New System for Video Editing, Design, etc

[Kirin]

Hi, I was wondering if I could ask some advice about getting a new desktop system primarily geared towards video editing and graphic design.
Specifically I would like a system that can handle editing AVCHD files smoothly and is powerful enough to work with software like After FX, Vegas, etc.
Gaming performance is not a priority, but having said that, I would be happy if I can play the occasional game like Diablo 3 when it comes out



One other important piece of information is that I live in Japan, so the systems available here are likely to be available in slightly different configurations than those in other countries. Prices will also be a bit different I guess..

My budget is quite flexible, but I am aiming for around 100,000yen (US$1000).



From my initial research I am considering 3 options at the moment, but am open to others.
1) Dell Studio XPS
2) HP Pavilion Desktop PC e9190jp/CT
3) Custom built system (have never attempted this before)

Here are the specs that are available for these in Japan:
Dell XPS
Intel i7-920 (2.66GHz, 8MB L3 Cache)
6GB(1GB x 6) DDR3-SDRAM
500GB SATA HDD (7200)
DVD super multi drive
ATI Radeon(TM) HD 4350 512MB (DVI/HDMI/VGA)


HP Pavilion Desktop PC e9190jp/CT
Coreâ„¢i7-920
6GB DDR3 (1066MHz,3DIMM)
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT220(1GB)
320GB (SATA, 7,200rpm)
DVD super multi drive



Both systems are roughly the same price (approx US$1000), but the HP seems to have more and better priced upgrade options (Nvidia GTS250 +$120, 2x640GB raid HDs +$100)
As such I am leaning more towards the HP at this stage.
What do you think?

Are those kind of system specs suitable for video editing etc? Are there any parts which I should consider upgrading (or downgrading)?

Thank you for your help

 

[Kirin]

Well after doing some research, I have decided to scrap those two pre-built systems and attempt to build my own custom build.
Can anyone give me some ideas based on my needs?
I have read through several other threads, but most of them seemed to be for gaming systems, whereas my requirements are a little different.
Thanks in advance

 

[zedman3d]

For video edititng i would suggest 6GB of DDR3, the i7 920, a GTX260+ (for gpu accelerated programs), a Vertex/Falcon SSD for your editing program to reside on and one or two big 1TB drives...

 

[Kirin]

Thanks zedman.
So, so far my system is looking like this:

- Core i7 920
- Asus P6T motherboard
- 6GB DDR3 RAM (probably OCZ 1600)
- WinFast GTX 260 EXTREME+ (Leadtek Limited) (PCIExp 896MB)

Ok, so far?
Still not sure about the HDD setup. Ultimately I'd like to go for a SSD for OS and apps, and then two RAID 7200rpm drives.. but that kind of setup is starting to get pretty expensive due to the SSD. Has anyone got any suggestions about this?
I've never used RAID before, so I'm also not really sure how they play with other drives, and how reliable they are..

Also I guess the next step after that is deciding on a PSU unit. For my system I'm thinking I might need around 650w. Does that sound right?

Anything else I'm missing?

 

[SapperX]

A SSD, while nice, really isn't needed and I would allocate the money used in that for more space or a better graphics card instead. Space is your ultimate friend while video editing.