Computer for video editing in Adobe Premier, Sony Vegas and DaVinci Resolve

The Intel Core i5-10400F is the most affordable processor with 6 cores and 12 threads at the moment. Not only is it cheaper than the newer i5-11400 and 12400, but even the older AMD Ryzen 5 1600AF. Built on the 14nm Comet Lake architecture (essentially a slightly updated Skylake). The integrated graphics accelerator, like other Intel processors with the F index, is deactivated.

There is no need to worry about the low base frequency of 2.9 GHz - the processor automatically turbos above 4 GHz all the time. But extreme auto-overclocking Velocity Boost is not supported, but the processor always remains within the framework of a moderate heat pack. But it is still better to replace the noisy boxed cooler with at least a small turret.

Officially declared support for RAM is only 2666 MHz. But in practice, memory overclocking is more dependent on the motherboard. So, on the B560 chipset, the memory is guaranteed to start at a frequency of 3200 MHz, and if you're lucky, even 3600 - 4000 MHz (depending on the overclocking potential of a particular RAM instance).

Moreover, the 10th generation of Intel Core can run memory at a frequency of 4000+ MHz in 1:1 synchronous mode (Gear 1). Whereas the 11th and 12th generations - only in a relatively slow asynchronous 1: 2 (Gear 2). The i5-10400F supports all modern instructions including SSE 4.2, AVX2, AES, VT and TPM, making it equally well suited for gaming and professional work applications.

The Arctic Freezer i35 RGB is an elegant-looking processor tower (16 cm high, 700 g weight) with support exclusively for Intel sockets: LGA 1151, 1200 and, which is especially cool, 1700. Moreover, you don’t need to request a mount for the latest Intel socket separately, it is guaranteed comes in a box. There is also an alternative version of the Freezer A35 for socket AM4, including one with 5V ARGB lighting.

The RGB version is designed to connect to a 12-volt backlight connector on the motherboard or case hub. However, most modern motherboards have connectors of both types. The backlight breaks through the translucent fan blades. Alas, there is no bracket for installing a second turntable.

But the 12 cm Arctic P-Fan itself is built on a durable hydrodynamic bearing. It starts from an ultra-low 200 rpm (most competitors only 450) and accelerates to 1700 rpm. Simply put, the cooler is able to provide both complete silence and efficient heat dissipation. In addition, the FDB-bearing made it possible to give the cooler a record 6-year warranty.

The ends of four copper heat pipes, painted black, are covered with a decorative plate. And the array of aluminum ribs is slightly shifted towards the VRM of the motherboard, so as not to block even the first RAM slot. The Arctic Freezer i35 RGB comes with a tube of MX-5 thermal paste, which is rightfully considered one of the best on the market.

Arktek DDR4 is the RAM of a young brand from China. It costs significantly less than competitors built on exactly the same Micron E-die chips. This is one of the latest generations of DDR4, made according to the progressive 19nm process technology (memory transistors are traditionally larger than those of processors).

Modern chips allow Arktek DDR4 to operate at a low supply voltage of 1.2 volts even at a high frequency of 3200 MHz (the series also includes models at 2400 and 2666 MHz). Low memory voltage is not so much about reduced power consumption of the PC as it is about reduced processor heat. After all, it is now the RAM controller that is built into it.

By default, memory timings (latencies) are relatively high - CL22-22-22-52. But these are generally accepted JEDEC specifications, which allows you to run at a frequency of 3200 MHz without any problems on almost any processor and motherboard. You don’t even need to enter the BIOS settings, the frequency of 3200 MHz will be set automatically.

Fortunately, by manually increasing the voltage to 1.35 V, you can raise the frequency to 3600 MHz or lower the timings to CL16-18-18-38 (and if you're lucky with a specific memory instance, then both at once). The first overclocking option is more useful for Intel processors, and the second for AMD. But if you want a RAM with automatic overclocking at the touch of a button XMP (3200 MHz at CL16), pay attention to Arktek Thunderbird with metal heatsinks.

Biostar B560M-Silver is one of the best motherboards for the LGA 1200 socket in terms of price and body weight. Despite the release of the 12th generation Intel Core with the new LGA 1700 socket, 10th and low cost. The B560 chipset allows you to overclock the RAM, but not the processor.

The motherboard power subsystem is made according to the 10 + 3 phase scheme - for CPU cores and an integrated video card, respectively. Both knee VRM, top and side are covered with large aluminum radiators made of unpainted aluminum. This gave the name of the Silver model. Radiators of a similar design are installed on the chipset and one of the two long M.2 slots for SSDs.

The top M.2 connector runs on the high-speed PCIe 4.0 x4 bus (up to 64 GB/s). The bottom one is twice as slow as PCIe 3.0 (32 Gb / s). The short M.2 Key-E is designed for a wireless Wi-Fi adapter (sold separately). There are four slots for RAM DIMM DDR4 with a frequency of 4000+ MHz. There are two PCIe x16 connectors for discrete video cards (or other expansion cards): one is version 4.0, the second is 3.0.

There are three video outputs on the rear interface panel of the Biostar B560M-Silver, all of them digital: HDMI, DP and DVI. There is also a 2.5-gigabit Ethernet socket (Realtek RTL8125B chip), a trio of MiniJack audio connectors (Realtek ALC1220) and as many as eight USB ports of various formats and speeds. The fastest among them is Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 at 10 Gbps.

The Arktek Matrix GTX 1660 Ti is still a relevant graphics card today, both for gaming and for video editing. Unlike GeForce RTX models, it does not support better tracing. But the usefulness of this technology in games is still questionable. The picture becomes only a little more realistic, and the frame rate sags by almost half.

But the lack of NVIDIA DLSS proprietary smart scaling technology is more than compensated by the Open Source analogue - FidelityFX Super Resolution. The main competitors of the GTX 1660 Ti are the RTX 3050 and RX 6500 XT. The more recent GeForce model is still in short supply. Whereas Radeon is equipped with less memory and, worst of all, cannot speed up video editing.

Perhaps, it is the GTX 1660 Ti that can now be called the minimum recommended video card for professional 4K video editing. NVIDIA solutions are generally more stable than AMD in the popular Adobe Premier, Sony Vegas and DaVinci Resolve software. And the GTX 1660 Ti is equipped with a 6th generation NVENC video encoder, which is significantly faster than the 5th generation in the GTX 1650. However, even half the price of the GTX 1050 Ti with NVENC 4th Gen is enough for semi-professional 1080p editing.

As for the Arktek Matrix modification, this is a well-tailored dual-fan solution. The heatsink has two heat pipes (more than enough for a 120-watt GTX 1660 Ti) and contacts the memory chips and power mosfets. There is also a metal backplate, which additionally cools and protects the PCB from bending.

The Verbatim MyMedia 2.5" is a low-cost internal SSD in the classic 2.5" format. The connection interface is SATA 3, but backwards compatible with SATA 2 and even SATA 1. Thanks to this, the drive is only 7 millimeters thick, suitable for desktop PCs and laptops, new and old ones (of course, if a particular model has a 2.5 "slot, and not just M.2).

The Verbatim MyMedia 2.5" series includes models from 128 gigabytes to 1 terabyte. Sequential read speed is the same regardless of the size of the disk - 520 MB / s. This is almost the maximum throughput of SATA 3 and three to four times faster than a hard drive.

Linear recording takes place at a speed of 400 - 480 MB / s (varies depending on the volume of the disk). Traditionally, for modern SSDs built on multilayer 3D flash memory, when writing very large amounts of data at a time, the speed may decrease. After that, the disk needs time to automatically re-cache and restore its previous performance.

The performance of random reading and writing of small files in Verbatim MyMedia 2.5 "can reach 31 and 70 thousand IOPS, respectively, which is a hundred times faster than an HDD. The guaranteed overwriting resource is 160 TB for a 512-gig model. But this does not mean at all that The SSD limit will turn into a pumpkin and will continue to work further, gradually losing weight in volume (worn-out memory cells are automatically blocked).

SureFire Gaming Bunker HDD is an external hard drive de jure for gaming, but de facto great for backing up, for example, personal photos or work projects. But it should be borne in mind that when connected to a PlayStation or Xbox, the disk will be formatted in the specific file system of a particular game console.

But in the case of a computer on an external drive, you can store games and files in parallel. As a gift, the buyer receives a licensed copy of the Nero Backup application, with which you can set up automatic backup, synchronization and encryption of especially important data.

The volume of the disk varies from 1 to 2 TB. The speed of sequential reading and writing is approximately the same 140 MB / s (more than 2.5-inch HDDs, in principle, are not capable of delivering). The connection cable has a miniature Micro-USB Type-B connector on one end, and a full-size USB Type-A connector on the other end for connecting to a desktop PC, laptop, smart TV or game console.

A Type-C adapter is provided for connecting the drive to a smartphone or tablet (provided that the device supports USB OTG technology). The HDD case is painted in the so-called "digital camouflage" color and additionally decorated with iridescent LED backlight. Also in the SureFire Gaming Bunker series there are external SSDs, which, of course, are more expensive for the same volume, but many times faster.

be quiet! System Power 9 CM is a series of semi-modular power supplies from a well-known German brand. In fact, it turns out reasonable savings compared to fully modular counterparts. After all, the power cables of the processor and the motherboard will be involved in any case. The two above-mentioned cables are hidden in a nylon braid. The rest of the wires are made in the form of flat pliable noodles.

System Power 9 CM is built on the basis of the HEC platform, and with a progressive separate DC-DC conversion circuit. The main +12 volt line is divided into two sub-lines for better voltage stabilization. So, for a 600-watt model, these are 28 and 22 amperes, respectively. A more powerful line is used to power the video card, and a weaker line is used for CPU and motherboard.

The holding high voltage capacitor is introduced by Taiwanese 85 degree Teapo. The fan is branded be quiet! Silent Wings is a first generation, Rifle Bearing which is more durable than conventional Sleeve Bearing. The noise level of the turntable up to half the load on the PSU is at an ultra-quiet level of about 10 dB.

A full range of electrical protection is implemented: from overheating, overload, power surges and short circuits. The efficiency of the PSU reaches 89 percent, for which he received the "bronze" award 80 PLUS. It can only work in 220 V networks, but not 110, however, in our area this is not a problem. The semi-modular be quiet! System Power 9 CM is an even more affordable non-modular counterpart.

The 2E Gaming Hexagon is a smartly crafted Mini Tower computer case that fits any motherboard from Mini-ITX to ATX. The front panel grille has a hexagonal shape, which makes it look stylish and ventilates effectively. Behind it is a trio of 12cm ARGB fans. Also included is a 5-volt controller to adjust the glow.

Another 12-cm turntable, this time already non-luminous, is located on the back wall of the case. A couple more propellers can be placed on top. And in front, instead of pre-installed fans, a 360 mm water cooling system will fit. The tower cooler will fit up to 16 cm high, which is considered the industry standard.

But what Hexagon is clearly better than average is the thickness of metal sheets - 0.6 mm versus 0.4 - 0.5 mm for competitors in the low-cost price segment. Yes, and instead of easily scratched acrylic, tempered glass is used here, which is not only accidentally scratched, but even deliberately broken will not work. The whole structure weighs 3.9 kilograms.

The location of the power supply is lower, with a casing for hidden wiring. You can install two 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch drives (which is enough even for professional video editing), and the video card will fit up to 33 cm (they simply don’t make it longer). And if you prefer PC builds not in black, but in white, then we advise you to take a closer look at the 2E Gaming Turbo case with a huge 20 cm propeller.