There are a few factors to consider. I don't know the difference in prices a systems builder might charge between an i7 970 and an i7 980, but there is only a $100 difference in price for the processor itself.
There is a nether world between the i7 950 and the i7 980 where the difference in performance doesn't seem to match the price of the parts. Personally, I would buy a 950 or a 980. Probably, nothing in between. The exception to that would be if it was being built by others and the system price represented different margins to the builder more than the $100 price difference between the processors.
The i7 970 should be competent for a couple years, (or at least until Intel announces and ships the high end 32 nm silicon late this year or early next year). I forget the bridge name, but it will be the follow-on to the socket 1366. Even when that happens your system will still keep on working. My current Q9450 on a P45 chipset still soldiers along. I don't sit and watch the renders but the timeline with mostly MPEG (some AVCHD) works fine for non-profit-making efforts.

You asked for opinion and that's exactly what you got. Your getting it from someone who sold PC parts for eleven years, and has been in the computer business for thirty-five years if I make it to September.

I'm still using the band new machine I put together in Jan 2008. Runs great. I'm doing HDV with lots of FX most of the time. So anything decent you buy now should last for at least ~3 years solid (I spent ~$1500 total, all new parts).

You're so close why buy now? Wait and you will be rewarded. If you are behind in your workload then buy what you can afford.

Speed is nice and all but reliability is much nicer.

New technology can be glitchy and can lead to strange crashes that can be difficult to track down.

I always wait a while to build a new system. It is a balance thing. Too soon and you suffer the glitches. Too late and you are too far behind and what you buy no longer has the value you need and want.

Even so, when one builds a system, it must be a balanced system! Skimping on the power supply for instance can cause all kinds of crashes and problems. A mismatch of components and/or poor driver(s)/software will also create problems.

An NLE system MUST be a well built system!

Danny Fye

the problem with being on the cutting edge is you can bleed to death.....

I 2nd the power supply thing. I skimp on most things, but if I can get a really fast processor for $100 more then a fast one, or I can get a nice, good rep, PSU for $100, I get the PSU vs the faster processor.

Must less troubles since I went that route. I'll take a case & make my own vent holes, I'll install my own drives, put on the stock CPU fan, all no problem. A cheap PSU blew two MB's for me once, and I was happy when Acer fixed it for me, but that was because I didn't know it was the PSU, I assumed the MB was bad.

Haha, lot's of great replies and I appreciate them.

In this scenario, I am not allowed to build it. My boss insists that the package comes from one place for warranty sake. I have no choice but to respect that, since he is footing the bill. (I built my last one).

I am looking at HP and from the 970 to the 980x is 200. If I take the 970, I can get an 160G SSD. If I go 980X, I will have to choose at 360G 10K RPM drive (not bad).

If I go with either of these instead of waiting for the Sandy Bridge, I spend more on the box and get less peripherals. However, both of these are more powerful than the Sandy Bridge and my ultimate goal here is longevity. That will bring me credability.

Thanks for shairng your thoughts and opinions. I am still rocking back and forth on the bleeding edge.
rob

now that must be painful rob ;p)

personally i'd never buy ANYTHING from hp - not least because nearly everything i have has had the psu go early on.....

again - what formats will you be editing?

Take the 980.

Format.... sorry.


AVCHD will be the worst of it, in Vegas.