SFF workstation for video and audio production

[jakefromchi]

Hi all, looking for some solid advice on my first SFF build. I don't play any video games. The system will be used as a workstation for music and video production, so lots of rendering power neeeded. My present PC is a mid-tower dinosaur I built in 2011 with a Sandy Bridge i7-2600K, Asus P8P67, 16GB DDR3 and AMD FirePro V4900. It's still running perfectly but it's time for something newer, smaller and faster!

1. The main dilemma for me is whether to go with an i7 8700K or if the i7 7820X with ASRock x299 (which appears to be the only ITX board for the 2066 socket) will yield significantly faster rendering times and increased overall performance justifying the higher cost.

2. I'm also on the fence about the graphics card because most audio and video rendering work is done by CPU and I'm not sure how much the GPU acceleration will help (if at all). I spec'd GTX 1080, but maybe save $ by buying a less expensive card and get a more advanced processor?

Below is my initial build. I couldn't find NCASE M1 in the pcpartpicker database, but it will most likely end up as the case because I do need a Blu-Ray drive which I can mount in the front. I also don't need any storage other than the system SSD as I use external NAS. Lastly, I tend to keep PCs around a long time so I don't mind investing in a very solid machine that will stay relevant for another 5+ years, but at the same time I think that buying the latest i9 for $2k is crazy. Greatly appreciate comments and suggestions. Thanks, Jake!


CPU: Intel - Core i7-7820X 3.6GHz 8-Core Processor ($469.99 @ Newegg Business)
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-U9S 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($57.19 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock - X299E-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA2066 Motherboard ($353.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-4000 Memory ($500.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo 1.0TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card ($514.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair - SF 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($114.79 @ OutletPC)
Optical Drive: Silverstone - SST-SOB02 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer
Total: $2361.90

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/NCvxRJ

 

[rfarmer]

You might want to wait on the 9900k and 9700k, both will have 8 cores and soldered IHS. They will also both be compatible with z370/z390 motherboards. Not sure yet what they will be like price wise but not having to use the Asrock X299 will definitely save you some money.

The Ncase is a great case and you can use the Noctua cooler with no problem. Max GPU width is 140mm and it is recommended to be only 120mm at the PCI connector so you would probably be better off with the EVGA GTX 1080 SC which is not as wide as the FTW.

Sorry but I have no idea if you need the 1080 for your proposed applications.

 

[tinyitx]

A few thoughts:-
1. I agree i7 7820X will perform better than i7 8700K to do video/audio work.

2. As far as whether or not an 1080 will be justified, it depends on how well it can contribute to your tasks which only you are most familiar with. Perhaps, you can observe how your current AMD FirePro V4900 assists the i7 2600K in your tasks. This should give you an idea of how the workload is divided between the CPU and GPU when the PC is under load.

3. Regarding the Blu-Ray drive, if it is needed only sparsely and non critically, then I think it is OK to use a slim internal drive (to be fitted in the front of the NCase M1). However, if it is to be used regularly and your life depends on it, then reliability of a slim drive needs to be carefully considered. I have read that such slim drives usually do not last very long and it is very hard to find a good reliable one. So be careful here.

4. Nvidia is likely to announce Geforce RTX 2080Ti/2080 next Monday with availability coming very soon. And Intel is releasing 9-series on early October. These 2 will/might drive down prices of current GPU/CPU. So, you might want to wait a little bit to see if you can save some $.

 

[jakefromchi]

Thank you both for the insight! Looks like I might wait for the new CPUs

 

[Soul_Est]

Well Jake, there is quite a few facets to this. First of all:

1. What software are you using? Depending on what you're rendering for audio and video, you will need either better single-thread performance or a more scalable architecture. This also applies to the graphics card if it is used for rendering video.
2. Are you wedded to any one particular platform, software, etc.? Would you change software in a small or large way provided that you could adapt it to your workflow or your workflow to it quickly enough?
3. What is your current workspace setup like (LCD monitors (DisplayPort, DVI, or HDMI), studio monitors, mixers, DACs, AMPs, etc.)?
   
4. What is your maximum budget?

I too am looking to build a workstation for such purposes, although our goals may slightly differ, we need the same thing in the end: The most power in the smallest form factor we're willing to entertain while getting the best value overall. I talk about this a bit in the Build-Log for my system, Full Circle.

As for your machine, I came up with something that you may like (provided that the video card is just for display):

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7GHz 8-Core Processor ($323.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-U9S 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($57.19 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI - B450I GAMING PLUS AC Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($116.74 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($416.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo 1.0TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: *MSI - Radeon RX 560 - 1024 4GB LP OC Video Card ($124.99 @ Newegg Business)
Power Supply: Corsair - SF 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($114.79 @ OutletPC)
Optical Drive: Silverstone - SST-SOB02 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer
Other: NCASE M1 (Rev. 5) ($195.00)
Total: $1699.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-18 02:06 EDT-0400

Mind you the current revision of the NCASE M1 does not have an ODD slot option so you would have to mod it if you get that or a future revision.

 

[rfarmer]

They no longer offer the case with ODD slot, you can order the top panel with the ODD slot separately for $25.

 

[jakefromchi]

Soul_Est:
My most CPU intensive application for audio production is Studio One. It can devour the CPU especially with lots of tracks, plugins, automation, etc. For Video, I use Vegas but over the last year have been slowly migrating to Premiere. As of right now I can use either or. I have a 27" Samsung which I got at the same time I built my last system, however, I'm eagerly awaiting the release of the LG 34WK95U 34" 5K IPS model which seems to be constantly getting pushed back. As for the budget, I want to stay around $5k for the complete system including the LG monitor ($1500), however, I don't want to unnecessarily spend money on parts I won't benefit from or benefit very little. No point of spending $1500 for the latest i9 if it only yields 15% faster render vs a $500 CPU. Same thing goes for the graphics card. Will have to do some more research on GPU acceleration to make the correct decision.

 

[Soul_Est]

You make good points which I worked with on that parts list. As for the video card, I see that Adobe Premiere does support GPU acceleration. There have been tests on this but nothing definitive aside from Puget Systems' testing which shows poor RED footage performance for AMD (not sure why) with NVIDIA winning overall. For the Core i7-8700K and the Ryzen 7 2700X, GamersNexus did a test and found that the Ryzen 7 2700X does well against the Core i7-8700K for strictly CPU rendering with Intel winning overall when accounting for the iGPU. These are just a data point for each as I have not done an exhaustive search. Do take them with a grain of salt as things do change over time.

 

[jakefromchi]

At this point it makes sense to wait and see what kind of performance the 8 core 9900K brings to the table, then compare with Ryzen and Intel's 2066 CPUs. As for the GPU, I don't think I will go wrong with a 1080, especially considering the anticipated drop in prices with the release of the 2080 cards. Was also browsing youtube and found some helpful videos:

 

[rfarmer]

I think that is your best bet, waiting for the upcoming Intel processors should be worth the wait. Right now Newegg has 14 different models of 1080 for under $500 with prices starting at $449 so I think you will get a much better deal.

 

[jakefromchi]

I think that is your best bet, waiting for the upcoming Intel processors should be worth the wait. Right now Newegg has 14 different models of 1080 for under $500 with prices starting at $449 so I think you will get a much better deal.

Hopefully they will be released soon!