Recommend a disk setup for file crunching

I'm building a new computer to replace my current desktop. The current
system is running WinXP Pro, with a P4 3.0GHz, 1 GB RAM, 2 x 200GB 7200
RPM, 8 MB cache SATA hard drives. I also have a file server on the
network with about 1.5 terrabytes of storage.

I do a lot of work with large files, mostly music and video - encoding,
decoding, compressing. I also end up moving a lot of these large files
across the network, to and from the file server, mostly because working
on the files locally on the PC is much faster than doing so across the
network. This system tends to get CPU bound during encoding/decoding
operations, especially of two or more operations are going on
simulaneously. The system also gets pretty disk bound if several
operations are reading and writing the working disk simultaneously.
Say, decompressing an archive file to disk, encoding a folder full of
music files, and moving yet more files from the working disk to the
network storage server. I use the first drive for the system and
programs, the second for working space.

The new system will be built on an AMD dual core Athlon 64, 1 MB L2
cache per core, 2 GB RAM. Probably a WD Raptor 10k RPM 74 GB SATA
system disk. I'm looking for suggestions on optimizing the working
disk or disks - maybe a RAID 0 setup between two 7200 RPM SATA drives,
or maybe try find some 15k SCSI drives. With the storage server on the
network I don't need the 400 GB disk capacity that I have now - really
just need enough space to store working files - say 30 to 60 GB.

Suggestions for how to approach this are welcome.

.

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