I am researching hardware for a new PC (I use Adobe software), and I am wondering what the most important pieces of hardware are for fast exporting time. I export into a variety of formats, including mov, mpg, mp4, windows media, etc.

Should I be looking at 1 or 2 quad-core processors? How many gigs of ram? How much benefit would I get with a 10,000 or 15,000 rpm hard drive as opposed to one that is 7,200 rpm?

Any info would be great.

Do you export a sequence to multiple formats? If so, there are 2 options. One is to create a 'watch folder' and export a single master file and then AME will automatically encode to the desired formats for the watch folders. At the moment, this is what I do. The 2nd option is to use a program like TMPGEnc. You still export a single master file and use TMPGEnc to export to multiple formats. This workflow is faster because TMPGEnc allows you to export multiple formats at the same time whereas AME only allows one format at a time. Furthermore, many formats don't utilize anywhere near 100% of a dual-Quad so TMPGEnc allows you to export multiple formats and use all 100% of a dual-Quad system.

Either choice benefits from using Cineform as the format of your master file (unless you use a Mac and then you can use Pro Res). For Cineform, all you need is the basic NeoHD, which runs $99-129 based upon where you buy it.

Another consideration is whether you use After Effects a little or a lot. I use AE quite a bit, which is partly why I bought a dual-6 core HP Z800 with 24GB of ram. AE really benefits from more cores and a lot of ram.

For the TMPGEnc setup, you need a decent Raid setup. At a minimum, I would use a 4-drive Raid 10, either with 1TB or 2TB 7200rpm drives. For the money, the 2TB Hitachi drives are the best deal ($129-149 each). Most Intel motherboards provide an integrated Raid so as long as all the drives fit inside the case, this is a simple and very cost effective setup.

In addition to the 4 drives for Raid 10, you need at least 2 more drive, one for the OS & Apps and one for page file/media cache.

There are many threads here discussing various hard drive setups.