Hack Pro for 4K film editing and VFX

[dtrvndrn]

What I'm actually curious of is, should I expect CS6 not to take full advantage of my processor even with a sequence full of effects? Is there any chance maybe you guys could share your render times as well? That would be really helpful...Thanks again

I've recently noticed that Premiere CS 5.5 renders my edits at close to 100% on all 8 threads of my 2600k, but when my girlfriend edited a video on it, same AVCHD camera footage, it didn't nearly use all threads. More like 200% instead of 800% CPU. The only apparent difference between my and her timeline was the fx she used (I only used GPU/Cuda accelerated fx). My assumption is that some fx can take advantage of multi-core/thread in rendering and some can't.

 

[Pedrobaran]

My assumption is that some fx can take advantage of multi-core/thread in rendering and some can't.

My assumption is the same. And this would be a more acceptable scenario. Still, when deadlines are often an issue for most of us, I feel like a little more predictability wouldn't have hurt

 

[Marc_Ridele]

Ok guys..... I made a new gear list, so, please give me your advice !

3930K overclocked to (at least) 4,5GHz
64Gb RAM (Gskill RipJaws-X or Corsair Vengeance) 1600MHz PC3-12800 CL9
motherboard (Gigabyte GA-X79-UD5 or ASUS P9X79 (or Pro or Deluxe)
or ASUS RAMPAGE IV or ASUS SABERTOOTH X79)
EVGA GTX680 4Gb Classified
Samsung 840 Pro SSD 128Gb (for OS and software)
Seagate Barracuda 3Tb (for footage)
Bluray burner
Corsair H100i water cooling
2x Noctua NF-F12 fans (for H100i)
Thermal paste
Corsair PSU 850W
Corsair C70 Vengeance case

Why ? Yes, I know, I said "I will never OC my CPU !!"
But, I spent the last days searching a good motherboard on the web,
and I realize it will be relatively "easy" to overclock my CPU.
And, what's the point to have a 3930K without OC it a bit ??!

Motherboard :
I'm looking for a stable, quiet and "cold" OC... DBP, don't laugh !!
Anyway, you understand what I mean... I'm learning fast, but I don't want to spend
more time tweaking my motherboard, and be afraid of instability, than working on films.
I need a motherboard for 64Gb RAM, and (not for the moment, but one day, and at the maximum) 2 graphic cards,
one PCI 16x Red Rocket, maybe a RAID card and, who knows, a card for audio mixing (but it's not my field, so I'm not sure).
So, after many hours of reading, I found those motherboard, but I can't define what's the best for me.
The Rampage Extreme looks the best, and seems to be really stable but I saw some motherboard
which have an auto overclocking to 4,6GHz, and the Rampage do only 4,2GHz in auto OC.
I know at the end I will have to do that manually, and I'm glad to learn,
but don't you think a Rampage will be too complicated for me ?
So, regardless of the price, what will be the safest choice to get the better performance, without any worries ? ; )

RAM :
What's the best brand for OC ? Gskill, or Corsair ?
For that, do I have to take at least 2100MHz, or the 1600MHz/12800/CL9 will be enough ?
And when I OC my CPU, do I have to OC the RAM also ?? I didn't really understood this point...

Cooling :
What brand of thermal paste do I need between the CPU and the watercooling ?
And how much OC can I expect with a Corsair H100i with 2x Noctua, and another 5x Corsair fans inside the tower ?

SSD :
What is the size of OSX ? Because I know I will need at least 50Gb for software (and another HDD for CS6 temp files)
but I don't know what kind of temporary system files OSX and others softwares will generate (Nuke, Maya, Smoke 2013, etc)
and what size I should anticipate... so, 128Gb or 256Gb ?

Thanks for your help !

 

[DBP]

I'm looking for a stable, quiet and "cold" OC... DBP, don't laugh !!

Not fair! You made me laugh. Out loud. On a train. Don't mind me, I'm just the crazy person reading their phone...
I understand. I clocked my 3770K up to 4.4 and stopped. Originally I wasn't intending to OC at all.

I need a motherboard for 64Gb RAM, and (not for the moment, but one day, and at the maximum) 2 graphic cards,
one PCI 16x Red Rocket, maybe a RAID card and, who knows, a card for audio mixing (but it's not my field, so I'm not sure).

Actually the Red Rocket is only a x8 card (with a x16 connector, which is pretty standard). So you may end up with two x16 GPU cards, one x8 Red Rocket, and one x4 or x8 RAID card. With a bandwidth of ~500 MB/s, I would expect a PCIe 2.0 x1 slot would suffice for an audio card.

The Asus P9X79 doesn't have enough PCIe slots for that to all run at full speed. Nor does the GA-X79-UD5 (two x16, and one x8).
If you're not fussed about a second GPU (or were prepared for the 2nd to run at x8, which is "only" capable of ~7.5 GB/s!) you get a lot more flexibility in motherboard choice as the P9X79 Pro/Deluxe models become viable too.

RAM :
What's the best brand for OC ? Gskill, or Corsair ?
For that, do I have to take at least 2100MHz, or the 1600MHz/12800/CL9 will be enough ?
And when I OC my CPU, do I have to OC the RAM also ?? I didn't really understood this point...

Nope. They're fairly independent.

What brand of thermal paste do I need between the CPU and the watercooling ?

What religion are you? It can turn into one of those questions. Presumably the cooler will come with something: ask around on the Overclocking forum here to see whether it's reasonable. I use Noctua NT-H1 because (a) syringes of it came with both my coolers, (b) I've only heard good things about it on the web, and (c) it seems to work well for me. I'm sure there are other good choices too.

And how much OC can I expect with a Corsair H100i with 2x Noctua, and another 5x Corsair fans inside the tower ?

How long's a piece of string? It also depends on how you've got the airflow arranged, and on the specifics of the CPU you receive (that particular piece of silicon might be better or worse at OC'ing than someone else's of the same model).

From your choice of NF-F12 fans I figure you're going for performance over quietness, so I'm guessing you'll be capable of something reasonable!

 

[Marc_Ridele]

You made me laugh. Out loud.

Usually, I'm more specialized in dark films than in comedy...


MOTHERBOARD
I forgot to add an output card, like the BMC Decklink with PCIx4.
So, that's mean (at the end) I'll have a GTX680 PCIx16 + RED Rocket PCIx8
+ RAID controller card for 6 hard drives PCIx8 + Decklink PCIx4.
If I'm right, The CPU can handle 40 lane and I'll use 36 lane.
I'll can't take another GPU, and even if it allow me a PCI 4x card more,
I won't take an audio card for now.... because I'm really bad in sound mixing !!

So, if I understood well, the motherboards I can use remains the Rampage IV Extreme, the P9X79 Pro, and the P9X79 Deluxe.
But, if I take a big double slot GTX680, and 2 output card with fans (and the RAID card with heatsink), with an OC CPU,
I'll need lots of place, and the heat will be important... so the better is to take a Rampage to have more room for that, no ?


RAM
I'm still hesitating about the RAM...... so what will be the best about speed ?
Take a regular 1600 and OC it, or take directly 1866 / 2133 / 2400 ?

Because I found this interesting link, and I'm not sure, but it shows no difference between all those RAM !!
So, I don't know if it will be the same for everyday "normal people" use, and for my intensive video work,
but if there's only 2% differences with high speed RAM, why spend more $ than 1600 / CL9 ??


PSU
I made a test with http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine
and with an OC CPU at 1.4V/4,6GHz + GTX680 + drives + additional PCI cards, it gave me 770W, so I'll need a 850W PSU.
But, if I change for a GTX690 later, or take one PCIx16 card instead of x8, it give me 877W, so the need for a 1050W.

So, if the price is the same for a Corsair 850W and a 1050W, do I have to take a 1050, just in case of ?
And each day spend 1050W of electricity, even if I only need 850W for now ??

 

[DBP]

MOTHERBOARD
I forgot to add an output card, like the BMC Decklink with PCIx4.
So, that's mean (at the end) I'll have a GTX680 PCIx16 + RED Rocket PCIx8
+ RAID controller card for 6 hard drives PCIx8 + Decklink PCIx4.
If I'm right, The CPU can handle 40 lane and I'll use 36 lane.
I'll can't take another GPU, and even if it allow me a PCI 4x card more,
I won't take an audio card for now.... because I'm really bad in sound mixing !!

So, if I understood well, the motherboards I can use remains the Rampage IV Extreme, the P9X79 Pro, and the P9X79 Deluxe.
But, if I take a big double slot GTX680, and 2 output card with fans (and the RAID card with heatsink), with an OC CPU,
I'll need lots of place, and the heat will be important... so the better is to take a Rampage to have more room for that, no ?

One x16, two x8, and one x4 seems to give you (just looking at PCIe slot support, nothing else):

• ASUS P9X79 Deluxe,
• ASUS P9X79 Pro,
• ASUS P9X79 WS,
• ASUS RAMPAGE IV EXTREME,
• ASUS RAMPAGE IV FORMULA,
• Gigabyte GA-X79-UD7.

RAM
I'm still hesitating about the RAM...... so what will be the best about speed ?
Take a regular 1600 and OC it, or take directly 1866 / 2133 / 2400 ?

Because I found this interesting link, and I'm not sure, but it shows no difference between all those RAM !!
So, I don't know if it will be the same between for everyday normal use, and my intensive video work,
but if there's only 2% differences, why spend more $ than 1600 / CL9 ??

If you're going to run it at the faster rates, my advice would be to buy the faster RAM rather than overclocking 1600 RAM. Basically it is overclocking it but someone else has checked that it's going to work.
But as you note, the effective increase of throughput for your machine may be minimal (depending on what the software is doing).

PSU

So, if the price is the same for a Corsair 850W and a 1050W, do I have to take a 1050, just in case of ?
And each day spend 1050W of electricity, even if I only need 850W for now ??

If it's not supplying 1050W (say, only 300W) then it's just operating lower down in its capacity. Do note that the efficiency ("80+") of a PSU will vary across the power range: the manufacturers like to quote the best numbers, which are usually around the middle of the power curve. So a "safety buffer" is good, although if you actually draw too little power the PSU can be inefficient. But probably not a kilowatt of inefficiency!

I've measured the AC input of the 500W PSU on my 3770K (so that's not measuring the power supplied to the computer: it includes the overheads of the PSU itself) and the machine idles well below 100W. With all the disks going (concurrent disk searches on every spindle), GPU and CPUs all being thrashed (running Prime95 and the Heaven benchmark at the same time) I haven't managed to get it to go above 300W. A bigger GPU would make a difference there, and your CPU will be "heavier" too.

 

[Marc_Ridele]

Thanks for the reply.... are you still in the train ??!

One x16, two x8, and one x4 seems to give you (just looking at PCIe slot support, nothing else):

• ASUS P9X79 Deluxe, ASUS P9X79 Pro, ASUS P9X79 WS, ASUS RAMPAGE IV EXTREME, ASUS RAMPAGE IV FORMULA, Gigabyte GA-X79-UD7.

Ok... so the space between the slot is not important for heat, and in this case I can take any of those motherboard ?

But as you note, the effective increase of throughput for your machine may be minimal (depending on what the software is doing).

Well... the most important for me will always be the playback of my footage in CS6...
so, if 64Gb RAM at 2400 allow Premiere to work reaaaally faster, at least 10%, or even 5%,
tell me now, because it's an absolutely no brainer, and I'll stop bothering everybody !!
But, if I have to spend 500$ more to only have a 2% really "faster"...

 

[DBP]

Thanks for the reply.... are you still in the train ??!

Actually I did type most of that on the train (but not into my phone ).

Ok... so the space between the slot is not important for heat, and in this case I can take any of those motherboard ?

I wasn't intending to offer the final shortlist, just helping you narrow down the choices. You should double-check the devices on each of these for OS X compatibility, look at the physical dimensions of the cards you're considering and model how much they might interfere with the airflow on each board, etc. I think the clearance issues will be minimal though.

Some of the bigger RAID cards do have heatsinks on them, although most of them are passive and just need a gentle breeze to be effective. If they were located in an area of "dead air" the heatsink won't work so well, but fans in the case either blowing air in from the side ("down" onto the card) or along the cards from the front should help.

GPUs will draw their air in from the side (with the board mounted usually this means from "underneath") and some of them vent it all out the back whereas some let it out the back, the front, and the "top"/"bottom" of the card. If you're blowing air in the side of the case (on "top" of the cards) be careful that it doesn't push back against this outflow from the GPU, as that can cause dead air and hot spots within the heatsink of the GPU. Installing some plastic baffles/guides within the case can fix this, and remember that a side fan usually doesn't have to blow a gale through there to have an effect.

Well... the most important for me will always be the playback of my footage in CS6...
so, if 64Gb RAM at 2400 allow Premiere to work reaaaally faster, at least 10%, or even 5%,
tell me now, because it's an absolutely no brainer, and I'll stop bothering everybody !!
But, if I have to spend 500$ more to only have a 2% really "faster"...

Someone else will need to help you with this one. Or you'll need to take a gamble either way.

 

[Marc_Ridele]

Actually I did type most of that on the train (but not into my phone ).

Ooookkk.... so instead of buying your own private jet, like every insipid movie star, you preferred buying a train... great idea !!

I wasn't intending to offer the final shortlist, just helping you narrow down the choices. You should double-check the devices on each of these for OS X compatibility, look at the physical dimensions of the cards you're considering and model how much they might interfere with the airflow on each board, etc. I think the clearance issues will be minimal though.

Someone else will need to help you with this one. Or you'll need to take a gamble either way.

Ok, I'll follow my investigation. And thanks again for your help DBP, and everybody... I'm really close to the goal !

 

[qwerty123]

---

Marc::: You might be interested to know that I myself am making a new build! I just bought a 3930k, sabertooth x79, 32gb g skill ripjaws z series RAM. I'm parting out some of the components from my previous build including the power supply and the graphics card (660ti), and selling the rest. I'm putting it all in a a Fract R4 case.

For me, quiet is important! That is also why I'm going for the Noctua NH-D14 cooler. I will do a modest overclock.

For me, the mere possibility of the leaking of a liquid cooler is a nightmare. Although the h100i can perform somewhat / slightly better than the Nocuta--it does so really at the cost of being noiser. The trade offs just aren't worth it for me!

I start my build tomorrow!