Need Opinions on CS6 Edit Computer Proposal?

Question

Hello all,
I am a veteran film/video producer/director.  I am soliciting proposals for a PC Edit Workstation (finally retiring the XP box).  The hardware choices are bewildering to me.  I found a local company, recommended by another editor.  I told them I want a machine between 2 and 3k that will run all programs in CS6 master collection.  This is what they came back with for 3k.  What do you think?  Thanks in advance.  John
Zero PRO Enterprise Video Editing
Workstation UP
Intel Workstation Pedestal Chassis
Featuring an Intel S1200 series
Workstation Class ATX Motherboard
Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 3.3GHz Quad
Core Processor w/ HT (8 Processing
Threads)
16GB DDR3-1333 Registered ECC Memory
256GB SSD Boot Hard Drive
2x 1TB Western Digital Enterprise
Class Hard Drive in RAID 1
NVidia Quadro 4000 GPU
Dual Layer Blu-Ray Burner Optical
Drive
Card Reader
Audigy Sound Card
USB 3.0
eSATA
Firewire 400/800
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64bit
3 Year Labor, 1 Year Part Warranty
against manufacturing defects

Answer 1

Gentlemen,
I’d like to say that the amount of feedback offered from the community on the Adobe Forums is simply amazing, and we can definitely appreciate everyone’s input and recommendations on putting together a great video editing workstation.   While opinions may vary from vendor to vendor on what hardware spec to use in any given configuration, I’d like to take a second to shed some light on the spec listed above, and what pushes us to make the recommendations we make when configuring anything for a client at GigaParts.
First- Mr. Gehrke brings up an excellent point concerning a 10-bit monitor for video editing, but keeping in mind that the whole editing path needs to be 10-bit capable- from digital image file all the way to panel depth- it becomes hard for us to recommend a GPU that isn’t.  In regards to a more up to date Quadro, a K5000 (the only Kepler based Quadro card currently released) is nearly 3 times as expensive as the Quadro 4000, and doesn’t really fit into the customer’s budget.  For a little more in-depth description of the 10-bit path we’re referring to, please see the following article:
http://www.imagescience.com.au/kb/questions/152/10+Bit+Output+Support
Second- Mr. Gerulaitis and RjL190365 brought up valid concerns about the motherboard included in the spec that I’d like to clarify.  The actual motherboard is an Intel S1200BTLR, which is in-fact an entry level server grade motherboard- something we highly recommend in every spec that may see anything close to 24/7 use.  In our experience over the last fifteen years(and we’ve gained a little being nestled here in Cummings Research Park working with some particularly demanding clients) server and enterprise grade components consistently outlast their consumer-grade counterparts, at the same time providing support options from the manufacturers that simply aren’t available with their consumer-grade lines. Now make no mistake- the concern that the motherboard has a x16 PCIe slot operating at x8 capacity initially seems absolutely valid, but the concerns about it being a “microserver” board optimized for power efficiency and not being suitable for video editing are misplaced concerns that can be clarified with a quick peek at the following links:
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/motherboards/server-motherboards/server-board-s1200 bt.html
http://ark.intel.com/products/67494/Intel-Server-Board-S1200BTLR
As far as having a GPU in a x8 lane vs. a x16 lane, it’s a common misconception that you suffer a HUGE performance loss, when in reality it’s somewhere around 1-2%, and we’ll trade a 1-2% decrease in performance any day of the week if we gain the reliability and support options provided by Intel.  You can find illustrations of this by googling , or testing it out yourself and getting  results similar to what you’ll see here:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pcie-geforce-gtx-480-x16-x8-x4,2696-3.html
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Intel/Ivy_Bridge_PCI-Express_Scaling/23.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/277646-28-future-proofing
Third- Mr. Gehrke reiterated his concern that a Quadro 4000 isn’t what he would recommend in a lower cost video editing workstation, and stated he would opt for a GeForce Kepler based GPU.  While we agree that the Kepler GPUs are stout performers, we also have to keep in mind the benefits of using the Quadro- which is in no way a slouch of a performer by any means.  Besides being subjected to a much stricter manufacturing standard than their GeForce counterparts (Which in our minds puts them on par with server boards and enterprise grade hard drives), the NVidia Quadro division also offers a bit more in-depth support from their engineers- including dedicated driver support- which is a big deal when supporting your customer is paramount to anything else. We also like to focus on the unique feature set that becomes available only to customers using the Quadro line- features like the new real-time pro color grading available with Adobe Speedgrade in the CS6 suite.  You can read more about them here:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/adobe-cs6.html
Fourth- RjL190365 points out a very important fact concerning memory in conjunction with the E3 series Xeon Processors from Intel, and sadly he is also correct that many system builders make this fatal mistake.  We’d like to clarify that the memory quoted was in-fact unbuffered, not registered, and have re-trained our sales associate on the importance of ‘copy and pasting’ information- it cuts down on typos!  The only memory we authorize for use in our workstations and servers are all Intel validated kits- It insures Intel’s support with their hardware, and that’s a value we pass along to our clients.  We’re also proud to report that it is one of the standards in place that has helped keep our return rate at GigaParts below 3% for nearly 5 years!
Again, everyone’s opinions and insight into what should go into a great system is very much appreciated, and a valuable learning tool for custom system builders everywhere. Thanks for the input!