New PC build for audio and video

[kemmler3D]

You don’t need a 40x0 for that. It’s an utter waste of money if you have it for only video editing.

Depends on how much video you're editing and how much time you have for it. It's all an exercise in time-saving either way. In OP's case you're probably right that a 30xx or even an old 1080 Ti will be okay. But if they need to transcode stuff super quickly for whatever reason, a nicer GPU will do that.

 

[Ron Texas]

Depends on how much video you're editing and how much time you have for it. It's all an exercise in time-saving either way. In OP's case you're probably right that a 30xx or even an old 1080 Ti will be okay. But if they need to transcode stuff super quickly for whatever reason, a nicer GPU will do that.

The older video cards are rarely available new. A 4060 costs about $300 which isn't bad.
I would point out that one post mentions an unusual video format which is not supported by Nvidia. That's confusing advice where an exception is represented as the rule. The better advice is avoid that format.

 

[voodooless]

In OP's case you're probably right that a 30xx or even an old 1080 Ti will be okay. But if they need to transcode stuff super quickly for whatever reason, a nicer GPU will do that.

An RDNA 3 APU will beat the old 1080, and it has all the codecs it’s bigger brother have. It’s not as fast as a 3060 though, that’s for sure.

If strained on budget, it’s probably not a crazy compromise which can later be remedied.

I’d definitely extend the budget for disk space though. 1TB will not be enough.

 

[kemmler3D]

I’d definitely extend the budget for disk space though. 1TB will not be enough.

Totally agree with that. SSDs are still pretty cheap, I'd shoot for 2-4TB at minimum. A few sample packs and a few raw videos will wipe out 1TB in no time.

 

[kysa]

An RDNA 3 APU will beat the old 1080, and it has all the codecs it’s bigger brother have. It’s not as fast as a 3060 though, that’s for sure.

Any benchmark to back it up? https://gamersnexus.net/gpus/best-worst-gpus-2023-gaming-100-2000-video-cards

 

[DLS79]

Also, 1TB of storage will not be enough. Video projects are big! Better get 2 or 4 TB, or fall back to spinning discs for archiving.

1 TB of storage is more than enough, consumer grade FHD footage maxes out around 15GB for an hour of footage.

Thus chances are he will have all the space he ever needs unless he plans on saving everything he ever crates. If he plans on keeping everything, that is what a NAS is for.

 

[kemmler3D]

1 TB of storage is more than enough, consumer grade FHD footage maxes out around 15GB for an hour of footage.

Thus chances are he will have all the space he ever needs unless he plans on saving everything he ever crates. If he plans on keeping everything, that is what a NAS is for.

Depends on what compression you use, if any. It can go >500GB /h if you don't want to use lossy encoding while editing.

 

[DLS79]

Depends on what compression you use, if any. It can go >500GB /h if you don't want to use lossy encoding while editing.

he is going to be using a phone and a consumer grade camera to shoot FHD. That's going to be h.264 or h.265 footage, not a flavor of raw, or DNxHR, or Prores. Even if he was shooting in raw or a high end intermediate codec I wouldn't recommend a large internal SSD. People who shoot in raw or high end intermediate codecs almost always go NAS or DAS.

 

[Steve Dallas]

Hi,
1- I will use mobile phone camera and dslr camera
2 - full hd, framerate - don't know, whatever framerate there is on those cameras
3- codecs, bit depth, chroma- don't have the slightest idea hehe,

I am just a beginner. I want to make simple videos for youtube such as tutorials- drawing on a well lit big desk, kids videos with toys and such.
For audio I just want to compose my own music - guitar rhythm, solo, drum track, bass and vocals.
I am not looking to go pro with all this, it is more like a hobby.

Didn't know buying pc would be this complicated hehe.

this is recomendation that I got from my local store, what do you think?

* Intel CPU Desktop Core i5-13400F (2.5GHz, 20MB, LGA1700)
* ID-Cooling SE-226-XT BLACK
* Gigabyte B760 Gaming X, DDR4, s1700 B760 GAMING X DDR4
* KINGSTON 32GB 3600MHz DDR4 CL18 DIMM KF436C18BBK2/32
* GIGABYTE Video Card NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 WINDFORCE OC 12G GDDR6 12GB/192bit, PCI-E 4.0 x16, 2xHDMI, 2xDP, WINDFORCE 2X, Retail
* SSD Western Digital*Black™ SN770 1TB M.2 NVMe WDS100T3X0E
* MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5, 750W, 80 Plus Gold, ATX Form Factor
* Zalman S2 Mid Tower Case

I cannot speak to video editing at all.

I can speak to audio production, as I have been tracking and mixing on Macs then PCs since the capability was first available. Until around 10 years ago, you needed a very capable PC configured a specific way with specific OS configuration for glitch-free audio. That is not really the case anymore.

I just mixed a 35 track (plus bus tracks) album with tons of effects and automation on a 7 year-old AMD 8 core processor with a MOTU M4 interface using a 15' USB cable with zero problems. I decided to try to do it on my regular home PC running Windows 10 and did not even have to make any of the usual OS tweaks to make it work. It just worked. DAW is Sonar Producer X4. I was amazed. Max load was playing back all tracks with FX while recording 2 simultaneous tracks with input monitoring and 4 active outputs. (Obviously this setup would not work for recording 8 tracks with monitoring for 6 people or anything outside project work.)

What you really need in addition to a intermediate level PC is an interface with rock solid drivers. RME is my first choice and MOTU is my second choice. Your use case is the same as my current use case, so we are in the same boat.

Separately from mixing that album, I recently set up a little recording corner in my home office. I used a 4 core AMD based PC I also built around 7 years ago running Windows 10, that same MOTU M4, and a pair of Kali IN-5 monitors. This time I did optimize the OS for audio and used a short USB cable, but I probably didn't need to. It works fine with up to 20 busy tracks plus bus tracks. (I have not written anything that needs >20 yet.) That means busing EasyDrummer out to 10 or 12 tracks, a bass track, a couple keyboard tracks, several guitar tracks, a few bus tracks.

The point is, whatever you decide for video will easily cover you for audio unless you are doing pro-level work.

As for PC DAWs, I still like Cakewalk. It is a shame Gibson had to buy Cakewalk and ruin it, then sell it off to Bandlab to be dumbed down, but even the Bandlab version is still perfectly serviceable for most people. It has an excellent audio engine. It mostly just lacks all the built in effects Sonar of old had. It appears Sonar is being brought back soon. I hope it relives its old glory, as I really like(d) it. I occasionally try again to like Reaper, but I just can't get into several aspects of its workflows, and it is still missing many features. ProTools is an option, but I have never liked its completely closed ecosystem. Everything seems to cost a fortune, and most compatible hardware has been way too expensive for what it is.

Anyway, have fun with it!

 

[kemmler3D]

What you really need in addition to a intermediate level PC is an interface with rock solid drivers.

QFT. In my experience, when you are using an interface for recording and mixing, not just listening, the drivers are the biggest factor in whether you have a good or bad time. The best-measuring interface on earth is worse than useless if it glitches and crashes your DAW.

 

[voodooless]

Any benchmark to back it up? https://gamersnexus.net/gpus/best-worst-gpus-2023-gaming-100-2000-video-cards

No, it’s indeed not faster, but the difference isn’t nearly as big as the power draw would seem to make it out. 180W vs 15W

Btw, if AV1 is of interest, your basically stuck with the lasted gen cards (or iGPUs) from Intel, AMD or Nvidia. Even the RTX 30x0 does not support AV1 encode.

 

[Sombreuil]

Whichever one gives you the best value / dollar on benchmarks within your budget. Don't ask here, there are sites that track this stuff: https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_value_available.html

Don't trust cpubenchmark, it's notoriously known to be inaccurate to say the least. I'd rather use TechPowerUp, GamersNexus or HardwareUnboxed.

 

[Nakatomi]

Guys, thanks very much for info, I'll do a bit more research and then decide. I will definetly get one more 2T HDD, for finishes projects and archive.

 

[digitalfrost]

I haven't read any other replies. The current Intel platform is dead, while AMD has stated it will support they current AM5 socket at least until 2025. I would advise to go with AMD.

AsRock has an interesting board tailored towards creators called the B650 LiveMixer https://www.asrock.com/MB/AMD/B650 LiveMixer/Specification.de.asp . For tasks like yours which can be paralled a lot, I would advise to get as much cores as you can afford. 7950X3D would be a good CPU.

For memory I would recommend a G.Skill 6000Mhz kit, they should work out of the box without any issues: https://www.gskill.com/configurator?page=1&cls=1529635169&manufacturer=1524725289&chipset=1665024327&model=1665623816&adSearch2=Capacity§32GB%20(16GBx2),Tested_Speed§6000%20MT/s,

You have plenty money left over after this. GPU wise it's hard to make a recommendation, depends on what you want to do.

 

[Nakatomi]

I haven't read any other replies. The current Intel platform is dead, while AMD has stated it will support they current AM5 socket at least until 2025. I would advise to go with AMD.

AsRock has an interesting board tailored towards creators called the B650 LiveMixer https://www.asrock.com/MB/AMD/B650 LiveMixer/Specification.de.asp . For tasks like yours which can be paralled a lot, I would advise to get as much cores as you can afford. 7950X3D would be a good CPU.

For memory I would recommend a G.Skill 6000Mhz kit, they should work out of the box without any issues: https://www.gskill.com/configurator?page=1&cls=1529635169&manufacturer=1524725289&chipset=1665024327&model=1665623816&adSearch2=Capacity§32GB%20(16GBx2),Tested_Speed§6000%20MT/s,

You have plenty money left over after this. GPU wise it's hard to make a recommendation, depends on what you want to do.

Thanks man,
What do you mean by 'Intel platform is dead'?
Also, 7950x3d is way too expensive for my budget, half to be exact.

My main concerne with Amd is that I read it has more latency and drivers issues with audio interfaces than Intel. Don't know if it's true.

 

[Timcognito]

Melodic Mayhem: A Comprehensive Audio and Music Bundle

Unlock endless audio possibilities with this audio bundle! Get music for every mood & SFX for every scene. Your purchase helps the Children's Miracle Network!

www.humblebundle.com

Not a scam, a charity that has raised $250 mill. I have purchased several CAD programs at huge discount from them.

 

[digitalfrost]

Thanks man,
What do you mean by 'Intel platform is dead'?

There will not be a new CPU for the current Intel consumer socket LGA1700, whereas AMD will bring new CPUs 2nd half of this year for their AM5 platform and another CPU in 2025. So if you buy Intel now, you will not be able to upgrade.

 

[voodooless]

Also, 7950x3d is way too expensive for my budget, half to be exact.

For video, the X3D models are probably not worth their extra money. 7700x may be closer to your budget. If you go AM4, you can have more cores for the money, but it’s also a dead platform: 5900X for instance, but note that performance wise the lower core count 7700x would still be faster. AM5 will be upgradable for years to come, though, so may be worth the extra money.