John Cox - Video Editing PC

John Cox wanted enough storage space without going into huge hard drives, and a system that was reliable with quality parts but at a reasonable cost. "The components I chose seem to have achieved what I wanted," he says.  John retired a couple of years ago and wanted to learn more about PCs not just to save money but because it was interesting. "Through my local TAFE I was able to learn how these darned things went together, I have only blown up one mobo and built six systems to date. "

CORE SYSTEM

CPU: Intel Core i5 750 - $208
After reading so much about the CPU's and their capabilities I thought the Core i5 would suit my needs. Also the price difference between the i5 and i7 was a factor but not the main reason for choosing the i5.

MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte GA-P55-UD5 - $253
This took a lot of time to make up my mind so I read as much as possible online, as I had made up my mind to use the i5 CPU it did narrow it down a little. I finally made up my mind because of the amount of USB and SATA connections available to me.

GRAPHICS: eVGA GTS250 1GB/D-DVI - $224
As I am not into gaming I didn't want to go overboard but I also wanted to make sure I had a reasonable card for video editing, I did consider the 512MB card but with building a new system considered the 1GB worth the extra.

RAM: KINGSTON 4GB DDR3 - $108
Kingston is a well known brand and I have used it before, I would rather go with a brand that I know. Also it was availabe in a kit and this amount is adequate for my current needs. With this board I can increase it in the future.

HARD DRIVE 1: WD CAVIAR BLACK 640MB - $80
After again reading a lot of articles about hard drives and going onto manufacturers web sites and doing a bit of research, this drive seemed right for my needs. A lot of forums I went into liked this manufacturer which made a lot of difference also.

HARD DRIVE 2: WD CAVIAR BLACK 750GB - $104
Having chosen the WD CAVIAR BLACK for my first drive I kept with the same brand for the second.

HARD DRIVE 3: WD CAVIAR BLACK 750GB - $104
As my hobby is video editing I like to have that extra space and I find this the ideal instead of going Terrabyte.
 
OPTICAL DRIVE    ASUS DVD RW 24X - $80
Have used ASUS optical drives in the past and with 24X thought this adequate for my needs.

PSU: CORSAIR 750W - $199
A well-known brand and more power than I need at present, but if I need extra in the future this will do the job.

CASE: ANTEC 900 TWO - $159
Apart from its stylish looks I think this is a good case to work with, there is plenty of room to work  and plenty of fans for cooling. I like the blue led lights on the fans which gives it a nice glow. The drive bays are easy to move although you still need a screw driver. My fingers seem to get in the way if I am in a smaller case.

Core system cost: AUD $1, 519

MONITOR: ASUS 23 inch VH232T - $208
I liked the size and clearness, and the easy access to keys at the bottom of the monitor.

KEYBOARD: Microsoft Model 1356 - $59
Liked the flat feel and ease of use.

MOUSE:  Microsoft 310 - $29
Liked the feel of it.

OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
After reading of all the benefits of this system I decided to update especially with a new build. As I am also trying to future proof myself as far as possible I wanted to go to 64-bit at the same time.