So, I was going to buy an HP 380t for working with HD footage on CS5, but users on the forum have convinced myself and others that this may not be a great choice.

Here is a link to the HP 380t - HP Pavilion Elite HPE-380t series | HP Official Store (http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_can_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=desktops&a1=Category&v1=High+performance&series_name=HPE380t_series&jumpid=in_R329_prodexp/hhoslp/psg/desktops/High_performance/HPE380t_series)

I would get it with:
1tb hard drive
2 gb ati graphics card
intel i7 quad core

It seems like a perfect computer at a great price for editing, but with one flaw - it only has one hard drive.

Could I add a hard drive, making it a great choice for editing on?

I am not looking to build my own as I am moving off to college. I am looking for a pc with this kind of power in the $1,300 and under range.

Also, would it be better to go with the 2GB ATi graphics card or the 1GB ATi graphics card with 2 hdmi, which is more expensive?

Ryan,
there is nothing wrong with that system. Gurus in general tend to stay away from HP but they are not the worst out there. I hear good things about Dell. But what does college have to do with not building your own? It will be much cheaper.

Anyhow, you can easily add a hard drive to the system. One thing you may want to check is the graphics card. I would recommend getting a 128-bit (I'm not sure what they are offering, but the last 5450 I saw was only 64-bit). Other than that, just be sure it has the connections to support what you need to do.

JS

Thanks for the response. I just want to make sure that i will be able to run Premiere CS5 without a problem.

Do you have any recommendations for another hard drive? I think it would be worth it so that not everyting is going through one.

I will look at Dell, but I have had much better experience with HP.

As far as not building one goes, I do not have the knowledge nor the time to make one. I like that HP offeres a 2 year warranty as well.

It's common to keep your OS on the main drive and everything else on a separate drive. I've had great experience with the "Western Digital Caviar Black," you might like the 5 year warranty. This - http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=488.

JS

Looks cool. Is this something that I could use externally through a fire wire or something?

Ryan,

If you want to add a hard drive, I would just look at adding a 1TB or 2TB drive that is 7200 RPM and has a SATAII connection. You should be able to find a variety relatively cheap on Newegg.com .

As far as the video card, CS5 will not be hardware accelerated (Mercury Playback Engine) on an ATI card. Upgrade that system to the Nvidia GTX 260. You'll find it the most important upgrade you can do on that system.

Dell's quality has gone downhill the past year or so. That may just be my opinion, but I've been a BIG Dell supporter over the years and have watched them go from using solid, reliable components that made their computers better than the rest to a company that just cares about the bottom line. That means getting someone in Tech support from India as well. I have no problem with that and don't mean to demean anyone, but it seems to me that the level of support often is left wanting. It's not just a Dell thing, it's across the industry.

Here's another HP option from Newegg that would get the job done. Whoever did the wiring inside needs to be fired though. I would definitely NOT overclock something stuffed in a case like that with cables shoved everywhere.

Newegg.com - HP Pavilion Elite E9180F(NP267AA#ABA) Intel Core i7 920(2.66GHz) 9GB DDR3 1TB NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883107989)

Thanks a lot for all of your help, Craig.

That HP model seems to be an older model, but I'll definitely upgrade to the nvidia graphics card!

I can also customize the hard drive so that I can have either -

1TB RAID 0 (2 x 500GB SATA HDDs)

or

3TB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s - two 1.5TB hard drives

So, if I do this while ordering, I wont have a need for an external hard drive. It seems that if i do one of these upgrades it will solve my problems and I will be set?

I would not recommend just a single RAID 0 array for everything (this is exactly what the HP's RAID 0 option is) with no other drive to supplement it. This is because if anything, editing using such a configuration would be even slower than using a single drive. RAID 0 basically stripes the two hard drives so that Windows detects the entire array as a single 1TB drive volume (with two 500GB hard drives). Unfortunately, while a RAID 0 array is fast at either read or write, it is extremely sluggish at doing both simultaneously (this is what you would encounter during video editing and encoding/transcoding).

Alright, would you then suggest I get 3TB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s - two 1.5TB hard drives?

A quick scan through that link you provided indicates that you may be able to get this machine with a GTX 260 nVidia video card. Assuming this option is a normal GTX260 and not some special weird thing made only for HP, it should run the Mercury Playback Engine under CS5. (I'm using a GTX 260 in my system.) This is a good thing for your plans.

Factor in the cost of a good UPS unit. A surge protector alone is not enough.

The power supply is small. Basically, you won't want to add much stuff to the inside of this computer (except maybe some fans to help cool the thing). If you later want to add drives besides those in the box, you should look at external drives.

For the hard drives, get the two separate drives rather than the RAID 0 set-up. The Raid 0 set-up makes the Raid your system drive as well as your media drive and you want to avoid that. If nothing else, it really slows down your system for video editing as Randall says. The extra space on your system drive is not a wate. For one thing, drive and program responsiveness slows way down as the drives fill up. A large portion of empty space will make the system seem a lot snappier. Also, the extra space means you have a place to park files like your Adobe Encore DVD projects. Writing those files that way is much less taxing than working with everything on the same drive.

Finally, it did not look like HP offers a Blu-Ray burner as an option. When I scanned the options, it looked as though you only could get a Blu-ray player, not a burner. You might consider getting lesser HP optical drive with a plan to replace it with Blu-ray burner/reader like the Pioneer BD205 when funds permit..

Yeah, Ill be getting the nvidia 260 as well as the 3gb (2x1.5GB sata hard drives)

So with these specs, along with 9GB RAM and an intel i7 930 quad core processor, I'll be all set?

Ryan, I don't want to be a lemon - I've had 2 HP machines none of them survived for long when I did serious work on them ( NLE + coding - I'm a computer developer ). My main points against HP are

1. They often use their own or re-branded motherboards that are stripped down to support exactly what the specification says

2. The cooling solution in the provided case, will it be able to coop with the extended heat from running NLE for a whole day? The i7 930 gets seriously hot when loaded to 100% with hyperthreading enabled ( in the 85-90 C range )

Is it really so much cheaper to buy a HP compared to a custom built PC? It doesn't have to be custom built for NLE, a serious gaming machine with a Nvidia Fermi(CUDA) card will be as good(or better)

Just my 2 cents...

Good luck!

// Lasse

ps. And yes, I build all my machines myself these days, cheaper + I choose all components ds.

[So with these specs, along with 9GB RAM and an intel i7 930 quad core processor, I'll be all set?[/QUOTE]

All set? Does that mean, "will it work?" or does it mean "will I be happy with the machine?"

What you've got is more capable than some of the laptops that some folks are happily using to edit CS5 video. So, can you use the HP for editing with PPro? Sure, and for a bunch of other things, as well.

But many folks who start using PPro find that their needs/wants increase as they do more work with the program. If that happens, you will find your options for increasing capacity with the HP box are very limited. If you start working with bigger projects --- the kind of situations that Lars described --- you are likely to run into cooling issues with this kind of box. It may result in serious slowdowns, it may result in crashes, or just general weirdness, or you may just cook your machine. When that happens, you either spend a lot more money to buy a more capacious pre-built machine or you wind up going the self--assembled route we've recommended that you start with.

Or maybe, when at school, you will be mostly working in a campus editing lab with more capable set-ups?

So, how "set" you are and for how long isn't something we can answer for you.

Ryan

The system you are looking at will work fine for CS5. One thing, CS5 can run the Mercury Playback Engine in hardware mode with an NVidia card. At GT240, GTS250 or GTX260 with 1 gig would be a good choice and will keep you in your budget.

To unlock Premiere CS5 to use one of the NVidia cards mentioned above check out this article:
Adobe Premiere CS5 Video Cards with CUDA Acceleration Mercury Playback Hack Mod Tip Unlock (http://www.studio1productions.com/Articles/PremiereCS5.htm)

Just add a second hard drive and you are set.

Alrght, I am not a professional editor - I just love film and enjoy editing when I have footage. I think for that, I will be fine with the HP.

However, I may have someone to help me make a PC as well. Does anyone have a link to a complete list of components and parts that I will need to create this beast?

I would hate to configure this myself because I am not the most knowledgeable when it comes to compatibility with motherboards,video cards, etc.

Thanks

Motherboard:

ASUS P6X58D-E, X58, Socket-1366

CPU:

Intel i7 930 ( 2.8 ghz original, mine at 4.0 )

CPU Cooler:

Corsair H50 watercooling system(for novices)

PSU:

Corsair HX 750W PSU

Memory DDR3 12gb:

Corsair XMS3 DDR3 1600MHz 12GB CL9

Graphics:

Gainward GeForce GTX 480 1536MB PhysX (with a Thermalright Spitfire cooler for a more quiet operation)

Case:

Coolermaster HAF 932

My Disk setup:

1x Intel G2 160gb SSD for OS and some apps
1x Intel G2 80gb SSD for Apps
1x Vertex SSD for temps & scratch

2x1TB Sata2 HDD for storage & content

Add any DVD and/or BluRay device that you need

// Lasse

Thanks a lot! With that setup, CS5 should run well?

Extremly well :-)

I don't think you can get a much better setup without paying twice as much

// Lasse

<<Recommendations>>

Lars has spec-ed an excellent machine. It may be beyond your budget. Another recipe that many of us have used comes from one of the DVinfo sponsors, Videoguys. Here's a link to their recipe with components:

Videoguys Blog - Videoguys' DIY7.7: Intel Core i7 with Vista 64 AND Now Windows 7 (http://www.videoguys.com/Guide/C/DIY+Systems/Videoguys+DIY++Intel+Core+i7/0xe07f65920351fbf3ed8f9892355dfda0.aspx)

Videoguys does not assemble the things, does not sell kits. and, except for Blu-Ray burners and and Quadro display cards, does not sell the components. A lot of folks use Newegg as a source for components which would be convenient for you. However, with you being in San Jose, you might (or might not) find similar or better deals by wandering through the equipment stores in your town.

Three things to consider with the Videoguys specs.

(a) Their recommended system CPU is an I7/920. But the newer I7/930 CPUs seem to be less expensive and also seem to run a bit cooler than the I7/920. I'd say: get the I7/930.

(b) If you get an ASUS motherboard, ASUS has a utility program (run from the BIOS) called AI Tweaker which basically lets the motherboard automatically control overclocking. Basically, the software monitors heat and other such parameters and gives you some overclocking while reining it in if things get too hot. This allows for somewhat higher performance without having to master the details that overclocking might otherwise entail.

(c) The Videoguys' recipe includes nVidia Quadro display cards (which Adobe also recommends). You do not necessarily need a Quadro card for what you want to do. The much higher price of the Quadro cards reflects some extra features (such as special software-hardware acceleration of encoding) and a much better telephone support team. These things are important to some folks who use this stuff to earn their living. While I use this stuff to earn my living, I've also been very content to use a GTX 260. Lars has recommended one of the nVidia based cards that are replacing or have replaced the GTX2xx series. Looks like a good choice.

Lars's system uses SSD's (solid state drives.) These are much more expensive than regular hard drives. I really want some but haven't yet found the budget for them. They certainly can make your life with CS5 better but: (a) you can add them later when budget allows and workflow requires; and (b) you still get good performance from SATA drives which are much less expensive right now.

Also, I think Randal Leong started a thread on computer cases for editing machines, and you should look at that when deciding on the case to buy.

The recommendations we have been giving you are for the computer "box." They have not included some things you will definitely need unless you already have a keyboard, mouse and monitor sitting around. You will need a USB keyboard, a USB mouse, and a decent size monitor. DVinfo has a whole forum on monitors. (It may be educational for you or it might just be too much information so that you just go over to Costco and buy whatever 24" monitor(s) they have on sale.)

Finally, in budgeting for your system, do not forget to a battery-back up/UPS unit. (Our local Costco has Trip-Lite units on sale for $99 so think about that in setting your budget.)

Alright, thanks for all of your help! I am currently adding everything to my cart on newegg and was wondering which nvidia gtx 260 you recommend -

Newegg.com - PNY VCGGTX260CXPB GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133270)

or the overclocked

Newegg.com - MSI N260GTX Twin Frozr OC GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127464)



Also

This is what I have so far - I know I need a case and a hard drive, but is there anything else? As far as the hard drives go, I'm somewhat confused. Does anyone have a cost effective option (ie no ssd's)?


MSI N260GTX Twin Frozr OC GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active ...

ASUS P6X58D-E LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield 2.8GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80601930

CORSAIR Cooling Hydro Series CWCH50-1 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler

CORSAIR XMS3 12GB (6 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model

This brings the total to almost $1,300, which is what I want to spend. However, I still don't have the hard drive added.

Any recommendations of how to cut the cost would be greatly appreciated.

You only need a case (Lian LI PC-A77F for example) and a bigger PSU (850 W +) and the largest number of Samsung F3's you can afford for storage and a Velociraptor for the boot disk.

Harm,

Personally I'd take a Coolermaster case over a Lian Li everyday of the week ;-)

Velociraptor or SSD? The raptor is almost as expensive, it is loud and gets really hot... a SSD is PURE power ( and there are several 80gb SSD for about 150 USD )

isn't 1gb the minimun gfx-memory recommended for running CUDA with Prem Pro?

// Lasse

Right now I am trying to bring the price down - anyone have any suggestions as to how?

hmm, what to do to get the price down:

1. Go for HDD only, hit the sweet spot of 750gb/1tb drives. Get at least 2 and run them in strip(raid 0) - or better get 4 and run 2 stripe sets with 2 drives each

2. Use the original CPU cooler (intel) - will do if you don't plan to overclock

3. You can use a smaller PSU if you aren't overclocking + getting a less power hungry gfx card. This will be a good candidate: Fractal Design Newton R2 650W

4. Last resort, go for 6gb DDR3 memory for now, add more when you have more money

// Lasse

Does that mean I won't need the hydro cooling if I don't plan on overclocking?

Ryan,

The Intel stock cooler will be just fine if you don't overclock

// Lasse

Ryan --

1. If you don't overclock (other than using the ASUS AI tweaker on auto), you can use the stock fan that comes with the I7. But, I'd suggest getting a small tube of Arctic Silver thermal compound. (It's inexpensive and is carried by everybody from NewEgg to RadioShack.). Spread a thin layer over top of the CPU before snapping the cooling fan into place. Gives you better dispersion of heat off the CPU through the fan.

2. Remember that you want at least two hard drives, one for the system/OSs/prgrams and one for the media files. Videoguys recommended Hitachi 1tb SATA 7200rpm Deskstars and Harm MIllaard recommended 1 tb 7200 rpm Samsung F3s. NewEgg carries both of them and both are (I think) about $75 apiece. Sometimes they sell "bare" drives for less, which means that you need to buy the connecting cables separately. Sometimes the ASUS motherboards come with SATA cables -- check the NewEgg product page for the mobo and see what is included in the mobo box.

3. You also will need a DVD burner or Blu-Ray burner. You will need this to be able to install the operating system and software besides later burning DVDs when you edit projects. (The first thing you do when you've got everything up assembled is put a Windows 7 disk in the drive and use it to format your disks and then install an operating system.)

Lars, its nice to see a fellow SSD user/advocate. I also have several Intel X25 80GB (3 total in 3 PCs). I totally agree that it doesn't make any sense to get a Velociraptor now that the price of Intel SSDs have fallen so much (and will drop even more within the next 2 months once the 25nm-SSDs start shipping).

However, I totally disagree with you :p about Lian Li and Coolermaster. I have a giant Lian Li case that will last me forever. It was $300, holds 12 3.5" HDDs, has 9 5.25" bays and can hold 2 PSU's. Oh yeah, its extremely quiet too.

Ryan, a good and inexpensive way to get near Velociraptor performance is by getting a 500GB drive and 'Short Stroking' - this works by using only the first 80GB of the drive where it is the fastest. Google 'Short Stroking' and you will find several benchmarks. I recommend Seagate or Hitachi because I know for certain that both companies provide free software to set the drive to a smaller size. According to the short stroking reviewers, its not good enough just to create an 80GB partition - you must use the software to change the size. Don't worry, you can easily go back in and reset the drive to its full capacity (I have done so with SeaTools - Seagate's free software).

For the GTX 260, get the PNY that has 216 cores. I have the PNY in my home PC and it comes with a lifetime warranty.

Check if Microcenter is near you because they have the i7 930 for only $199, and they will match newegg's prices. Another place to check out is TigerDirect.com because I don't think they are in CA so you won't have to pay CA's huge sales tax.

I wouldn't worry about the Thermal Paste because the Intel cooler already has it pre-applied. For a novice, its a pain to apply the correct amount of paste and evenly.

If you haven't done so already, immediately sign up for newegg's newsletter because they email coupons every week and only those registered can use these coupons. I recently saw a coupon for the Seagate 7200.12 1TB drive for $60 and the Hitachi 2TB drive for $119. They usually limit the coupons to 1 drive or 5 drives so be aware.

One more tip: the 'Home Premium' version of Windows 7 limits the ram to 16GB whereas the 'Pro' and Ultimate are around 128GB.

On a side note: I am not trying to change your mind here but I need to clarify an important difference between 'gaming' graphics cards and 'workstation' cards such as the Quadro. The gaming cards are designed for games (duh) and new drivers are released all the time. They aren't tested for maximum compatibility with professional software. They are tested to provide the best performance with games. One major difference I have noticed since moving to a Quadro in my work PC is no damn BSODs due to the nvidia geforce driver, which I was experiencing in 2 different PCs with different Geforce cards and Win 7 in both. Over half the time, I was using either 'XP Mode' or VMWare Workstation - a professional application. Since using the Quadro, I have not seen a single BSOD. Furthermore, PNY, who sells the Quadro, will create a custom driver for your system if needed (and you have one of their Quadro's).

Steve,

:-) OT: It is amazing how users from all around the world can get together in quality forums like this, helping each other.

My main reason for the Coolermaster is that it is one of the few cases that are "certified by Nvidia" - cooling a Geforce 480 is tough business!

You hade some excellent advice for Bryan, I hope that he will get himself a good machine!

I was tempted to buy a Quadro card, but since my Wife want me to have LESS computers, this is a combo-box for Gaming, DAW, NLE and coding (my main profession is MS Developer/Systems Architect)

// Lasse

Ryan:

Consider the Quadro cards if you will using your machine to run graphics-intensive professional applications other than what is in CS5. But, your plan is to use the machine at school to run CS5, some office productivity apps (word processing etc), and maybe a game or two, right? My opinion is that, with that plan and your budget, a GTX card should be fine.

I've been running a PNY GTX260 for a year with with CS4 and now CS5. I use the machine only for video and audio editing, Photoshop and related tasks. I've connected a scanner (for importing photos and OCR of program handouts for cast lists and members of wedding parties, etc.), and a printer (for printing DVDs and photos), I run a dual monitor setup with an MXO2 Mini and and a Sony TV for external editing. I have Open Office for when I need it. I run WinPatrol and Norton 360 (came with the motherboard), and a couple of the mobo apps. Never had a BSOD (blue screen of death crash).

On updates: As Steve notes, gamer cards get frequent updates and the engineers don't always pay attention to (or even seem to care about) anything but games. My suggestion is to turn off automatic updating of video drivers and software and only update after you've checked forums like this for reports of problems with your applications. If there are problems and everything is working, hold off on the update. That said, the only problem I've had with updating my PNY GTX260 came when I installed Avid MC5 and the software reported that it wanted an earlier version of the nVidia drivers before it would install. No such problems now that I've updated after installation. (I've got both MC5 and CS5 because I've been editing video for a while and I accumulated relatively inexpensive upgrade rights. This won't be an immediate problem for you.)

Regarding the sales tax: Tiger Direct collects sales taxes for shipments to some states but not others, and California seems to be one of the others for whom TD does not collect the tax. The advantage of NewEgg or a local vendor is, despite the sales tax, they have good return policies in case you get a dead component and they will be close to hand. In the past, Tiger Direct has had some issues on that side of the business. I haven't bought anything from them recently, so I'd suggest checking up on this.

On thermal paste: I did not know that the I7/930 kit comes with thermal compound already applied. When I got my I7/920 last year, I didn't see anything in the instructions nor on the cooler surfaces or the CPU, so I ran down to our local Radio Shack to buy a tube of Arctic Silver. If the I7/930 already has thermal compound, save yourself the $3.

Alright, so without a case, keyboard, mouse, and fans, I am already at $1,300 for what seems to be the same as the HP except for a couple things.

I am getting 2x 1tb hd's if I make a computer, but with the HP i get 2x 1.5tb hd's

Besides that, the only difference seems to be that the HP has a smaller power supply...

So this is costing me quite a bit more than the hp

Alright, so without a case, keyboard, mouse, and fans, I am already at $1,300 for what seems to be the same as the HP except for a couple things.

I am getting 2x 1tb hd's if I make a computer, but with the HP i get 2x 1.5tb hd's

Besides that, the only difference seems to be that the HP has a smaller power supply...

So this is costing me quite a bit more than the hp

Yes, but you will be getting much more case airflow than you would in the HP. The HP ships with (and can accommodate without major modifications) only one case fan, which is severely undersized and barely adequate for cooling even a stock-speed i7. Worse, you cannot upgrade the GPU without also replacing the PSU because the PSU is barely adequate for a stock-speed low-end CPU with only onboard (integrated on-motherboard) video.

Ryan, here's another resource for recipes for having somebody build the ocmputer for you: Look here: Adobe Forums: What PC to build? (Sorry, I can't get the link to work. Just go to the other recent thread here on Video Cards and find Harm Millard's posting with the link there for his recommendations on what he calls a "budget" machine.

Not meaning to beat this to death, but with the HP that configured to run CS5, have you priced it with the two 1.5TB drives, DVD burner, and a GTX260 video card? Is that combination still $1300 or is it more?

What we are saying is that the HP will work but it might or might not work well enough to suit you. With the HP case and smaller power supply, it is kind of like buying a car with a small radiator that works fine for light duty commuting and occasional drives around town but which overheats when you get stuck in heavy traffic or try to drive at highway speeds up a mountain on hot day.

Ryan,

Keep in mind that HP's can not be overclocked easily if at all. Their PSU is non-standard and cannot be exchanged for a more powerful one. Everything not in the standard configuration is exorbitantly expensive. They steal you blind.

If you go here: Adobe Forums: Forum: Hardware Forum (http://forums.adobe.com/community/premiere/hardware_forum?view=discussions&start=0) and press the Overview tab, there is a drop down box with articles that may be interesting to read.

Ryan,

Keep in mind that HP's can not be overclocked easily if at all. Their PSU is non-standard and cannot be exchanged for a more powerful one. Everything not in the standard configuration is exorbitantly expensive. They steal you blind.

Yep. If the OP goes for the HP anyway, he cannot replace the PSU without also replacing the case. (Although the HP's motherboard uses standard ATX/EPS+12V connectors, the PSU is designed to fit only the HP's original case and will not fit a standard ATX or mATX case - nor can the HP case accept standard ATX PSUs - without major modifications.)

What's more, an upgrade from Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional costs more than the difference in full retail prices for the two versions of that OS. And an upgrade to a 1GB Radeon HD 4850 or an 896MB GeForce GTX 260 costs much more than what those two cards currently sell for at Newegg (after factoring in the actual value of the 380t's base HD 5450). Plus, the HP does not offer a memory configuration that uses only three DIMMs at all; the base configuration uses four DIMMs which forces the imbalanced "Flex" memory mode (and even the free "upgrade" uses five DIMMs, which still forces the "Flex" memory mode). This makes the 12GB six-DIMM upgrade (the minimum that I'd recommend for that i7 configuration), at $100 over the base configuration, preferable (although that $100 price tag is still higher than those of some 4GB memory kits from mail-order resellers).

So I spec'd everything and it comes in at around $1500.

I am a starving college student looking to edit in my dorm room so I'm aiming at $1,200 to afford my 27 inch monitor.

Things I want to keep - i7 930.

I tried bringing the RAM from 12GB to 8GB and the difference in cost was $29

Ryan,

Wait another month or so, you'll have more money(I guess) and the CPU will be a little bit cheaper(since Intel releases a new series of cpus in Q4)

// Lasse

I would if I could, but I am about to start school so I need to make this now.

Any suggestions on how to make this a $1200 - $1300 machine?

Also, thank you all for your help so far.

Double post.

Also, I'm looking for a case with 2 HDMI ports

Ryan,

It isn't the case that has 2 HDMI slots, it is the graphics card.

Most modern GFX cards has a mix of

1x mini HDMI
2x DVI-D

optional:

Displayport

You can use an adapter to convert DVI-D to HDMI (or VGA)

// Lasse

... the price, if you only have 1200 to spend, get the HP - can't see any other options

A few ways to cut costs:

FYI, Microcenter will match newegg's prices.

1) Get the PNY 9800GT 1GB for $100 either at newegg or microcenter (I tested this card with CS5 and it worked just fine with the hack)

2) Get the i7 930 for $200 at microcenter

3) 1TB Samsung F3 is $65 @ microcenter http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0340562
250GB Seagate is $45 for OS & Cache & Free shipping http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148469
1TB external USB is $80-90 at newegg and microcenter

Or look at this amazing deal: Hitachi 500GB for $39 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145299

4) 6GB Geil 1600MHz ran is $140 Newegg.com - GeIL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model GV36GB1600C9TC (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820144357)

5) Corsair 650w is $90 @ newegg: Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005)
Or SeaSonic 620w is $70 Newegg.com - SeaSonic S12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096)

SeaSonic is one of the top 3: PC Power & Cooling, SeaSonic & Corsair.

6) Look for a used case on craigslist

7) ASUS P6T is $230 Newegg.com - ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131359)

8) Last I heard, students could get Win 7 for $30-40 but that might have changed. However, I found Win 7 Ultimate x64 for $100 for students Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade (64-bit) (Win) for $99.98 at Academic Superstore (http://www.academicsuperstore.com/products/Microsoft/Windows+7/1334351)

AFAIK, the Retail Upgrade works just like it did with Vista, which means you install Win 7 WITHOUT a key and then use the 'Upgrade' function to install WITH a license key. You might not even need to install without a key first - I received the Win 7 upgrade that MS sends when I bought Vista Ultimate and it did not require any OS be installed; HOWEVER, this upgrade that I received might be different from the Retail Upgrade version.

The other benefit to getting the Retail version is that it can be moved from PC to PC whereas the OEM cannot (although its hard for MS to really know).

Alright, so I am going with the HP, unless anyone recommends a Dell, Acer, or another name brand for whatever reason.

Thanks guys!