What can I salvage from my current NLE?

Randall Leong · April 27th, 2010, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig Coston

If you are going to use Premiere CS5 as your NLE, then don't buy anything other than what is on Adobe's certified list. The 285 is on that list, and I can tell you it's a great card. I have the 2GB version.

Actually, that's only recommended if you want to use the GPU acceleration feature of Premiere Pro CS5's MPE. And with the GTX 285 now at the end of its production life (and is now very hard to find), the least expensive current card which takes advantage of the GPU acceleration now costs well over $800.

Fortunately, MPE does have a software-only mode (compatible with any Open GL 2.0-compatible card) which is actually more efficient than CS4's playback engine ever was. Of course, a faster processor and/or more RAM will always help CS5's software-only performance.

Craig Coston · April 27th, 2010, 03:32 PM

Not sure who in their right mind would choose NOT to utilize GPU acceleration if given the option. I don't care if the 285 is end of production life or not, it's still a great card and is on the list. We aren't gamers here, we're editors. End of production life doesn't mean end of support or end of driver upgrades. It means you aren't paying double the price for a card just to say you get 120 FPS on <insert video game name here>.

Paul, Steve is right on with everything he said. Good advice, especially the Noctua cooler and the Intel SSD, both of which are running in my current machine. As far as GPU acceleration in MPE, you WANT that. It is a big difference between GPU and software acceleration. If you want to go cheap and build a minimal system with software acceleration, move to Edius as your NLE.

Randall Leong · April 27th, 2010, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig Coston

Not sure who in their right mind would choose NOT to utilize GPU acceleration if given the option. I don't care if the 285 is end of production life or not, it's still a great card and is on the list. We aren't gamers here, we're editors. End of production life doesn't mean end of support or end of driver upgrades. It means you aren't paying double the price for a card just to say you get 120 FPS on <insert video game name here>.

Actually, I was not talking gaming in my previous post. I was talking availability. (And what I meant by an over-$800 card is a Quadro FX 3800 - the next least expensive supported card after the GTX 285 - not a gaming card.)

And you are correct that the software rendering is not the best way to go regardless of the video editing software. Some of the software "acceleration" doesn't work well at all, taking a relatively long time just to preview even low-definition (240p) video.

Paul N. Nuttall · April 27th, 2010, 05:22 PM

This is awesome advice guys! I really appreciate it!
I picked up a 300gb Velociraptor drive for the boot drive and an Azza Titan 850w PS. I hope the PS is good enough quality? I've never heard of it but the guy at Micro Center recommended it (not that that really means squat).

Newegg.com - AZZA Titan 850 850W ATX & EPS 12V 2.92 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

Question for the CPU cooler, are you referring to the fan part that actually mounts over and touches the processor? The i7 came with a fan/heatsink and I've installed it on the motherboard in the chassis already. Is the "cooler" that came with the i7 not sufficient?

I havent looked online for a GTX 285 yet, I looked when I was at MicroCenter yesterday and they were out. Sales guy did say they rarely have them in.

I guess I'm getting there slowly but surely. I can't wait to be finished so I can fire this bad boy up and start editing all my HD footage.

Steve Kalle · April 27th, 2010, 09:18 PM

I would return the Azza power supply. I have never heard of them and the power supply is the single most important part of a system....because it is the only part that can destroy an entire computer. Furthermore, that Azza has only a 1yr warranty whereas it should be a minimum of 3 if not 5yrs (Corsair has 5yr warranty) Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

Craig Coston · April 27th, 2010, 09:31 PM

Paul,

Steve is right again about the power supply... I'd suggest following that direction and going with the Corsair. I've also never heard of Azzo, and it would suck to have a PSU go out and cause damage to expensive equipment.

As far as the CPU fan goes, yes, that is technically a fan provided by Intel. I have about 8 of them brand new sitting in a drawer in my office, because I don't use the stock Intel ones. They are somewhat adequate at stock speeds, but the 920 and 930 procs were designed for overclocking. They BEG for overclocking. Get the Noctua that Steve referenced (either the D12 or D14). They are great. Just make sure that if your RAM has a heat sink on it, it can be removed. I had to remove the heat sink from the slot closest to the CPU with my Corsair Dominator RAM.

Oh... and video card. You can do one of two things: Buy something crappy and then spend money again when you want to upgrade to hardware acceleration with CS5, double spending, or buy a GTX 285 now and edit now. GTX 285 is on the list of approved cards, nothing in the future is yet. Can't keep waiting for the future if you have projects queued up now, right?

Stuart Brontman · May 3rd, 2010, 07:37 AM

I wanted to chime in here briefly... I am about to return a "high end" HP system I received two days ago due to horrendous design and engineering (HP Elite 190). I abandoned all my years of experience and common sense with video editing computer systems and ordered this computer due to the great financing HP was offering. Shame on me for being so short-sighted...

The system has a i7 980x processor and 16 gb of RAM, BUT is only equipped with a 460 watt power supply. It has an Nvidia 260 GTX that runs so hot that I cannot touch it after 10 minutes. The video card fan exhausts the hot air directly on the underpowered power supply! The 980x draws 260+ watts. The video card draws over 260+ watts. This is called an accident waiting to happen. I was trying to update my older Q6600 editing machine, but I guess I'm better off using the original case, it's Thermaltake 750 watt power supply, and all the built-in ventilation systems the case has.

I've never re-built a system with a new motherboard, processor, and connecting it all with the power supply, hard drives, etc... I'm very comfortable adding and upgrading components... Is it relatively easy to take the next step and put together the entire system?

Thanks for any advice.

Paul N. Nuttall · May 4th, 2010, 08:10 AM

Safe to assume a GTX 470 is ok in place of the GTX 285 for a video card?

Tim Kolb · May 4th, 2010, 09:49 AM

The 285 is certified...even though other cards may be "newer" or "bigger", they haven't been tested.

I suspect the cards that Adobe has on "the list" will continue to grow as new ones come out.

There is a hack that someone has posted here on DVinfo that will enable other NVIDIA CUDA cards to be "visible" to Mercury... If there are problems for the user, Adobe can't support cards they haven't verified, so the user would then have to "un-hack" and just get a card that's on the list i suppose.

On the rest of this configuration stuff... I'd echo the power supply remarks. get one that's a solid brand and is much more than you need...because down the road you may add stuff. These big iron display cards draw some serious juice as well...

Paul N. Nuttall · May 7th, 2010, 08:44 PM

Ok folks, I'm clueless I guess.

I have everything hooked but when I turn the dang thing on I get no video. What am I doing wrong? Here's the scenario-
MB, PSU, Memory, HDs, DVD/CD/drive and graphics card are all plugged in.
I am using my GeForce 9800GTX for now until I can get the GTX 285 next week.
I power up, MB lights up, all the fans are running, fan on the video card is running (so I assume it has power?)

I assumed when I powered up for the first time the Asus MB would go into BIOS mode and I would see this on the monitor. That's not happening.

And, just exactly what is the process on a new build? Setup BIOS first, then what? Install OS? I would have to do that before I could install drivers for HDs, Video Card etc right?? And what about teh drivers for the CD drive? Willteh CD drive work without the drivers? What comes first teh chicken or the egg LOL? I'm sligthly confused.

I see no where in any manuals that I need to supply separate power to 9800GTX, and if I did there is only a small 2 pin male plug on it so I assume it doesnt require separate power from the PSU?

So in summary, my first issue is getting video so I can run through the BIOS setup.

Any clarification here would be great.
Thanks,
Paul

Steve Kalle · May 7th, 2010, 11:55 PM

Have you tried both DVI connections?

Paul N. Nuttall · May 8th, 2010, 04:35 AM

Yes, both monitors are hooked up.

Paul N. Nuttall · May 8th, 2010, 03:39 PM

Any suggestions as to what I should try to get video going so I can proceed? Both monitors are hooked up to the card so both outputs have been tried.

Craig Coston · May 10th, 2010, 04:50 PM

After reading the first line of your latest question, I immediately thought "power to the GPU is missing". From the two boards listed on Newegg with the 9800GTX (EVGA and PNY), both have a 6 pin PCIe power connector at the bottom, which is probably not visible when the card is installed in the machine. If you are hearing fans spin up (and maybe hard drives) without any error code beeps, this is most likely your issue.

Paul N. Nuttall · May 10th, 2010, 06:09 PM

Thanks Craig. It is PNY, but, it is 9800 GT not a GTX. Sorry about the mis post. Also, it is an"EE" model, energy efficient. To further clarify, it is the "XLR8 Performance Edition" 1024mb.

Now, there is no 6 pin for power anywhere, or 4 pin. The ONLY jack on the card is at the top and it is small 2 pin male jack, white. Its located next to the jumper connection. I have searched and searched on the web, I find nothing about installation that matches this card exactly, so I am at a loss as to whether or not the jack I just mentioned is for power??

Anybody have any idea on this? Thanks.

May 4th, 2010, 09:49 AM	#24
Tim Kolb Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Neenah, WI Posts: 547	The 285 is certified...even though other cards may be "newer" or "bigger", they haven't been tested. I suspect the cards that Adobe has on "the list" will continue to grow as new ones come out. There is a hack that someone has posted here on DVinfo that will enable other NVIDIA CUDA cards to be "visible" to Mercury... If there are problems for the user, Adobe can't support cards they haven't verified, so the user would then have to "un-hack" and just get a card that's on the list i suppose. On the rest of this configuration stuff... I'd echo the power supply remarks. get one that's a solid brand and is much more than you need...because down the road you may add stuff. These big iron display cards draw some serious juice as well... __________________ TimK Kolb Productions

April 27th, 2010, 03:32 PM	#17
Craig Coston Major Player Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bakersfield, CA Posts: 232	Not sure who in their right mind would choose NOT to utilize GPU acceleration if given the option. I don't care if the 285 is end of production life or not, it's still a great card and is on the list. We aren't gamers here, we're editors. End of production life doesn't mean end of support or end of driver upgrades. It means you aren't paying double the price for a card just to say you get 120 FPS on <insert video game name here>. Paul, Steve is right on with everything he said. Good advice, especially the Noctua cooler and the Intel SSD, both of which are running in my current machine. As far as GPU acceleration in MPE, you WANT that. It is a big difference between GPU and software acceleration. If you want to go cheap and build a minimal system with software acceleration, move to Edius as your NLE.

April 27th, 2010, 05:22 PM	#19
Paul N. Nuttall New Boot Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Atlanta, Ga. Posts: 13	This is awesome advice guys! I really appreciate it! I picked up a 300gb Velociraptor drive for the boot drive and an Azza Titan 850w PS. I hope the PS is good enough quality? I've never heard of it but the guy at Micro Center recommended it (not that that really means squat). Newegg.com - AZZA Titan 850 850W ATX & EPS 12V 2.92 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply Question for the CPU cooler, are you referring to the fan part that actually mounts over and touches the processor? The i7 came with a fan/heatsink and I've installed it on the motherboard in the chassis already. Is the "cooler" that came with the i7 not sufficient? I havent looked online for a GTX 285 yet, I looked when I was at MicroCenter yesterday and they were out. Sales guy did say they rarely have them in. I guess I'm getting there slowly but surely. I can't wait to be finished so I can fire this bad boy up and start editing all my HD footage.

April 27th, 2010, 09:18 PM	#20
Steve Kalle Trustee Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 1,554	I would return the Azza power supply. I have never heard of them and the power supply is the single most important part of a system....because it is the only part that can destroy an entire computer. Furthermore, that Azza has only a 1yr warranty whereas it should be a minimum of 3 if not 5yrs (Corsair has 5yr warranty) Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

April 27th, 2010, 09:31 PM	#21
Craig Coston Major Player Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bakersfield, CA Posts: 232	Paul, Steve is right again about the power supply... I'd suggest following that direction and going with the Corsair. I've also never heard of Azzo, and it would suck to have a PSU go out and cause damage to expensive equipment. As far as the CPU fan goes, yes, that is technically a fan provided by Intel. I have about 8 of them brand new sitting in a drawer in my office, because I don't use the stock Intel ones. They are somewhat adequate at stock speeds, but the 920 and 930 procs were designed for overclocking. They BEG for overclocking. Get the Noctua that Steve referenced (either the D12 or D14). They are great. Just make sure that if your RAM has a heat sink on it, it can be removed. I had to remove the heat sink from the slot closest to the CPU with my Corsair Dominator RAM. Oh... and video card. You can do one of two things: Buy something crappy and then spend money again when you want to upgrade to hardware acceleration with CS5, double spending, or buy a GTX 285 now and edit now. GTX 285 is on the list of approved cards, nothing in the future is yet. Can't keep waiting for the future if you have projects queued up now, right?

May 3rd, 2010, 07:37 AM	#22
Stuart Brontman Contributor Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 228	I wanted to chime in here briefly... I am about to return a "high end" HP system I received two days ago due to horrendous design and engineering (HP Elite 190). I abandoned all my years of experience and common sense with video editing computer systems and ordered this computer due to the great financing HP was offering. Shame on me for being so short-sighted... The system has a i7 980x processor and 16 gb of RAM, BUT is only equipped with a 460 watt power supply. It has an Nvidia 260 GTX that runs so hot that I cannot touch it after 10 minutes. The video card fan exhausts the hot air directly on the underpowered power supply! The 980x draws 260+ watts. The video card draws over 260+ watts. This is called an accident waiting to happen. I was trying to update my older Q6600 editing machine, but I guess I'm better off using the original case, it's Thermaltake 750 watt power supply, and all the built-in ventilation systems the case has. I've never re-built a system with a new motherboard, processor, and connecting it all with the power supply, hard drives, etc... I'm very comfortable adding and upgrading components... Is it relatively easy to take the next step and put together the entire system? Thanks for any advice.

May 4th, 2010, 08:10 AM	#23
Paul N. Nuttall New Boot Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Atlanta, Ga. Posts: 13	Safe to assume a GTX 470 is ok in place of the GTX 285 for a video card?

May 7th, 2010, 08:44 PM	#25
Paul N. Nuttall New Boot Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Atlanta, Ga. Posts: 13	Ok folks, I'm clueless I guess. I have everything hooked but when I turn the dang thing on I get no video. What am I doing wrong? Here's the scenario- MB, PSU, Memory, HDs, DVD/CD/drive and graphics card are all plugged in. I am using my GeForce 9800GTX for now until I can get the GTX 285 next week. I power up, MB lights up, all the fans are running, fan on the video card is running (so I assume it has power?) I assumed when I powered up for the first time the Asus MB would go into BIOS mode and I would see this on the monitor. That's not happening. And, just exactly what is the process on a new build? Setup BIOS first, then what? Install OS? I would have to do that before I could install drivers for HDs, Video Card etc right?? And what about teh drivers for the CD drive? Willteh CD drive work without the drivers? What comes first teh chicken or the egg LOL? I'm sligthly confused. I see no where in any manuals that I need to supply separate power to 9800GTX, and if I did there is only a small 2 pin male plug on it so I assume it doesnt require separate power from the PSU? So in summary, my first issue is getting video so I can run through the BIOS setup. Any clarification here would be great. Thanks, Paul

May 7th, 2010, 11:55 PM	#26
Steve Kalle Trustee Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 1,554	Have you tried both DVI connections?

May 8th, 2010, 04:35 AM	#27
Paul N. Nuttall New Boot Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Atlanta, Ga. Posts: 13	Yes, both monitors are hooked up.

May 8th, 2010, 03:39 PM	#28
Paul N. Nuttall New Boot Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Atlanta, Ga. Posts: 13	Any suggestions as to what I should try to get video going so I can proceed? Both monitors are hooked up to the card so both outputs have been tried.

May 10th, 2010, 04:50 PM	#29
Craig Coston Major Player Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bakersfield, CA Posts: 232	After reading the first line of your latest question, I immediately thought "power to the GPU is missing". From the two boards listed on Newegg with the 9800GTX (EVGA and PNY), both have a 6 pin PCIe power connector at the bottom, which is probably not visible when the card is installed in the machine. If you are hearing fans spin up (and maybe hard drives) without any error code beeps, this is most likely your issue.

May 10th, 2010, 06:09 PM	#30
Paul N. Nuttall New Boot Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Atlanta, Ga. Posts: 13	Thanks Craig. It is PNY, but, it is 9800 GT not a GTX. Sorry about the mis post. Also, it is an"EE" model, energy efficient. To further clarify, it is the "XLR8 Performance Edition" 1024mb. Now, there is no 6 pin for power anywhere, or 4 pin. The ONLY jack on the card is at the top and it is small 2 pin male jack, white. Its located next to the jumper connection. I have searched and searched on the web, I find nothing about installation that matches this card exactly, so I am at a loss as to whether or not the jack I just mentioned is for power?? Anybody have any idea on this? Thanks.