a amazing thing to use. With the proper cable management you'll have good airflow with that CM 690 case. Just my 2 cents!

[Rantlers]

Once again guys, can't thank you enough for the feedback! I think I finally got the hang of this, ripped everything apart and rewired. Also in addition:

-- 2 x WD20EADS HDDs
-- Vantec HDD Cooler for Velociraptor
-- replaced Cooler Master stock fans with S-Flex SFF21F's
-- re-aligned Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus





Still not the prettiest thing, but it's a big improvement. Only future mod I have planned right now is a fan regulator, its not the quitest thing in the world, but it definitely does its job.

[Soopafresh]

Looks great! I'll bet notepad and calc just pop open in an instant.

How are the S-Flex SFF21F's ? Did you notice a substantial reduction in fan noise?

[budz]

Hey! Good improvement on the cable management. Cable management and I don't get along!

[redwudz]

Looks good. Much better airflow. The most important thing is getting the warm air out of the case. If your system does that, great. Fan noise levels are a balance of good cooling and minimal noise. If your interior temps are good, you can back down on the fan RPMs and make it a bit quieter without impairing cooling that much. The main heat producers are the CPU and the video card. I wouldn't worry much about the RAM or the drives as long as the case and CPU are cooling properly.

[HotDamn!]

Looks good. Good to see the CPU cooler lined up.