Buying a new (powerful) computer - what are my options?

Dinarius

I've just discovered that DELL (from whom I've had excellent service down the years and bought many computers) is now selling pre-configured only. You can no longer spec your computer.

So, I want a desktop for editing very large photographic files, and to a lesser extent, video.

1. 4TB of regular storage split into 2 x 2TB.

2. An SSD (32Gb?) for the OS and all my software.

3. 32Gb of very fast RAM.

4. A very fast graphics card.

5. At least 12 USB ports.

6. DVD drive.

7. Anything else I haven't thought of.......

Where should I be looking?

Thanks, as always.

D.

Alanstrainor

I presume you looked to Dell for their warranty?

With a build like yours I'd wonder if going custom would suit...

SSDs are cheap these days, no point going for a small one, a 256GB good brand SSD can be had for under €100.

Dinarius

Thanks for the reply.

No, never looked at their warranty. I've never had an issue with a computer - ever. Finger's crossed.

I'm typing this on a custom (UK) built laptop - basically, a Porsche with a keyboard.

It's the desktop sitting next to it that I might replace.

Who does custom built in the Dublin area?

Thanks again.

D.

5rtytry56

If you want to "future Proof it" don't forget a Blue Ray DVD capeable drive - that can play CD / DVD ofcourse.

AS WELL Factor in the cost of a GOOD video editing software package like Sony Movie Studio 13 or Adobe Premiere

jimgoose

If you go for electromechanical disks, go for smaller individual spindles and many of them - I personally like twelve in a RAID-10 configuration. It'll go like a rocket and take two torpedoes before going bang.

Dinarius

If I went for all SSD, can I get 2TB SSDs?

Would that greatly increase the cost?

Is the extra cost worth it?

(I store RAW [i.e. unedited] files on one drive and edited files on the other. RAW are then saved to an external Lacie 10TB drive. At the end of each year, the RAW files are further saved to a third drive. Worst case scenario, I have to save out the edited TIFF again. Triple saving only RAW files saves tons of space.)

Also, presumably SSDs, like everything else in this life, have good manufacturers and so-so ones.

Who are the good SSD brands?

Thanks.

D.

jimgoose

Dinarius wrote: »

...(I store RAW [i.e. unedited] files on one drive and edited files on the other. RAW are then saved to an external Lacie 10TB drive. At the end of each year, the RAW files are further saved to a third drive...

What kind of data volumes are we looking at?

Digital Solitude

A 2TB SSD would set you back about a grand

Dinarius

Digital Solitude wrote: »

A 2TB SSD would set you back about a grand

Thanks.

Then I would go the regular route of 2 x 2TB normal drives and one 256Gb SSD for OS and software. (or the RAID formation, as suggested above.)

I like to keep 3-4 years of files accessible at a time. Hence the drive size.

Thanks again.

D.

Ant695

Samsung and Intel spring to mind as the best of the best for ssds. Mass storage is still better done on HDDs due to the price of larger ssds at the minute.

jimgoose

Dinarius wrote: »

Thanks.

Then I would go the regular route of 2 x 2TB normal drives and one 256Gb SSD for OS and software. (or the RAID formation, as suggested above.)

I like to keep 3-4 years of files accessible at a time. Hence the drive size.

Thanks again.

D.

Another tip - get a mainboard with plenty of PCI Express slots, so you can run each heavily-loaded disk on a separate SATA/FC-AL/whatever interface, thus moving the bottleneck as far up as possible from the actual mass-storage device. For example, I have a yoke here connected to a DS3512 disk array via two 10Gbps FC-AL cards with two ports each, and it can full-duplex a gig per second at the application level.

kodistar

Hi there,

I used komplett very easy to use and very good just Google it hope i helped.

Dinarius

kodistar wrote: »

Hi there,

I used komplett very easy to use and very good just Google it hope i helped.

Thanks.

On this page........

http://www.komplett.ie/desktops

....if I click on 16Gb RAM (which is what I want) or 256Gb SSD, I get the same (one and only) option, which is this....

http://www.komplett.ie/paradigit-gamer-i7-6700k-970/80039770/details.aspx

Any views?

Thanks.

D.

kodistar

Hi there,

Komplett let you build it yoursell so you can buy motherboard and buy your ram and your psu and your cpu and everything and build it yourself will work out alot less then buying a fully built one.

jimgoose

Dinarius wrote: »

...http://www.komplett.ie/paradigit-gamer-i7-6700k-970/80039770/details.aspx

Any views?...

Yes. That appears to have one 240GB SSD and a single 2TB electromechanical spindle. Therefore, as far as I'm concerned, it is a toy. Until you install two (at least - they're cheap) PCI Express dual-port SATA cards and run two 1TB disks off each in a RAID-10, and use two SSDs on the built-in SATA for a mirrored boot volume. There are also six-port 64MB RAID-enabled SATA cards available, if you want to be even more high-falutin'.

Whizzzy

Thanks. Thought so.

So, where on the Komplett site is the build-your-own link? I must be going blind.

Thanks again.

D.

Ant695

Whizzzy wrote: »

Thanks. Thought so.

So, where on the Komplett site is the build-your-own link? I must be going blind.

Thanks again.

D.

Pretty sure he was talking about buying the parts from them and then building it yourself.

kodistar

Hi there,

Hahaha you go to kompletts componets and you build it all from scratch processer,psu,case,ram hardrive,speakers,grapics card basicly anything you want.happy building.

grindle

Dear Christ - if you get into building it yourself, avoid Komplett, prices are extortionate.

If you want a pre-built with options for upgrading either get someone you know who's good with PCs to build it for you and toss them a few quid for the job or hoof the cost and buy from pcspecialist.co.uk or scan.co.uk or overclockers.co.uk.

Dinarius

grindle wrote: »

Dear Christ - if you get into building it yourself, avoid Komplett, prices are extortionate.

If you want a pre-built with options for upgrading either get someone you know who's good with PCs to build it for you and toss them a few quid for the job or hoof the cost and buy from pcspecialist.co.uk or scan.co.uk or overclockers.co.uk.

As it so happens, PC Specialist built the laptop I'm tying this message on. It's rocks!

I would happily use them again. I was simply wondering if there was an alternative to DELL, now that they have (foolishly, in my view) dropped the "build your own" option.

Thanks again.

D.

Digital Solitude

PC Specialist are fairly expensive for desktops iirc