N00b requires help for budding teenage editor

[Russ]

Hello - I hope I am writing in the correct place (and I'm sure you've seen eleventy billion queries like this - but onwards...)

My daughter has been editing video for a while (and claims she wants to do it as a job). However her current PC just isn't cutting mustard when it comes to proper editing packages. She says she can get Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects subscription as student for peanuts (she can, I checked) but needs a PC that has the balls to run it.

I know that Macs are the preferred weapon of choice, but my ex-wife won't have one in the house, so I'm lumbered with trying to find a PC. The trouble is, I don't really know enough about the specifications (or understand what they mean) to make an informed choice. I'm told that I need 32MB RAM, i5 Processor and a GTX160.

Hence I found this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CCL-4-0GHz-Intel-Hexa-Core-i5-Gaming-Desktop-PC-32GB-1TB-Wi...IAAOSwfHBci4ZN

CPU

CPU Family: Intel Core i5
Processor Number: 8400
CPU Speed: 2.8 GHz
L3 Cache: 9 MB
Socket: LGA1151
Architecture: 64-bit
Technology: 14nm
Number of Cores: 6
Number of Threads: 6
Turbo Core: 4.0 GHz
Memory
Description: Samsung
Memory Size (Total): 32768 MB
Memory Type: DDR4
Memory Speed: 2400 MHz
Number of Modules: 2 module
Error Correction: No
Voltage: 1.2 V
Pin Configuration: 288 pin

Hard Disk

Description: Seagate BarraCuda
Disk Capacity: 1 TB
Disk Speed: 7200 RPM
Data Buffer/RAM: 64 MB
Average Latency: 4.16 ms
Dedicated Graphics
Description: GeForce GTX 1060
Memory Size: 3GB
Memory Clock: 8000 MHz
Memory Width: 192 bit
Video Card Bus Type: PCI Express
Base Chip Clock: 1506 MHz
Boost Chip Clock: 1708 MHz
Additional Graphics
Description: Intel UHD 630
Solid State Disk
Drive Size: 2.5Inches
Description: CCL Choice

Motherboard

Chipset Manufacturer: Intel®
Chipset: H310
Network (Wireless)
Speed Options: Up to 300Mbps
RF Network Standard: 802.11b/g/n
Frequency Band: 2.4 to 2.4835GHz

Do you guys think this'll be OK for an entry level machine to edit basic stuff on. We're not talking Aquaman levels of complexity; at this stage its more about learning to use the tools and not having to wait an age for everything render.

I'm sorry if this is an often asked question, but I don't really know anyone with the expertise to help or advise.

If you could point me in the right direction, I'd be ever so grateful.

Thanks so much

Russ

[katnisssarrow]

I am an editor as well and I would recommend an HP Spectre. They are kind of pricey, but one of the top recommended laptops that are not Mac. The one I have is an i7 and it runs great with my editing program.


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[Russ]

Thanks Katniss - I think desktop is not an issue and from what I've seen laptops much more pricey than the desktop listed here.

I'm just wondering if the above will fit the bill. As I say, we not looking at top of the range, just looking for entry level at the moment (she may want to be an astronaut next year *lol*)

[katnisssarrow]

Ahhh okay. I haven’t done much research into desktops because I prefer laptops.


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[Russ]

Not to worry - I just wanted to see if the spec of the machine above would run Pro and After Effects. If it does... bonus! But thanks so much for reading and coming back to me, much appreciated.

Cheers

Russ

[usually_quiet]

I have a system with an i5-8400 processor and a B360 chipset motherboard which I built myself. It's fine for my rather light editing requirements but your daughter probably needs something with a faster processor and a more robust motherboard.

The desktop system in your post would definitely be inadequate for heavy editing use. Its motherboard is based on the H310 chipset, which means it is a very cheap board with only 2 memory slots.

A motherboard based on the H370 or Z370 chipset would be more durable, better able to handle long encoding sessions and most of these boards are able to take 4 sticks of RAM. If an i7 processor is too expensive, then the processor should be a faster i5, such as an i5-9600K. Unfortunately, I don't know what manufacturers are able to supply a good, not-too-expensive, pre-built desktop system with those specs these days.

[Cornucopia]

Please get her a frickin' SSD! (256+).
1TB is nice to have the space, but everything works speedier with an SSD, both app load time, caching, pre-renders, copying, everything.

Get a vid card that supports all the HWR accelleration options (as should the CPU): IIWY, I'd go up to a 1080.
32GB is good for now, but leave room for expansion to 64+.

Otherwise, completely agree w/ U_Q.

Oh, and 1) Desktop ALWAYS gives you more bang for your buck. You're just tied down, that's all. 2) "Preferred Mac" is BS. Don't believe a word of it. It's quite split in the industry, and on campus (I'm quite familiar with both). Been using both platforms for 2 1/2 decades, you can do equally with Adobe on both. But in work, I us WinPC 85% of time and Mac 15% of the time, because there are more necessary options on a PC. "While Mac is very good quality, lots of what you are paying for is the name cache." So says my IT colleague who is an Apple fanboi.

Scott

[KarMa]

I know that Macs are the preferred weapon of choice,

No. No real exclusive programs worth having anymore (Final Cut Pro, iMovie, meh), very over priced hardware, usually can't be upgraded and when it can be upgraded Apple usually goes out of their way to make customer upgrades as painful and dangerous as possible. I don't even like Dell, but Dell is an angel compared to Apple.

[KarMa]

Please get her a frickin' SSD! (256+).
1TB is nice to have the space, but everything works speedier with an SSD, both app load time, caching, pre-renders, copying, everything.

It comes with a 120GB SSD which should be enough for the OS + any programs.

IIWY, I'd go up to a 1080.

Why is that? You won't get any better encoding over the lower cards. Pretty much only good if you are special effects power user.

[Cornucopia]

No, 120 would be pushing it with Win10 os + Adobe CC suite + other apps and/or data. And you don't want to be pushing your SSD.

1080 is better than 1060 if you do FX, or also if you do Compositing (they did mention AE), or for Color work, or if they get into 4k+.

Scott

[Russ]

Guys - thank you so much for taking time out to help me, it's really very much appreciated.

@Scott - I'm looking at the same search only with 1080 and the desktops are coming in at nearly £1000 more (eg: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vibox-Gaming-PC-Intel-i5-Quad-Core-Nvidia-GTX-1080-32GB-RAM...8AAOSwgstbZHH1) which is way out of my price range. But I hear what you're saying, maybe I'll look at a hire-purchase deal - again - thanks for the detailed response.

@Unusually Quiet - that's another way to go, I'll also investigate "build houses" where you can select your own components, there's one called PCS that I keep finding in my searches.

Honestly, you guys, can't thank you enough.

Cheers

Rus

[Jay4]

Anything you can do with a laptop, you can do better with a desktop, and they outlast laptops to boot.

Many here can give you better guidance than I, but I'll add my $.02. A large hard drive is valuable, but so is the SSD. My budget recommendation is a small SSD (128), coupled with a larger (1TB) spinning drive. Put the operating system and relevant programs on SSD, use the spinning HD for data. Speed is great, but you do have to put the data somewhere.


EDIT...

What about something like this?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079H6BPJZ/ref=psdc_13896597011_t1_B07PRFCKST?th=1

[Russ]

Hi Jay - we've got a few external HDDs - not an issue for storing stuff at all.

Let me check this out - I'm in the UK, so will see if we have it over here. Thanks so much... you guys are amazing.

[budwzr]

Any modern laptop with i7/SSD will do.

[sneaker]

My budget recommendation is a small SSD (128), coupled with a larger (1TB) spinning drive.[/url]

A 1 TB SSD only costs 100 Euro nowadays. HDDs only really make sense if you go far beyond 1 TB.

The i5 CPU isn't bad. Maybe Ryzen is a better budget choice but I think either way it can do some work. 32 GB RAM may be overkill for basic editing.
GPU is very dependent on the workflow and might not do anything at all while costing quite a bit. And GTX 1060 is last gen.