PC for editing 4k video

[GunRunner]

Hi everyone -

I am here with regards to my previous question some months ago regarding rebuilding one of my PCs listed below for editing 4k video footage shot on my Sony DSC RSC-RX100 MIV camera.

I am revisiting this subject again in the light of the recent release of the multi-core RYZEN cpu's released by AMD that appear on the face of it excellent for my video editing needs.

I was originally going to upgrade my main PC by swapping out the overclocked i7 920 with a Intel® Xeon® 3690 Processor and upgrading to the largest amount of RAM that can be installed on this board. This might or might not be a bad move given that I might get RAM compatibility issues when adding further RAM modules and then have source brand new RAM all to the same standard to fill all the slots.

So given that money is not too much of an issue, any advice will be appreciated on how to proceed so I end up with a PC that I can edit 4K video on and be more future proof than what I have got now.

I will sell on any parts that are redundant because I only need one PC (I have an HP x 360 Laptop) at the end of the exercise.

Main PC. now 8 years old with some upgrades already carried out

Monitor 24" BenQ 241W (now 8 years old)
Antec 900 Nine Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case
Corsair HX 1000w ATX2.2 Modular SLI Compliant Power Supply
Gigabyte EX58-UD5 Intel X58 (Socket 1366) PCI-Express DDR3 Motherboard
Intel Core i7 920 2.66 Ghz Nehalem 1366 now running it at 3.8 Ghz with Akasa Nero air cooler
G Skill 6GB NQ PC3-10666C9 1333MHz (3x2GB Triple Channel DDR3 (F3-10666CL9T-6GBNQ)
nVidia KA2 GTX 460 1024mb
DVD RAM Rewriter
Samsung EVO 850 SSD 500GB
Seagate 2 TB HD
Windows 7 pro X 64 (Full version)
RealTek High Def Audio


Backup PC. Just keeping it going for emergency use.

21" Monitor 2154 16x9 Samsung Syncmaster
Antec 900 Nine Hundred Ultimate Gaming case. Later version than the above.
Corsair HX CMPSU- 620HX Modular Power Supply. Later than main PC above.
Asus PQ5 Pro Motherboard P45 chipset
Intel cor2 Duo e8400 (3.00GHz) Overclocked to 3.83GHZ
4 x 2GB DDR 2 Ram
BFG nVidia 8800 GT Graphics card
DVD RAM Rewriter
WD 500GB
Intel 160GB SSD
Windows 7 Pro x 64 (OEM)
Realtek High Def Audio

Thanks

 

[mickyflinn]

What software do you use ?

 

[GunRunner]

What software do you use ?

None as yet. I am open to suggestions! I was going to sort out the hardware first and take it from there. Perhaps in my naivety with video editing, I am going about it the wrong way round? Chicken/egg.

 

[Plec]

Will you want a new monitor or two - maximum size?

Ryzen 5/7 would seem the logical way forward with B350 board for a moderate clock given your usage.

I would perhaps lean towards the Ryzen 7 given how long you keep your systems (9 years - respect) - but i would also be looking at upgrading to a decent sized high res IPS monitor or two - if money isn't an issue?

 

[GunRunner]

Will you want a new monitor or two - maximum size?

Ryzen 5/7 would seem the logical way forward with B350 board for a moderate clock given your usage.

I would perhaps lean towards the Ryzen 7 given how long you keep your systems (9 years - respect) - but i would also be looking at upgrading to a decent sized high res IPS monitor or two - if money isn't an issue?

I am looking at several monitors as follows:

BenQ BL3200PT.
Philips BDM3270QP
ASUS PB328Q

The problem I am having is finding places where I can view them. I am looking at having two applications open side by side because I wear VDU specs and need to sit around 32" away from the monitor. Having one application open on the whole screen would be too tiring on my eyes continually scanning across one application, hence having two open side by side by side!

Buying 4k might not necessarily be the correct display resolution to go for either, perhaps 2,560x1,440 pixels, (1440p). Then there is the scaling issue to consider. Naturally I would go to get Windows 10 that does not seem too bad when it comes to scaling on my HP x 360 with 4K screen.

 

[Plec]

AMVA panels seems like a good fit for your usage - and that BenQ seems really good value for the spec with excellent reviews and I love the ability to pivot the display.

I don't know whether you've had a monitor with the pivot/portrait feature before - but it's really useful if you think you'll need the function. I have two Dell Ultrasharps 1440p and use the feature a lot - but this is mainly for document/excel/data usage.

Only you will be able to judge if you think the 1440p will scale 4k to your liking - but in my experience, on my DELLS, it's been excellent. I can't imagine the BenQ would be any different - but I would recommend going into a store and finding a similar spec monitor and judging for yourself. That's a big outlay and would be a bitch if you weren't 100% happy with the display - as it would literally be staring you in the face, in stereo, as a reminder

 

[GunRunner]

Thanks for the above . I was also hoping I could get opinions on what components I could re-use out of the two PCs listed in my first post and.....

Motherboard for AMD Ryzen?
CPU?
RAM?
Windows 10 Pro?
Would I need a new GPU? I am not a gamer? Would the 460 GTX currently in my main PC be compatible with a new board?
Which power supply would I use?
Is the 1000 watt one overkill given the latest components are less power hungry than the X58 chipset?

 

[GunRunner]

I hate threads being bumped, because it shows impatience by me the original poster, but I would have thought after 3 days, some kind sole or enthusiast would have put forward comments on using some of the parts from my old PCs to create a new one for occasional editing! Note the word occasional that I inadvertently omitted from my first post.

Perhaps I have posted in the wrong area. Am I being naive? Perhaps I should I be ringing overclocker's to see the way forward.

Any (non rude) comments or suggestions would be most gratifying.

Thanks again.

 

[Plec]

For a Ryzen you will need new motherboard (AM4) and memory (DDR4).

If you have windows 10 retail already (updated from previous retail windows) you will be able to move it to your new PC. Only you would know if you need Pro - but Home is usually sufficient and wont hog resources you don't use. You could move windows 7 - but 10 really is surprisingly good and will be optimised more for modern builds.

If you don't game the 460 is fine and will fit into whatever motherboard you decide on.

The SSD and HDDS could be used - but you may want to consider an m.2 drive/larger ssd option. You could still use the old drives in your system. But perhaps consider age of the conventional drives if you've had them years.

Your 1000w PSU is 500w+ overkill - but if it's still working then use it - how old is it?

PLus, your DVD drive and case will be fine - it's whether you need it (you could always use an external drive and attach as needed) and you may want a cleaner looking case? Personal preference and cash availability makes your decision for you on this.

 

[GunRunner]

Thanks again for your response and advice. I really do appreciate your help. I will take each point in turn with my comments and ask for further advice if I may?.

Just to clarify, I do not want to come across too strongly, but I am an ex aircraft engineer and I did build systems back in the 1990's (2 man part time business with a friend) that operated just above the then VAT threshold. Also I became a hardware IT manager between 1997 and 2003 when I retired, so I can fix anything that comes my way using previous engineering and IT skills. It is just that I am here because I am so behind the drag curve (now 74 yrs old) and do not have the latest information and do not wish to over spend or waste time and money on something that is not required. Having said that I would rather not scrimp just to save a few quid.

1. I have experience with Windows 10 home on my recently acquired HP X360 13" with 4 k screen (used for vacations), so going to Windows 10 on the main PC would not be a problem. I currently have windows 7 pro x64 on main PC. Naturally a complete rebuild would need a new install of Windows 10 or can I install Win 7 x64 and upgrade? Perhaps not? I have not researched?

2. Thanks for the heads up on the nVidia KA2 GTX 460 1024mb being ok for my current usage.

3. I do not know anything about a m.2 drive! Perhaps I should read to gain knowledge.

4. The 1000 watt Corsair PSU is the original now 8 years old and is used daily. The whole system (Main PC) runs so hot it will keep the room so warm in the winter that the main thermostat on the central heating radiator turns it off. The Corsair HX CMPSU- 620HX Modular Power Supply (backup PC) is only about 5 years old and has seen very little usage. So it could be fine for my needs?? Here is the link...

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article692-page5.html

5. So, I will use:
The later case (from Backup PC)
DVD RAM re writer.
The samsung EVO 850 SSD 500GB (for operating system)
Perhaps Seagate 2 TB HD for video storage. This has seen little use.
Corsair HX CMPSU- 620HX

6. So cutting to the chase, what are your recommendations for:

Motherboard.
Ryzen 7 CPU.
Stock cooler or not?
RAM.

Any further comments and advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Peter

 

[Plec]

Thanks again for your response and advice. I really do appreciate your help. I will take each point in turn with my comments and ask for further advice if I may?.

Not a problem - and may i say you're the politest Gun Runner i've ever done business with

Just to clarify, I do not want to come across too strongly, but I am an ex aircraft engineer and I did build systems back in the 1990's (2 man part time business with a friend) that operated just above the then VAT threshold. Also I became a hardware IT manager between 1997 and 2003 when I retired, so I can fix anything that comes my way using previous engineering and IT skills. It is just that I am here because I am so behind the drag curve (now 74 yrs old) and do not have the latest information and do not wish to over spend or waste time and money on something that is not required. Having said that I would rather not scrimp just to save a few quid.

Respect and totally understand - drop your guard for 5 minutes in the techy world and suddenly everything looks alien. I like bang for buck and as your main use is 4k editing your main dilemma is whether you opt for Ryzen 7 or save some money and get Ryzen 5. I'll show both specs - but either CPU will be a massive boost from your present setup, software utilising permitting.

1. I have experience with Windows 10 home on my recently acquired HP X360 13" with 4 k screen (used for vacations), so going to Windows 10 on the main PC would not be a problem. I currently have windows 7 pro x64 on main PC. Naturally a complete rebuild would need a new install of Windows 10 or can I install Win 7 x64 and upgrade? Perhaps not? I have not researched?

I would go for a clean install of windows 10 - personal preference - than upgrade. When i upgraded (when it was free) - i immediately did a clean install, but i'm fussy. I'm not sure that it's cheaper (upgrading over windows 7) - but if you shop around you can buy builders licences (OEI/OEM) which are very cheap but there can be issues with the keys - so only buy form big reputable companies if you go down this route. Otherwise buy the bog standard retail on USB £75.

2. Thanks for the heads up on the nVidia KA2 GTX 460 1024mb being ok for my current usage.

Not a problem - but be aware that there wont be any onboard gfx or on the CPU to fall back on. The video output on the motherboard is for future CPU releases.

3. I do not know anything about a m.2 drive! Perhaps I should read to gain knowledge

They're a faster and more elegant solution than a standard SSD if your motherboard is compatible (which it will be) - they plug straight into the board with minimum impact on airflow. But an ordinary SSD will be more than suffice.

4.The Corsair HX CMPSU- 620HX Modular Power Supply (backup PC) is only about 5 years old and has seen very little usage. So it could be fine for my needs?? Here is the link...

Should be fine if it's all in working order. It's Seasonic built and has good reviews.

Is the DVD-R sata - if so that's not a problem but they're only ~£18 if it's showing its age.

I'll stick a couple of builds up in 5 minutes - choice of Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7. I'm assuming you don't have a windowed case so won't be taking aesthetics into account. Don't be surprised if components look gaudy or unnecessarily spiky.

Do you want a third party cooler for relative silence?

 

[Plec]

Ryzen 5 build - ignore the gaming title of the board. It's great quality, UK RMA, and they're doing regular BIOS updates.

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x AMD Ryzen 5 Six Core 1600 3.60GHz (Socket AM4) Processor - Retail= £199.99
• 1 x Gigabyte GA-AB350-Gaming AMD B350 (Socket AM4) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £99.95
• 1 x Team Group Dark T-Force 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-24000C16 3000MHz Dual Channel Kit - Grey (TDGED416G300= £119.99

Total: £430.43
(includes shipping: £10.50)



​

Ryzen 7 build - same motherboard and memory and not the flagship 1800x as i don't think it's worth the cost for your use - but depending on your editing software/rendering you may benefit from the extra cores/threads of the Ryzen 7. Perhaps look for benchmarks with the siftware your using/planning to use.

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Gigabyte GA-AB350-Gaming AMD B350 (Socket AM4) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £99.95
• 1 x Team Group Dark T-Force 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-24000C16 3000MHz Dual Channel Kit - Grey (TDGED416G300= £119.99
• 1 x AMD Ryzen 7 Eight Core 1700 3.70GHz (Socket AM4) Processor - Retail= £289.99

Total: £520.43
(includes shipping: £10.50)



​

The above boards can take an m.2 - so that's an option for the future if you decide you want to go that route.

As mentioned i've assumed you don't have a windowed case so haven't taken aesthetics into account. If i had a choice everything would be plain black and low profile memory - but gaming boards are specced well and the memory is very good value.

Let me know if you want some cooler choices if relative silence is needed - but the stock cooler should do the job if you're not planning on clocking.

How are your case fans? They may be showing their age - there are a lot of silent options out there if needed.

 

[GunRunner]

1. Thanks again for you advice and for the options and links. Polite....Humm .....thanks for the compliment.

2. For many years(10 to be precise), I was a Flight Simulator Buff. In fact I was one of 2 main administrators of an IL2 Forgotten Battles Game Server that operated out of the Data Centre in New York.

3. Being the only UK based administrator, I used to have manage everyone and everything (from my desktop) in our time zone. This was because I had a lot of IT operating system knowledge that started with me being a Certified Novell Engineer 3 (CNE 3) followed by Windows NT Server and latterly Windows 2003 server trained. The server did not need to be powerful, it just needed to allow up to 90 people to join and needed lots of RAM and easily accessed with very little lag from anywhere in the world. The Backup PC (server) I have in another bedroom and refer to, was only used to authenticate game server versions and hence used very little. Now you see where the name Gunrunner came from!

Now back to reality.

4. Both cases are Antec 900's the one I will use will be the version 2, see.....
http://store.antec.com/gaming-series/nine-hundred.html

Here is the overclockers link...

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/ante...aming-case-black-ca-065-an.html#write_comment

5. As you will see it has a large side window and plenty of fans to keep anything cool, does this make an impact with regards to what you stated in your reply? The version 2 is the one I will use. I have all the bits and pieces to go with it, and it has as stated had little usage being a backup.

6. Is an aftermarket cooler quieter? Naturally having the above case gives me flexibility for cooling later if I so desire.

7. The DVD Writers are SATA 2.

8. I see your Ryzen 7 recommendation is only £90 more, so I would lean towards that one.

9. Will an m2 drive be quicker? If so by how much? Sizes?

10. From what I read I still need to keep my 2TB HD for video file storage! What are your thoughts?

Thanks again.

 

[Plec]

1. No problem
2. Great game, bought a dedicated flight stick for it.
3. Ah
4. Classic case
5. Not really - but, personal preference, as the board is black and red i would get the Corsair memory in Red or black to compliment the MB. Costs £20 more - but a great brand.
6. The one i would pick, yes, very much so but is pricey. The stock coolers now are very capable and of a good quality and with your usage, coupled with your case ventilation, i would run with the stock cooler as it will probably run virtually silent. You could always add on a £50 monolith at a later date.
7. Great
8. Makes sense if you can afford it.
9. Yes it will be quicker - how much? - not enough in my opinion to justify usurping an existing 500Gb SSD. But of you do ever need to replace or fancy another then the 960 EVO Polaris 250GB M.2 gives you an idea of price per GB.
10. Yes, no point spending big money on SSD storage for video storage. I would install projects onto the SSD as you work on them but then store on conventional drives once done. I keep all my photos/videos/films on low powered conventional drives.

 

[GunRunner]

Great. Thanks for all your help. I am sure we have covered everything here. I am off on vacation again soon, so will sort out soon after.

Regards

Peter

 

[Plec]

No problem - enjoy your holiday.

 

[GunRunner]

I have spent hours getting to understand M.2 SSD's and I have found several links that show this type of drive

1TB WD Blue SSD, M.2 (22x80) SSD, SATA III - 6Gb/s, 1.5 mm, Read 545MB/s, Write 525MB/s, 100K/80K IOPS, 400 TBW, Retail

Would they be suitable?

Perhaps....

Crucial MX300 1TB M.2 (2280) Internal Solid State Drive - CT1050MX300SSD4

For silly low prices!

 

[Plec]

Yes they would - and would be more than fast enough - depends if you're after a total SSD storage solution.

I was thinking more the Samsing 960 Evo - very fast read/write - (Read 3200MB/s, Write 1500MB/, 300k/300k IOPS) - and using it as your boot drive and for apps etc... But on reflection, probably not fitting for your build/need criteria.

It's a bit of a luxury as it's only 250GB - and in real life usage the speed boost may not outweigh the storage and, still, fast larger M.2 options - such as the Crucial M.2 you mentioned.

Crucial is a respected memory brand - and that's a lot of drive for ~£260 and very good user reviews. For your usage it probably fits your needs - still fast, neat, and loads of storage for your pound.

 

[GunRunner]

Thanks. I used to use Crucial many many years ago when running the small business. In fact I used to ring them up when it came to upgrade PCs when I thought I might have memory compatible problems with existing installed memory.

The rest of the time I used to use overclockers, as the advice given was second to none. They built my current main PC back in 2009, and one the main reasons for sourcing the majority of parts from them for the upcoming upgrade.

Do you see any problems using the Crucial M.2 SSD I mentioned as a boot drive (as well as storage along with the 2TB HD) for Windows 10 Home x 64?

Edited. I am a bit slow today, it is being sold on overclockers

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cruc...id-state-drive-ct1050mx300ssd4-hd-068-cr.html

 

[Plec]

Do you see any problems using the Crucial M.2 SSD I mentioned as a boot drive (as well as storage along with the 2TB HD) for Windows 10 Home x 64?

It says this in the description - 1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 SATA and PCIe x4*/x2 SSD support) - so from my understanding it will take a SATA 6 interface.

I would double check with crucial via a web chat - very quick and easy. They may not be able to confirm themselves - but in theory it fits, but it's whether it has compatibility issues. The only problem with new boards - but BIOS compatibility fixes are coming thick and fast.