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Aw jeez, what workstation to buy, how high to go; how low to get by just fine
I need a reality check from real editors about how beefy of a workstation and graphics card I need to get to effectively run Avid Express Pro HD. I’m looking at Dell. Considering HP xw’s.
The system will be for corporate and industrial training and documentary video. It won’t be the core of my livelyhood (as I have a day-job) so it doesn’t need to scream. I’ll use it at home for moonlighting jobs. Still, I don’t want it to be a dog or buy into a deadend and have to replace it in a couple years . . .
A Dell tech just recommended an XPS 410, the Avid site points at the Precision line with higher end/costly Nvidia cards. Two coworkers are running their Avids on clones they’ve pieced together over time.
I’m kinda looking for “Don’t go lower than this” and “Go this high and you’ll be OK” or, “Be sure you get or don’t get such-and-such and you’ll be OK”
Am thinking video cards here, the advantage of internal bays, the pitfalls of trying to do a laptop . . . Monitors that are too slow.
It “used to matter a lot” several years ago when I edited. The field seems a lot more open today.
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1 Reply
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If you’re going with Avid, go with a certified workstation. You’ll spend a little more up front, but the likelihood that you’re going have downtime due to troubleshooting drops drastically if you go certified, and less downtime means more editing time, which translates to more money.
We just purchased two new Avid systems at work–an Xpress Pro HD setup on the HP xw8200 and a Media Composer Adrenaline, also on an HP xw8200. Both with nVidia 1400 cards running the graphics drivers that Avid provides when you install their products. Our problems? None, as far as the system is concerned. The only problems we’ve had with our setups have been software related involving known issues for the versions we’re running, and we’re upgrading as soon as we have some downtime (yeah right, downtime). As an aside, these issues have very simple workarounds that don’t interrupt our workflow at all.
As far a laptop goes: you can go with a laptop, but I wouldn’t. Certifying laptops has been a sorespot for some because of their short shelf life. If it’s not imperative that you have a mobile editing station, I’d avoid the laptops. Desktops give you much more horsepower and a wider range of options, especially when it comes to updating or swapping out compoenents, if need be.
If you can wait a while on your purchase, I would. The chatter on the Avid forums is that Avid is working on certifying the new HP xw8400. If it’s approved, it’ll give you more power than the current xw8200s. However, if you need to buy now, I’d go with the HP’s. Nothing against Dell–I have a few Dells at home (desktop and laptop) for personal use and they’ve been workhorses, but HP has always served me well for Avid.
One last thought–the beauty of Avid is that the system you purchase now to run the version of Avid you’re purchasing now will always run that version as long as your computer runs. Granted, sometimes new upgrades of Avid software mean you’ll need a video card, or different drivers, or more RAM, but if you have a solid station that fills your needs, you can use it until you break it. Example–I use an Xpress Meridien at work that has been rock solid every day I’ve been on it. We can’t upgrade it anymore–it’s a hardware based system that Avid no longer makes–but I don’t need to because it gets the job done. I’d love to have a newer system–more realtime streams, more resolution options, more realtime effects, etc…but until the budget allows I’m on the Meridien, and I expect we’ll get at least 2-5+ more years out of it. Heck, there are still editors out there cutting on even older Avid equipment, and they’re making a good living at it.
Got a bit off topic there, but hopefully there’s some useful information here. Post back if you have more questions, and enjoy your new system!
Mike.
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