Recommendations for the best video-editing desktop on a $1,200 budget!

[CaptainCatholic587]

Hi everyone!

I wasn't quite sure which forum I should post this in, so let me know if I should "move" this discussion!

In any case, my Dell Precision T3600 Workstation (which I purchased in 2013) just broke a few weeks ago! I tried to get it fixed, but no luck. So I need to buy a new desktop computer.

The only thing I'll be using my new computer for is for video-editing. Right now, the main programs I use are Sony Vegas Pro 12 and HitFilm 2 Ultimate (I know, very outdated, haha). Eventually I'll update to more recent versions of both software, but not yet, haha.

My budget is about $1,200.

When purchasing my Dell Workstation back in 2013, I thought it was cool that you could easily add new components (i.e. graphics cards, more RAM, etc.) since it was a workstation. However, I have learned that I will never take the time to modify my computer - I'm too lazy, haha. I didn't make any modifications to my Workstation at all the entire time I had it!

So what I'd like to do is I'd like to take my $1,200 and spend it on the most powerful video-editing computer I can currently buy (i.e. the best video-editing desktop that $1,200 can buy today).*

I do not need something that allows you to easily "add" upgraded components... I don't have a need for expansion. I just want to buy the most powerful desktop computer with the best components that I can afford today, and I won't modify it at all.

I've done just a little bit of research, but honestly I don't really know what I'm talking about and haven't been following hardware advancements.

However, this*HP ENVY Desktop Computer looks pretty good for the price:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X5259PB/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=filmm...410d3188212695

I just wanted to ask - does anyone have any recommendations for me, as to the most "powerful" video-editing computer I can buy for about $1,200? (Also, I'd like the computer to have an SSD hard drive... that was the main reason my previous computer broke, the non-SSD hard drive broke!). And I'd prefer a desktop computer or a workstation (I don't need nor want the portability of a laptop).

Any recommendations would be extremely appreciated!!!

Thanks so much!
Tony

[butterw]

you can likely just use a Sata SSD on your existing system. Components shortages are expected to worsen in the coming months though.

get at least 1TB SSD.

for additionnal storage HDD can be external (ubs3, ex: seagate, wd) with multi-TB capacity.

discrete gpus are currently extremely overpriced, going with prebuilt or an intel igpu is not a bad idea (but make sure you can upgrade to dgpu in the future), no re-install is required for this upgrade.

Asssuming you don't currently have a d-gpu you could reuse, I would recommend going for the recently released intel 11th gen desktop with igpu (ex: i5-11500) because it has an excellent hardware x265 encoder and av1 decoder, hdmi 2.0 (4K60) and PCIe4 support (with b560 motherboard). Otherwise an intel i7-10700 cpu on sale is not a bad choice (16 threads).

[sophisticles]

@OP

For your use case, I think what you chose would be perfect, but I think i would rather get something line this:

https://www.amazon.com/HP-i7-10700T-Processor-Touchscreen-27-d0072/dp/B08BX9CJC2/ref=s...tronics&sr=1-9

Or if you want to splurge:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JVLMYTD/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=Io...mcd_asin_1_img

The HP all-in-ones are pretty nice machines, I would one recently, you can almost think of them as a poor man's iMac

[CaptainCatholic587]

you can likely just use a Sata SSD on your existing system. Components shortages are expected to worsen in the coming months though.

get at least 1TB SSD.

for additionnal storage HDD can be external (ubs3, ex: seagate, wd) with multi-TB capacity.

discrete gpus are currently extremely overpriced, going with prebuilt or an intel igpu is not a bad idea (but make sure you can upgrade to dgpu in the future), no re-install is required for this upgrade.

Asssuming you don't currently have a d-gpu you could reuse, I would recommend going for the recently released intel 11th gen desktop with igpu (ex: i5-11500) because it has an excellent hardware x265 encoder and av1 decoder, hdmi 2.0 (4K60) and PCIe4 support (with b560 motherboard). Otherwise an intel i7-10700 cpu on sale is not a bad choice (16 threads).

Hello, and thank you very much for the response! Ah, I see, so you're saying I might just be able to put a Sata SSD into my existing system, and it should work? Thanks for the suggestion! I currently have my desktop at a PC repair place in my area. The guy there said he did try to put a new SSD in, but it still wasn't working... something about we don't have a disc that came with the computer (i.e. the Windows 7 disc). It sounds like the computer still wasn't working, even with a new hard drive installed?

I'll have to call him again for more information - he made it sound like it couldn't be fixed, but maybe he doesn't know what he's doing, haha.

I'd definitely rather just fix my current computer than buy a new one. Thanks again for the suggestion!

[CaptainCatholic587]

@OP

For your use case, I think what you chose would be perfect, but I think i would rather get something line this:

https://www.amazon.com/HP-i7-10700T-Processor-Touchscreen-27-d0072/dp/B08BX9CJC2/ref=s...tronics&sr=1-9

Or if you want to splurge:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JVLMYTD/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=Io...mcd_asin_1_img

The HP all-in-ones are pretty nice machines, I would one recently, you can almost think of them as a poor man's iMac

Hey thank you so much for the response, I appreciate it! Glad to hear you think the HP I found would be good for my needs, I appreciate the feedback! The HP All-in-one you shared looks awesome! (I'd love to splurge, but my wife wouldn't hear of it, hahaha).

Comparing the two computers (the first HP-All-In-One you shared versus the HP ENVY I posted), does one of them have notable advantages over the other?

Thanks so much again for your help!
Tony

[butterw]

Hello, and thank you very much for the response! Ah, I see, so you're saying I might just be able to put a Sata SSD into my existing system, and it should work? Thanks for the suggestion! I currently have my desktop at a PC repair place in my area. The guy there said he did try to put a new SSD in, but it still wasn't working... something about we don't have a disc that came with the computer (i.e. the Windows 7 disc). It sounds like the computer still wasn't working, even with a new hard drive installed?

I'll have to call him again for more information - he made it sound like it couldn't be fixed, but maybe he doesn't know what he's doing, haha.

I'd definitely rather just fix my current computer than buy a new one. Thanks again for the suggestion!

OS software (ex: Win7) needs to be installed on the boot SSD to be able to use the computer.

[sophisticles]

Comparing the two computers (the first HP-All-In-One you shared versus the HP ENVY I posted), does one of them have notable advantages over the other?

Thanks so much again for your help!
Tony

There's one obviously big difference, the All-In-One is a complete system, including a nice 27 inch monitor (the computer is built into the monitor) while the one you chose is just the tower and you would hook it up to your existing monitor.

Aside from that, the Envy uses an 8 core / thread previous gen processor, while the AIO uses an 8 core 16 thread newer processor and the Envy uses a 512gb SSD boot drive while the AIO uses a 512gb NVMe boot drive.

Any way you look at it they AIO is a much better buy.