Building a PC (tech advices needed)

[A1A2]

hello, people:

After weeks of research, I have found all the parts I wanted for an audio/3D animation worstation, and I was wondering if any of you can double check if I am doing anyhting wrong here before I order them, please.

CPU: 2.4GHz 512K cache, 533MHz, Intel Pentium
Memory: 512MB PC2700 DDR, Samsung
Mobo: P4B533 (no Raid)
CDR-Drive: 32X10X40 IDE
Floppy-Drive:Sony 1.44MB 3,5m
Case: Raidmax (ATX) with 330W power supply
HD: 40G 7200, Seagate
60G 7200 Western Digital
VideoCard: ATI Fire GL8700
SoundCard: Audiophile 2496
OS: XP Pro

Are they compatable? Good choices??

Thanks in advance it's my first time building a computer.

AL

 

[alonso]

Maybe just to play it safe, get a 350 0r 380 watt PSU........

 

[jake-owa]

Geez, sounds great but theres probably no one on earth who can say definitavely if all those components will work together. Its highly unlikely anyone has tested this exact computer out. Just remember the troubleshooters creedo: if it doesen't work change something and try again.

I think the PS will be plenty but more won't hurt.

 

[alonso]

One of the top issues is to have a good motherboard because this will be the center of your system. Check out in forums if any users have problems with it and if it comes out clear, the only other issue would be problems between your souncard and mobo, because the other devices, HHD, CDRW video card etc USUALLY present no problems with each other, they are most of the time compatible with anything. Again, do research on mobo, mobo with soundcard, and if the other devices are of quality and that's it. Go ahead, if some problem arises, troubleshoot and post here and in other forums. Word to the wise, research on all your components first is a must.

 

[A1A2]

alonso and Jake:

Tose are very good points. I will ask some folks around for that particular mobo and soundcard to see if they work out alright. Thank you


AL

 

[ambi]

I'd get a 400W power supply rated for p4's. Enermax makes excellent psu's, and they're super quiet, so they don't disturb recordings as much! Thats one thing to be cautious about when buying a computer to use as a DAW, the noise. Im speaking from a poor mans point of view with the daw being in the same room as all the mics and instruments and everything + a couple couches , tables, computers, tv's, etc... You can get quite case fans rated at 19-21 dba, and i think the enermax is around there. Your loudest part will most likely be your Heatsinc fan.

Oh, and i'd get a cd burner. They're getting really cheap, and its nice to be able to burn your music to a disk with some of your other favorite tracks, and reference it on different systems, and compare to other mixes.

 

[Barometer]

If your planning to do animation on it machine as well as audio, first I would recommend an nVidia card over an ATI. But that might just be personal preference. Everthing I worked with in the 3D industry was geared toward nVidia, and they're a great company with good drivers and support. Can't go wrong with a GeForce4 for 3D and 5's will be coming Second I would go ahead and get a GIG of RAM right away. It's pretty cheap and your gonna need it more for animation than audio, it can't hurt regardless. I'd also go with the 400W power supply and be sure to thoroughly research the MOBO, as has already been said. Good luck and feel free to PM me about animation if you want

 

[Emeric]

I agree with Barometer, get something other than ATI for your video card. Also, I'd suggest using a Seagate instead of WD for your second drive as well.

 

[christiaan]

Also, I'd suggest using a Seagate instead of WD for your second drive as well.

Why?

 

[alonso]

A lot of people have bad experiences with WD HHD. A friend of mine who sells computers doesn´t carry WD because he says they are very faulty and unreliable. Other people here say the same thing. Make of it want you want.

 

[A1A2]

Barometer:
Can you recommend any particular video card? 1Gig of DDR ram is gonna cost me, so, I might have to upgrade later.

Emeric:
I know I shouldn't go with WD, but that's what I already have, so....at least I will be using Seagate for the main HD.

Thanks, all


AL

 

[alonso]

For video, you cannot top off a Gainward Geforce 4 Ti. Now depending on your budget and needs you´ll want the 4200 or 4600. Earlier you said you wanted to do 3D animation, you´ll need a kickass card for that, get the 4600...

 

[alonso]

An one gig of DDR will not hurt you that much if you get Kingston. I just bought two pc2700 512 MB dimms for about $120 each, if I remember well.....

 

[RWhite]

Everyone has their opinion about hardware.

I'll just say that I oversee a building full of ATI video cards, and Western Digital hard drives, and also have several of each at home. No unusual problems from either.

I will say that the ATI All-In-Wonder card, which I have one of, can certainly make configuring a system a bear. It is seen as not only a video but also an audio recording device, so in my case having it in the same PC as two sound cards has made for some interesting times.

 

[zekthedeadcow]

I have a WD harddrive and it pukes on UDMA mode a lot...recording in PIO is a pain but I can get away with it to 28 tracks

I also have a ATI Radeon VE DDR and their driver constantly crashes... I have to say the micro$oft driver runs more stable but it isn't terribly fast.

 

[Emeric]

Why?

Well the main reason is that the new Seagates are very quiet drives, and I just like them. The other reason is that I despise WD products. I've seen many fail and they are the king of recalls.

The ATI dislike is based on their very poor tech support, and their overally bloated drivers. 25MB for a driver? This was 2 years ago, that is insane IMO. Most of the older ATI cards, like the RAGE II/IIC are fine cards. It's the new ATI products that I don't bother with.

Stick with the WD since you already have it.

There are better alternatives. I don't get into hardware debates, I just offer suggestions. And, as Rwhite said, everyone has their own opinion.

 

[A1A2]

Emeric:
I appreciate and do take your suggestions seriously (like the P4B533 mobo). Thank you for the heads-up on the ATI tech support and ect. I will discuss more about video cards with Barometer.

christiaan:
my buddy's WD hard-drive fried after 2 months of use, too bad I found that out after I had already purchased my WD HD. But, the good news is, mine hasn't been any trouble for me so far(4-5 months), so, I guess it really depends on each unit.

Thanks for all the inputs, guys!


AL