Will this setup work?

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glamslam

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Hi all..
Time has come to invest in a new PC which I'm getting custom built. Could someone have a look at the specs and let me know if there is anything I ought to reconsider. The whole system is going to be designed to run Logic Audio 4.6:

Pentium III 1gig
ASIS 815 Chipset Board
M Audio Audiophile soundcard
256 MB RAM
ATI Graphhics Card
2 separate hard drives (each 10 gigs)
OS: Windows 98 v2

Thanks in advance
 
I originally wanted an Athlon Thunderbird but the guy at the company said there would be problems with using it with an audiophile...is he bullshitting me?
 
That I don't know, but in another thread around here someone suggested calling AMD tech help, telling them you have the sound card you're thinking of buying, saying you're having trouble with it, and see what they say. If its "oh, that always happens" then don't mix the AMD and the card, but if they seem surprised/helpful, maybe there's no problem. Or contact tech help for the sound card people. Make sure you're not getting last year's info.
 
A few things...

Before the laundry list of recommendations, I should say that the computer you mention sounds like it should do the trick. Just check (as I'm sure you have) to make sure your OS and specs meet (and preferably exceed) the minimum requirements for the sound card and software. That said...

First, and most importantly, two 10-gig drives seems a bit small. Ideally, you would want a 10-20gig drive for applications and a 30-40gig or larger drive for audio. Also, make sure you get 7200RPM drives for maximum performance.

Second, I'm not sure which graphics card you are looking at, but ATI can be a bit tricky with compatibility, at least in my experience. Also, a lot of places recommend getting a dual-monitor compatible video card, as it makes working with many software packages easier. Even if you're starting with one monitor, this may not be a bad up-front investment.

Third, make sure you get a decent power supply. 300 watts or higher seems to be the common recommendation. After that, it's a matter of tweaking components - the quieter, the better. The fan and power supply are two that you can definitely get in "extra-quiet" versions.

Finally, if you can afford it, put another 256MB RAM in. Since memory prices are ridulously low at this point, it shouldn't break the bank. However, if the money can be better put towards drives and components, go that route first.

Good call on the OS, unless Logic and the Audiophile have Windows 2000 drivers, at which point you might want to consider that. I've heard that 98SE is more stable than ME.

In reality, the only two things that definitely bear looking into are the hard drive size and power supply. Upgrade the former, look into the latter.

Best of luck!
 
Thank you very much for your help. I will look in to the power supply and make sure it is 300 watts or higher. I don't have the money to invest in a great graphics card right now but, unlike the computer I'm using now, it is a separate unit, not part of the motherboard...so I can always change it later. I believe that everything that is built in to my current motherboard is what's causing the clicks and pops I'm hearing in audio tracks I've recorded. Is that right? After all, that's why I'm getting a new system. Thanks once again!
 
I know this is a newb question, but what is the importance of a 300W power supply? In other words, I didn't buy my power supply and don't know what it is. Assuming worst case scenerio, that I have an inadequate power supply, what can go wrong? Will my computer crash? Will my recordings have noise? Thanks...
 
I know this is a newb question, but what is the importance of a 300W power supply? In other words, I didn't buy my power supply and don't know what it is. Assuming worst case scenerio, that I have an inadequate power supply, what can go wrong? Will my computer crash? Will my recordings have noise? Thanks...
Click to expand...

I believe that 300W is the standard recommendation for most computers' power supply, not just Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs). The power supply (obviously) supplies power to all components in your computer that need it. This includes the lights on keyboards and the front panel of a computer, the laser in an optical mouse and, to a much greater extent, internal drives such as CD-R, Hard Disk, Floppy and ZIP.

In a DAW, chances are that you will want to install a lot of extra components, especially disk drives, that require a fair amount of computer power, as well as an extra sound card. An example of this is the high-end DAW at www.prorec.com, which contains 3 hard drives, a CD-R, and a floppy disk. It has a 430-Watt power supply.

I'm not certain what would happen if your power supply was inadequate for the number of devices in your system, as I haven't run across that particular situation. If I had to guess, you would probably burn out the power supply, possibly damaging other components in your computer.

...and that's not really a Newbie question... just a bit of a technical one. :) Best of luck.
 
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