Build

Powerful video editing PC in a Mini ITX package.

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Ryzen 2700x TridentZ RAM Cougar RGB Fan

My Old iMac couldn’t handle 4K Video

In 2018 I finally decided to upgrade my camera to the Sony A7 iii. My Nikon D300 was getting old (over 10 yrs old) and I wanted to get a camera that could shoot videos. Video was always an interest of mine, but I had never been able to fully pursue it due to the expense of owning two cameras. Sure, you always have your phone, but it’s not the same. Just agree with me, it’s not the same. So with the purchase of the Sony, I was finally able to have two great cameras in one; both a great still camera and one that did not compromise in the area of video quality/functionality. Unfortunately what this meant was I would also need to upgrade my computer… that is If i wanted to do anything with the videos that this camera was capable of making.

Mac vs PC

As far as far as computer choices go, in my mind there were two options… Mac or PC. I liked Apple products and had been using their phones and computers for years, but after a heavy camera purchase, I was more inclined to take the cheaper route with a computer. A Mac with all the options I was looking for was going to cost about $2600. Wanting to save some $$$, I decided to build a PC… a great option for anyone wanting to get more performance for less money. Another great benefit to building is that you also have the ability to customize for your needs, that is, spend more on the components that count, and a bit less on those that don’t.

2700x Inwin A1 GTX 1070 Samsung Cougar Fans CFD120 SSD FTWComputer Desk Video Editing

Strategic Selection

After a little bit of research, I found that the three largest contributors to speed and performance in a video editing PC are: processor, ram, and hard drive. For that reason I went with AMD Ryzen’s 8-Core 3.7Ghz 2700X, TridentZ’s 32GB DDR4 3200, and Samsung’s 500GB EVO 970 SSD (Solid State). I liked that the Ryzen had 8-cores , came with a nice CPU cooler, and was cheaper than it’s Intel rival. For RAM, I went with 32gb because video editing programs eat up a lot of RAM, especially with 4K & larger file sizes. For the Hard Drive, Solid State was the only choice, because of how fast they are. I wanted startup times to be in seconds, not minutes. The rest of what went into this computer, like the motherboard & video card, I could have gone with pricier options, but I realized it wasn’t necessary; I would have no significant boosts in speed. Here is the complete list of parts that went into this build are:

Total Cost: $1482.72 + Tax

More Savings – Black Friday Deals!

If you’re on a tight budget, I found a great way that you can save. It’s called Black Friday Deals (no explanation needed, really). Being patient and waiting for the holidays can save you a substantial amount of money. With this build, I was able to save $316. I didn’t need to camp out at the store front. There is no need for that; bought everything online. My strategy was simple… one week before Black Friday, I started checking prices every morning (and at lunch break) at each of the popular online vendors (Amazon, Newegg, B&H Photo, and Google – under the shopping category). Most everything was bought on sale, except for a few items who’s prices didn’t drop at all, the InWin A1 case, being one of them.

Fatal1ty B450 Mini ITX InWin A1
EVGA FeForce GTX 1070 FTW Ryzen 2700x Mini ITX InWin A1 Cougar CFD CPU

Build it yourself… a few helpful tips.

I’m not a gamer or a computer wiz, but I do enjoy building things. This is only the 2nd computer I’ve ever put together. The last one was over 12 years ago. A lot has changed since then, so I had to do a little bit of research before starting. If you wish to take on such a challenge, you may need to do the same; technology changes so fast! Anyhow, I don’t consider myself any kind of expert, but I did learn some things along the way. Here are a few tips I put together, that could be helpful to you.

  1. Pick your form factor – There are several size cases to choose from and the motherboard you choose will need to match, in order to fit. I chose the mini-ITX form factor because I think mid & full tower cases are way too big. Smaller form factor brought with it a few compromises, it meant having only 2 RAM slots instead of 4, and less headers for cpu fans (Not a big deal). Just keep in mind, if you go with a smaller case, you will need to pay attention to your graphics card size. Some may not fit.
  2. Intel vs AMD – Selecting the processor for me came down to the cost/performance. Both are good, but between the Intel i7-8700K and AMD Ryzen 2700X, I chose Ryzen because it had 2 more cores, it came with a really nice CPU fan, and was less expensive. If you go with an AMD CPU, you will need an AMD compatible motherboard. The same goes for Intel CPU’s.
  3. Special RAM – As it turns out, not all RAM is compatible with Ryzen motherboards. For a complete list of compatible RAM, its recommended that you visit the website of the motherboard manufacturer. If you decide to go with TridentZ, look for a part number that ends with GTZRX.
  4. Thermal Paste – The AMD Wraith Prism Cooler came with thermal paste pre-applied. I bought some because I didn’t know; could have saved $7.
  5. InWin A1 RGB cable – When it came time to plug in the cable from the under-case LED strip to the header on the motherboard, it wasn’t long enough. I had to buy an $8 RGB extension cable to overcome this issue.
  6. Case Fan/Water Pump Headers – I had four mounting locations for case fans on the InWin A1 case, but there were only two case fan headers available after I had the CPU fan and under-case LED strip connected to the motherboard. To get around this problem I purchased a Y-Cable splitter. Reading through the manual I found that the water pump headers were rated for a maximum of 2A (24W) each, which was enough to power my fans.
  7. Case Fan Mounting – When mounting your case fans, you need to know the direction of the airflow. It wouldn’t be a problem if this information was labeled on the fan, or you could plug it in quickly to find out. Unfortunately you can’t. It took a youtube video for me to find out, but i will save you a little time – the label side of the fan (with the sticker) is the exhaust side.
  8. Hard Drives – If you’re planning on installing more than one hard drive, it’s not a bad idea to get two different sizes (for example, 1Tb & 500Gb). For some reason I got two 500Gb (same brand and everything). When it came time to install Windows, I didn’t know which drive was which, and installed it on the wrong one. If you do end up buying two of the same, connect one and install windows before connecting the second one.
  9. Compatibility – If you’re not 100% sure if the graphics card you are interested in will fit your case, or you have other compatibility doubts, you can use pcpartpicker.com as a resource.

In the End… I was pretty happy with the outcome.

2700x Inwin A1 Computer Desk Video Editing
Ryzen 2700x TridentZ RAM Cougar RGB Fan
Inwin A1 Ryzen 2700x TridentZ RAM Cougar RGB Fan

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