-
New NLE Computer Build
I am a long time Vegas user and I am needing to build a faster computer for my main NLE. I want to get the best performance, but not waste money. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated! From what I am reading, I probably should wait a couple of weeks for the new Windows 7 OS instead of using Vista 64. Will the Intel i7 Quad Core 920 ($200) over-clocked (almost 4ghz!) work or should I go with the i7 Extreme ($975). Ram is cheap, but will 6 gigs be enough or should I go with 8 or more? The specs on the Nvidia GTX295 video card are quite impressive, but I know that Vegas won’t benefit from the faster GPU. Other apps such as CS and Red Giant can use the GPU though. I could probably go with a less expensive card and get a faster CPU. Anyone running a similar config? Love to hear your thoughts Thanks!
-
6 Replies
-
I’m not so sure Vegas won’t benefit from the graphics cores for much longer, now that the OpenCL drivers from Nvidia have been released. Give them a couple weeks.
Of course, once that happens you can forget overclocking your CPU. Way too much trouble to get it to 4ghz in a stable manner anyway.
-
Intel is releasing the iCore 5 series. Google Maximum PC for a comparison test with the iCore 7 series vs. the 5 series – render tests, cost comparisons, peripheral requirements, etc. Also, plan ahead for at least a Raid 0 configuration for your media drive. Makes a difference with HD files. My next build will definitely include a Solid State system drive – capacity is doubling quickly and how big of a drive does one really need for the OS anyway. The read speeds are amazing. Feedback from the current Windows 7 pre-release users is a big thumb’s up. Finally, do not skimp on ram – it is very inexpensive at the moment. Good luck!
John D. Frey
25 Year owner/operator of two California-based production studios.Digital West Video Productions of San Luis Obispo and Inland Images of Lake Elsinore
-
“I’m not so sure Vegas won’t benefit from the graphics cores for much longer, now that the OpenCL drivers from Nvidia have been released.”
What does that mean, exactly? Will adding new drivers make compatible computers be able to go faster because of graphics card use, or do these new drivers only really apply to not-quite-released-yet video cards? Will any changes have to come from sony, or be made to vegas, or will the improvement come automagically?
I currently am agonizing along on a pentium dual-core 3Ghz machine that can’t preview SD material without stuttering along at 5fps or so. I am hoping to get an upgrade for Christmas, but I can’t really afford the kind of computer it sounds like it takes to make Vegas run right. (920+ CPU, 12G mem, 64G SSD+ 1T raid, blu-ray writer, dual video nice, but SLI not necessary) On the other hand, I can’t really afford to play well with HD yet either, so maybe I will be fine.
I have been closely watching, though, to see if there is a technique or software solution or combination of the above to make Vegas cope with life… I have seen people suggest “Cineform” ($100), “Divide Frame” ($100)(32 bit only?), “AVCHD Upshift” ($80), and now this suggestion that there may be a way to get Vegas to use a nice video card? (have to get the right one?)
Obviously the whole mess is a struggle, trying to find the sweet spot between “works poorly” and “costs too much”, (which varies by individual) but what factors seem most important to those most knowledgable out there?
Thanks-
greenup -
The release of the OpenCL and DX11 graphics processing routines should make it possible to render using any available graphics cores in your computer. Even as we speak, Folding@home is blazing away in the background rendering on all 192 cores in my Nividia card.
Prior to this, the programming would have been difficult and proprietary; now it should be easy. I’m not a programmer myself so I really don’t know what it would cost to simply hire someone to code a patch.
-
So, you haven’t specifically seen references:
- From Nvidia mentioning that this will help Vegas.
or
- From Sony, mentioning they use a library that this driver will automatically speed up.
Basically, it sounds like it would require a coding change, or at minimum a recompile/link. I’ve heard before that Sony/Vegas seem allergic to platform-dependent changes; if these drivers only work on Nvidia or some subset of Nvidia cards; is it likely Sony will put up the effort? I am guessing “weeks” is probably a pretty aggressive estimate in any case.
192 cores, huh? that’d be nice, though I doubt they are as beefy as the ones in the main CPU. Probably better than a 6502/8088 though, and armies of ants could do great damage. 🙂
-
No, nothing will be automatic; the rendering routine will have to either be reprogrammed, or like Premiere just hand off the rendering to a separate, possibly third party, app.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Premiere gets GPU rendering first.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up