[photolady95]

I would not consider a DVD unit at all neither for reading or writing CD/DVD

Unless he loads from a USB drive, the OS, he'll need a DVD drive. Or if his printer, etc, might have a dvd, or cd with it to load drivers, he might need a dvd drive. Just saying!

[savoche]

Go with M.2 wherever possible

Good point. M.2 performs considerably better than SATA.

[Hattifnatt]

Unless he loads from a USB drive, the OS, he'll need a DVD drive. Or if his printer, etc, might have a dvd, or cd with it to load drivers, he might need a dvd drive. Just saying!

This is not a problem nowadays, I can't remember when was the last time when I installed the OS from DVD. Pretty much any modern motherboard supports OS installation via USB and it's actually much faster (took me 3-5 minutes to install Windows from USB to SSD system drive). If you need printer drivers or such, you can just download them via internet.

if you have Windows with license on some DVD, there are ways around it, like getting a clean image from Microsoft, writing the image on USB stick then installing from USB using your license number.


Later on if you absolutely need a DVD unit for some reason, you can get a portable one.

[photolady95]

But some printers, and scanners require a dvd/cd drive to install the software unless you go to their website and download the driver from there.


And my Windows is on a dvd. It's not Windows 10, which I refuse to use;

And since this is not me needing advice, I'm done here talking about whether one needs a dvd drive or not. Dave can decide for himself.

[lsimpkins]

Don't waste a lot money on an expensive Graphics Card unless you need it for gaming. On board video is usually acceptable or a cheaper card (NVidia GeForce GT 440) if your wish.

I would disagree with this recommendation. If you want the widest color gamut in a truly calibrated color managed workflow, you want both a video card and monitor that support 10-bit color per channel rather than the 8-bit that is standard even in high end gaming machines. An example of the former would be Nvidia Quadro cards.

[Hattifnatt]

But some printers, and scanners require a dvd/cd drive to install the software unless you go to their website and download the driver from there.

And my Windows is on a dvd. It's not Windows 10, which I refuse to use;

And since this is not me needing advice, I'm done here talking about whether one needs a dvd drive or not. Dave can decide for himself.

I also refuse to use Windows 10, Windows 7 works perfectly for me right now

I did not mean my post to sound contradictory/offensive by any means, if it does, my apologies. It's just that my own experience was such that I was able to give up the DVD/CD drive without any consequences.

[photolady95]

I agree with that, I wouldn't use an onboard video, except in a laptop because usually, that's your only choice. Besides, onboard video takes memory from your system and that's not good either.

[englishphotographer]

How about a laptop for versatility? The Lenovo P50 is fine editing videos and can be upgraded easily. The MacBook ‘Pro’ Is Dead: What’s The Best Laptop For Photographers / Videographers Now? | Shot Click

[eminker]

.
Soon, I'll be building a new desktop computer. It will have a Windows operating system. Other than that, I have not yet decided on what specific components I'll be buying for it.

Price is not my main concern; rather I care most about performance and reliability. I'm willing to pay more for components that will last for years with little maintenance or downtime.

I'll be using it primarily for editing videos - some 1080p and some 4K.

Please feel free to share what your dream computer build would be - both the components and where you'd buy them.

Thanks,
Dave

.

For what its worth, I found HP Workstations look to be a good base for most of my PCs. Minimum 32GB RAM but i usually max it out at 64GB. Never settle for small desktop units (go Mid or Full Tower) as they have inadequate power supply. Video Card needs at least 2GB Ram and it should be a separate component and not on-board. Make sure your power supply is 650-700 watts minimum of power as you will need it if you start adding additional storage devices etc. I7 4 core or even I9 Ten core as CPU and Zeon CPU's tend not to be good CPUs when working with digital photo-processing and video work (I learned the hard way).
And if you can find a Windows 7 OS workstation, grab it. Windows 10 just seems too cludgy and performance in my opinion sucks.

Hope this helps.

[btnapa]

Please feel free to share what your dream computer build would be - both the components and where you'd buy them.

Hi Dave,

I built a "dream" machine about 4 or so years ago. It cost me just short of $3K. My cousin who had built his own machine helped me do it. I went all out with the specs thinking that I would need it to edit 4K and it was and is an overkill for Photoshop work, even today. I used it for about a year or so and enjoyed the speed and the time saving it offered me. No4K no video either. Mostly Photoshop work. I traveled for projects so I was missing the portability. I ended up going back to a Macbook Pro (i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) and never used the desktop again. It has been sitting there collecting dust for the past two years or so. I do miss the speed of the desktop but the Mac's speed has been sufficient for 1080P video editing and all my Photoshop work. Mind you that I do some panoramics from 8-10 images that get to be in the 2-3GB range in size so I do put a lot of strain on the Mac but the machine has delivered with flying colors. I was looking at a couple of newly released (or announced) Dell laptops that are out there in specs (6-core i7, 128GB-RAM, 8TB SSD, 8GB GC, etc) and priced in $8-10K range. I would buy one if my budget allowed it but I cannot justify the high cost.

As to my PC desktop specs this is the partial list of what is in there:

1. 6-core i7 processor with option to add a second CPU
2. 4-1TB WD black series hard drives in RAID 10 configuration. Don't ask me why! I would do SSD if I did it today
3. 32GB RAM
4. Blueray burner
5. DVD burner/reader
6. 4GB graphics card (it was around $480 at the time). The card supports 4 monitors! I used two.
7. Full size tower with more fans than I can shake a stick at. It keeps the box super cool though
8. Motherboard with all sorts of accelerator ports and such. 8 RAM slots that can go to 128 and beyond in total RAM today
9. Windows 7 Pro
10. 850 watt power supply
11. Internal SD, CF reader
12. and on and on...

As I said it was and still is a beast but I do not use it at all. So there you have it. I don't think I will ever build another one as long as I can get a laptop to do what I need done.

BTW, I bought all the components from Newegg.com in California. No tax and free shipping on almost all the components.

Just my 2-cent and my own experiences.

Cheers,
Boris

[BigMackCam]

Dave - if cost isn't a primary concern, one option you might consider is to custom configure a professional desktop workstation from someone like HP or Dell.

For reasons I've discussed elsewhere (so won't duplicate here), I've just configured and ordered an HP ZBook 15 G5 mobile workstation to replace my ageing HP consumer laptop. It's not an inexpensive proposition, though nor is it extortionate... and it brings with it some convincing benefits, including:

1. a fairly wide range of CPU / GPU / memory / storage / connectivity / security and display choices
2. GPU choices are professional workhorses that are well-suited to video, 2D / 3D CAD and modelling, etc.
3. choice of Windows 10 installation, or no OS (at reduced cost) if you want to install your own copy of Windows or something else
4. guaranteed compatibility and inter-operability of all components and customisations right out of the box
5. certified drivers for various applications software (including Adobe products, if that matters to you)
6. Ubuntu certification and/or support depending on model and configuration (not of interest to you, I realise - but a big plus for me)
7. professional-level build quality inside and out
8. lengthy and extendible warranties (which can include on-site cover)
9. adding your own components doesn't invalidate or adversely affect warranty
10. responsive technical support by phone and e-mail (since you're classed as a business customer)

You could undoubtedly build your own PC of equivalent or even higher specification for considerably lower expenditure. But, given your prioritisation of performance and reliability (little maintenance and downtime) over cost, the above benefits might justify the additional spend.

It's something to consider

EDIT: I just tried configuring something that might be suitable for your application, to give you an idea of cost... The "HP Z2 Tower G4" workstation with 500 watt chassis, i7-8700k CPU, 32GB RAM, Nvidia Quadro P2000 5GB GPU, 512GB M.2 SSD, 2TB SATA HDD, Windows 10 Pro 64, and 3 year on-site parts and labour warranty works out to GBP £1,814 + VAT (£2,177 inc. VAT). I don't know how that would translate to US prices, but you folks over there tend to get a better deal than we do in the UK. My guess is this configuration would come in at under USD $2,000 inc. taxes (possibly well under). Of course, this just gets you the configured PC plus keyboard and mouse. You'd need to add a suitable display of your choice, unless you already have one.

[TonyW]

I will echo the experience of others in that self build specifying components used to be the way to go for both quality and bang for buck. This does not appear to be the case now as system builders can probably do it at the same cost as you sourcing components with one added advantage they will put it together run a burn test and offer a guarantee - may be worth considering that route.

I don't do video so not sure what the best requirements are but one company that gets mentioned to me in the USA is Puget Systems seems they are well thought of. You may want to consult with them relating to your particular needs, I am sure they can easily spend your dollar

Customized Computers, Custom Desktop PC | Puget Systems

I quite fancy this one (just need 5 grand as I can raise the balance)

Genesis II - Dual CPU, Intel Xeon, For Post-Production, VFX

[dafbp]

Quick rundown:
CPU - Intel i7 or above; or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X will give you best performance up to $400. If you don't mind spending twice that, you have AMD Threadripper, which blows anything at that price for video editing.
Storage - SSD is essential. 500GB for OS and programs, plus a 1TB or more for video editing. When choosing a M2 drive, check the manufacturer website to make sure the interface says PCIe / NVMe (Samsung 970 Evo are fast), and be prepared to spend a lot (video editing oblige, normal use would be standard 2.5"). Add HDDs for backup as needed (don't buy portable above 2GB). You can buy normal 3.5" drives and use a USB2SATA adapter for the backups. HGST are kings of reliability
RAM - 32GB for video editing, 3000MHz recommended.
Monitor - IPS 32" 4k (Benq PD3200U is currently at a good price)
Video card - you don't need anything above $300, but 4GB minimum
A good PSU with at least 600W
Windows 10 home (Windows 7 will lose support eventually, and Pro is only good for companies)

[BigMackCam]

For reasons I've discussed elsewhere (so won't duplicate here), I've just configured and ordered an HP ZBook 15 G5 mobile workstation to replace my ageing HP consumer laptop. It's not an inexpensive proposition, though nor is it extortionate...

I forgot to mention the "dream machine" I ended up ordering

As I said, it's a "mobile workstation" - which in normal language translates, I believe, to "expensive laptop with close-to-desktop capability" Personally, for the way I use my equipment at home, I'm happier with a laptop, but that's just my preference. I do have a low-spec desktop in my home office, which is absolutely fine for web browsing, word processing and extremely basic photo editing.

My main uses for the laptop are day-to-day computing (web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets etc.), photo processing in Darktable and GIMP (though I'll probably install my stand-alone copy of Lightroom 6 too, just for comparisons), occasional music production (purely for fun) and possibly - in the future - SDR software-defined-radio reception (where the software does all of the signal processing work for the attached radio receiver). I mainly run Linux Mint 18.3, but will install it for dual boot alongside Windows 10 Pro 64.

The configuration I chose is this:

• HP ZBook 15 G5 mobile workstation chassis (mostly aluminium + magnesium, MIL-STD-810G tested & passed)
• Intel I7-8750H CPU (six cores, two threads per core)
• Nvidia Quadro P2000 (4GB) GPU
• Integrated HD 720p IR Dual Arry Mic + Webcam
• 15.6 inch UHD (3840x2160) Anti-Glare "DreamColor" B-LED UWVA display (600 nits, 100% AdobeRGB gamut, 10-bit colour)
• 16GB (1x16GB) DDR4 2666MHz RAM (expandable to 128GB)
• 512GB PCIe NVMe Three Layer Cell SSD
• 2TB 5400RPM HDD
• WNC XRAV-1 Near Field Communication
• Intel 9560 ac 2x2 nvP +Bluetooth 5 WLAN
• Fingerprint Sensor
• 4 Cell 90 WHr Long Life battery
• 150 Watt Smart Slim AC Adapter
• Windows 10 Pro 64 UK
• Win10 Driver DVD
• 3 Year warranty

A few of my configuration choices were cost saving measures... the i7-8750H (instead of the i7-8850H or Xeon options), 16GB RAM (32GB was a significant jump in cost, and I've never needed more than 16GB thus far, especially running Linux Mint 18.3), and 2TB HDD (instead of a high capacity SSD, which was simply too expensive for me). The "DreamColor" 100% AdobeRGB gamut display and integrated colorimeter was a luxury choice that I probably don't need (FHD with 100% sRGB gamut is actually enough for what I do, and I already own a Colormunki Display colorimeter) - but it will certainly be nice. Other default items such as the NFC and fingerprint sensor don't matter to me, but the savings made by deleting these options were no more than spare change, so I left them in place.

Total price was GBP £2,068 + VAT, and since I'm not VAT registered, that means a cost to me of £2,482 - which is almost exactly double what I wanted and intended to spend, and significant considering my fairly average lifestyle these days Yet it's not completely ridiculous... A MacBook Pro of similar specification, but with less storage, costs more. My justification for the expenditure is that I should get at least five years' reliable use out of the machine, and probably more (my consumer-grade HP ENVY 17 has lasted me 5+ years under heavy daily use, with no problems except for those due to consumer-grade mechanical build - specifically the plastic chassis and screen hinges). The quality of build and components should ensure its longevity, while the specification has more than enough headroom for any increased demands I might place on it. Plus, if I should find that I've outgrown memory and/or storage at some point, they're both easily upgradable via a simple service panel on the base of the unit. If I get five years out of the machine, I'll be satisfied. If I get more - and I believe I should - it's gravy

Aside from the form factor and display, my machine is largely similar in specification to the sample HP desktop configuration I priced up for you, except that the i7-8700k in the desktop would be quite significantly quicker...

[BigMackCam]

Windows 10 home (Windows 7 will lose support eventually, and Pro is only good for companies)

You do, however, get built-in Bitlocker drive encryption. If cost isn't a primary concern and you ever store sensitive personal data on your drives, that feature alone makes Win 10 Pro worthwhile, no?