Video Editing/Gaming/HTPC All-in-1: Input Welcomed!

SonOfMore

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
163
Hi folks,

Our family is in the middle of an ambitious home remodel. We're building a new addition to our existing structure comprised of first and second stories. In the bottom floor, we'll be putting our 70" Sharp TV in the new "Family Room". On the upper floor, or "Office/Den", I'm going to be starting a home-based business which include podcasting, video editing and web development tasks.

I'd like to build a single computer fast enough to hand all the work tasks mentioned above, but also have it act as a media server/home theater control for the television downstairs.

1st Floor

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Directly above the Family Room we are going to build a 2nd story Office (labeled Den on the plans)(see picture of floor plan and architectural model).

2nd Floor

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6.jpg


Goals:

  • Make the new PC Build as quiet as possible (liquid cooling, passive heatsink cases, etc.)
  • Connect new PC to Synology Diskstation or similar RAID backup via my router
  • Ensure the PC has enough horsepower to support watching TV downstairs while working on the desktop upstairs
  • Have 4K output support on the PC to support a (future) 4K television, even though the current 70" is 1080p.
  • For desktop usage in the office area, I'd like the new computer to support tri monitor setup or perhaps one really huge monitor (for more efficient video editing, web development, playing PC games on high-res)

Here are some existing components I have on hand that can be included in the build. For cost savings reasons, I'd prefer to use them, but if recommended, they can be substituted with new parts.

Existing Parts:
  • Corsair HX620W http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139002 Works just fine, will it be enough power for the rig I'm about to build?
  • MSI 640mb version of Nvidia's 8800GTS Series (while not cutting edge now, could this be used as an additional video card for multiple monitor setup, or get an adapter to convert it to HDMI output down to the television? This card currently has two DVI outputs and one S-Video output)
  • Blue Yeti Microphone (for podcasting, includes pop screen) http://**************/1l6HjcW
  • Black Magic Design h264 recorder for converting my old DVD's and VHS to digital video files http://**************/1Mx18Qq

Game plan...

My budget doesn't have a fixed amount in mind, as this is for a business project primarily, but if I can include it as part of my home theater/PC gaming rig ambitions, why not kill multiple birds with one stone, right?

I have several external devices that all support Windows 7,8 and 10. I do not have a license to any of these OS sitting around, so I'll have to purchase one. It seems that 10 would be the most future-proof, but I'm open to hearing out anyone who wants to play devil's advocate on 7 or 8.

I'd also like to add a television in the second story (tv not shown in the pictures above) that could also connect to the new PC. Given that there will be up to two 4K tv's (in the future) and also up to 3 monitors for the desktop upstairs (or one really huge one), would you recommend using any type of HDMI switcher in addition to a multiple output port video card(s)?

Here's a total list of upstairs and downstairs tech:

Downstairs:

  • 70" Sharp 1080p TV (already purchased)
  • Samsung BluRay Player (already purchased)
  • Google Chromecast (original edition) (already purchased)
  • Samsung VHS/DVD Combo Player (already purchased)
  • Some type of wireless media remote control and/or keyboard for navigating the upstairs PC displaying its output to the downstairs television (perhaps also an Bluetooth/WiFi/IR extender given that there won't be line-of-sight from the upstairs PC to the downstairs TV?) (needs to be purchased)

Upstairs:

  • New PC Build Being Discussed in this thread (needs to be purchased)
  • One really large monitor or 3 monitors setup as multi-monitor for the new computer (needs to be purchased)
  • New 4k Television (to be connected to the new PC for video playback) (needs to be purchased)
  • NAS System like Synology Disk Station or something similar (needs to be purchased)

Given that I have a fairly large shopping list, what products would you folks recommend I start shopping around for to fulfill the needs listed above? I've built several PC rigs before, so I'm comfortably making my own from scratch, but it has been a while since I've kept up on the latest hardware, so your opinions are very much welcomed! Thank you in advance! :D
 
For simplicity and cost-effectiveness sake, I highly recommend having multiple PC builds rather than one single PC build. Not to mention more redundant and easier to troubleshoot in case of hardware failure.

It is indeed possible to build one single system that fits all your requirements but it would be extremely expensive and rather complicated. See this article for an idea of what you'd have to do to have multiple users using a PC at the same time:
https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Multi-headed-VMWare-Gaming-Setup-564/

Also, when are you planning on building the PC?
What video editing programs are you going to be using?
What games will you be playing?
 
For simplicity and cost-effectiveness sake, I highly recommend having multiple PC builds rather than one single PC build. Not to mention more redundant and easier to troubleshoot in case of hardware failure.

Point noted. I'm thinking about trying to find a way to beam whatever digital video I have on the NAS system directly to the downstairs TV instead of routing it through the upstairs PC, that way it won't be overburdened or overly complex to setup.

Also, when are you planning on building the PC?

I'd like to build it within the next month or so. Black Friday/Monday deals are right around the corner, so I'd like to capitalize on any bargains that come up soon.

What video editing programs are you going to be using?

Black Magic has their own software for converting my old analog VHS tapes to digital files. I plan on using their suite for that process.

Additionally, I plan on editing a lot of raw videocamera footage for my Youtube channel that I'll be launching. I'm not sure yet which software package to use yet, but given that it will be a Windows build, it obviously has to be compatible with that OS. I'm open to suggestions if you have a background working with different editors. Given that I'm a realative video novice, something that is more prosumer than ultra-professional in terms of complexity would be welcomed.

What games will you be playing?

Modern FPS, adventure games, etc.

Think XCOM, Tomb Raider, Crysis, Bioshock, Fallout
 
I'd like to build it within the next month or so. Black Friday/Monday deals are right around the corner, so I'd like to capitalize on any bargains that come up soon.

The problem with that is that recent Black Fridays have been relatively unkind to computer component deals:

1) First off, nearly all of the desirable parts were all at or very close to full regular price even on Black Friday.

2) Most of those heavily discounted component "deals" tended to be either low-end (read: crappy or even shitty) or outdated. Black Friday is a way for resellers to get rid of the unwanted, undesirable and/or obsolete stuff.
 
The problem with that is that recent Black Fridays have been relatively unkind to computer component deals...

I'm open to buying the parts over time as they come on sale, which is part of the reason why I check the deals sections of forums like this. I agree that some Black Friday deals are no deal at all. Besides the deals section of this forum, what price search/comparison engines do you prefer when it comes to piecing all the parts together for your new builds?

OP, learn from venturi.

Thanks, I'll check out his thread! :)
 
Point noted. I'm thinking about trying to find a way to beam whatever digital video I have on the NAS system directly to the downstairs TV instead of routing it through the upstairs PC, that way it won't be overburdened or overly complex to setup.
That's actually relatively easier these days: You can install Plex on most higher-end Synology or QNAP pre-built NASes or your own custom-built file server/NAS. Then you can use a Roku, Amazon FireTV, or Google ChromeCast



I'd like to build it within the next month or so. Black Friday/Monday deals are right around the corner, so I'd like to capitalize on any bargains that come up soon.


Black Magic has their own software for converting my old analog VHS tapes to digital files. I plan on using their suite for that process.

Additionally, I plan on editing a lot of raw videocamera footage for my Youtube channel that I'll be launching. I'm not sure yet which software package to use yet, but given that it will be a Windows build, it obviously has to be compatible with that OS. I'm open to suggestions if you have a background working with different editors. Given that I'm a realative video novice, something that is more prosumer than ultra-professional in terms of complexity would be welcomed.
The main reason why I asked what video editor you're using as that's going to determine what kind of hardware you need to buy. There's a lot of video editing software that don't really take up that much resources but are super simple as a result. Then there are video editing software that are relatively complex and uses a lot more resources but provides greater control, editing, and features capabilities.

I'm really only familiar with Windows Movie Maker (low-end) and Adobe Premier Pro (higher-end) from a hardware perspective. The pricing difference between the two programs in hardware alone can add up to $500 to $800. Adobe Premier Pro CC has a 30 day trial method so I highly recommend that you give that a try first and see how easy it is for you. It wouldn't make much sense after all to build/design a PC around a program that you dislike.

On the other hand, if price isn't a huge concern nor is getting the perfect match for your needs a major concern, then here's a quick and dirty recommendation for a Premier Pro/gaming setup:

$390 - Intel Core i7-5820K
$250 - Asus X99-A/USB 3.1
$170 - Crucial CT4K8G4DFD8213 4 x 8GB DDR4 2133 RAM
$960 - 2 x MSI GTX 980 4GB GAMING PCI-E Video Card
$227 - Samsung 850 Pro 512GB SSD
$100 - Toshiba PH3300U-1I72 3TB 7200RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$110 - eVGA SuperNOVA 750G2 750W Modular PSU
$175 - Silverstone FT05B Case
$50 - Scythe SCKTT-1000 HSF
----
Total: $2262 shipped.

The above setup is geared towards the goal of having a very quiet setup but with enough GPU performance to handle 4K gaming very well. In addition, it must be more than enough basic performance for Premiere Pro. Hence the specific choice of case and HSF. I'm assuming that you're going to want a quiet PC as I doubt many people are going to want to hear your PC whirring in the background during your podcasts.

Of the above parts, the HSF and the PSU are really the only parts I can say with absolutely certainty that they're safe to buy right now. In fact, that PSU is on sale so I highly recommend jumping on it ASAP.
I'm open to buying the parts over time as they come on sale, which is part of the reason why I check the deals sections of forums like this. I agree that some Black Friday deals are no deal at all. Besides the deals section of this forum, what price search/comparison engines do you prefer when it comes to piecing all the parts together for your new builds?

Slickdeals.net mainly. Also manually checking on the pricing of parts that I know are good. Also, sign up for Newegg and Tigerdirect newsletters.
 
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