CPU/Mobo New Pc Help Please! For Music Production!

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funkysouls

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Hi,

Am looking forward to buying a new PC for Music Production mainly.

BUDGET :

25 to 30k max.

Things i already have :

M-Audio Delta Audiophile 24/96 Sound card.
Beyerdynamics DT 250 Studio headphones.


Things i am looking for :

Processor + Mobo.
Casing
PSU.

Did some research over the internet and tried working on a config :

Intel E8200 - 8000
Abit I-N73HD (Onboard GeForce 7100 Graphics) - 4200
2GB DDR2 800 - 2200
Seagate 80GB - 1800
Western Digital 500GB - 4200
Sony 20x DVD-RW - 1600
Coolermaster CM690 - 4700
Coolermaster Extreme Power 600W PSU - 3200
TOTAL - Rs 29900/-.

I would personally like to have an AMD if possible. I wont be using it for gaming much so i think i can save up on G - card.

Please Help.
 
funkysouls said:
Hi,

Intel E8200 - 8000

Abit I-N73HD (Onboard GeForce 7100 Graphics) - 4200

2GB DDR2 800 - 2200

Seagate 80GB - 1800

Western Digital 500GB - 4200

Sony 20x DVD-RW - 1600

Coolermaster CM690 - 4700

Coolermaster Extreme Power 600W PSU - 3200

TOTAL - Rs 29900/-.

I would personally like to have an AMD if possible. I wont be using it for gaming much so i think i can save up on G - card.
Click to expand...

It is better for you go to quad-core route.

If you want to go AMD's way try to get Phenom 9750 and pair it with a 780G mobo.

But this option is not as easy as it sounds. First problem is availability of 9750 at decent price. Ideally it should not cost more than Rs 9000 here as its price on Newegg is $215. More importantly, we are not even sure whether it's available in India right now.

Secondly, there were issues with 780G based mobos and high-end Phenoms as the mobos were unable to handle processors with TDP rating of 125W. 9750 is one such processor and though most AMD partners have refreshed their mobo line-ups and corrected the anomaly, while buying a high-end Phenom it's always better to be sure.

This combo you can get for <14,000.

With the rest of the money you can easily get your other components. As far as your choice of PSU is concerned, DON'T GO FOR CM600 Xtreme Power. Instead for the same price you can get VX450W from Corsair that is ten times better than any of CM's extreme series PSU.



Also, for around Rs 2700 you can get 250GB HD so why go for 80GB at Rs 1800. It's not VFM.

If you wish to go for Intel, I suggest you get Q6600 at around 11K, Intel DG33FB @ <5.5. Cut down on your one HD and simply go for 500GB HD. You can always buy more HDs later.

:hap2:
 
Ideally, E8400 and 4GB memory.... you don't need a quad. I used to run an X6800 at 3.6GHz for recording but now I've gone mobile with an XPS.
 
1. Get off the IGP boat. Get a low-power add in card like a 7100GS. That way you avoid the hit on main memory, which should keep the system able to handle more effects and plugins.

2. 4GB mem is good, but you'll need a 64-bit OS for it, and there ain't one I trust around now. 2GB should be able to handle a bunch of stuff (unless you like a ton of effects on each track in real-time, then you'll have to do a few interim mixdowns). 3GB will also work fine, and I trust XP as of now. Intels have no issues handling weird memory amounts like that, the AMD memory controller can go a little crazy with asymmetric memory.

3. The Intel P35 board is the current favourite of the production crowd, specially if you need to keep the LAN enabled. Stay away from AMD chipsets and CPUs. The 690G has terrible PCI latency. Totally uselss for audio. Haven't tried the 780 yet, but in pro audio it's better to get stable and proven stuff than the latest and greatest.

4. Get a good PSU. I can't stress this enough. A good audio card needs a clean PSU. I've never used the Extreme Power, but from the tests of the Real Power, I wouldn't trust the Extreme series at all. Corsair makes some fine supplies - the VX450 is a good choice, and will be quiet. There's a long thread on this duo somewhere else. Listen to the guy who posted above.

5. Get a good aftermarket heatsink, preferably one that runs passively. Keep the PC's noise profile low, specially if you're micing in the same room. Noise filter plugins rob dynamics, so a quiet room is a good start.

6. Get the best CPU that will fit your budget. You aren't going to be overclocking the system, so a powerful CPU will ensure you don't run out of breath when running a lot of tracks and recording at the same time.

7. Two HDs is always better than one, so that the boot drive doesn't mess with the audio drive. This is pretty important for audio systems.

8. System setup is the most critical thing in an audio rig. Keep the bloat low - I use a combination of XP Lite and a few tricks to keep the system always quick (some services, system restore off) at all times. SP3 is great for audio rigs, at least mine. Latency drops significantly. It's not the mess that SP2 was.

9. As Rio said, quads are not necessary at this time for audio rigs. Very few pro audio apps are optimised for it, but all of them can work with dual core CPUs, so pick the quickest you can get.
 
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ok, from the reviews, i'll go with INTEL.

So Intel E8400 with 4 GB RAM ? 800mhz ? 677mhz ?

PSU - VX450W from Corsair ?

Intel P35 board.

I thought of 2 HDs so i can use a 80gb one for booting and a 500 gb for storage.

Any thoughts on casing ?

Thanks very much for all the suggestions.

Much Respect.
 
funkysouls said:
ok, from the reviews, i'll go with INTEL.

good choice

So Intel E8400 with 4 GB RAM ? 800mhz ? 677mhz ?

get the 800mhz ram.. not too much of a price diff there.

PSU - VX450W from Corsair ?

yup.. the very same. comes for arnd 3.6-3.8k

Intel P35 board.

i think its called the DP35-D or something thereabouts

I thought of 2 HDs so i can use a 80gb one for booting and a 500 gb for storage.

Any thoughts on casing ?

how much can you spend on the case? consider the zebronice bijli for arnd 1-1.2k at the low end, the coolermaster elite series for arnd 1.7-2.2k.. and also the cm690 for arnd 3.8k... jus pick anyone that fits your budget.

Thanks very much for all the suggestions.

Much Respect.
Click to expand...

reply quoted.
 
Ah yes, the case. I like the NZXT Hush for this application. Seems to have sufficient cooling for a medium power system like this one, and should be fairly quiet due to all the damping foam. In stock at Prime, and not too expensive.

The CM has too many fans, and if fans are not fitted, too many holes, to let sound in and out of the case. The CM Elite may be a better choice really, if your budget cannot stretch up to the Hush.

You'll need a video card with that board. A basic 7100 or 3830 should be fine, it's not a critical piece of the puzzle.

Lastly, dump the stock heatsink of the E8400, and get a quiet HSF. The Arctic Cooling Freezer ain't bad but I suspect an Ultima with a panaflo may be quieter, more efficient and more expensive. Then use fan control to keep the fan at low rpm for total silence.

Rest is fine.
 
Dude if u goin with sangram's opinion i.e the aftermarket cooler and add in gfx card with the E8400 , then i wud say u better get the Biostar TP35D2-A7 coz neways u will be buying a add in card and after market cooler so u can also consider overclocking in future
 
^^ my 2 cents on overclocking this kind of a machine: This is a production rig. Stability over features. Overclocking throws the bus off spec, and that can do nasty things to the PCI power supply and clock signals.

Gaming and general use machines are not a yardstick for for machines for production, as a rule. Stability and proven performance are, as is compatibility with various hardware and software combinations. All pro audio manufacturers (software and hardware) recommend Intel mainboard machines as that is the test/baseline configuration.

It is possible to render a mix two seconds quicker on a overclocked processor. Seeing that actual mix rendering is about 2% of the time spent on creating the mix, this is inconsequential. It is far more important to have a quiet, stable machine that removes the distraction of a crash or worse, degraded performance due to instability.

Again this does not mean that aftermarket boards are not to be considered for production units, but that choice cannot be based on the ability to clock the processors into the stratosphere, but additional features and maybe performance.

I owned an Intel board once and though I hated some of the design choices, the PCI and clock implementations were the best I've ever seen. The PCI clock crystal is actually mounted in a vibration-resistant enclosure, and the PCI slots have their own voltage regulators. It ran my pro apps and cards like a champ. I would never have sold that board if I had not needed an SLI rig for gaming. That board crashed only once, which was when it died. The replacement was flawless and worked brilliant right out of the box.

I know that when I build my production rig, it will definitely be with an Intel board, as long as they continue to make the implementation as solid as they do. I may hate the layout and the lack of features and friendliness, but they put their money in some solid places, and therefore are the best choice for a music rig. They suck for home use though, there are better boards for that stuff.
 
Prayag!

Id suggest an E6550 or E8200, with an intel G33 based motherboard...you can add a card later if you feel the need. Although with 2+ GB of DDR2-800 i dont think sharing 64mb for the integrated graphics will hurt your performance.

HDD - Get the Seagate slim single platter 250gb for about 2.5k

PSU - I think the POV 500W is a SeaSonic..someone else please confirm.

Case - Bijli!

Got any $$ saved - Get a 19 inch Widescreen LCD!!! Will really improve your experience.
 
Deepak, i won't mind spending a bit more on Processor + Mobo cuz i think i wont upgrade for sometime now. E8400 should be it if not the quad's.

casing will be Bijli. Shall give a thought on Gcard. HD's and all is secondary. ;)

..and i've got no $ to spend on LCD. lol.
 
Zebby PSU's suck- very poor regulation, and might kill something too . I'd recommend something other than what comes as stock with the cabinet.

Or another cabinet
 
POV 400 watt if you dont wanna strech your budget ftw. And i think its better if you get 2160 and overclock it, see how it performs on stock as well. If you dont get good results you can always sell it off and get a better proccy :P
 
rushabht said:
POV 400 watt if you dont wanna strech your budget ftw. And i think its better if you get 2160 and overclock it, see how it performs on stock as well. If you dont get good results you can always sell it off and get a better proccy :P
Click to expand...

Yeah, right. :p
 
Hey Prayag, glad you made it here :)

Corsair quality control and 10 year warranty wins hands down, but I have no clue whether the POV is an OEM Seasonic. Either ways, get the Corsair if it fits your budget.

And yeah, a Wide LCD will help you loads!
 
Corsair VX450 if it fits your budget, i got mine for 3500 from prime abgb. The POV 500 Watt PSU is also good, but no one really knows about the warranty situation of the POV products, while corsair warranty rocks! Else you can get the Gigabyte Superb 460 which sells for 2300. Gigabyte Superb 460 an FSP oem, POV 400 is also available and sells for some 2200 but i cant confirm whether this thing is a seasonic oem or not :(

Apparently the gigabyte isnt available in bombay anywhere, its just available in bangalore. Im planning to get the POV 400 / Gigabyte Super 460 depending on the availability :)
 
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