re new PC build

Ok, I realize that I am a Dumb-ass, so bearing that in mind, go easy on me!

I’m looking to build a new audio DAW.
I am bamboozled by all the different connotations and permutations.
So, I was wondering if someone could help me by posting the mobo, chipset and RAM that I would need AND that are compatible with each other.
I already have a 600w PSU and various hard drives.
I would like to run a 64bit OS, with 32 Gb of RAM.

Thanks… :confused:

I am no expert but I would say this much. Build for a 64 bit system not 32 bit. 32 bit is old hat for Cubase and has limits that you wont like. Get a decent motherboard from say Asus or Gigabyte. Use a core 17 processor the run great with Cubase, get the fastest you can afford. Then put as much RAM as you can in the system. Obviously a good soundcard/device

Tom’s hardware is another place to give you up to date tech info and they have a forum.

Zero zero has some good advice. A software engineer friend told me years ago to buy the best processor / mobo you can afford and start with that as a solid foundation. Following his advice 15 years now has given me about 3 major computer upgrades. Once the software is running great on any of those machines, it lasted for several years without incident.

Thanks guys, great advice.

:smiley:

Hi,

Well, if you want to utilise 32Gb of RAM, then you’ll have to have a 64bit OS, as 32bit Windows will not address anywhere near that amount, even if it is installed. The only downside to 64bit OS and 64bit Cubase is simply that some older VSTi’s will need a “bridge” to work - sometimes! Some 32bit VSTi’s seem to open up fine in 64bit Cubase, but some/most don’t.

I recently built a new DAW over the Christmas period and settled for an Asus P8Z77-V Pro motherboard. Others are available in the P8Z77 family, which have different PCIe card slot configuarations. Either an Intel i5-3570 or i7-3770 should be high on your shopping list with a few sticks of decent RAM. I used a liquid-cooling option for my CPU (Antec Kuhler 620) as a standard heatsink can hit the nearest RAM stick if you’re not careful. This is all mounted into an Antec 300 case with an OCZ Agility 3 SSD running everything at the moment!!
Superb performance…very pleased with it all to be honest.

Regards,

Neil.

Hi, Folks!

Been away from the forums for too long, having fun with WL7! :smiley:

Good advice here on buying the biggest, badest, CPU and RAM you can afford for a good MOBO! Also, make sure you’ve got a PSU that’s rated at least 25% higher than the total power consumption you plan to load it up with (HDU’s, MOBO, Video Card, etc.). Just add up each items wattage requirement, and then get a PSU that’ll handle it all plus some reserve to sustain things through power burps, glitches, brown-outs, etc. A good UPS is a wise addition also. I’m partial to APCC’s units; and you can select a UPS that’ll either provide enough power for an orderly shutdown with 15-20 minutes, or keep everything running for a several hours before the batteries give up!

My rather ancient ASUS PC-DL with dual 3.0GHz Xeons and the MOBO’s max 4GB of RAM has held up admirably since I “brewed” it in the early 2,000’s!!! :astonished:

However, alas, it’s very much beginning to show it’s age as a 32 bit machine running XP Pro. So, I too am shopping for a new workhorse that will do not only audio, but can handle High Definition video editing also, as I’ve recently been engaged to not only audio record live classical music concerts, but now video them as well! And I suppose while I’m at it I should look into Windows 8, although I’ll likely default it to the Win7 mode, as I still have a fully functional 25-inch CRT monitor and not a “touch screen”! [And sadly, see a lot of these old, likely functional warriors at the town trash station for recycling!] Although, I might be tempted to a couple of widescreens, as they make my “day job” much more productive, and maybe throw in an SSD for boot and applications.

I’d like to get to Blu-Ray disc mastering; got a Pioneer burner for the desktop, but haven’t integrated things to get there until I upgrade.

So, anyone got any suggestions for both audio and video PC’s and video editing S/W? :bulb: :question: :question: :exclamation:

Thanks for any insights you folks can provide!

A CRT monitor is not HD. In fact, it’s a long way off being so, so you’ll some monitors that support 1080p and its resolution. Most graphics cards now Will do this. My GT630 works well.

My setup works very well! :smiley:

Check my sig for the details!

Al

Again, thanks for all the advice guys!
Have decided on my components. :smiley:
I’ll post them here when I get a chance.

Ok, this is what I went for;

ASUS P8Z68-V LX, LGA 1155, Intel (ASUSINTELBUN12) Motherboard
Intel Core i7 3770K 4-core Ivy Bridge LGA1155 CPU+GPU
Corsair FORCE Series 3 240GB SATA 3 6Gb/s Internal SSD
CORSAIR VENGEANCE 32GB DDR3 1866MHz
800w Quiet PSU

:smiley:

Mind if I ask what you paid for that?

I would go with the 3770 processor and not the 3770K, as it has more features on called Embedded options. Plus, it’s cheaper too!! There again, the K version has a marginally higher clock-speed at 3.5GHz.
Z77 is the latest chipset. Z68 is quite old now.

Neil.

and i would say the opposite… buy the K the K will over clock to 4.5GHz the 3770 will NOT