Old 11-18-2013, 06:03 PM   #1
BobReg
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Default Help select new computer

I need a new computer that I can use for Reaper audio work and also for Blender 3D graphics work.
I also love PC gaming.
I am disabled and so I have to shop by phone and computer only.
My instrument is guitar.

I'll have one last shot at this, so I have to get all I can for as little as possible and hope it outlasts me.

So I came to ask you guys because I can't think of a more qualified group of people to make recommendations about where to go and what to get. I might be able to spend as much as 2200 but if I can do better than that, it will go to speakers and a new audio interface. My current interface is a Tascam US-200... no speakers.

Please, if you have any suggestions I would love hear from you.
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Old 11-18-2013, 08:33 PM   #2
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how disabled are you? I ask because IMO the 'only' way to go is to order the parts and do the build yourself...

Way more bang for the buck that way...

it could be worked out around your 2200 budget
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Old 11-18-2013, 09:53 PM   #3
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What Hopi said - otherwise you'll have to buy from a company that let's you spec it yourself to get the best for your money,as you're unlikely to get an off the shelf pc that suits.
Your Reaper demands don't seem that high - so basically you're speccing it on Blender.

The best CPU in your price range is probably the hex core i7 3930k or 4930k - followed by the new quad core i7 4770k.
I'd personally go for one of the hex cores - but they do use more power if that's a consideration.
They're also more expensive than the quad core 4770k,so you might want to factor that in,as the 4770k is pretty decent and the lower cost would leave you more cash for graphics cards.
I think I remember Hopi saying he built a hex core recently,so if you decide on that CPU he might advise on the rest of the components.
Add in at least 16GB or 32GB RAM.


The main problem will be choosing the graphics card(s) - afaik Nvidia.
You'll have to check this out carefully,as the best graphics card (maybe dual cards) for Blender's Cycles rendering engine aren't necessarily the more expensive - complicated by the fact that they probably aren't the best choice for gaming!
Your best bet is a few days trawling through the various Blender forums - or better still post a few questions there based on what your budget for graphics cards is after totting up the bill for the rest of your build.

Tell them your graphics card budget - and remember to say you do gaming too.
Good luck!

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Old 11-19-2013, 01:34 AM   #4
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I actually built three similar systems

mine is the hex core 3930K and the other two use the quad cores cuz they wanted to save a few bucks... and, they don't use those pc's for audio and the other things I do...

Me? well I definitely would go for the same cpu again and not the lesser one.

now just for kicks... I did a price compare, or as close as I could on one of those quad core systems with similar specs on a dell system...

If I recall accurately, the dell came in at well over 5 grand and I did the build for about what your budget is... but no pro sudio card on that budget...

I did the asus sabertooth mobos for all three... killer mobo IMHO
I try to build for myself, a pc that will allow for growth into the future, even if I don't have the budget for everything right now.
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Old 11-19-2013, 05:28 PM   #5
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Thanks so much guys.
I have good upper-body mobility and can lean on a friend if it gets too difficult, so piecing the system sounds like a very good idea. I need Nvidia due to some issues with Blender. I'd also like to go for more cores (no threading), as much ram as possible, quiet, cool, digital start-up drive, lots of USB options, watts and whatever...

Where do I go and what works well together?
Is there possibly a video guide that will help me assemble and find the tools I need?

I don't even know where to look ... I go to Amazon often, can I find what I need there?
Thank you.

UPDATE:
Am I biting off more than I can chew here? I'm getting nervous at putting it together myself.

Last edited by BobReg; 11-19-2013 at 05:36 PM.
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Old 11-21-2013, 03:05 PM   #6
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Where is the best place to shop for a computer if you don't want to piece it all together?
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Old 11-21-2013, 03:11 PM   #7
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I'd recommend newegg.com !
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Old 11-21-2013, 04:18 PM   #8
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Surely there are US equivalents of scan.uk?
They're a pc parts retailer who also build computers- I spose the idea being that they already buy in bulk,so they can build that bit cheaper?

They had some kind of deal with ADK (the US audio pc builder) which I'm not sure still exists.

They're also savvy to the need of DAW and video editing customers.
In fact,the parts listed in the configurator linked to below can be swapped out by phoning them.

They basically take up to £150 on top of the parts price,but you get it built and a 3 year warranty.
They advise on compatibility of parts,over clock it for free if you want,and obviously test it before sending it out.

Even with UK prices you can go easy on the RAM(get 16GB) and on the SSDs for now,and still come in at around $2300 for a hex core 4930k system (that's before UK VAT tax).

*I was saying in my previous post about the graphics card/s being tricky.
I notice on the configurator below that they have recently added a refusal to supply DAWs with nvidia cards because of drivers problems!?


Anyway,surely there are similar companies in the US that will build a pc to your spec relatively cheaply?
Below is the configurator for hex core DAWs

http://3xs.scan.co.uk/ConfigureSystem.asp?SystemID=1218
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Old 11-21-2013, 04:20 PM   #9
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I built my last daw with parts from Newegg. They generally have low prices, though you can find some components cheaper if you shop around.

However, on my recent quest for a replacement daw, I compared the prices of components that I would put together with the price of this one: http://www.studiocat.com/open_cart/i...&product_id=50

I can't buy the components for much less than the fully assembled and tested daw. I'll be ordering one before the year is out.

If you completely discount the value of your time, then building your own is probably cheaper, but otherwise I'm not so sure. Especially if you have to do any troubleshooting. Just a thought.

PS: If Jim Roseberry is reading this, I hope he doesn't raise his prices!
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Old 11-22-2013, 08:12 AM   #10
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The more I look at this stuff the more confused I get.
I do like both links you guys sent. I guess I should stay local and focus on US dealers. I tried a few customize sites like Gateway and Dell but when I'm done it's over budget and I really don't know if my choices are all that robust. I'm going to try and post a snapshot of some of these custom rigs.
I have some time at least.
Thanks again.
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Old 11-22-2013, 09:07 AM   #11
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Bob,

Check out these custom PCs...

Purrrfect Audio.

If you don't want to build it yourself... this is probably the next best thing.


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Old 11-22-2013, 05:54 PM   #12
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I went to studiocat.com but the interface didn't seem to be working. I did see what looked to be good stuff and fair pricing but I'm just not sure it had everything I needed.


two other efforts:

---- Hp.com
HP ENVY 700-210x - $2,152.00
• Windows 8.1 64
• 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-4770 processor quad-core [3.4GHz, 8MB Shared Cache]
• 2 GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 645 [DVI, DP, HDMI, DVI to VGA dongle; DX11]
• 16 GB DDR3-1600MHz [2 DIMMs]
• HP W2371d 23-inch LED Backlit LCD Monitor
• 256 GB Solid state drive
• 2 TB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
• SuperMulti DVD Burner
• Blu-ray player & DVD player
• 15-in-1 Multi-slot Media Card Reader, 6 USB Ports (Front/Top), Audio [Front 4USB2.0, Top 2USB3.0]
• Integrated Sound, Envy Audio; Beats Audio
• HP wireless keyboard and wireless optical mouse
• Premium Wireless-N LAN card and Bluetooth(R )(2x2)
• 600W Power supply
• Roxio Secure Burn
Addons
• Microsoft Office 2013 Home & Student 32/64-bit

---- www.Newegg.com

ASUS G10AC-US009S $1,499.00
•Processor Intel Core i7 4770(3.40GHz) 64 bit Quad-Core Processor
•Memory 32GB DDR3 1600Mhz L3 Cache Per CPU 8MB
•Hard Drive 1TB HDD RPM 7200rpm
•Optical Drive 1 Blu-Ray Combo
•Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 3GD5
•Audio 8 Channel Audio SonicMaster
•Ethernet Gigabit Ethernet LAN Speed 10/100/1000Mbps
•WLAN 802.11AC Bluetooth
•Power Supply 500W
•Operating System Windows 8
•Front Panel Ports 2 x USB 3.0 2 x USB 2.0
•Card Reader 16-in-1 Card Reader
•Back Panel Ports Video Ports 1 VGA, 1 DVI, 1 HDMI, 1 Display port
•USB 2 x USB 2.0 4 x USB 3.0
•Mouse Type USB
•Keyboard USB
• Windows 8.1
Physical Spec Dimensions 8" x 18.3" x 21" Weight 31.7 lbs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883220432

----
Anything here look good to you guys??
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Old 11-22-2013, 08:01 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BobReg View Post
I went to studiocat.com but the interface didn't seem to be working. I did see what looked to be good stuff and fair pricing but I'm just not sure it had everything I needed.


two other efforts:

---- Hp.com
HP ENVY 700-210x - $2,152.00
• Windows 8.1 64
• 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-4770 processor quad-core [3.4GHz, 8MB Shared Cache]
• 2 GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 645 [DVI, DP, HDMI, DVI to VGA dongle; DX11]
• 16 GB DDR3-1600MHz [2 DIMMs]
• HP W2371d 23-inch LED Backlit LCD Monitor
• 256 GB Solid state drive
• 2 TB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
• SuperMulti DVD Burner
• Blu-ray player & DVD player
• 15-in-1 Multi-slot Media Card Reader, 6 USB Ports (Front/Top), Audio [Front 4USB2.0, Top 2USB3.0]
• Integrated Sound, Envy Audio; Beats Audio
• HP wireless keyboard and wireless optical mouse
• Premium Wireless-N LAN card and Bluetooth(R )(2x2)
• 600W Power supply
• Roxio Secure Burn
Addons
• Microsoft Office 2013 Home & Student 32/64-bit

---- www.Newegg.com

ASUS G10AC-US009S $1,499.00
•Processor Intel Core i7 4770(3.40GHz) 64 bit Quad-Core Processor
•Memory 32GB DDR3 1600Mhz L3 Cache Per CPU 8MB
•Hard Drive 1TB HDD RPM 7200rpm
•Optical Drive 1 Blu-Ray Combo
•Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 3GD5
•Audio 8 Channel Audio SonicMaster
•Ethernet Gigabit Ethernet LAN Speed 10/100/1000Mbps
•WLAN 802.11AC Bluetooth
•Power Supply 500W
•Operating System Windows 8
•Front Panel Ports 2 x USB 3.0 2 x USB 2.0
•Card Reader 16-in-1 Card Reader
•Back Panel Ports Video Ports 1 VGA, 1 DVI, 1 HDMI, 1 Display port
•USB 2 x USB 2.0 4 x USB 3.0
•Mouse Type USB
•Keyboard USB
• Windows 8.1
Physical Spec Dimensions 8" x 18.3" x 21" Weight 31.7 lbs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883220432

----
Anything here look good to you guys??
The Asus looks pretty reasonable, but it still seems like you'd be better off with the studiocat, since you'll be confident that it will work as a DAW. What was it at studiocat that seemed to be missing? I suspect he would add it for you for a very fair price.
The HP seems very expensive to me, and it looks like it come with a lot of stuff you wouldn't need on a Daw, like MS office. Maybe you do need all that stuff, though. Only you can say, I guess.
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Old 11-22-2013, 08:08 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BobReg View Post
UPDATE:
Am I biting off more than I can chew here? I'm getting nervous at putting it together myself.
It's really easy; all the parts just fit, you don't have to solder or adjoin anything weird. As long as you take your time, read carefully and don't force anything you'll be fine.

Also +1 to Newegg, I've bought damn near every computer part I've owned for the last decade from them, they're fast, cheap and reliable. And the reviews on their site are an excellent source of 'on the ground' info (as long as you know how to filter a little bit).
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Old 11-23-2013, 02:17 PM   #15
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The HP will likely have the motherboard fail within two years (or have other components fail even sooner).

The Asus is a better deal (do you really need an SSD?) but will likely have a cheap Power Supply that you'll want to replace.

You could build your own comparable system for about $800-1000 depending on the deals you get, or changes you make to the parts.

I'll start this off by saying I work in a computer shop (I've mentioned this in almost every build thread I join here) and I understand budgeting very well, especially with a new system.

The important questions to ask are: Do I need this much power?

The i7 4770 is a great CPU, but do you need that kind of power? An i5 would be a bit cheaper, but also still give you considerable power to work with. Most standard users barely need the power an i3 has on tap, so I find it important to figure out what CPU you really need.

What are the most intensive things the computer will do? How much RAM will you realistically need? 16gb is the limit for Windows 7 Home Premium, and if that's all you think you will need, then you can budget the cheaper OS, and less RAM. You can use that savings towards an SSD, nicer case, blu ray drive, etc. It's up to you.

I suggest many people go towards mATX, most peripherals at this point are USB or FW, and that's plenty for you. There are still expansion slots if you need them, but less, and that's okay.

Also, do you need a GPU with as much power as the 760? For a DAW, the lower end cards are plenty good enough to work with. It'll do all the video playback and hardware rendering you'll need. If you're playing specific games that require more power, how much power do you need? Again, you can budget things around depending on your needs.

If you wanted, I could put together an "estimate" which would just translate into a build list, and you could decide whether you liked it or not...I'm quite good at tailoring things to high performance...

PC building is quite simple really...all the parts can only fit together one way properly, and as long as you're careful about it, you wont have a problem. But I have built probably close to two hundred computers in the past 4 years. I can remember 3 coming back with problems, but all were almost two years later, and two of those computers just had bad fans....
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Old 11-23-2013, 02:41 PM   #16
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From what you're saying I think the StudioCat computers make more sense than trying to put something together yourself. Off-the-shelf computers are perfectly capable as DAWs but a custom-built at that price is a better option.
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Old 11-23-2013, 03:38 PM   #17
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Quote:
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... The Asus is a better deal (do you really need an SSD?) but will likely have a cheap Power Supply that you'll want to replace. ....
What would you replace it with?
What else would you replace in the ASUS setup to make it better?

It's not that I need the SSD now but this is most likely my last shot at a good computer and I want to get some speed and horsepower just in case it's my last one. I do more graphic work than music (3D content for computer games). While I'm hoping to spend more time with music, for now I need a beefy Graphics card. I liked the looks of the ASUS G10AC-US009S and the price of $1,499.00 was less than I expected.
Do you think I could purchase and then upgrade this setup or should I just look elsewhere?
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Old 11-23-2013, 06:01 PM   #18
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Bob,

Don't be neglect to call Jim (forum member) at Purrfect Audio if you need something customized, Jim's a good guy and will do whatever he can to help you out.

Whatever you decide... enjoy your new computer!!


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Old 11-23-2013, 08:10 PM   #19
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What would you replace it with?
What else would you replace in the ASUS setup to make it better?

Do you think I could purchase and then upgrade this setup or should I just look elsewhere?
I would replace it with any 80+ Gold rated 380-450W PSU. Antec EarthWatts, their 450W High Current Gamer is also good. Other brand names like Enermax, Corsair, SeaSonic, Silverstone or BeQuiet are very good units these days. The power supplies inside those pre-built machines are typically Bestec or off-brand Bestec units, which are some of the worst units you could have. Very high failure rate, couldn't tell you how many times I've replaced them. FSP Group is generally very good, but I've had a couple fail on me for no good reason, so I'm wary about them. I stick to Antec, Corsair or Enermax for the most part in my own builds.

The Asus would likely be more "upgrade-able" than the HP. HP mods the hell out of their motherboards and whitelists a lot of hardware. Sometimes even replacement wifi cards don't work. The Asus leaves you with a good starting point. You could purchase an SSD and a blu ray drive and swap them into the machine (turning the existing 1tb drive into a data only drive) for still several hundred less than the HP is. It comes with more than enough RAM, which should last you a long time. The GPU would be able to be upgraded in the future if needed.

If you bought the Asus, you should get a reputable power supply to put in right away. While you're at it, the SSD and Blu Ray drive would be nice to add. All the fun of adding components without the trouble of doing a full build in my opinion. All in, after those parts, you'd be looking at close to $1800, give or take for everything.

Once you get into doing a lot of Audio work, then you'll want to look at upgrading the cooling to keep the noise down, as well as a good set of speakers. I wouldn't worry too much about upgrading the interface unless you don't like the sound out of it or the drivers are really bad. A good set of speakers could be close to $200, depending on what you want. I would stay away from M-Audio speakers, no offense to them, but they aren't really worth the trouble. Even if you did everything all at once, you're under $2000 depending on how you swing it. Not a bad deal to get you started.
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Old 11-24-2013, 05:31 AM   #20
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Configuring a Pro Stidio DAW from Studiocat.com with the same equipment as what JgrabowMST describes is currently $1,789, fully assembled. I know I probably sound like a sales rep for them, and maybe I'm just trying to justify my own upcoming purchase, but it seems to me that the wise thing to do is to either build from the ground up (and save about $200, afict) or just buy from Sudiocat and be done with it.
I promise not to mention them again in this thread, though.
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Old 11-24-2013, 09:37 AM   #21
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I'm looking at StudioCat right now, and while their machines are probably really good, the website and also the options list leaves me with some questions, admittedly, some important ones, especially for a DAW build. Now, I'm sure that this reasoning is to prevent a potential buyer from being overwhelmed, which is 100% understandable, and something I have to keep in mind as well.

Their prices are pretty good, but I don't really know what components are going in. Brands are a big deal to customers looking to know what they're getting. My questions are specifically, what brands are going into this computer? I'm not particularly brand loyal about most things, but when I'm doing a build, there are brands I will not use. One specific thing I'm seeing is the TI chipset listing, which in all honesty, for audio work, there isn't really two options. There's Texas Instruments, and a specific set of TI chips that work very well with everything. Having two options there leaves me wondering what kind of CPU coolers they use, how cleanly wired the machines are internally, what brand RAM, what timing is the RAM...obviously these are not questions the average studio monkey is going to ask, but for a dedicated machine, these things have to work out. I don't see any part of the webpage that details some of the parts they use, of if the company has a partnership with any brands for quality parts. If they, for example, had a partnership with Antec for a lot of components, I'd want to know because that indicate that they're using high quality components and they're backed by the company providing them.

Now, I'm not trying to say I would rather go to a store than get a really good custom build, but I know the quality to expect from Asus. The case will be cheap, but the other components (PSU aside) will be rock solid. Upgrading to an SSD is as easy as plugging it in and running bundled imaging software (my Intel SSD had acronis software bundled, and took 8 minutes to clone over). Once your SSD is up and running, you just do a format on the 1TB and you're done (have a backup, always have a backup).

I don't want to give a bad rap for StudioCat, but their configurations leave me with important questions, especially for such an investment. Granted, to get a similar configuration to my desktop from any company would be a tough sell for anyone. I had a client choose to go with a Boxx Tech machine rather than a custom build (which honestly would have cost the same and been a lot faster) but you know, to each his own. He didn't like my choice of graphics card, but didn't want to pay for anything higher end, meanwhile the machine he bought is only newer than his old HP Z800, not faster at all. People are funny.

Again, I don't want anyone to take my word as gold standard, I just want to make sure you have all the info in order to make the right choice for you.
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Old 11-24-2013, 11:39 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JGrabowMST View Post
I'm looking at StudioCat right now, and while their machines are probably really good, the website and also the options list leaves me with some questions, admittedly, some important ones, especially for a DAW build. Now, I'm sure that this reasoning is to prevent a potential buyer from being overwhelmed, which is 100% understandable, and something I have to keep in mind as well.

.
I agree with that. The other possible reason for not listing specific components might be the risk of losing sales to people who would purchase identical components and build it themselves. IF that is even true, I can completely understand the reason.

You mentioned earlier in the thread that you would be willing to list specific components for the op if they chose to DIY. I'd welcome that advice as well. I built my current daw, and it has served me flawlessly for 5 years. My main reason for leaning toward a pre built system now is the time that it takes to research and build for myself. Frankly, I'd need to save at least $300 to sway my opinion, while not settling for low quality components. Although the specific parts in a Studiocat PC are not known, the Internet (and this very forum) abounds with glowing reviews of their daws, so I'm assuming the parts are from reputable manufacturers.. Fwiw, I'm leaning toward the stock Pro Studio daw, with no FW and no ssd.
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Old 11-24-2013, 12:47 PM   #23
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Bob,

I have one more thing to say about Studio Cat and then I'll go away.

If you want to know what parts are used in the computers, call Jim and ask him. He used to list parts, but people were copying the systems... go figure.

Sorry, one more thing: 2 year warranty!

If you don't want to build it yourself, I would go with Studio Cat.

Good luck.


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Old 11-24-2013, 02:16 PM   #24
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JGrabowMST voiced some of my appreciation and concern for the StudioCat option. I'm tempted but so much is left unanswered for me. I don't have a lot of productive time left and I really want to get a computer that will serve MANY purposes... I have to use it for everything.
Eventually I will work mostly in Reaper but for now I spend more time creating graphic content (3D modeling, rigging, UV wrapping, rendering, detail maps etc.) and so I need a Robust, Cuda ready video card. I was hoping to get Nvidia in the 700 series (GeForce GTX 780 Ti , 780, 770) but I would consider 600... The problem is, I don't know if they're too noisy or just incompatible with a DAW. I'm just hoping I can get the DAW,the 3D graphics workshop, the gaming and the family album ALL on just one machine. :-O

I was encouraged by JGrabowMST and ngarjuna, but I still feel frightened by the idea of putting it all together myself and then loading all the software and... what if I miss something or worse yet, miss-match something?? In essence, I'm afraid to go StudioCat for many of the same reasons I'm afraid to go DIY. And... You guys know better than I do all the reasons for not going for an off-the-shelf computer deal.

So ... $&%(# ???
... I'm thinking why didn't one of my daughters marry a computer savvy fella! If there's an off-the-shelf unit to fit my needs, it might just be worth it to spend more for my last computer. I'll try to contact Jim but I wish JGrabowMST was my neighbor. :-) Thank you so much for the help.
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Old 11-24-2013, 03:43 PM   #25
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I will post a spec list tonight. Im out for the rest of the evening with the lady, but I will get one (or more) tonight for you guys to take a look at. I'll do one higher end build, and one more lower end build thats more affordable, but still plenty powerful.

Im still your neighbor, just a few states to the north. I almost went to full sail in orlando, but my parents didnt like that idea, so Im a television/digital media major at Montclair State University. I get many questions from the other studenta about what to get, mainly because I work in computers, but I have boatloads of experience in studio and live work, much more so than most 22 year olds.

Ill have those lists posted in a few hours.
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Old 11-24-2013, 09:33 PM   #26
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Okay, so I can't host anything at the moment, however if you want to send me a PM with an email, I will send you a PDF copy of the three potential builds I wrote up.

Some rough details:

Intel i7 4770
16gb RAM
GTX650Ti 1GB
500GB
1TB

or

Intel Xeon 1230v3
16GB RAM
GTX650Ti 1GB
500GB
1TB

or

Intel Xeon 2620v2
16gb RAM
GTX770
120GB SSD
1TB

I did not include an OS. This is on purpose because some people still want Win 7, others are fine with going to Windows 8. Prices are volatile right now with black friday sales are affecting prices. The prices on the bottom of my spec sheets will fluctuate a lot. In two weeks, the prices could be completely different.

Also, considering you have a USB interface, there's no Firewire card in the mix. It's taken me a long time, but I have a very solid list of some motherboards and their chipsets, along with whether or not they play nicely with certain interfaces. It's not something I share with anyone. It's my "industry secret."
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Old 11-25-2013, 03:42 PM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JGrabowMST View Post
... I did not include an OS. This is on purpose because some people still want Win 7, others are fine with going to Windows 8. ..."
I don't have a problem with Windows 8 as long as I don't have to use the finger screen interface. Expandability is going to be important so I want to have the options available in slots or whatever. I have a USB audio interface now but that could change. Don't know much about Firewire or it's longevity. I love the SSD concept but wonder about the noise factor and prevention methods. I'm getting excited now! I'm going to look up all these suggested parts ...
Oh, and I guess I'll pm you as well. Thanks.
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Old 11-25-2013, 06:15 PM   #28
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re noise, SSD is quieter mechanically (silent!) and creates less heat leading to quieter fan noise as well
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Old 11-25-2013, 07:57 PM   #29
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Yes, less noise and less heat. Additionally, it reduces power consumption.

On the flip side, the lifespan is somewhat unknown. Yes, the drives are rated for a certain amount of read/write cycles, however, SSDs have only just become the standard in consumer PCs. It will be another few months before the true results come in, because I see far too many users fill their primary drives up to capacity. This is something that proves fatal to a SSD.

Having an SSD is a tradeoff. Incredible performance, but it requires a lot of general maintenance. No defrags, turn off indexing, make sure TRIM is in use if the drive supports it, etc etc. Have a backup drive, and do a full system image on a regular basis (every other week is often enough).

I have an estimate for roughly $1620 using the Xeon 1230v3, 32gb of RAM, and a 120gb SSD with a 1TB drive for samples. Obviously, there are more parts than that in the build list, but since I can't attach files to posts, anyone who would like to see it can just shoot me a PM with an email address to send it to.
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