DIY PC DAW Build - newbie!

[thunderbroom]

I'm hoping this is the right forum, as there was nothing in the 'Computer World' forum that seemed helpful. Let me explain what I'm after, and perhaps one or more of you kind souls out there will take some pity on me and offer some direction.

After years of faithful service, I need to say goodbye to my old PowerMac G5. As the last of the ppc Macs I owned, I need to upgrade to PT9 and, therefore, we must part ways. Due to cost, I started researching moving to PC. However, I know nothing about building a pc in recent memory (the last one I built was an old 486 back in '97, so needless to say, I'm behind...)

I have a couple of friends willing to assist me (they are uber gaming geeks with extensive PC building knowhow). However, I need to offer them some guidance in terms of what to purchase, and things to avoid/specifically look for. Here's where you all come in - what should I look for? What should I avoid? Etc.

Here is my current setup for my home project studio:
PowerMac G5 dual 2.0ghz; 4gb Crucial RAM; external Buffalo 500gb firewire drive (session files); digi 002 control surface (HATE IT); Summit Audio 2BA-221 mic pre; M-Audio USB Radium 49 controller; PT 7.62; Toontrack EZDrummer (various kit extension kits); M-Audio Key-Rig.

So...is it possible to build something sub $1k OR something I can eventually add onto or upgrade later? I know this is a real "newbie" question; PCs and building are just not my area of expertise, and there is no one locally (DC area) I know to ask for some advice. In advance, I thank you all for both reading my long-winded post, AND for any ideas/advice/direction you can offer!

[fedexnman]

get a pc magazine at the store , that has diy self builds in it, seriously !!!!! google quiet pc or silent pc review , for ideas for your case and fans , as well . if your using firewire get a gigabyte motherboard , that has firewire . or get a pci card with the t.i. (texas instrument) chipsets for firewire .. get the oem version of windows7 for $99 -$110 go ahead and get the 64bit one.. newegg.com will be your friend and so will that pc mag with the diy -builds. also let your gamer friends help you build it too. its also alot easier than you think and also fun to do.

[fedexnman]

you could also go to a local pc shop too . they could build you something with 3 hard drives and also install your windows and install pt9 and plug-ins for for you too, bring that pc building magazine with you too. tell them of your budget . do your homework and price out those parts .

[Snarl 12/8]

That's good advice, I think.

I think gaming pc builders might be a good fit for your requirements, EXCEPT, you need hardly any video card at all, which will be a big savings. And you need as few bottlenecks as possible between audio input and saved to hard drive (and vice versa). But I'd think some game geeks would be pretty able to do this right. You need a gaming PC where audio, data storage (huge files) and plugins are the game, sorta.

Maybe you could get their parts list recommendation and slap it up here for folks to look at.

Oh, and the "silent pc" angle is critical. Unless you've got a handy pass-through the wall from the next room or something. That can add to cost, quiet power supply, quiet cpu cooler, quiet hard drives, etc., etc. They cost more than their noisy brethren. From my experience, they tend to be better quality too, so it can be worth it besides the noise angle.

I'm tired and rambling. Sorry.

[kslight]

Tomshardware.com has builds every month at 3 different price points. Choose which one is appropriate, modify to needs.

Don't forget about software costs in your build.

[thunderbroom]

get a pc magazine at the store , that has diy self builds in it, seriously !!!!! google quiet pc or silent pc review , for ideas for your case and fans , as well . if your using firewire get a gigabyte motherboard , that has firewire . or get a pci card with the t.i. (texas instrument) chipsets for firewire .. get the oem version of windows7 for $99 -$110 go ahead and get the 64bit one.. newegg.com will be your friend and so will that pc mag with the diy -builds. also let your gamer friends help you build it too. its also alot easier than you think and also fun to do.

You've given me some homework - I'm a teacher by trade, so that's a good thing! After looking through the main TI site, and through some discussions on GearSlutz, my head is spinning. You're right in that there's a lot more I need to know. I also have found that every few months, technology can change 180 degrees.

From what I've seen so far, the 2 chip sets people seem most interested in are one by Asus (either a P67 or H67 - not sure of the difference) and a similar one by Gigabyte. My understanding is that as long as the processor and motherboard speak clearly to one another, I should be OK. You're right about 64 bit; as my new laptop is 64, I would like for my new recording PC to be on the same platform. I'm sure I'll post again, but thank you for all this time and insight!

Sincerely,

Howard

[thunderbroom]

That's good advice, I think.

I think gaming pc builders might be a good fit for your requirements, EXCEPT, you need hardly any video card at all, which will be a big savings. And you need as few bottlenecks as possible between audio input and saved to hard drive (and vice versa). But I'd think some game geeks would be pretty able to do this right. You need a gaming PC where audio, data storage (huge files) and plugins are the game, sorta.

Maybe you could get their parts list recommendation and slap it up here for folks to look at.

Oh, and the "silent pc" angle is critical. Unless you've got a handy pass-through the wall from the next room or something. That can add to cost, quiet power supply, quiet cpu cooler, quiet hard drives, etc., etc. They cost more than their noisy brethren. From my experience, they tend to be better quality too, so it can be worth it besides the noise angle.

I'm tired and rambling. Sorry.

I appreciate the ramble! I've started researching some interesting gaming PC sites - you're right; they seem to have the right mindset in terms of making sure the system is powerful enough to have everything on at once, which would be more than sufficient for someone like me in a small project studio, running only a few audio tracks at a time. And you're also right about the video/graphics cards. You start using more basic items, the cost drops significantly.

The only thing I don't know is which of the gaming PC builders is reputable; you think CNET or consumer reports would have some info on that? Knowing nothing about gaming (I last played games in the 80s in arcades - relic!) I'm just not sure who to "trust" as a consumer.

Thanks loads for your feedback. I will definitely post some specs later today to see what you all think.

Regards,

Howard

[thunderbroom]

Tomshardware.com has builds every month at 3 different price points. Choose which one is appropriate, modify to needs.

Don't forget about software costs in your build.

I think I saw that site come up on one of the searches I did, along with something called 'MySuperPC' where the guys prices out items, and builds/adds to his current system.

Since I'll be upgrading from PT7.4 to PT9, you're right, I do have to add that cost, along with an OS (Windows 7 64 bit). Thanks for your direction.

-Howard

[thunderbroom]

I've been looking at 'barebones' kits as they seem to offer the bast components for the least amount of money, understanding that you will need to add a few items to make the system workable for 'you'. That said, here's one that looked pretty good, based on my research, from Tiger Direct. I apologize that the text below probably contains more info than anyone needs, but I'd rather offer too much than too little:

Specifications


ASUS P8H67-M LE B3 Intel H67 Motherboard
Processor Socket: Intel
Processor Interface: LGA1155
Form Factor: Micro ATX

Processors Supported: 2nd generation Intel? Core? i3
2nd generation Intel? Core? i5
2nd generation Intel? Core? i7

Additional Technologies: ASUS Crash Free BIOS3
ASUS MyLogo 2
ASUS Q-Fan 2
GPU Boost
Mem OK!
Anti-Surge

Northbridge: Intel? H67 Express

Memory Supported: non-ECC
Unbuffered
DDR3 1333MHz
DDR3 1066MHz

Maximum Memory Supported: 16GB (2 x 8GB DIMMs) 64-bit OS

Number of Slots: 2

Max. Memory Supported Per Slot: 8GB

Channels: 8 Channels

Audio Chipset: Realtek ALC887

LAN Type: 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit

USB Ports (Total): 14

USB 3.0 Ports: 2

USB Rear Panel Ports: 6

USB Onboard Headers: 4 - (expandable to 8 USB ports)

LAN Ports: 1

Audio Out Jacks: 1

Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s Headers: 4

Serial ATA 6.0Gb/s Headers: 2

ATX Power Connectors: 1 24-Pin Connector

VGA Ports: 1

DVI Ports: 1

HDMI Ports: 1

PCI Slots: 2

PCI Express X4 Slots: 1

PCI Express X16 Slots: 1

Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz Quad-Core Unlocked CPU
Manufacturer: Intel

CPU Type: Desktop

Processor Interface: LGA1155

Processor Class: Core i5-2500K

Processor Speed: 3.30GHz

Cores: Quad

L3 Cache: 6MB

Fan: Included

Wattage: 95W

Additional Technologies: Intel? Speedstep? Technology
Intel? Clear Video Technology
Intel? Quick Sync Video
Intel? Turbo Boost Technology 2.0

Unlocked Multiplier: Yes

Instruction Set: SSE4.1
SSE4.2

Integrated Graphics Core: Yes

Graphics Core Speed: 850-1100 MHz

Integrated Memory Controller: Yes

Corsair Vengeance 4GB DDR3 Desktop Memory Module
Memory Category: Desktop

Memory Speed: PC3-12800

Memory Speed MHz: 1600MHz

Memory Modules: 1

Memory Socket: DIMM

Memory CAS Latency: 9-9-9-24

Seagate 1TB SATA 3G Barracuda? Green Hard Drive
Drive Type: Internal
Capacity: 1TB
Interface: SATA 3.0Gb/s
Interface Type: SATA
Spindle Speed (RPM): 5900
Buffer Memory: 32MB

Samsung SH-222AB/BEBE Internal DVD Writer OEM
HD DVD Read Speed: 3X
DVD+R Write Speed: 22x

Interface Type: SATA

Thermaltake V3 Black Edition Mid Tower Case
120mm Fan Ports: 4
120mm Fans Included: 1
Form Factor: ATX Mid-Tower
Compatible Motherboards: ATX
Micro ATX

Power Supply: Not Included

External 5.25" Drive Bays: 4

External 3.5" Drive Bays: 1

Internal 3.5" Drive Bays: 4

Expansion Slots: 7

Eagle ET-PSVT550E Voltas 550-Watt ATX 12V Power Su
Form Factor: ATX

Wattage: 550W

Fan: 120 mm

Input Voltage: 100 ~ 240 VAC
+3.3V: 26 A
+5V: 32 A
+12V 1: 14 A
+12V 2: 17 A
-12V: 1.5 A
+5VSB: 2.5 A

Motherboard Connector: 20+4 Pin

4-Pin P4: 1

6-Pin PCI-Express Connector: 1

4-Pin Floppy Connector: 1

4-Pin Peripheral Connector: 4

SATA Power Connector: 2

Galaxy GeForce 210 1GB DDR2 PCIe DVI, HDMI & VGA
GPU/VPU: NVIDIA GeForce 210

Memory Type: DDR2
Memory Interface: 64-bit
Video Memory: 1GB
Stream Processors: 16
Core Clock: 475 MHz
Memory Clock: 700 MHz
Shader Clock: 1400 MHz
Interface Type: PCI Express 2.0
Interface Speed: x16
Connector(s): DVI
HDMI
VGA
Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce
GPU Series: NVIDIA GeForce 200

Overclocked: No

APIs: DirectX 10.1
NVIDIA CUDA

1080p Support: Yes

Cooling Type: Fan

I'll post another later today. Thanks!

-Howard

[thunderbroom]

This one is from an online retailer called Magic MICRO:

CURRENT CONFIGURATION

AMD Phenom II X4 840 3.2GHz (Quad Core) 45nm, AM3 4MB Cache

ASUS M4A88TD-M /USB3,AMD 880G, Onboard video,HDMI, SATA3, USB3.0

4GB (2x2GB) PC10600 DDR3 1333 Dual Channel

256 Bit PCI-E 3D Graphics (up to 256 mb shared onboard-only if listed with board)

500.0GB Western Digital 7200RPM SATA3 6GB/s 16m cache

Hard Drive Cooling Fan Aluminum Internal

500.0GB Western Digital 7200RPM SATA3 6GB/s 16m cache

Hard Drive Cooling Fan Aluminum Internal

LG 22x DVD Recorder Dual Layer +R/RW -R/RW

PARTS : Media Card Readers
NONE SELECTED - I will need one of these for transferring beat files to my sampler.

Realtek HD digital audio (onboard)

Ethernet network adapter (onboard)
PARTS : Controller Cards

Cooler Master Elite 310 black, Side Window, front USB

Logisys 480W ATX Power Supply

SOFTWARE : Operating Systems
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit DVD

I'll have one more, then I give up for the day (and don't want to overstay my welcome on this forum!

[thunderbroom]

This from RadioactivePC (primarily a gaming PC builder):

Customizations:
Chassis: 1372 - Logisys Black Mid Tower Case w/ Front USB, MIC & Headphone

Fans: 1042 - 3 - Silent Running Chassis Fans
Power: 1493 - Logisys 480 Watt

Motherboard: 1603 - Gigabyte GA-H67A-UD3H ? P67 Chipset (HDMI & DVI) Crossfire, 1GB LAN, USB 3.0, iEEE, SATA 3

Processor: 1590 - Intel i5 Sandy Bridge Quad Core 2400 3.1GHz 6MB L3 Cache

CPU Cooler: 1620 - Cooler Master Hyper 101 80mm CPU Cooler (Air)
Video Card: 1031 - On-Board Video Memory (Shared) Only if Motherboard States HDMI, DVI or VGA

Memory: 1034 - 4GB - 2 x 2GB PC3 10600 DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel

Hard Drive: 1127 - 320GB Sata II 7,200 RPM 8MB Cache

Hard Drive: 1128 - 500GB Sata II 7,200 RPM 16MB Cache

Optical: 1178 - 22X DVD?R DVD Burner with LightScribe (Black)

Sound: 1187 - Intergrated On-Board Audio

Network: 1038 - Integrated 10/100/1000 Local Area Network Ethernet Connection

OK. Whew! I'm done. Let me know what you think about any/all of these. I'll provide more info if you all need anything. Thanks again!

-Howard

[kslight]

I would avoid any motherboard with integrated video, you want a dedicated graphics board (otherwise its handled by your processor).


I would also avoid cheaping out on hard drives, motherboard, memory, and the power supply. Having oddball cheap no names of any of these is a recipe for weird system issues in my experience.

[thunderbroom]

I would avoid any motherboard with integrated video, you want a dedicated graphics board (otherwise its handled by your processor).


I would also avoid cheaping out on hard drives, motherboard, memory, and the power supply. Having oddball cheap no names of any of these is a recipe for weird system issues in my experience.

Thanks! I would never have known that about the graphics board. I'll definitely have to rethink some of these initial test "builds".

-Howard

[thunderbroom]

I'm like a moth to a flame with these sample builds; this one from CyberPower (linked through from Tom's Hardware):

Case: Thermaltake V3 Black Mid-Tower Case [-13]
Internal USB Extension Module: NZXT Internal USB 6-PORT Expansion Module [+19]

Extra Case Fan Upgrade: Default case fans
Noise Reduction Technology: Sound Absorbing Foam on Side, Top And Bottom panels [+29]

CPU: Intel? Core? i5-2400 3.10 GHz 6M Intel Smart Cache LGA1155 [+74]

Cooling Fan: Intel LGA1156 Certified CPU Fan & Heatsink [-20]

Motherboard: Asus P8H67-M LE Intel H67 Chipset DDR3 mATX Mainboard w/ UEFI, Onboard Video, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB3.0, 2x SATA-III RAID, 1 Gen2 PCIe, 1 PCIe X4, & 2 PCI [B3 Stepping]

Memory: 4GB (2GBx2) DDR3/1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 5450 512MB DDR2 16X PCIe Video Card [+35] (Major Brand Powered by ATI)

Multiple Video Card Settings: Non-SLI/Non-CrossFireX Mode Supports Multiple Monitors

Power Supply Upgrade: 500 Watts - Standard Case Power Supply [+22]

Hard Drive: 500GB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (500GB x 2 (500 GB Capacity) Raid 1 High Performance with Data Security [+45])
Freebies: None

Optical Drive: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive

Sound: Creative Labs SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio 24-BIT PCI Sound Card [+48]

Network: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network

USB Port: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports

Operating System: * Microsoft? Windows 7 Home Premium [+104] (64-bit Edition)

Service: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Rush Service: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS

Ok. I'm out. And I mean it this time!

-Howard

[kslight]

Also to note, most motherboards do not have onboard 1394 ports aka FireWire, so if that is important to your sound card you will need to buy either a card with FireWire ports or a motherboard that has it. Many FireWire chipsets on PCs are also not Avid certified, so it's best to check their site about general compatibilities before electing to make a purchase.

RAID is not something I would recommend for audio or home use, at least not as configured "for performance.". But it would be wise to get at least a pair of good drives, one for applications and Windows, one for audio. And of course backup. Best drives for the money are the Western Digital Black series.


I prefer to buy from Newegg, which Tomshardware often makes links to on their builds.