Some advice please...

granea

Active member
Hi all,

I would appreciate any thoughts on the attached spec.

Main usage will be 4k video editing using a range of editors. I am looking for a system that will keep me going for a number of years, (my current one is 7 years old but significantly stutters with 4K).

Key questions are....

1) Is AMD Threadripper 3970X too much? Would 3960X do an equally good job?
2) I have gone with a 512GB SSD for O/S and apps but have added a further 1GB SSD purely for editing the video on - will this be a lot better than storing the video on HDD whilst editing?
3) I haven't added a sound card. I don't do anything fancy with sound other than to add music tracks. Will the onboard sound suffice for this?
4) Is 64GB of RAM sufficient ?

Budget is not really a consideration, I just want the most appropriate PC that will last.

Thanks for your help.

Case
CORSAIR OBSIDIAN SERIES™ 750D FULL TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X 32 Core CPU (3.7GHz - 4.5GHz, 147MB CACHE)
Motherboard
Gigabyte TRX40 AORUS PRO WIFI: ATX, USB 3.2 - RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (4 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
8TB SEAGATE IRONWOLF PRO 3.5", 7200 RPM 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Noctua NH-U14S TR4-SP3 Ultra Quiet Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
 

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
Other than wanting a better CPU cooler - one of the 360mm AIO ones I think PCS offer in the configurator, the spec looks excellent.

1) "worth it" depends on the extra performance you might get versus how important keeping the money in your pocket is. Have a look at:

There is extra performance, but a 3950X is already a monster and much cheaper, for instance. To get a sense of how the workloads in the benchmarks compare to yours, you can always look at the benchmark they use and see how that compares to your workloads:

If your workloads are a lot lighter, or you consider that the performance of a cheaper CPU is acceptable, you could drop down to one of those / switch to the R9 3950X on the AM4 platform. Or if the workloads are comparable and you need renders to be done asap, it could justify the more expensive purchase.

2) Yes. For storage configuration ideas, see:

NB: while Puget suggest having the OS on a Sata SSD as that has little benefit for adobe workloads, for general PC usage you'd actually want your OS on a very fast SSD like the 500gb 970 Evo in your spec.

3) Onboard should be fine

4) 64gb RAM should be sufficient, if not excessive depending on the workloads.
 

granea

Active member
The reviews of the recommended coolers don't actually indicate any of them as being perfect. The three on offer are;

1) Noctura NH-U14s (This seems to be the closest to perfect but some reviews say you should really have water cooling for 3970X).
2) CoolerMaster Wraith Ripper Fan (doesnt seem to keep a 3970x cool enough)
3) CoolerMaster MasterLiquid ML360 RGB TR4 (reviews indicate that this is good for Threadripper 2 series but not good enough for the 3 series)

My research has come up with two alternatives;

1) Thermaltake Water 3.00 ARGB
2) Corsair Hydro 150i Pro RGB

What do people think ? Should I ask for one of these coolers or am I being over critical of the PC Specialist offerings?
 

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
I would go with the H115i Platinum Pro from the PCS range. I think the only way of bettering it would be to buy the H150i RGB Pro XT. Just make sure you get the XT and not the Hydro (Old).

If you contact PCS they may be able to offer you alternatives as a one off. The H115i Platinum is the best solution from the standard menu.
 
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