I have not been following up hardware technology. The last processor I have been reading about was Pentium 3 :s , many years ago. Anyway I'm going to buy new desktop, and I will use it just for converting 80min video files: 1. Download torrents 2. Convert AVI to VOP (DVD) 3. Convert AVI to AVI (to add built-in subtitle) 4. Convert AVI to MP4 and RMVB Using Win XP OS (maybe 7 in the future) and applications like: MAGIX Movie Edit Pro ConvertXtoDVD 4 VirtualDub Knowing that converting time is a priority to me since I will be converting video files 24/7. I need your help and your advice to answer the following questions: What should be my main concern? Is it the CPU, RAM, M.board or V.card? V.card costs a lot comparing to other hardwares. Do I really need it? Which CPU, RAM, V.card features should I look for to ensure fast video converting? Which CPU, RAM, V.card do you recommend?
ok, first is the V. Card. you dont need a really expensive one. Editing is all CPU power, but compression can be helped by the V. Card, so it can help there, but not much. i'd recommended an ATI Radeon, mabe a 4670 or 4770, around $100. Ram- XP can only use ~3.5 gigs. 4 isn't to expensive, and will leave you with plenty of head room. CPU- this is probably your big thing, any modern processor (64-bit) will do nicely, and the higher the speed the better. also, you want dual core or higher ( most programs only use 2 cores at once, so a dual core at 3.4 Ghz will do nicely for you. also, look at FSB speed on Core 2 Duo's ( The FSB speed on all computer is important, but the Core 2 Duo's go up to really high speeds, but it is an issue on most copmputers. the higher the better (not really vital, but if you building it yourself, it is worth looking for.) (also, ignore the FSB on AMD AM2 socket cpu's and on Intel I7's. They dont use FSB) also, consider 64 bit (means vista or win 7). it is faster on 64 bit applications, and allows more ram.
appreciate ur post. everything is fine I just need to ask you more questions about the CPU since it is the most important.. Ok i think I will be going for the i7. I suppose that you agree with the following: Desktop Processors "The Intel® Core™ i7 processor powers intense gaming and complex tasks such as creating and editing digital video, music, and photos. With Intel® Turbo Boost Technology¹ and Intel® Hyper–Threading Technology², you get intelligent performance when you need it." I have tried to compare between i7 processors Intel Core i7 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia How high TDP should i go for? "TDP has been under-estimated and that in real applications (typically strenuous, such as video encoding or games) the CPU has exceeded the TDP. In this case, the CPU will either cause a system failure (a "therm-trip") or throttle its speed down" How much L3 cache do I need (lets say for 4GB or RAM)? since the i7 L3 cache ranges from 4MiB to 12MiB .. and I have read about cache I still did not get it for the video encoding
ok, TDP (the wattage of the cpu) allows for higher clock rates (more speed) and longer runtime without slowing down (if it gets warm it will slow itself down to keep form overheating) . preferably you want 130 watt with 12mb cache, but it isnt' cheap. and yes, i would choose I7 (Phenom II x4 is cheaper and almost as good though) if you really mean 24/7, you'll need the TDP (or a really good cooling system). the cache is always nice, it helps with all programs, but it isn't vital. dont overlook cooling though, keeping it cool will really help your performance. if it were me, i'd try for the midrange I7 with 130 watt TDP and 8mb cache in the 3.0ghz area.
