PC Systems  - for video editing, etc

  Custom-built new PCs

  Upgrades & Rebuilds

  Diagnostics & Repairs

Much of what we do revolves around PC bench-work, whether it's building new computer systems or repairing & upgrading old ones.
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 media production, so we are well placed to advise on what will give you the best value for money for this type of application.

How to assemble a PC system in about 2 minutes

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


A lot of our PC video editing systems are built around the requirements of cards like the Matrox RT.X2, but with advent of camcorders using memory cards, and more powerful CPUs/GPUs, the need for I/O cards with hardware effects processing is diminishing.

With the release of software like Adobe's Premiere Pro CS5, with its 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 Core Duo, i3, i5 & i7 CPUs offer a good balance between cost and performance.

If you are moving to Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, 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 spec of the sample video editing systems on this page is based around the needs of Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 (and for Matrox's  RT.X2 card), 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 PC systems

Asus Intel-chipset PCI-Express motherboard with on-board SATA, audio, 1394, USB2 & gigabit ethernet, Antec 300 black mid-tower case with 650W PSU & 120/140mm quiet fans, 500GB + 1TB SATA-II hard drives (for system & video), dual optical drives (Dual Layer DVD+/-R/RW), 1GB GTX285 dual output PCI-Express graphics card (excludes monitors), multi-slot media card reader, Windows 7 Pro 64bit O/S

CPU + RAM Options & System Prices
i3-540 Dual Core (with hyper-threading) + 4GB DDR3 RAM  - 1,055.00
i5 760 Quad Core + 4GB DDR3 RAM - 1,110.00
Intel i7 Quad Core (with hyper-threading = 8 threads),
i7 930, P6X58 motherboard + 6GB DDR3 RAM  - 1,240.00
i7 870,  P7P55 M/B + 8GB DDR3 RAM - 1,260.00
i7 960, P6X58 Premium M/B + 12GB DDR3 RAM - 1,645.00
Intel i7 Six Core (with hyper-threading = 12 threads),
i7 970, P6X58 Premium  M/B + 12GB DDR3 RAM  - 1,870.00
 

 The Nvidia GTX 285 is the entry-level,
fully-validated GPU for Adobe CS5,
but other (cheaper) chipsets can be used

Graphics card GPU upgrades (from GTX 285)

Quadro FX 3800, 1GB - 415.00
Quadro FX 4800, 1.5GB - 1,100.00
Quadro FX 5800, 4GB - 2,290.00

LG Dual-Layer 10x BluRay Burner upgrade - 105.00               For any other options, extra storage, etc - please ask

22" Wide LCD monitors (full HD - 1920x1080) - from 125.00
23" Wide LCD monitors (full HD - 1920x1080) - from 150.00
23" Wide LED monitors (full HD - 1920x1080) - from 180.00                               Matrox hardware prices

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

Matrox RT.X2 PC edting system from ZEN Computer Services
One of four i7 920 - RT.X2 LE editing systems supplied to Wyke 6th Form College, with dual 23" LCD PC & TV monitors

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

HardDisk Options Available     Monitors Options Available     Video editing system demos available in Manchester 

Note - all prices quoted on this site are UK pounds - ex VAT & delivery

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 © 2010 Zen Computer Services.
All rights reserved. E&OE
Revised: 03 August, 2010