Looking to upgrade for video editing and gaming

steve_

Hi guys i think its time i do an upgrade of my PC. I only recently got into video editing and the computer is very much showing its age. Gaming its not too bad but i would like to play things like BF3 on full spec if possible. My budget would be about 1000-1300

I wont be needing a monitor, keyboard, mouse, or speakers. My current case its the termaltake armour
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1277&ID=1405 ....maybe an upgrade to liquid cooling would be good, dunno if this is still sufficient. Also the PSU into the case is 700watt. Lastly i have a q6600 would this still be ok or would an i5 or i7 be preferred? Would like to have usb 3.0 or firewire also


Thanks for any help

Eboggles

steve_ wrote: »

Hi guys i think its time i do an upgrade of my PC. I only recently got into video editing and the computer is very much showing its age. Gaming its not too bad but i would like to play things like BF3 on full spec if possible. My budget would be about 1000-1300

I wont be needing a monitor, keyboard, mouse, or speakers. My current case its the termaltake armour
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1277&ID=1405 ....maybe an upgrade to liquid cooling would be good, dunno if this is still sufficient. Also the PSU into the case is 700watt. Lastly i have a q6600 would this still be ok or would an i5 or i7 be preferred? Would like to have usb 3.0 or firewire also


Thanks for any help

This should fit the bill nicely

Total build cost: €1,221.54 + €30 shipping
8GB-Kit G.Skill PC3-10667U CL9 €28.40
Crucial M4 128GB SSD 6,4cm (2,5") €174.29
Scythe Mugen 3, für alle Sockel geeignet €32.99
Sapphire HD 6970 Dual-Fan 2GB GDDR5 PCI-Express €303.18
Corsair Carbide Series 400R, ATX, ohne Netzteil €85.27
LiteOn iHAS124-19 schwarz SATA €18.67
Intel Core i7-2600K Tray, LGA1155 €270.07
Samsung SpinPoint F3 1000GB, SATA II (HD103SJ) €125.00
ASRock Z68 Pro3 Gen3, Sockel 1155, ATX €98.93
MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit SB-Version Englisch €84.74

Your psu should do you perfectly for a 6970, couldn't take cf though. This build has an i7, though you could drop down to an i5 2500k and shave off 80 euro, it really depends how much editing you're doing. The gen3 mobo allows for pcie 3.0 which makes it fairly future proof. This would run BF3 perfectly. The case has fire-wire and usb 3.0, I have it myself and it's a monster of a case!

Serephucus

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056397753

If you could fill that out, it would be great.

steve_

1. What is your budget? 1000-1300
2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? Gaming, video editing, 3d modeling.
3. Do you need a copy of Windows? No
4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? Dvd drive, psu. Not too sure about the case, listed above
5. Do you need a monitor? No
6. Do you need any of these peripherals? No
7. Are you willing to try overclocking? Yes
8. How can you pay? Credit card
9. When are you purchasing? Start of January
10. If you need help building it, where are you based? South Dublin, tallaght

Sorry if the formatting is bad I filled this in on my phone

Eamonn Brophy

steve_ wrote: »

1. What is your budget? 1000-1300
2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? Gaming, video editing, 3d modeling.
3. Do you need a copy of Windows? No
4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? Dvd drive, psu. Not too sure about the case, listed above
5. Do you need a monitor? No
6. Do you need any of these peripherals? No
7. Are you willing to try overclocking? Yes
8. How can you pay? Credit card
9. When are you purchasing? Start of January
10. If you need help building it, where are you based? South Dublin, tallaght

Sorry if the formatting is bad I filled this in on my phone

Looks like all you need is psu, mobo, ram, cpu, gfx card and a cooler + hdd or ssd. Nice meaty budget for only needing that stuff

Eamonn Brophy

steve_ wrote: »

1. What is your budget? 1000-1300
2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? Gaming, video editing, 3d modeling.
3. Do you need a copy of Windows? No
4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? Dvd drive, psu. Not too sure about the case, listed above
5. Do you need a monitor? No
6. Do you need any of these peripherals? No
7. Are you willing to try overclocking? Yes
8. How can you pay? Credit card
9. When are you purchasing? Start of January
10. If you need help building it, where are you based? South Dublin, tallaght

Sorry if the formatting is bad I filled this in on my phone

Total build cost: €1,243.19 + €30 shipping
ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3, Sockel 1155, ATX €161.15
Palit Geforce GTX 570, 1280MB, PCI-Express €273.43
8GB-Kit Corsair Vengeance PC3-14900U CL9 €60.66
Intel Core i7-2700K Box, LGA1155 €324.79
Noctua NH-D14, Sockel AM2/AM2+/AM3/775/1366/1155/1156 €67.99
Antec Truepower New 650W €90.63
WD Caviar Black 1TB SATA 3 8,9cm(3,5") €169.00
Crucial M4 64GB SSD 6,4cm (2,5") €95.54


That's what I'd go with, seen as you have the money.

Sexy caviar black, ssd for storage and some games on it.
the 570, beast of a card.
Nice motherboard with tons of features.
Went for pricier RAM.
i7 2700k for overclocking

Serephucus

My build. Slightly over budget, but:

Dropped the WD Black - no sense in paying money for a small speed increase, and quite a big noise increase.
Upped the GPU to a 580. You have the money, why not?
Upped the SSD to a 128GB. Leaves room for pretty much all your applications, minus games. (If you're like me and have a lot)
Added a more expensive, but better, watercooling unit.
Dropped the CPU to a 2600K. No point paying €50 for the extra 0.1GHz.
Dropped the RAM to cheaper set. Expensive RAM is utterly useless.

Item|Price
Total build cost: €1,306.36 + €30 shipping
Intel Core i7-2600K Tray, LGA1155|€270.07
Corsair Hydro Series H100 (Sockel 775/1156/1366/AM2/AM2+/AM3/FM1)|€87.25
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3, Sockel 1155, ATX|€117.29
Cooler Master Silent Pro Series - 600 Watt|€84.65
Palit Geforce GTX580 1536MB, PCI-Express|€404.99
8GB-Kit A-DATA XPG G Series PC1600 CL9|€42.82
Crucial M4 128GB SSD 6,4cm (2,5")|€174.29
Samsung SpinPoint F3 1000GB, SATA II (HD103SJ)|€125.00

steve_

thanks very much guys for you help. Do you know of anyone who could assemble this for me?

Serephucus

There's a thread here listing people who'll build PCs ("We'll build your PC for you!" I think), and where they're based. I'm in Maynooth and happy to build it, if that helps.

steve_

Thanks, how much do you charge for assembly? Just waiting to hear back from my job. They allow an interest free loan up to 2000 euro. So once that's cleared ill be ready to buy.

steve_

Also when it comes to RAM is 8gb enough? Would there be much of a difference between an 8gig set and a 12gig set?

Eamonn Brophy

steve_ wrote: »

Also when it comes to RAM is 8gb enough? Would there be much of a difference between an 8gig set and a 12gig set?

Unless you're running a vm inside a vm inside a vm inside a vm inside a vm inside a vm inside a vm inside a vm inside a vm inside a vm inside a vm inside a vm inside a vm inside a vm. No.

TL;DR
No.

edit: saw you're video editing and 3d modelling, still not really, unless you're a really heavy user. That much RAM is usually seen in workstation builds, this seems like more of a gaming build, so I'd still say no!

Eamonn Brophy

steve_ wrote: »

Thanks, how much do you charge for assembly? Just waiting to hear back from my job. They allow an interest free loan up to 2000 euro. So once that's cleared ill be ready to buy.

I'd really really push you to do it yourself. Save for a few things, It's like lego. It's way simpler than it seems, anyone can do it.

johnners2981

wtf? I knew hdd prices had gone up cause of the floods but €125 for a samsung f3 spinpoint 1tb, they used to €45. That's crazy

steve_

Well I do quite a lot of 3d work. With scenes with complex lighting I reckon tin extra RAM will be much more beneficial when it comes to render time. Also RAM previews in after effects would be great increased in speed

kfish2oo2

Since you do a lot of 3D, then more RAM would be a great help. I remember starting off with just 1GB and then jumped to 4GB. The difference was staggering!

FlyingIrishMan

steve_ wrote: »

thanks very much guys for you help. Do you know of anyone who could assemble this for me?

That site (hardwareversand) will build it for you for 20euro
Just add this to your basket and they'll build it for you, doesn't take long for them to build it either, less than a few hours.

Serephucus

If you want you can throw in another 8GB. I don't do enough of that sort of work to really know the limitations. If you have to sacrifice other components, I'd say stick with the 8GB. If you do it anyway, the sure, it's not going to kill anything.

As for costs, as long as you can come to me (can't drive), I'll do it for free* for ya.

*Feel free to bring a Bulmer's, however.

Dublin_Gunner

Lads a few things.

1. He said he'd overclock, so the 2700K is a waste of €50. Get a 2600K and overclock.

2. Already has a PSU.

3. Pay by credit card. Hardwareversand is gone then.

All that's needed is CPU, Mobo, Ram, gfx card and storage.


Ram: Corsair Vengance 16GB kit, €82
CPU: i7 2600K €305
Mobo: P8Z68 Gen 3 €147
GFX: Asus GTX 570 DirectCU II €288
SSD: Corsair Force Series 3 120GB SSD €150
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 €129
Cooler: Corsair H70 €69.10

Total: €1170.1 + shipping (which is free up to 16KG, so this may be free)

All from dabs, would have everything within a week, and take credit card.

And if you're in Dublin, and need someone to build it, give me a shout

nesf

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

Lads a few things.

1. He said he'd overclock, so the 2700K is a waste of €50. Get a 2600K and overclock.

2. Already has a PSU.

3. Pay by credit card. Hardwareversand is gone then.

All that's needed is CPU, Mobo, Ram, gfx card and storage.


Ram: Corsair Vengance 16GB kit, €82
CPU: i7 2600K €305
Mobo: P8Z68 Gen 3 €147
GFX: Asus GTX 570 DirectCU II €288
SSD: Corsair Force Series 3 120GB SSD €150
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 €129
Cooler: Corsair H70 €69.10

Total: €1170.1 + shipping (which is free up to 16KG, so this may be free)

All from dabs, would have everything within a week, and take credit card.

And if you're in Dublin, and need someone to build it, give me a shout

Out of curiosity, since he has the budget why not go for a factory overclocked 6970? Or even a 580?

Eamonn Brophy

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

Lads a few things.

1. He said he'd overclock, so the 2700K is a waste of €50. Get a 2600K and overclock.

2. Already has a PSU.

3. Pay by credit card. Hardwareversand is gone then.

All that's needed is CPU, Mobo, Ram, gfx card and storage.


Ram: Corsair Vengance 16GB kit, €82
CPU: i7 2600K €305
Mobo: P8Z68 Gen 3 €147
GFX: Asus GTX 570 DirectCU II €288
SSD: Corsair Force Series 3 120GB SSD €150
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 €129
Cooler: Corsair H70 €69.10

Total: €1170.1 + shipping (which is free up to 16KG, so this may be free)

All from dabs, would have everything within a week, and take credit card.

And if you're in Dublin, and need someone to build it, give me a shout

You can pay by credit-card to hardwareversand through amazon europe, though I think there's a limit of around 950 euro on that.

Dublin_Gunner

nesf wrote: »

Out of curiosity, since he has the budget why not go for a factory overclocked 6970? Or even a 580?

The 570 is a better card. Especially the directcuII. I've used both and owned the 570 and overall it's a faster card.

Eamonn Brophy wrote: »

You can pay by credit-card to hardwareversand through amazon europe, though I think there's a limit of around 950 euro on that.

If it was me, I wouldn't be giving my money to the German exchequer. Dabs.ie at least pays its tax here, overall is as cheap, you can use a credit card, and you'll have the parts sooner than generally with hwvs.

In fact, I see no reason to go with hwvs for anything.

Eamonn Brophy

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

The 570 is a better card. Especially the directcuII. I've used both and owned the 570 and overall it's a faster card.



If it was me, I wouldn't be giving my money to the German exchequer. Dabs.ie at least pays its tax here, overall is as cheap, you can use a credit card, and you'll have the parts sooner than generally with hwvs.

In fact, I see no reason to go with hwvs for anything.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/306?vs=292
Both cards mentioned actually outperform the 570, not to bash it or anything, it's a very powerful and good gpu, just sayin....

As for Hardwareversand, I've no issue with money going to the germans considering that most of the infrastructure we have in the country is eu money that comes from many countries including germany. All one big happy family like!

Dublin_Gunner

Eamonn Brophy wrote: »

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/306?vs=292
Both cards mentioned actually outperform the 570, not to bash it or anything, it's a very powerful and good gpu, just sayin....

As for Hardwareversand, I've no issue with money going to the germans considering that most of the infrastructure we have in the country is eu money that comes from many countries including germany. All one big happy family like!

Even though that comparison is very limited, it still doesn't show the 6970 beating the 570. If anything they trade blows. And if you do any compute work, or play anything with tessellation, the 570 FAR outperforms it. And eh, obviously the 580 is a faster card lol

Of course, if I wanted to add another 100 or so to his budget, it would be the 580 without a doubt. The OP mentioned a budget UP to 1300, so rather than blow the entire budget, I put together a very capable upgrade spec using a 570, leaving him plenty of cash to spare should he wish to maybe get a new case or whatever.

Trust me, I've had both cards (6970 & 570), and IMO the 570 is far better. (particularly considering this will be a video rendering machine, where transcode / encode on the 570 is FAR faster).

Here's some 6970 reviews:
http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-6950-6970-review/15

570 wins all but 2 (and one or 2 are draws).

http://www.techspot.com/review/348-amd-radeon-6970/page14.html
Thats just the conclusion page, and as you can see, they perform pretty much the same here.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2010/12/15/ati-radeon-hd-6970-review/11

While the HD 6970 2GB is undoubtedly a good graphics card for around £300, unless you really want EyeFinity support, the GTX 570 is a better bet. The GTX 570 1.3GB handles AA significantly better in the majority of games, and for high-end graphics cards, this matters, and it's also cheaper.

That quote pretty much sums up all 6970 2GB reviews.

And in relation to where your money goes, while a sticky subject, I'd rather my hard earned goes to the Irish tax system - and of course free delivery, quicker delivery, and roughly similar prices swing the likes of Dabs.ie in my favour.

People on boards have an unnatural liking for HWVS (and this is the only site I ever see them recommended), but TBH its unfounded these days. Their site is rubbish, they don't accept credit card, and it generally takes some time for deliveries.

**edit

Another edit lol

The OP specifically mentions BF3, lets look at some tests so. Focus on 'Ultra' performance seettings, as there's no reason no tto max the game out with these cards.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/battlefield-3-vga-and-cpu-performance-benchmark-test/5
Apart from 2560x1600 (where the little bit of extra ram comes into play), the 570 soundly beats the 6970.

http://www.techspot.com/review/458-battlefield-3-performance/page3.html
Yep, 570 is faster again - even at 2560x1600 with AA enabled (seeing a trend?).

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/battlefield-3-graphics-performance,3063-7.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/battlefield-3-graphics-performance,3063-12.html

2 pages posted, one for Nvidia, one for AMD cards. And can you guess?? Go on... Yep, 570 is faster.

Now, if you'd like me to be more thorough in my performance analysis, I have no problem doing that. But I'm pretty sure I've managed to prove my point far beyond anything you provided in your single benchmark link.

TL: DR version:

The 570 is a better card than the HD 6970. And if the OP wants to blow an extra 100 or so, I can only recommend the 580.

nesf

BF3 performance is an issue with ATI's drivers at the moment I think rather than card hardware. I think.

Dublin_Gunner

nesf wrote: »

BF3 performance is an issue with ATI's drivers at the moment I think rather than card hardware. I think.

Only in dual GPU configs, which has been fixed in the latest driver release [beta]. Baseline performance is indicative of the cards raw grunt, which hasn't changed.

Plus, they released a 'BF3 performance' driver, which improved things slightly, but that was around beta / release time. Nvidia also released a BF3 performance driver around the same time, who's fixes have been rolled into the latest releases also.

steve_

Just wondering if i would get much cash by selling off the parts already in my computer?

CPU: Q6600

GPU: 768mb 8800GTX

MOBO: Asus Maximus Formula

RAM: 4gb

Also when using the H70 will i need to buy two fans?

Dublin_Gunner

steve_ wrote: »

Just wondering if i would get much cash by selling off the parts already in my computer?

CPU: Q6600

GPU: 768mb 8800GTX

MOBO: Asus Maximus Formula

RAM: 4gb

Also when using the H70 will i need to buy two fans?

You might get €150-180 maybe. I know its shocking selling off what were once high-end parts.

nesf

steve_ wrote: »

Also when using the H70 will i need to buy two fans?

Only if you want quieter performance. It ships with two ok fans.

steve_

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

You might get €150-180 maybe. I know its shocking selling off what were once high-end parts.

Ouch thats a bummer. its crazy how quickly things depreciate. My poor wallet

steve_

nesf wrote: »

Only if you want quieter performance. It ships with two ok fans.

Noise isnt a problem once performance isnt compromised