Computers!!

these pre-built computers always overkill on the memory. Who needs that much anyways. Yeah its an okay choice, though personally I'd like to do editing and other "creative" things on a Mac, and leave my PC for gaming.

You'll probably be able to run most games on mid-high settings.
 
Actually, that is not a gaming system. The 4200 is the integrated graphics (on the motherboard in the Northbridge). While it's better than Intel's at entry level gaming, you won't be playing much at high resolution. You will want a discrete PCI Express graphics card for any serious gaming. The HD5770 can't be beat for the price. Next step up is the HD6850 (just released in December). I run a pair of HD5870s in Crossfire for my gaming.

That said, it is a decent system for the price and nicely upgradeable. Building your own is an option, but software can get pricey real quick.

And you'll want large amounts of RAM for editing and authoring high-definition content and composting with After Effects.

Side note, check the power supply rating. It may not handle any graphics cards that require auxiliary PCI-E power. If so, you could always find a decent deal on an HD4650 or 5600 series. Those don't require aux power and will still give you decent gaming performance. I run an HD4650 in my Media Center PC (connected via HDMI with 7.1 surround and 1080p).
 
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that1guyy said:
these pre-built computers always overkill on the memory. Who needs that much anyways. Yeah its an okay choice, though personally I'd like to do editing and other "creative" things on a Mac, and leave my PC for gaming.

You'll probably be able to run most games on mid-high settings.
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Uhh, actually I don't think 6GB RAM is that much. I think 8 would be a good starting point, but more would be better. Who needs it? Anybody working in graphics, and that includes basic color-correction, like Colorista. And anybody editing HD footage, especially that which comes from DSLR.

Not gonna get into the PC/Mac debate (that horse is dead). They're both very good for editing, and there are valid reasons to go with either.

I don't like pre-built stuff. Do you know the name-brands of all of the components inside that computer? No, you do not. And every component matters. Personally, I prefer a company that will let you configure exactly what you want, and you know every component that's gonna be in there. And, they don't load your computer with a bunch of useless software that you didn't want in the first place. I'm a loyal customer of www.cyberpowerpc.com, but there are plenty of other companies like them, if you don't see what you want there.
 
6GB of ram is not even close to too much in general. On that machine I'd argue that it isn't enough since the on-board video is going to gank some for graphics RAM. VP's point is important. I wouldn't recommend any computer with on-board video (as opposed to a discrete card) for either video editing OR gaming.

The only thing pre-built I'd touch is *maybe* a Dell. Even then I'm with Cracker, PCs are the world of the DIY builder. I can't vouch for companies that assemble custom builds to order, never used one - but I'd be apt to trust one with a solid rep over a large manufacturer.

Last thing I will say is that I would steer clear of HP in general (except their business laptops which have improved) as their hardware isn't usually the greatest and they are notorious for loads of bloatware you won't want or need.
 
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David.rhsc said:
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Last thing I will say is that I would steer clear of HP in general (except their business laptops which have improved) as their hardware isn't usually the greatest and they are notorious for loads of bloatware you won't want or need.
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HP's business PCs and workstations are pretty solid. I've been using a Dc5750 as a productivity system for almost three years now without a single hiccup. Also have Dc5850s and 6005 Pros around me that are exceptional quality.

But when you start getting in the consumer space, it doesn't matter. Everything is built in China by the lowest bidder. So you can have your DIY system crash just as easily. The difference in an OEM system is an AVL (Approved Vendor List) of validated components. You do it yourself, and you become the system integrator. I am an avid DIY guy, too. I build all my gaming systems and have for the last 10-15 years. Believe me, I've encountered my share of incompatibilities. I'll never touch Crucial memory again, for instance. But all of my productivity systems (the ones I can't afford to have crash on me) have been HP Commercial Desktops and/or Workstations.

Any system builder can build a box. It's the support that goes with that box that makes the difference. And I'd rather an OEM spend the money on the system integration because I just don't have the time anymore. And you can get a legal version of the operating system for pennies on the dollar relative to what you'd pay retail in a DIY configuration. My Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade in my Media Center system alone cost me $129.00.

Side note, I used to work for both Dell and Compaq/HP, so forgive me if I seem just a little biased. :D
 
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How times are changing. I just built an editing computer for an Adobe CS5 suite which has 24GB of DDR3 RAM with an i7 950 processor. The NVIDIA Quadro 4000 graphics card was almost as expensive as my old HP Pavilion 8GB RAM media workstation all by itself.

I don't play golf, lol.
 
CamVader said:
How times are changing. I just built an editing computer for an Adobe CS5 suite which has 24GB of DDR3 RAM with an i7 950 processor. The NVIDIA Quadro 4000 graphics card was almost as expensive as my old HP Pavilion 8GB RAM media workstation all by itself.
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I want that. When you're done with that and ready to throw it away, I call dibs.
 
Mac! Always go for Mac! They can do anything, and it's super proffessional. You pay a little more for the computer, but it's worth it. Mac, Mac, Mac! FinalCut is awesome, and even iMovie, which comes with the computer, is fantastic. I went to a TV studio yesterday, and they use iMovie for their editing software.
 
Josiah said:
Mac! Always go for Mac! They can do anything, and it's super proffessional. You pay a little more for the computer, but it's worth it. Mac, Mac, Mac! FinalCut is awesome, and even iMovie, which comes with the computer, is fantastic. I went to a TV studio yesterday, and they use iMovie for their editing software.
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A TV studio using iMovie? I've been a very happy Mac user for years, but it's not the best solution for everyone, particularly on a low budget.
 
Josiah said:
Mac! Always go for Mac! They can do anything, and it's super proffessional. You pay a little more for the computer, but it's worth it. Mac, Mac, Mac! FinalCut is awesome, and even iMovie, which comes with the computer, is fantastic.
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:lol:

Model Name: Mac Pro
Model Identifier: MacPro4,1
Processor Name: Quad-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed: 2.26 GHz
Number Of Processors: 2
Total Number Of Cores: 8
L2 Cache (per core): 256 KB
L3 Cache (per processor): 8 MB
Memory: 32 GB
Processor Interconnect Speed: 5.86 GT/s
Chipset Model: NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800
Above is my set up and I am almost 40% satisfied.
Would be nice to hear the truth about people's editing systems. I know people spend a lot of money (I did) and are ashamed to say they are not happy. Well I am not and would like the truth about windows 7 and CS5 production suite. After Effects sucks the life out of my machine but is better than my iMac . FCP studio (3) and Premier Pro CS5 seem to be about the same as on my iMac. Apple keeps sucking the life out of me but hey I hear the iPhone rocks!! (When it works)
 
If you have any tech savy friend that can give you a hand, ask him for help and buy the parts from new egg, and assamble them with his help.
It's nt as hard as you might think, and it's fun to do. Plus you'll have a fair knowledge of what's inside your machine.

The computer you need depends on what kind of footage are you going to edit. The higher the resolution the more power you need.

Nowadays, for adobe suites, and HD video I would not use less than 8gb. You can work with less but when you talk about RAM more IS better.
 
bodenseebob said:
Above is my set up and I am almost 40% satisfied.
Would be nice to hear the truth about people's editing systems. I know people spend a lot of money (I did) and are ashamed to say they are not happy. Well I am not and would like the truth about windows 7 and CS5 production suite. After Effects sucks the life out of my machine but is better than my iMac . FCP studio (3) and Premier Pro CS5 seem to be about the same as on my iMac. Apple keeps sucking the life out of me but hey I hear the iPhone rocks!! (When it works)
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If it's that awful, I'll be very happy to take it off your hands for you ;)
 
bodenseebob said:
:lol:

Model Name: Mac Pro
Model Identifier: MacPro4,1
Processor Name: Quad-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed: 2.26 GHz
Number Of Processors: 2
Total Number Of Cores: 8
L2 Cache (per core): 256 KB
L3 Cache (per processor): 8 MB
Memory: 32 GB
Processor Interconnect Speed: 5.86 GT/s
Chipset Model: NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800
Above is my set up and I am almost 40% satisfied.
Would be nice to hear the truth about people's editing systems. I know people spend a lot of money (I did) and are ashamed to say they are not happy. Well I am not and would like the truth about windows 7 and CS5 production suite. After Effects sucks the life out of my machine but is better than my iMac . FCP studio (3) and Premier Pro CS5 seem to be about the same as on my iMac. Apple keeps sucking the life out of me but hey I hear the iPhone rocks!! (When it works)
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My Mac Book Pro OSX is brand-new. Hey, my Mac hasn't have any problems, and that's the truth. Never have had to worry about internet viruses either. Hey, we all got our personal favorites!:)
 
chilipie said:
A TV studio using iMovie? I've been a very happy Mac user for years, but it's not the best solution for everyone, particularly on a low budget.
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It's just a TV studio for Michigan area. I've gotten acquainted with someone there, and he took me on a little tour through the studio. There are no camera guys there. It's all by robots and one guy.
 
bodenseebob said:
After Effects sucks the life out of my machine but is better than my iMac . FCP studio (3) and Premier Pro CS5 seem to be about the same as on my iMac. Apple keeps sucking the life out of me
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I'm a long-time Mac user (Mac Quadra 605 - 1993) and have never had any problems that were not of my own doing. I've also used PCs, and for quite a while, worked part time setting up home studios for hobbyists and wannabes. Back in the late 90's, and up until about five years ago, PCs were a major PITA to set up for digital audio and, according to some friends, the same applied to video editing.

The one thing that I have found is that if you are or aspire to be a professional your computer, whether it's a PC or a Mac, should be dedicated to that alone. In my studio my Mac does nothing but digital audio (Pro Tools and Digital Performer). I don't have it hooked up the the 'net, I don't email, I don't play games, I don't do scheduling, I don't do my taxes, I don't run my business software, I don't do anything on that box other than digital audio. Softwares run on the internal drive(s), the projects are on external firewire drives - and I use only Glyph drives. The system boots up and runs flawlessly first time, every time. I have peers who work on both PC and Mac who do and report the same thing.

It's when you start using your editing machine for other purposes that you run into trouble.
 
I've had 4 HP Pavilions in a row. I beat the crap out of them so I never expect them to last forever. I get about 2-3 years of good use out of it, then give it to my kids and I get a new one. I've never had any real problems with any of them (except the one that came with Vista, but I blame Vista ... not HP). So I would say a HP is a reasonable choice. For gaming or editing, I agree that you should look for at least 6 GB RAM. I will also agree completely with VP that you should have at least a 500 W power supply. If you PC doesn't come with that (and it likely won't), go out and replace it immediately. Installing a second hard drive is also recommended. If you are working with video, it is less strain on the drive to have files writing to a second drive, rather than to the drive that is also running the operating system and program files.

BTW - I just got a new PC last fall, and would you believe -- Firewire port not included? I guess it is a dying technology.
 
It's when you start using your editing machine for other purposes that you run into trouble.[/QUOTE said:
I have Production Suite CS5 set to Adobe's suggested settings (Yes call or visit their blogs and they will provide you with most excellent customer service), no tax stuff or games on the system. I also have 2 MAC Book Pros with CS5 as well and I love as well as one iMac to do my business with and I love it as well. Going back to my comments in this post it's not that MAC sucks or Windows sucks it that for the money I put out for my MAC Pro I was really expecting a lot more than what it provides me. Now that Windows 7 has been out for a while I was wanting to know if the next time I spend as much on a system could get a lot more for my money and be happy going with a windows based machine. Thanks to Apple dragging their feet with FCP's next release and keeping everyone in the dark with lame " it will be awesome" comments I have sharpened my Adobe CS5 skills to the point that I am no longer waiting to see the next big FCP XXX is all about. I am very happy with CS5 and that opens doors for my next editing system. So after everyone is through telling me how great Mac computers are and how i don't have a clue about being a professional (Which I don't have a clue but i do make my living editing) how about some feed back from people who have Windows 7 computers and CS5? I probably should start a new post but after seeing the replies here I can see it will be the same Mac / Windows fight.
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