Help me build a PC to handle this 5D MK II video.

[keith204]

I ask my friend who is a mod on a video forum and work on digital video/HD video on the side (for weddings) . He said a any Quad core with 3GB of ram is enough to edit HD video.

good to know, thanks.

 

[JerryPH]

I do a lot of video editing. It is very disk and processor intensive, especially when you apply filters to a segment of film.

I'd suggest a quad core, RAID5 drives and a ton of RAM (4gig). You do not need a fast video card, but it does help some.

I just picked up a system this summer and a standard file that took me 2 hours to render on my core duo took me 25 min on the new setup. Video editing is a WHOLE different beast from editing TIFFs and RAW files into JPG and is way more demanding than photo-editing.

Editing in HD adds a few more constraints. Yes, here you need a fast video card, one with at least 256mb RAM (512 suggested and 1GB highly recommended).

Remember that hard drive space will be pushed with HD files. Instead of the normal 4gb/hour, expect about double that (7-10gb/hour of video), not including temp/swap/accessory files.

 

[Dao]

And one additional information I remember when my friend talked to me in the past, he need fast disk access. So for doing the work, he use 2 big dirves running RAID 0 for performance. And of course, he save the work on a different drive systems.

And he use at least 2 monitors. One for editing with the timeline thing .. the other one is for the video ...

 

[keith204]

And one additional information I remember when my friend talked to me in the past, he need fast disk access. So for doing the work, he use 2 big dirves running RAID 0 for performance. And of course, he save the work on a different drive systems.

And he use at least 2 monitors. One for editing with the timeline thing .. the other one is for the video ...

I'm not sure if this low-end system will allow RAID, but there is space for me to stick in I think 2 other SATA drives inside. I'll be sure the rendering/etc at least is done on different drives. Also, yeah, 2 monitors will be a plus - hopefully this graphics card will let me hook up a second one.

 

[JerryPH]

A SATA RAID card is about $40, Keith. BTW, just a note, RAID 0 is spanning. Lose one drive and ALL info on both drives is lost.

If you decide to go this route... backup, backup, backup!

 

[Dao]

Yes Jerry, and that is why he only use the RAID 0 for the doing the work. Actually, he have multiple storages in his system. The finial or intermediate works will be saved on the other storage.

 

[keith204]

Wish I had the money for RAID 5....but, then I'd need a bigger tower.

So, with RAID & partitions, how would you set up this system? What part of the process puts the most stress on the drive? For instance, would it be beneficial to have the *rendering* on a couple smaller (300gb each) drives at RAID 0, and then my project files could be on a third drive, and my exports on a 4th, 5th, etc?

 

[Pure]

Seriously, video editing is a big expensive *****, especially if the data is important, which it usually is. Multiple raid setups, dual monitors, a quad proc, ram, a gpu, etc.

You're looking at a good $6,000 for a nice setup

 

[jlykins]

Seriously, video editing is a big expensive *****, especially if the data is important, which it usually is. Multiple raid setups, dual monitors, a quad proc, ram, a gpu, etc.

You're looking at a good $6,000 for a nice setup

Very expensive. Just ask Jerry how much he has in backup drives. Then duplicate his setup...

 

[prodigy2k7]

I do a lot of video editing. It is very disk and processor intensive, especially when you apply filters to a segment of film.

I'd suggest a quad core, RAID5 drives and a ton of RAM (4gig). You do not need a fast video card, but it does help some.

I just picked up a system this summer and a standard file that took me 2 hours to render on my core duo took me 25 min on the new setup. Video editing is a WHOLE different beast from editing TIFFs and RAW files into JPG and is way more demanding than photo-editing.

Editing in HD adds a few more constraints. Yes, here you need a fast video card, one with at least 256mb RAM (512 suggested and 1GB highly recommended).

Remember that hard drive space will be pushed with HD files. Instead of the normal 4gb/hour, expect about double that (7-10gb/hour of video), not including temp/swap/accessory files.

I am under the impression that the graphics card memory is based off your screen size, a large monitor like 30" you need 1GB... But this is something i just heard.

Smaller monitors you don't need as much memory for a graphics card.

 

[prodigy2k7]

Seriously, video editing is a big expensive *****, especially if the data is important, which it usually is. Multiple raid setups, dual monitors, a quad proc, ram, a gpu, etc.

You're looking at a good $6,000 for a nice setup

Pfft hardly, cut that in half, to get a decent system... 4K tops... Of course that depends if you get the good monitor, or the GREAT monitors...

 

[Pure]

I built a video editing PC for my friend's business and he basically told me whatever I need to spend, I should spend.
I believe the monitors alone cost like $3000 each. [for color precision, perfection]
He spent some $8000 on the PC, and like $4000 on data backup. Jesus was I nersous handing that much equipment, hahaha.

 

[lids369]

why not get a kuro then for 500 bucks more? it is the best monitor by far.