best pc for Vegas Pro 13

[Steve Rhoden]

Countless recommendations on that subject posted on here in the past.
You can do a search and find quite a few.

Steve Rhoden (Cow Leader)
Film Maker & VFX Artist.
Owner of Filmex Creative Media.
Samples of my Work and Company can be seen here:
https://www.facebook.com/FilmexCreativeMedia

[Frank Stevn]

The last conversation I see is from 9 month ago. The hardware changes so fast that maybe there are better recommendations by now.

[Dave Osbun]

We talk hardware almost weekly.

Any system using Intel Xeon processors will yield best performance.

[Steve Rhoden]

That’s correct Dave, Sometimes its even discussed more than on a weekly bases.
The only thing that yields any further significant benefit in Vegas
is processing power and Intel Xeon processors are at the top of that list.

Steve Rhoden (Cow Leader)
Film Maker & VFX Artist.
Owner of Filmex Creative Media.
Samples of my Work and Company can be seen here:
https://www.facebook.com/FilmexCreativeMedia

[Frank Stevn]

I really don’t understand very much about hardware, so I don’t get much from the discussions about video cards or processors.

What I need is a link to a good pc to buy, or a list of parts to make it build.

The last specification list I found is this from John Rofrano https://johnrofrano.com/post-production/pc-equiptment/hexcore-video-editing-workstation/ but it is almost from 2 years ago.

[John Rofrano]

[Frank Stevn] “(budget under $3,000)”

For $3000 I’d buy a Mac Pro! lol (actually, for around $2600 you can get a used 12-core 2010 Mac Pro on eBay which is going to be my next computer purchase)

If you want a PC, then check out the VideoGuys DIY 10 build. They always have the latest and greatest hardware in their builds. If you don’t want to build your own get the most powerful HP Z-Series Workstation you can afford.

[Frank Stevn] “The last specification list I found is this from John Rofrano https://johnrofrano.com/post-production/pc-equiptment/hexcore-video-editing-... but it is almost from 2 years ago.”

That was purely based on VideoGuys DIY 9 which is why I suggest you check out their DIY 10.

That’s the best recommendation I can make since I don’t follow nor plan to buy PC hardware anymore because I’ve completely moved to the Mac and don’t need to worry about that stuff anymore. 😉

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com

[Frank Stevn]

Thank you John.

Why do you prefer a Mac? I think they are more expensive. And ‘MS Windows 7’ is a really stable OS.

Do you trust to buy a Mac in ebay?

Besides, I can’t afford investing time in learning a new editing software, after years working with Vegas.

If the VideoGuys don’t put the PCs together, I think I will go with the HP workstation.

[Heinrich Himmel]

Likely that 12 core Xeon will be about on par to current 6 core at 3.6GHz

If you are looking to build a PC for video editing at up to $3k budget, I would recommend something along the following:

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/p/9vP8xr
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/p/9vP8xr/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: MSI X99S SLI Plus ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($223.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($529.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5″ Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 1TB 2.5″ Solid State Drive ($389.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 6970 2GB Video Card ($129.99 @ eBay Newegg) – I edited this one
Case: Corsair Air 540 ATX Mid Tower Case ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($66.44 @ OutletPC)
Total: $2119.35
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-13 11:31 EDT-0400

If you want to save money, go for a build around AMD FX 8320 or FX 8350:

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/p/syGhYJ
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/p/syGhYJ/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($173.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Asus M5A99FX PRO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($344.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5″ Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5″ 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5″ 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 6970 2GB Video Card ($129.99)
Case: Corsair Air 540 ATX Mid Tower Case ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($66.44 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1419.31
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-13 11:37 EDT-0400

The AMD 8-core (or i7 4-core) will be roughly 33% slower than the hex core. The HD 6970 should cut render times in half for AVC. Most likely newer GPUs will make editing smoother but they will not accelerate rendering.

[Scott Francis]

For $3000 you can build an INSANE editing computer, and bypass Mac, they are good, but once you get by all the Thunderbolt adapters and connectors you will be WAY over $3000. IMHO….

Xeon processors are the best you can get (and what a Mac Pro uses), it seems that AMD GPUs are currently the best with SVP, but if you are going to use any ADOBE product as well, NVIDIA MAY be a better call, but you will need to research what works best for the Mercury engine for Adobe…

John has a great suggestion about looking on Video Guys building guides…but if you want to get the best bang for your buck, you may need to build your own or use a place that will custom build it for you…

Good luck!

Xavier (Scott) Francis
Mind’s Eye Audio/Video Productions

[John Rofrano]

[Frank Stevn] “Why do you prefer a Mac?”

My first introduction to Mac hardware was back in 2011 when I had a two year old 2009 Lenovo Thinkpad that was lumbering along. I couldn’t wait to get an upgrade. Then someone at work left and they had a 2009 MacBook Pro and it was recommended to me as an upgrade so I took it. I even transferred my extra memory from my Lenovo to it because it has the same CPU (Core 2 Duo), Memory, everything. The two laptops had the exact same specs. Much to my surprise, I couldn’t believe how fast the 2009 MacBook Pro was. It was truly an upgrade to me. I run a lot of virtual machines on my laptop for work and the Thinkpad with Windows 7 could run one, maybe two before it bogged down to a crawl. I could get 4 VM’s running on Mac OS X with good performance using the exact same specs. It was then that I realized that OS X was just way more efficient at memory management and multitasking than Windows 7 was and from then on I was hooked on Mac (besides it was far easier to use but that’s another story). So primarily I prefer a Mac because I prefer OS X over Windows 7.

I also like the fact that Mac’s are really quiet. I thought my PC was quiet and I selected the parts to make it as quiet as possible but next to my Mac Pro, my PC sounds like a jet engine. (ok, maybe not that bad but it’s definitely louder) I can’t even tell if my Mac Pro is on or not. This is import to me because I do software training and need to be able to record my voice while at the computer and the last thing I need is some fan screaming as the PC heats up during a demo. My Mac Pro doesn’t do that.

[Frank Stevn] “I think they are more expensive.”

It’s a common misconception that Mac’s are more expensive. Mac’s are NOT more expensive. In fact, the Mac Pro has always been less expensive by about $1000 than a comparably equipped BOXX or HP Workstation. I’ve priced them out and done the math. Mac’s just don’t have a “value line” like PC’s

Look at it this way: You can buy a Lenovo Thinkpad for $499 or one for $1299. Which do you think is built better? You would expect the $1299 Thinkpad to be built better than the $499 one and you’d be correct. Well… you can only buy a MacBook Pro starting at $1299 and it’s a high quality build. So people say that Mac’s cost more because they compare the cheap $499 laptop with a $1299 MacBook Pro and quality wise these are apples and oranges (no pun intended). But you have to compare like quality, you can’t just compare specs. For example, people make the mistake of comparing display specs and say that a PC laptop and Mac laptop have the same resolution and the PC laptop is cheaper. The “real” facts are that the PC laptop may be using TFT technology and the Mac uses IPS technology and those two display technologies can’t be compared because IPS panels are significantly better in quality and cost more than TFT panels. So Mac’s do not cost more than comparably equipped PC’s. It’s just that people like buying cheap PC’s and there are no cheap Macs. (except for the Mac mini which is only $599).

Also, the build quality on Mac’s is incredible. I’ve taken my 2008 Mac Pro apart to clean it and every screw in the computer has “lock tight” on it to make sure that it doesn’t loosen. Every wire is neatly routed in a flat cable against a wall to maximize air flow. It’s a brilliant design and a quality build.

[Frank Stevn] “Do you trust to buy a Mac in ebay?”

I already did. I purchased a 2008 Mac Pro 8-core, 16GB, SSD + 2TB RAID 0, and ATI Radeon HD 5870 for $740 on eBay. So I bought an 8-core Mac Pro for less than the cost of my Quadro 4000 graphics card on my PC which cost me $800 alone and the ATI Radeon HD 5870 in the Mac Pro was just as fast! It is now my main editing computer. Mind you… I have a 2 year old 6-core PC that I never use because I’d rather use a 6 year old Mac Pro! I wouldn’t dream of editing on a 6 year old PC.

You do have to be carful on eBay though. I bought my Mac Pro from another editor. He just wanted to sell his Mac Pro to get a new one. I sent him a few emails and he seemed legitimate so I bought it. I would stick with buying from individuals on eBay and you should be OK.

As I said, my next computer purchase will be a 12-core 2010 Mac Pro from eBay. I’m just saving up the money. They are an incredible deal when you think about it even if you bought it to run Windows.

[Frank Stevn] “Besides, I can’t afford investing time in learning a new editing software, after years working with Vegas.”

I understand that. It’s a big jump. I wasn’t suggesting that you should switch from Vegas Pro. You can run Windows 7 on Mac hardware. I have a Bootcamp partition where I run Windows 7 Pro and Vegas Pro. I was just saying that the Mac hardware is a well balanced set of components and you can even use it to run Windows if you’d like and then if you want to use OS X you can. I know it’s not for everyone which is why I said if you want to build a PC check out the VideoGuys DIY 10.

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com