with the intention of having a source to know what hardware is good for our new Windows 7 studio pc (both 32 and 64bits), getting the most out of our software depending on the application (it's different if you want to track something or become the next Hans Zimmer) I am starting this thread.

we are talking about stability, realiablity and stuff to avoid.

I do not want a discussion here, as far as "what^s better" as that is quite a sensitive, most of the times religious topic based on personal experience and taste.

what I do want is "please avoid this and that motherboard because it..."..balhalh.

thanx.


p.s: please allow my editing thread powers to allow an easy to read thread. I will put the "Posted working systems, or principal system ideas in quotes". if you want to safe me time, please quote them yourself.

system may 2011:

abut 1500 US$


system november 2010:
my system (august 2009):

This is an excellent idea.

I would like to build a new workstation based on an i7 (I'm currently running a Q9550)

People posting their stable, working systems, is great for folk like myself, who can then understand which parts go well together.

I did this for my current machine and it has been 101% stable.

Now with Windows 7 - there is so little to tweak. It's just a matter of getting the right bits, so to speak.

Great thread George

ts

Works really good with Pro Tools 9, RME hdsp9652 and a SSL Alphalink. I think this motherboard is one that can be put on "good for audio pc's"-list.

avoid upgrading to 64-bit on a system that is using old parts since drivers are not always available - check first


This thread should either be taken with a large grain of salt IMO or very detailed for a few reasons:

1 some problems, like IRQ conflicts, are dependent of which slot cards are in, or what plug SATA drives use
2. driver errors (read: parts not working with eachother) are software problems, not hardware problems. Mobos support what is listed on thier specs and most people don't need help reading. So programs versions, OS type, OS updates, and driver versions are more important to know what piece of equipment works with what. Drivers updates can and DO change what works together, so what works today might not work for a future reader.
3 Other seemingly unrelated programs can cause driver problems, conflicts, and other general computer troubles by editing the registry.

Unless all of this information is supplied this info isn't any more useful than picking brand name equipment.

As for product specific 'this doesn't work with this' conflict the first place you should look is the comments on item at newegg.com

I think a more useful sticky would be: how to choose audio PC components. I see that question asked every day, and it is not always answered well.

The above is based on 2 Systems that i built running Windows 7 64.I have yet to have issues with any of the components.They also work rather well for a Custom Mac .One thing to note is the HD section.The 2 MB's have 2 Native Sata 6 & 6 Sata 3 Ports thus the lay out (64MB Sata 6,32MB Sata 3 etc).Of course you can mix it up and use a 500Gig for Sample/Project etc.The video card section i used ATI so another user can maybe Point out some good Nvidea cards.Memory i stuck with Spec timings(8-8-8-24),You can also buy 2 6(3x2)gigs sets instead of the 12GB (6x2GB).While the stock cpu cooler's may work,i'll prefer to go with an aftermarket cooler especially if you plan to over clock.Thats about it ,Hope it's helpful to future builders................Blessings

execelent idea george...

i'm starting tp cop parts for one.. i've got rack already from an old box and after some study i went with an antec tp700... tom's did an article on supplies and seasonics were consider the goto supply... they also oem some of antecs and corsairs...

looking at MB's now... only thing i've evr owned was asus and tyan so i'll likely get an asus... i know it's not the popular solution here.. butm i'm gonna cheap out on an amd... and the asus board i'm looking at is th m4a89gtd pro ... sataIII and usbIII on board video... has some good cooling for both bridges...

can i ask why you use different ram brands, i see corsair/kingston
i thought its intended that ram pairs should be facsimile to each other
thanks

^^ About 64bit, im about to build a new pc/daw as well for our new studio and will consist of :



I will post here about the performance of the daw when i have it done and workable

You guys should seriously consider a SSD (solid state drivre) harddisc for your C: harddrive (where windows and the program folders are installed).

They are reliable, quiet, provide the best speed and arent expensive anymore.

think it would be helpful to put prices for each setup as well. Which probably be asked alot, for some of us gotta have a goal of how much money to save up for quite a system.

gotta admit that i'm curious about these... not expensive anymore is of course a relative thing... and needs to be weighed against the speed advantages.. perhaps when sataIII is fully implemented it will make more sense... also need to decide how big the OS drive needs to be...

One of the considerations for those choosing a motherboard is the number of PCI and PCIe slots. When I upgrade, I'd like to be able to accommodate my Powercore and UAD-1 cards. It would be also interesting to see if it had firewire, and if possible what chip set is used for it.

js

^ If your PowerCore doesn't play nice with the FireWire port built into the motherboard (which was the case with my Asus), you'll have to sacrifice a PCI slot by getting a FireWire card with a TI chipset...

In the end, I was able to get a UAD-1 PCI, PowerCore, SSL Duende PCIe as well as a UAD-2 Quad to all play together nicely - but things had to be shuffled around a few times due to IRQ issues...

Building a PC of your own for music production is possibly one of the most painful experiences you can go through except for maybe buying an engagement ring. (Not the buying part - the constant second guessing that accompanies it.)

There are many variables and if the planets don't align perfectly, look out.

Having said that and having experinced the pain of being human in a digital world, I feel that after some years of visiting here for advice I should give something back.

I thought about my perfect build for year before getting the cash together to upgrade my old AMD system . I built a solid Core I7 unit with 8GB of memory for around $900.00 excluding hard drives since I had a bunch already.


For under a grand I am very happy and will probably not outgrow this setup for years unless I need a live 160 peice orchestra in real time.


For those who don't have much of a clue about system building and tweaking just buy one from a reputable Audio PC builder and don't look back. You will save yourself months of anguish trying to figure out why something doesn't work right. It is well worth the extra money and peace of mind. Besides, you will need to spend about a thousand hours reading manuals and trying things to learn your system well enough to be efficient.

Initial problems: I had to replace the motherboard once due to DOA, the first memory I bought was the wrong voltage. The machine wouldn't recognize the extra 4GB till I did some voodoo to get the Bios to see it etc.
If you buy the core setup at a Microcenter store they will actually put the CPU, memory, and video card in make sure that it boots ok. I did this my second time around since I refused to leave the store without a functioning tested setup.

So there ya have it. Lots and lots of gotcha's for the uninformed even if you think you know what you are doing. Mfg. specs are in flux or wrong altogether. It was rewarding though.

I've been doing HD recording for years now (Sonar X1) using a pretty simple setup - usally standard Dell's doing no config tweaks - straight out of the box. I've had great luck along that route, but this time around I decided to build my own system. I went with:

I hope I didn't screw up, but I am excited about the potential this machine has.

i just finished building a PC for my studio. my advice? don't do it. you won't save much money if any, especially if you consider time. one flawed part (bad ram, mobo, etc) will wreck your savings.

this isn't just my opinion but the opinion of a well respected author on the topic. i can add details if you like. :D

my next machine will be a business or enterprise model PC. unless there is some special requirement you can't live without (like 4 PCI slots) i'd buy the a business model dell or hp.

to each their own, but if you want to get on with making music i don't think it makes any sense to go through the pc building process.


words from the holy moderator: I disagree with you in that case, if you know what a motherboard is, and have a clue about how to build a PC it's just choosing parts. I built my last 5 systems on my own, asked friends what they use and never had a problem. it's about making an excel list with parts, research and know how to build it. I agree with you, that some people should buy a computer off the shelve. I have no clue about cars, so I bring my car to mechanic.

i can't argue with your personal experience. sounds like you have had some good luck. but i think it's a bit more then having a clue.

for example...my example for instance :D ...i used a GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R motherboard. this same board is used by at least one custom daw builder that i know of. well that board has well known issues. for example the bios will not let you enter the intelligent tweaker mode (where you would do things like set OC or ram cas settings among other things) unless you connect via old ps2.

also one failure of ram will might cost you a few days of productivity finding the issue.

i'm not saying you can't have a good experience with a DIY daw. but one single issue can cost you all your savings and lots of time.

it's great to know whats in your pc. it's great to be able to fix it yourself (instead of the local tech goons) but if you go this route be forewarned.

one thing about mass produced business machines is they are tested. i've owned 2 macs and a dell and they always ran perfect from the get go.

while i learned a lot building a machine i personally can't recommend it. when you tally up all your time selecting parts, building it, and whatever time you spend on troubleshooting it certainly isn't a cost saving venture.

scott mueller has about the same to say. so i think, like many things, it's about what you enjoy.

i think people that have been building PCs for years have lost a bit of perspective. building a pc that competes in performance and stability with a business grade machine ain't so easy.

you can get a custom daw built for maybe 200 more then you would pay for parts. well worth it imo. the business xeons are more expensive, but worth is in long term savings imo.


my experience:

board GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R: there is that bios ps2 issue i mentioned. really annoying but easy to fix with $3 usb ps2 adapter. i would not install any of the software/utilites that come bundled w/ board. had problems.

RAM CORSAIR Model CMX6GX3M3C1600C7 my first 3 sticks failed. make sure you set cas manually. if using memtest86 make sure you test with 1333 mem bus speed not 1066. mine passed at 1066 but ram is rated for 1333. failed at 1333. was thinking of OC up the road. liked this ram for decent price, fast latencies and rated for slightly higher speed for OC.

i'm a fan of fanless mobile racks. i can tell you what i got if you are interested.

hard drive, the baracudas got something like 30% faster continuous through put then my older cavier blacks. this is my testing not based on manufacture specs. but HD speed is not an issue for me.

intel on intel has always been the stability king on custom (non-brand) pcs

the real deal, besides some tracking-editing-mixing benchmarking, would be to stress test the configs and see who's tougher :D

just upgraded to the
just a report to say this is a very nice and stable rig to anyone looking to move away from mac without losing the muscle.

I disagree. If you are proficient in building computers, the time involved is minimal. I bet I would spend more time uninstalling all of the crap-ware that comes on a Dell or HP, than I would building my own PC. I have the benefit of selecting each component to ensure maximum compatibly. Also, many times high end components have a greater warranty than off the shelf PC’s. Business & enterprise machines may have a longer warranty than the standard “2 year” on your basic HP machine, but most of the parts in my custom i7 machine have a “5” year warranty. I’ve had Dell’s, Gateways and HP’s and not one of them lasted 5 years. But hey, maybe that was just bad luck. My last build, an AMD X2 machine, lasted 6 years before a stick of ram went bad. Luckily, I had selected Corsair with a lifetime warranty, so now it’s back in business with no further problems.

You said the Mobo you went with has “well known issues”. Well, there is your problem right there! It definitely takes some research to build a rock solid DAW, but I’d also imagine it takes some research before purchasing any off the shelf computer for serous DAW duties as well. Sure, a spanking new Dell might have the same exact i7 950 that’s in my rig, but what kinda Mobo is in that thing? What kinda PSU? Are the fans quiet? How long will a warranty issue take? You generally have to send in the whole machine for warranty work. I’m sure not going to send my hard drive to Dell if all they need to do is replace the video card. I think there are a lot of variables to consider when using a branded PC for high end duties. I like to think I removed a lot of those variables when hand picking each component and having the knowledge of exactly what is in my case.

The cost savings are not what they used to be, that is very true. And maybe I am just a cynic. But I just don’t believe that any branded PC like (Dell, HP, ect..) can even come close to the durability and stability of a custom rig. Computer building is certainly not an endeavor that everyone will enjoy, so thankfully there are plenty of companies out there willing to charge a premium to piece together custom machines. They test them, they warranty them, and sell em. People buy them, post rave reviews on forums all over the internets.. I read em up, research, hit newegg and microcenter, and save 300 bucks. Pretty rewarding for me! So far 3 months and not even a slight hiccup on my new build.

I'm excited!! Just ordered this from ibuypower.com. Came to $1200.....


I have a feeling this will run PT9 very very smoothly. Cannot wait until it comes in!!! I'll get a nice 21-24" LED monitor when I know it's on the truck!

well, i've never! :D

all good points. in fact the case you make was the reason i built my last daw.

the gigabyte board i have is pretty popular for daws. that said, no board is perfect and there are some issues. hard to find a product on newegg or tiger without issues. but that is skewed. how many people review a product with no issues?

when my dell failed they just sent a guy out with the part. no shipping the machine.

before going the diy route i posted my daw board. the opinion was just as divided there. but there were a few people in commercial facilities that were talking up business machines. but because i am a bit slow and curious i just had to build one myself. build and learn.

my apologies to the OP. not only is the guy the moderator (didn't notice that) but he's done the diy thing 5? times before. he's not at a crossroads of diy vs. pre-built. oops. i should have seen that.

This. Building a PC is no more difficult than tracking some vocals if you know what you are doing. If you dont, the simplest things seems bizzare and arcane.

i can't resist quoting professor frink. :D

"Well, it should be obvious to even the most dim-witted individual who holds an advanced degree in hyperbolic topology"

I would go with one of the established audio pc vendors instead of DELL.
www.studiocat.com or www.adkproaudio.com

When you start adding the better CPU, more RAM and more larger hard drives to a DELL purchase, the cost starts going up fast.

I have bought lots of DELL's. My next buy will most likely be a i7-950 or i7-2600 computer from studiocat. Their prices on full featured systems appears to be very good. There isn't much magic about the build of a DELL desktop/tower machine.

Yes, you can build your own. But as other people have already pointed out it can be a hassle besides being interesting.

As the PNY quadro FX 380 has a fan, would not he PNY Quadro NVS 295 PCIe be a better choice?

Also, a friend has the Gigabyte X58 motherboard and is experiencing shutdowns. He will eventually figure it out but has already changed memory, a drive and now the graphics card.

If you would go with a non-TI-firewire board, say an ASUS, what firewire card would you chose to go add to it? A suggestion of a European (French, German, Swiss) supplier would be helpful, if that is acceptable on this forum.

Would the ASUS P6X58D-E LGA or ASUS P6X58D Premium LGA 1366 be considered "as sturdy as they come", given their lowest "bad" ratings on newegg? Are newegg ratings indicative of anything at all (apart from the lack of skills of some builders...), are they a good sample of experience for evaluation?

cheers, - Buzzgrowl

i am looking to buy a new pc to accommodate my HD2 PCI (not PCIe) cards, the only shop (besides over seas options) i have is

http://www.msy.com.au/Parts/PARTS.pdf


what is the best possible computer i could get from those parts?

Thinking about this setup,would love to get some feedback, since i have put off this process many times due to the pita it can be:


I held out for a while, and wondered what you folks thought of this build :

Was thinking I would run Win XP like always...or should I upgrade it to Win 7?

Windows 7 is about 10 times better then Windows XP.
Windows XP is to Windows 3.1 and Windows 7 is to a really good pizza. But still, the years of psychological abuse from dealing with Microsoft force me to me a Mac/Linux person.

Ok, my next question,since i may be able to get a x58 build like George posted.

Do you have to run win 64 bit, or can you use win 7 32? I ask because the options i see for the os all are 64 bit for the x58.