Re: Build or 'out of the box'/'off the shelf'? by Thomas Leong on Oct 30, 2008 at 2:33:53 pm
Here's my 2 cents -
1. The Intel Q6600 is about the best buy for the money at the moment. I upgraded to this CPU from a P4 1.6 six months ago.
2. Suggested improvements are -
a) up the RAM to 4GB (2 x 2GB RAM sticks - price is cheap presently and even though 32-bit XP Pro won't see all 4GB, it is not that much of a waste $-wise.
b) add a 3rd HD of say 250GB for the OS. Use the 2 x 640 hard-disks for data, and RAID them if the motherboard has on-board RAID. I use RAID 0 for the fastest performance, though there is no redundancy with RAID 0. You can back up to an external USB SATA drive.
3. I suppose it is possible to get it Out-of-the-box from Dell or someone else. Probably slightly cheaper too since thee companies buy in bulk.
4. I'd recommend build-your-own. It is quite simple once you know how. I started years ago, and have learnt the innards since....such that trouble-shooting in the middle of the night when a deadline is on in the morning is not much trouble these days. Gives me confidence in my machines knowing what is inside. Upgrading bits and pieces becomes easier and cheaper rather than buying a new machine everytime. Self satisfying too.
Re: Build or 'out of the box'/'off the shelf'? by TC Perchert on Oct 30, 2008 at 11:02:45 pm
I'll add that you may want a second processor and up the number of video drives to about 4. But then this all depends on what kind of video you are editing - DV/HDV/SD/HD. You'll be glad you did the 8 cores later, and have plenty of drive space.
TC
Re: Build or 'out of the box'/'off the shelf'? by Ken Green on Nov 5, 2008 at 4:53:41 pm
I think Thomas hit it on the nose. I actually went through a company that allowed me to choose every component of my computer, and they built it for me. I have lifetime support on my machine as well. Costs the same price if I were to have this built by Dell.
KennethGreen.net
Redefining Fine Art to Fine Wine.
Re: Build or 'out of the box'/'off the shelf'? by TC Perchert on Nov 5, 2008 at 8:25:52 pm
My thought is, if you know enough to choose every component, then you might as well build it yourself. Save a few more bucks. Although, in most cases, it will only be a few bucks for similar components, since Dell, HP, and the like get components at a discount.
I feel it all comes down to 1. how comfortable you are with a complete build and 2. if you require good technical support.
I am wary about those who claim to give lifetime support for free. Hell, I could do builds out of my garage and claim free lifetime tech support, but chances are I would recommend something needed replacement - at a charge - rather than try to spend my time troubleshooting an IRQ conflict, or some other erroneous problem over the phone.
Re: Build or 'out of the box'/'off the shelf'? by elijah levine on Nov 12, 2008 at 2:28:34 am
I am actually trying to do two things, which boil down to one.
Namely, can I build (purchase) a 'high end' box/rig, and put in a
'low end' set up for home video/consumer editing? eg. home video software. How will the rig respond to this?
I wish to start off 'low end' as I learn the ropes, and gradually move into the 'high end' set up that I will have already put together.
Re: Build or 'out of the box'/'off the shelf'? by TC Perchert on Nov 12, 2008 at 5:02:02 pm
Elijah - if that's the case, you could easily start out with a build, or even a purchase, with enough CPU power to do both (Dual processors will be better than 1 dual or quad core), skimp a little on RAM and HDD, get relatively inexpensive software such as Adobe Production Premium that can handle the high end as well. Then when you can, increase the RAM and HDDs, and you will already know the software. This will be a big plus later on.
TC
Re: Build or 'out of the box'/'off the shelf'? by elijah levine on Nov 13, 2008 at 9:51:40 am
This is encouraging - thanks.
It raises a number of questions, the main being: does the kind of video I am editing - DV/HDV/SD/HD - influence your suggested modifications in any way?
In my struggle to understand the research information to date,
I have the impression that rig configuration is almost a one-to-one relationship eg. one kind of configuration for one kind of video, a different configuration for another kind of video, and that no "one size fits all" configuration is possible.
Re: Build or 'out of the box'/'off the shelf'? by TC Perchert on Nov 13, 2008 at 3:49:41 pm
Yes and no.
If you are editing full HD, you are going to need a beefy machine wih lots of RAID drive space. If you are editing DV, not so much so. But, it also comes down to what you plan on doing, eg. layers, effects, and such. Even with DV, the more you add to your timeline, as far as layers, text, and effects, the longer your renders will be. A few layers in a :30 project and you could be looking at an all-night render, even with DV, if your hardware isn't up to it.
The software out now will handle whatever you want to edit. I do suggest, so you don't have to re-learn software, to pick up something that can handle your low-end home videos, then you can move to the higher end stuff while remaining with the same software. Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro are both great for this. I like Final Cut Pro on the Mac a little better, but Adobe Production Premium is well integrated and well worth the money. Then, if you like, you can get a system that will handle your home DV well enough (single dual core processor, single video drive), learn the software, then move up to a beefier machine to handle your higher end stuff (dual quad core processors, 4 or 5 drive RAID array).
Re: Build or 'out of the box'/'off the shelf'? by elijah levine on Nov 14, 2008 at 1:45:57 am
Essentially, hardware-wise, for what I have in mind, the transition would require purchase of another but faster CPU, and additional hard drives. Have I got this right?
Re: Build or 'out of the box'/'off the shelf'? by TC Perchert on Nov 14, 2008 at 6:08:40 pm
Two things with the CPU, since I'm not sure how much you know about them. If you went with a second CPU later, you would need to get an identical one to the first one (or get 2 new that work in the motherboard socket) - you can't mix and match. Also, if you add a second one, you may need to reinstall Windows at that time.
Now, you hadn't really posted any specs, so I can't say for sure about hardware. CPU, RAM, and Hard Drives would most likely need to be upgraded or purchased later on.
TC
