PC Systems  - for video editing, etc

  Custom-built new PCs

  Upgrades & Rebuilds

  Diagnostics & Repairs

Most new PC systems are built to order, which means they can be individually tailored to customers' requirements.
Nearly all the systems we work on are used for video production, so we are well placed to advise on what will give you the best value for money for this type of application.
Much of what we do revolves around PC bench-work, whether it's building new computer systems or repairing & upgrading old ones.

How to assemble a PC system in about 2 minutes

Intel i7 PC system for video editing
PC Systems designed for Adobe CS5 & CS6


A lot of our PC video editing systems were built around the requirements of video I/O devices like those from Matrox  and Blackmagic, but with the advent of camcorders using memory cards, and more powerful CPUs/GPUs, the need for I/O cards with hardware effects processing has diminished.

With the release of software like Adobe's Premiere Pro CS5 & CS6, with their full 64 bit processing and direct usage of a high-end graphics card, "software-only" editing is now a reality for all levels of work.

Whatever software you choose for video editing, a current-generation CPU is advised, and the Intel i-series CPUs offer a good balance between cost and performance. New for 2012 are the three thousand series CPUs, along with the Intel Ivy Bridge Z77 chipset, whilst the Skt 2011 series on the X79 chipset have the advantage of a quad-channel RAM bus and the option of six physical cores (12 with hyperthreading)

If you are moving to Adobe Premiere Pro CS6, and are working in HD, then I would recommend an i7-based system, since it's the CPU that does the work of decoding the video files. In SD that load is pretty trivial, so any of the sample systems will handle it. In HD, not only are the frame sizes bigger, but the compression tends to be more complex too, so typically 4x-8x as much processing power is needed.

The specs of the sample video editing systems on this page are based around the needs of Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 & CS6, using the latest Intel i-series CPUs, which we feel give good value for money. However, all video editing PC systems are built to order so we will always quote for your particular requirements.

Common features for Adobe CS5 & CS6-ready PC systems

Asus Intel-chipset PCI-Express motherboard with on-board SATA, audio, USB2/3 & gigabit ethernet, Antec black mid-tower case with 620W PSU (900W on X79 systems) & 120/140mm quiet fans, 1TB + 2TB SATA 600 hard drives (for system & video), dual layer DVD+/-R/RW, Nvidia GTX series dual output PCI-Express graphics card (excludes monitors), Windows 7 Pro 64bit O/S installed (with Disk Image backup copy)

CPU Clock Speed Cores/Threads M/B Chipset Graphics card RAM Price
i5 3550 3.3GHz 4 / 4 Z77 1GB GTX 650 8GB 960.00
i5 3570K 3.4GHz 4 / 4 Z77 1GB GTX 650 Ti 8GB 1030.00
i7 3770 3.4GHz 4 / 8 Z77 2GB GTX 660 16GB 1170.00
i7 3820 3.6GHz 4 / 8 X79 2GB GTX 660 16GB 1290.00
i7 3930K 3.2GHz 6 / 12 X79 2GB GTX 660 Ti 16GB 1580.00
i7 3970X 3.5GHz 6 / 12 X79 4GB GTX 670 32GB 2135.00
The Nvidia GTX 470 & 570 are the entry-level, fully-validated GPUs
for Adobe CS5.5, but other (Nvidia) chipsets can be used.
Both those models have been phased out, hence our use of other current Cuda-enabled models from the GTX range.		 Graphics card GPU upgrades (from GTX 660)

Quadro FX 3800, 1GB - 450.00
Quadro FX 4800, 1.5GB - 1,080.00
Quadro FX 5800, 4GB - 2,180.00

3TB video drive, in place of 2TB - call
LG/Sony Dual-Layer 10x BluRay Burner upgrade - 55.00               For any other options, extra storage, etc - please ask

21.5" LED monitors (HDMI/full HD - 1920x1080) - from 105.00      Stereo video editing add-ons and 3D monitoring is here
24" LED monitors (HDMI/full HD - 1920x1080) - from 135.00
27" LED monitors (HDMI/full HD - 1920x1080) - from 195.00                               Matrox hardware prices here

(All PC video editing systems are built to order, so just ask for any required options.) Prices subject to availability. E&OE

Note - all prices quoted on this site are UK pounds - ex VAT & delivery. 2.5% surcharge on Credit & Company Debit Card payments
 Editor's Keyboard for Premiere Pro
Editing Keyboards available as options for Avid, Edius & Premiere Pro

Matrox RT.X2 PC edting system from ZEN Computer Services
One of four i7, Premiere-based  editing systems supplied to Wyke 6th Form College, with dual 23" LCD PC & TV monitors
HardDisk Options Available     Monitors Options Available      Video editing system demos available in Manchester      3D editing add-ons & monitors

What we're about . . .      ZEN is not a traditional Audio-Visual dealer who started selling computers, nor is it a computer shop that also sells video editing systems. You won't get any salesmen giving you the "hard-sell" when you call, just straightforward advice and information - which for some callers is the knowledge that they don't need to buy whatever it is they thought they needed! Above all you'll be dealing with someone with a wide range of experience and knowledge of both PCs and video production. We're not the biggest, nor necessarily the cheapest, but we are one of the longest established computer/video specialists in the UK.

Company history . . .      ZEN was started in the 1980s by Martin Kay, then working for ITV at Granada's Manchester studios, who built his first 6502-based computer in 1979 from an Ohio Scientific kit, bought in the USA whilst working as a Sound Recordist on a film shoot for World In Action. With the advent of the Amiga, which could be gen-locked to a video source, Martin started writing a variety of video-related software. This included subtitling & tele-prompting, ident clocks, scoring software for sports & gameshows, and specialist software to mimic other computer displays for use in TV film dramas like Cracker, Prime Suspect and A Touch of Frost. Martin left Granada in 1993 to concentrate on his computer-video activities with ZEN, following a natural path into non-linear editing systems, now the main focus of the business, although he still maintains an active interest in video production.

ZEN - Video Editing in Manchester Video Editing Sales - Phone 0161 736 5300 Copyright © 2013 Zen Computer Services.
All rights reserved. E&OE
Revised: 07 May, 2013