New build for video editing

[Ilzhu]

I have decided to build my own computer for video editing. I would produce about 3 videos a week, need to have it work relatively quickly, since I run my own business and don’t have time to babysit the rendering, or stop editing vids for hours at a time.

I use premier pro and after effects, usually work with multiple windows open, and import several files/project. I export mainly into mp4 formats, and upload to 3rd party sites. So, I don’t need to be able to edit/render/display more than 1080p.

Ive been reading a lot of the forum recommendations for minimum requirements, and put together the following parts list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/DjFJbX

I’d love to get feedback, particularly on the video card, ram, cpu combination. This would be my first build.

Thanks!

[Ilzhu]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Cqbt8Y

I updated the video card.

people keep telling me I should be using a 1080ti card. I don’t undersatand why I should, since that’s a card optimized for gaming. I’m doing video production. Shouldn’t I use a card optimized for that purpose? Is it deceptive advertising? Bandwidth doesn’t matter? Am I ignorant of some crucial factor involved in selecting a good video card?

[Peru Bob]

I think a hex core, rather than a quad core, processor with hyperthreading would be better for Premiere Pro.

Also, double the RAM.

How do you plan to use those WD HDDs?  A large SSD might be better.

What about a backup drive?

[Ilzhu]

I was going to do a RAID Setup, for storage/backup. I will remove video I’m done with, so the storage doesn’t need to be huge.

I plan on putting the OS and the Adobe programs on the SSD.

I need more than 16gb of ram for 1080p —-> mp4?

Thats cool if I need it, but I had read that over 16gb ram was for 4K video editing.

[Peru Bob]

faithh41022869  wrote

I need more than 16gb of ram for 1080p —-> mp4?

I have a 3.2GHz hex core with hyperthreading, 2 X 1 TB RAID for media and projects and 2 X 1TB RAID for exports, and 24 GB RAM.  I am editing mostly HDV and 1080p.

I sometimes find that I need more RAM.

[Ilzhu]

In the case of the RAM, I could always add additional units later if I found the RAM was getting used up - since it’s easy enough to diagnose. The more immediate decision would be whether or not to go with a hex core CPU.

Any opinion on the graphics card? Specifically what I asked about gpu’s for video editing vs gaming. It’s an important component, and I really want to understand why I am buying one vs another and why it should work better. Especially at the price they are.

[Ilzhu]

Further adjusted parts list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/snYJfH

I did read in another forum post that Adobe isn’t testing all the gpu’s so hasnt certified them. In my current parts list I’ve included the gtx 1080. It has vram of 8gb which is supposed to be much more than enough.

Any other issues?

The HDD’s are for a RAID 10 configuration for storage/backup

The SDD is for the OS and software

[Peru Bob]

Perhaps RjL190365 or Bill Gehrke could chime in here.

[Bill Gehrke]

Well in my opinion I will never buy another hadr disk drive for editing  Use them only for backup/archiving with big drives.  You have those four noise-macking mechanical heat generating drives which have a mech higher failure rate than one simple SSD.  That software RAID is going to use CPU cycles that could be better used by the timeline functions.  Also your hard drive slows down significantly as they fill up  And lastly they are terribly slow read and write rate performers, even with your RAID you are likely to have transfer ratein th 200 MB/second range where the Simples SATA III SSD those read and write rates probobly will be in the 400 to 500 MB/sec range.

If you have to shave a little off your cost to beef up storage situation drop back to a GTX 1060 6 GB  card instead of that GTX 1080.  The GTX 1060 would be a better match price/performer with that quad core CPU

[RjL190365]

I also agree with your suggestions there. You see, a GPU that's more powerful than your CPU can, and often does, cause problems (most noticeably in corrupted renders) in video editing apps.

And the OP has tweaked his list more: His most recently posted list has an i7-7800X CPU, which is actually weaker than the newer i7-8700K CPU. That entry-level LGA 2066 CPU is right now in no-man's land with regards to the price/performance balance. Plus, there is now absolutely no reason at all whatosever to choose an HEDT platform only to choose a CPU that has only 6 cores and 12 threads and clocked significantly lower than the newer 8700K (which also has 6 cores and 12 threads). In fact, the only reason now to choose the X299 platform is if one is going to buy a CPU that has 8 or more cores and 16 or more threads right off the bat on an Intel platform. That is the biggest reason why Kaby Lake-X will have a short production life for that socket (but Skylake-X will see refresh CPUs over the next couple of years). However, when Kaby Lake-X was originally conceived, Intel might have been planning to move all enthusiast (overclockable) parts to LGA 2066 while moving all entry-level and mainstream (locked) parts to a platform whose CPU would have been permanently soldered onto the motherboard, thus killing off the LGA 115x platform. But as we all know, that strategy was a failure.

[Ilzhu]

So the choices are either upgrade the CPU, or downgrade the gpu and motherboard for best compatibility/use of parts? Is that what I’m hearing?

[ECBowen]

X299 ie socket 2066 in your current parts list is far more upgradable than the Desktop platform with the 8700K. Also you can upgrade to 4x ram sticks in the future and have far better ram performance with the X299 system. You wont need the 1080 card with only 32GB of ram and 1080 media so if you need to drop the pricing some the 1060 6GB card would be more than enough. Your parts list looks fine though I would not recommend the WD Blue drives. Bill is right. SSD's are the ideal choice at this point with speed and reliability. The Failure rate on SSD's is far lower than mechanical drives and WD Blue drives will have a higher failure rate than the performance Black Drives. Raiding the Blue Drives may also cause some issues with drives prematurely dropping out from bad blocks but it does help mitigate the failure rate of mechanical drives. If you write zeros to those Blue drives before you raid 10 them that will help alleviate bad blocks causing issues with the raid.

Eric

ADK

[Ilzhu]

I found it odd that it was recommended I opt out of using x299 but the parts picker only offers x299 options With my cpu selection.

[ECBowen]

The 7800X is a socket 2066 chip so it only works with the X299 boards. 8700K or desktop series chips are socket 1151 and those work on the Z370 boards. That is how Intel delineates the differences between the desktop platform and the workstation platform. The X299 is the workstation platform.

Eric

ADK

[Ilzhu]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/wTmt8Y

This is the current list. I’m reading about SSD raid. Im on the fence, but I value all the knowledge you guys have, so I’ll keep reading.

[Bill Gehrke]

Why would you even consider SSD RAID?  By choosing the right SSD you can have all the speed you need.  If you want redundancy software RAID is questionable and hardware RAID is expensive.

[Ilzhu]

I keep saying it: I am planning a single SSD for softwear. The raid is for storage. I don’t know how this keeps getting missed.

[ECBowen]

The reason to raid SSDs would be data protection more than speed. The current endurance ratings on the current SSD Nand is much higher than only a few years ago so raids are not the issue to endurance some propose they are. Even the lower end TLC Nand on the new Evo's has high endurance for the bigger drives. If you want to ensure data integrity then raiding SSD's is fine. I have yet to see even previous generation SSD"s go through their endurance rating in raids.

Eric

ADK

[Ilzhu]

I am planning a single SSD for softwear. The raid will be for storage only. I keep saying this.

[Bill Gehrke]

What RAID mode are you planning on using?

Here is my ideal simple storage configuration.

1. OS/Applications--SATA III SSD
2. Project and current project media files--PCIE Gen 3 x4 SSD.
3. Archive and backup Hard Disk drives

[Ilzhu]

I was going to do a RAID 10 with 4 HHD

[Ilzhu]

I like your idea of having an addition ssd for projects you are working on.

[Guest]

Been enjoying your build up which is not bad but too many small hard drive. Can you use a 7820x then with as Asus board, 250ssd for both drive, 1x3tb HDD for video preset file, backgrounds, Music, Client folders and graphics. Finally 2x4tb(Raid) for videos (Projects files, Render fam\rm cache, Fresh, finished and storage) and leave the space for additional hard drives as the business grows. Stay with Asus and have peace of mind.

[Ilzhu]

I was planning on using the SSD for OS and softwear, and the raid HHD’s for storage only. Would that still be a problem?

And would the GTX 1060 also be a good match for a 6-core cpu?