I'm thinking on buying a new computer... any ideas?
- Thread starter bbundy96
- Start date
ola
Newbie
Asus CUSL2-C
Any AGP graphics card. Don't get a PCI graphics card.
PIII 800 (or so) MHz
Heaps of RAM, the brand stuff
1 20 (or so) GB HDD for OS and apps. Can be 5400rpm
1 huge HDD for audio data. Must be 7200rpm
19" monitor. Don't be too cheap here. The brand ones like Nokia, Dell, Samsung are better than the really cheap ones.
Full tower with 300W PSU
Cordless keyboard and mouse (because it's cool)
Floppy, fans, CD and CD-RW of your own choice.
Never mind SCSI
That should do the trick
/Ola
Any AGP graphics card. Don't get a PCI graphics card.
PIII 800 (or so) MHz
Heaps of RAM, the brand stuff
1 20 (or so) GB HDD for OS and apps. Can be 5400rpm
1 huge HDD for audio data. Must be 7200rpm
19" monitor. Don't be too cheap here. The brand ones like Nokia, Dell, Samsung are better than the really cheap ones.
Full tower with 300W PSU
Cordless keyboard and mouse (because it's cool)
Floppy, fans, CD and CD-RW of your own choice.
Never mind SCSI
That should do the trick
/Ola
ola
Newbie
While the Dell off-the-shelf computers are good, I would opt for getting exactly the parts you want and build it yourself.
PIII don't come in 1.5GHz models. P4 are still expensive and untested, as are p4 motherboards. You don't need that extra power anyway. A PIII @ 800-900 will do the trick if the computer is properly configured.
Don't spend money on SCSI unless you're building a server.
Get 256MB or more of RAM. RAM is nice. We like it.
PIII don't come in 1.5GHz models. P4 are still expensive and untested, as are p4 motherboards. You don't need that extra power anyway. A PIII @ 800-900 will do the trick if the computer is properly configured.
Don't spend money on SCSI unless you're building a server.
Get 256MB or more of RAM. RAM is nice. We like it.
giaschel
Hello.
Thanks Ola.
Forgive me for asking more questions (I don’t know anyone personally with good knowledge on computer issues and store salespeople just want to… sell).
I don’t have a CD-RW yet. I noticed that you recommend getting a CD-ROM and a CD-RW drive. I always thought CD-RWs could read and write. Is it really necessary to get both?
Thanks for your valued info.
Forgive me for asking more questions (I don’t know anyone personally with good knowledge on computer issues and store salespeople just want to… sell).
I don’t have a CD-RW yet. I noticed that you recommend getting a CD-ROM and a CD-RW drive. I always thought CD-RWs could read and write. Is it really necessary to get both?
Thanks for your valued info.
SPINSTERWUN
Active member
What's up bb96?
I tried to post you last night, after ola's 1st post, but this BBS froze up, so...
OK, you'll want to get a CDRW and a CD, because if you want to duplicate CD's, you will need 2 devices (unless, of course, you use a disk image).
Your goal should be to stay under $2,000.
That my seem like a lot of money, but once you start adding things up, it won't be.
I'm not sure what kind of motherboard you should have, but ola told you anyway.
Definitely, get:
Pentium III
at least 833mhz
at least 256ram (I would say 512ram)
133 bus
2 HD's both at 7200rpm's
HD's 20gig to 40gig
CDRW
CD or DVD
19" monitor (if you've got the money try to get 2 of them)
That should keep you under or just at $2,000.
Check out Dell's website (go to their refurbished section)
Oh yeah, I forgot that you will still need to get another sound card, plus cables/adapters.
Also, reference monitors...
Happy shopping...
spin
I tried to post you last night, after ola's 1st post, but this BBS froze up, so...
OK, you'll want to get a CDRW and a CD, because if you want to duplicate CD's, you will need 2 devices (unless, of course, you use a disk image).
Your goal should be to stay under $2,000.
That my seem like a lot of money, but once you start adding things up, it won't be.
I'm not sure what kind of motherboard you should have, but ola told you anyway.
Definitely, get:
Pentium III
at least 833mhz
at least 256ram (I would say 512ram)
133 bus
2 HD's both at 7200rpm's
HD's 20gig to 40gig
CDRW
CD or DVD
19" monitor (if you've got the money try to get 2 of them)
That should keep you under or just at $2,000.
Check out Dell's website (go to their refurbished section)
Oh yeah, I forgot that you will still need to get another sound card, plus cables/adapters.
Also, reference monitors...
Happy shopping...
spin
Cyrokk
Farce of Nature
"Don't spend money on SCSI unless you're building a server. "
Ola,
I too am shopping around for a pc and was thinking of getting Cubase VST. Its hard disc requirements read: "Even Faster EIDE/Ultra DMA or SCSI Hard Drive".. which I assume means that SCSI is preferred.. is there something I should know besides the price of SCSI that makes it unattainable and/or impractical for pc recording?
Ola,
I too am shopping around for a pc and was thinking of getting Cubase VST. Its hard disc requirements read: "Even Faster EIDE/Ultra DMA or SCSI Hard Drive".. which I assume means that SCSI is preferred.. is there something I should know besides the price of SCSI that makes it unattainable and/or impractical for pc recording?
ola
Newbie
Well, SCSI is "better" than IDE. Especially the new 15k rpm drives but if you compare a good 7200 rpm IDE with an equal 10k SCSI, they perform within a few percent of eachother in a DAW and the SCSI costs (at least) three times as much per MB.
SCSI is far better for usage with many short accesses, such as in a server where thousands of users need to access one disc. A DAW is the opposite, few but huge accesses.
I got a good SCSI controller and a 9GB SCSI disc for my first DAW but benchmarking showed me that there erally was no difference in read/write performance or CPU usage for that matter. Now I stick with IDE and only had problems when I forgot to check the "DMA enabled" box once.
Also, keep in mind that Sgt Pepper is recorded with a maximum of 8 tracks. Do you really need 60 tracks instead of 45?
SCSI is far better for usage with many short accesses, such as in a server where thousands of users need to access one disc. A DAW is the opposite, few but huge accesses.
I got a good SCSI controller and a 9GB SCSI disc for my first DAW but benchmarking showed me that there erally was no difference in read/write performance or CPU usage for that matter. Now I stick with IDE and only had problems when I forgot to check the "DMA enabled" box once.
Also, keep in mind that Sgt Pepper is recorded with a maximum of 8 tracks. Do you really need 60 tracks instead of 45?
getuhgrip
Bring Back Transfat!
Hey Ola...
Not to muddy the waters, but I'm curious about the benefit of an AGP card vs PCI in a recording machine. I thought that AGP was a more direct bus to the processor and stood higher in the IRQ food chain. Does the PCI bus and sound card(s) on it take a hit as the processor addresses the AGP?
Thinking too much again...sorry
Not to muddy the waters, but I'm curious about the benefit of an AGP card vs PCI in a recording machine. I thought that AGP was a more direct bus to the processor and stood higher in the IRQ food chain. Does the PCI bus and sound card(s) on it take a hit as the processor addresses the AGP?
Thinking too much again...sorry
clubheadjobby
New member
commodore 64's are alright
ola
Newbie
Noooooooooo! Build it yourself. you'll be glad you did.
If you're getting a package comuter, go for Dell. They're good but not as good as "the real thing". I'm using an Dell Optiplex GX200, 633MHz and 256 RAM, at the moment and I'm happy but not super happy with it. Well, I paid $150 for it including a Dell 19" monitor. Gotto love office sales
If you're getting a package comuter, go for Dell. They're good but not as good as "the real thing". I'm using an Dell Optiplex GX200, 633MHz and 256 RAM, at the moment and I'm happy but not super happy with it. Well, I paid $150 for it including a Dell 19" monitor. Gotto love office sales
db51
New member
Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh why do people still buy PIII's?
I just don't get it, but it's late and I'm to tired to argue....
Ola, you look like someone who knows computers (from what I've read on this BBS...) Why do you recommend Intel over the competition (I'm not talking about Cyrix here
)...Just wondering...
I just don't get it, but it's late and I'm to tired to argue....
Ola, you look like someone who knows computers (from what I've read on this BBS...) Why do you recommend Intel over the competition (I'm not talking about Cyrix here
)...Just wondering...
ola
Newbie
I recommend PIII over AMD for DAWs due to known issues with some soundcards and chipsets on mobos for AMD CPUs. Simple as that. Most pro/prosumer soundcards work with all processors, some don't and I'm rather safe than sorry. I would even prefer BX440 based motherboards but they're becoming extinct and it seems that the i815 chipset is working well in DAWs.
If I was to build a single CPU game computer, I think AMD would be my choice but for DAWs, I don't dare to recommend them.
I haven't ventured into the world of P4 yet and I doubt that I will anytime soon. Maybe there are even worse incompatibilities between the chipsets for P4 mobos and pro/prosumer soundcards.
If I was to build a single CPU game computer, I think AMD would be my choice but for DAWs, I don't dare to recommend them.
I haven't ventured into the world of P4 yet and I doubt that I will anytime soon. Maybe there are even worse incompatibilities between the chipsets for P4 mobos and pro/prosumer soundcards.