zenpmd Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Can't seem to get clear guidance on this. I am planning on making a Haswell build and the Intel I7 3770s. What I want to avoid if possible if buying a graphics card, as they are expensive and stops the machine from being fanless. Any care to share any advice? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronChicago Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 You'll really want a decent graphics card. Fan noise isn't bad at all. I have a desktop with i7 4770 and GT670 graphics card. Can't even hear it running unless I'm rendering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenpmd Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 What kind of case do you have? Any alternative to a large classic ATX set up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inazuma Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 I have a normal ATX setup. With core i7 @ 3.9ghz, GTX 680, and recently upgraded to 16gb ram. I used to think 3D rendering required a lot of performance, but it seems video encoding is even more demanding! You can't avoid fans if you want a decent setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenpmd Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 The interesting thing, though, is that the gfx card is the only sticking point. I have two completely passive computers (HD Plex and Streacomm) and both could have the Intel I7 3770S without any fans. They use a clever heatsink technology where, in effect, the whole case is a heatsink. The issue is more the gfx card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunyata Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 CPU speed and video card aside, heed my advice... you need to think about backups! I'd go with a used / tested LTO-4 or 5, on ebay. If you're serious about editing, you're gonna need a searchable library of footage to keep offline, not just a stack of firewire drives and dead computers. Just my 2 cents. jonpais 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dahlfors Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 My method for keeping noise at a quiet enough level: Fractal Design Define case http://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/define-series/define-xl-r2-black-pearl - The cases have bitumen on sidewalls to suppress fan noise: "High density noise-reducing material for an optimal silent case - To achieve a high level of noise reduction, material with mass should be incorporated which is what we strive to achieve with the dense bitumen used on the side panels" - Very happy with these cases. I have one for my file server, one for my workstation. Unordinarily well-built cases for the price level. Anandtech GPU Bench 2014: http://anandtech.com/bench/GPU14/815 - I check noise levels, power usage and performance, and try to pick the best option for my needs. - Current GPU that I decided was enough for my needs: GTX 760 with 2GB mem. (You might want more power for 4k) In the computer case I add large 120mm fans that run at low speed to suck in air at front and blow out air in back. Hence the temperature in the whole case is usually lower and the GPU doesn't need to run fans at full power too often. Tim Fraser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandro Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 It seems to be a common mistake to associate video card = video editing. That's (almost) completely wrong. GPU acceleration is used only by some editing software like Premiere Pro and only for some effects, actually from CS6 they added a lot of effects. Also keep in mind that GPU acceleration is used only for rendering effects not for decoding and encoding. So my advice is not to spend a fortune on video cards, just the best you can get that supports acceleration with your editing software and invest on CPU, RAM and dedicated HDD for videos. I'm not saying that GPU doesn't make a difference, I mean that high end GPUs can be an overkill. Tim Fraser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunyata Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 It seems to be a common mistake to associate video card = video editing. That's (almost) completely wrong. GPU acceleration is used only by some editing software like Premiere Pro and only for some effects, actually from CS6 they added a lot of effects. Also keep in mind that GPU acceleration is used only for rendering effects not for decoding and encoding. So my advice is not to spend a fortune on video cards, just the best you can get that supports acceleration with your editing software and invest on CPU, RAM and dedicated HDD for videos. I'm not saying that GPU doesn't make a difference, I mean that high end GPUs can be an overkill. Depending on what your work environment is, the video card requirements can actually be more expensive than the computer, i.e. working online or offline. For example, primary display with SDI output can be over 4k. That is not including decklinks. Also, the Quadro and GeForce have different architectures and that does become an issue with smooth playback. I've tried to go the GeForce route only to find horizontal lines and artifacts while trying to playback at a locked framerate. The card can be very important with a complete editing suite depending on the demands, it's always been that way unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Fraser Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 It seems to be a common mistake to associate video card = video editing. That's (almost) completely wrong. GPU acceleration is used only by some editing software like Premiere Pro and only for some effects, actually from CS6 they added a lot of effects. Also keep in mind that GPU acceleration is used only for rendering effects not for decoding and encoding. So my advice is not to spend a fortune on video cards, just the best you can get that supports acceleration with your editing software and invest on CPU, RAM and dedicated HDD for videos. I'm not saying that GPU doesn't make a difference, I mean that high end GPUs can be an overkill. That's why I would try the GTX 750! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Fraser Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 My method for keeping noise at a quiet enough level: Fractal Design Define case http://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/define-series/define-xl-r2-black-pearl - The cases have bitumen on sidewalls to suppress fan noise: "High density noise-reducing material for an optimal silent case - To achieve a high level of noise reduction, material with mass should be incorporated which is what we strive to achieve with the dense bitumen used on the side panels" - Very happy with these cases. I have one for my file server, one for my workstation. Unordinarily well-built cases for the price level. My daughter has the above Case (R4) and even with her GTX 760 and fan cpu cooler, it is nearly inaudible. Having the base unit on the floor beside the desk also helps; and it is a rather large case, think semi-pro/pro level. But I highly recommend it for keeping noise down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Fraser Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Can't seem to get clear guidance on this. I am planning on making a Haswell build and the Intel I7 3770s. What I want to avoid if possible if buying a graphics card, as they are expensive and stops the machine from being fanless. Any care to share any advice? Thanks! You could just try a build using the integrated graphics capability on the Haswell chip. It may be equal very roughly to the power of the previous gen GTX 650 (memory a bit vague on this so could be wrong), but the integrated graphics lacks the Cuda processing abilities of the Nvidia card. This might matter to you depending on what software you decide to use. Seems a shame IMO not to at least experience the added editing features of Davinci Resolve Lite ver 11, due to lack of say a GTX 750 for £110! If you try using a build without a dedicated graphics card, you can always change your mind and add one in later. It would be most interesting to hear how you get on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenpmd Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 Thanks everyone. Coincidentally I've just noticed you can get a Geforce 750 Ti passive! And a Radeon r9 270! http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-170-PC http://www.palit.biz/palit/vgapro.php?id=2378 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dahlfors Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 It seems to be a common mistake to associate video card = video editing. That's (almost) completely wrong. GPU acceleration is used only by some editing software like Premiere Pro and only for some effects, actually from CS6 they added a lot of effects. Also keep in mind that GPU acceleration is used only for rendering effects not for decoding and encoding. So my advice is not to spend a fortune on video cards, just the best you can get that supports acceleration with your editing software and invest on CPU, RAM and dedicated HDD for videos. I'm not saying that GPU doesn't make a difference, I mean that high end GPUs can be an overkill. Besides accelerating realtime playback of selected effects, Adobe CS6 and newer has CUDA accelerated encoding with Adobe Media encoder. And for CS6 (at least in windows) you need to enable your GPU manually for acceleration when you're using a consumer card - only certain Quadro cards are supported out of the box. A good thing to note is that Adobe has a requirement of at least 1024 MB video memory on cards for GPU acceleration. Here's info on how to enable CUDA support in Premiere: http://www.pointsinfocus.com/learning/digital-darkroom/enable-cuda-in-premier-pro-cs6-without-a-quadro/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnorman34 Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I am regularly editing 4K video from the GH4 on a 2 core haswell I7 with 8 gb ram and integrated intel graphics with no problems. The key for me is editing software that supports smart rendering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevonChris Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I am regularly editing 4K video from the GH4 on a 2 core haswell I7 with 8 gb ram and integrated intel graphics with no problems. The key for me is editing software that supports smart rendering. So which editing software do you use that can work so effectively with 4K? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnorman34 Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Devon - I am using power director 12. I switched from Adobe premiere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronChicago Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 True that simple editing/encoding doesn't require a massive graphics card, however these days almost any plugin/effect is GPU accelerated. All of Adobe suite uses the graphics card to help speed along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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