Please check my configuration to built a PC & to run APPro CS5

[Pushpanatha de Silva]

Hi

I have started prepare a list of items to built a PC mainly to run the APPro CS5. as mentioned below.

I would appreciate if you could advice any short comings or comment on my configuration before I start buying stuff to built a new PC for myself. If you know any particular Brand or Model Number you know working very well in the sytems, please do mention those ones also.

Your help is much appreciated. Thanks.

The Systems is as follows:

Processor: Intel i7960 (8M Cache, 3.20 GHz, 4.80 GT/s Intel® QPI)

Genuine Win 7 Ultimate 64Bit + Recoovery DVD

RAM: 24GB DDR3 1600MHz

OPTICAL Drives: 16X max SATA DVD+/-RW with Dual Layer Write Capabilities + 6X Blue Ray Writable Disc drive

Video Card: 1.5GB NVIDIA QUADRO FX 3800

HDD: 256GB SSD Drive (for OS & Applications) + RAID 5 array system with 5 x 1 TB HDD with Hardware RAID Controller

FireWire IEEE 1394 port for DV & HDV capture

19-in-1 Hi-Speed Media Card Reader

Express card reader Slot (for Sony SXS Pro Memory Cards) - 54mm Express Card slot

Monitors: (2 monitors)
Dell U2410 UltraSharp U2410 24-inch Widescreen Monitor
Dell G Series G2410H 24”W Monitor with WLED
(please check whether I can connect these 2 monitors to above Video Card, Nvidia Quadro FX 3800 as mentioned above)

Networking: Integrated Intel® 82578DM GbE Ethernet LAN 10/100/1000 (RJ45)

Normal keyboad and mouse

Hauppauge® WinTV-HVR-1200 Hybrid Analog/Digital TV Tuner

max. of 10 USB 3.0 ports, 4 front, 6 rear (+ 2 internal flex bay); 1 Parallel; 1 Serial; 1 RJ-45; 1 VGA; 1 Display Port; 1 eSATA; 2 Line-in (stereo/microphone); 2 Line-out (headphone/speaker), HDMI IN/OUT port

Type of Mother Board: Please mention the mother board herer..some of my frinds suggested “Gigabyte” X58A-UD 3R

Sound Card: Creative PCI Express Sound Blaster X-Fi™ Xtreme

Thanks

Best regards
Pushpa

[Adam Gold]

Many threads on this already with lots of specific info. Based on those I could make the following comments:

Chip: the 930 is a better value. Or go up to the 980x if speed is a priority, but it's expensive.
Win7 pro is enough. No advantage to Ultimate.
12GB RAM is probably fine. You pay a dear premium for moving up to 24GB because of the high cost of 4GB sticks. But if you can afford it, great.
Asus mobos seem to be popular. I'd check them out.

Otherwise you're in good shape. Others will have more input. But go to the PC editing and HD editing forums and read the threads there; you'll find a wealth of recommendations there.

[Pushpanatha de Silva]

Your advice good as gold !! Thx vm 4 ur input...I have put the same query in other forums too to get a better picture for my final config.
What do u think about the HDD??
I.e. SSD for C;\ and RAID 5 for other 4 other 1TB (each) HDD ??
Your advice is much appreciated with thanks.
Pushpa

[Adam Gold]

I have no personal experience with SSDs but Harm, who knows pretty much everything there is to know about this, points out that SSDs are way overrated and overpriced; a fast smallish Velociraptor is a better deal. Your RAID plan sounds fine. I'm building a new PC now with 5 x 2TB in RAID5 for workdrive.

Have you gone through the other sub-forums here at DVInfo? Much more specific info to be found regarding your build.

[Harm Millaard]

My view on SSD's:

They are quiet, energy friendly, reliable, fast and about 30 - 50 times more expensive per GB than conventional disks.

For laptops, that need to be turned on and off multiple times a day and that have a very short POST time for booting, it makes sense to look at SSD's.

For workstations, that need to be turned on once a day, that have long POST times due to the initializing of raid BIOS, staggered spin-up, more memory to test, it may be possible to reduce the boot time from say 65 seconds to 62 seconds. So what? You can't even take a sip of your coffee in that time.

Loading programs works faster with SSD's. So what? You don't load PR for 2 minute sessions, it will normally be very few times per day if even more than once for an editing session. Fantastic that the load time is reduced from say 6 seconds to 2 seconds. You have just gained 4 seconds this day. Don't look at that coffee cup, that will negate all you just gained.

Tests with 8 SSD's in a raid have shown no discernible difference over 8 conventional disks in a raid.

Why would you spend 30 - 50 times per GB over conventional disks if the performance gain is a couple of seconds per day at most?

If I were to exchange my current conventional disk setup for SSD's, the price tag would run around $ 45 - 55 K to get the same storage capacity, apart from the additional rack space to physically house these SSD's and extra controllers.

To sum it up:

For laptops, SSD's are an option worth considering.

For NLE workstations, they are a waste of money.

Just my $ 0.02

[Steve Kalle]

Harm, come on, are you serious? 30-50 times the cost of conventional drives is no where near reality. You and most others suggest the Velociraptor, which is a minimum $1 per GB. Compare this to an Intel X25 80GB for $200 and that equals $2.5 per GB.

For those that say 80GB is not enough space, I have 27GB free with: CS4 Production, CS5 Master, Cinema 4D, NukeX 6, Win 7 x64 and several smaller programs installed.

I also have an EX1 and use an expresscard to PCIe adapter, and I must restart the computer more often so the SxS cards are seen by the OS. Because of this, the SSD saves me a great deal of time.

I have compared a Velociraptor with a fresh Win 7 X64 installation to my SSD, and its like night and day - the SSD is sooo much faster. Right now, I am using my new HP Z800 which came with a 7200rpm 160GB drive and I have installed everything on this drive for testing. I also have an Intel X25 80GB SSD in my Z800 which I use for work related tasks. Opening most programs on the 7200rpm drive takes far longer than the SSD.

Furthermore, prior to getting a SSD, I had 4 Raptors in Raid for my OS & Apps, and the SSD makes those 4 Raptors feel 10yrs old.

Harm, no one ever said anything about using SSDs to store video, so I don't see why you bring it up.

If SSDs were so useless, then why are they so popular? And why have I installed them in 2 laptops and 2 workstations - am I clueless?

I am now more partial to SSDs for the OS because those 4 150GB Raptors have all died in less than 3 years of use. And 1 of the Velociraptor replacements WD sent me is about dead after 9 months of use (its clicking and making a scratching noise).

[Harm Millaard]

Steve,

Price (average over here):

Intel 80 GB SSD: € 250

Velociraptor 150/300: € 130 /195

Samsung 1 TB F3: € 60

How long is your POST time before you get the Windows logo? What is the time saved ONCE per day?

Does that weigh against the 42 times price increase of an F3 per GB?