I know you're sick of this, but...help building a PC

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Drummerbones

Drummerbones

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I've decided to go the PC route for recording (finally). Here's what I DO know.

I need 2 hard drives, probably 80 GB each.

I want the fastest processing speed I can get.

I need at least 512 memory, preferably 1K.

I'll be using N-track (really liked the demo) & Sound Forge and probably a Delta 1010 LT card or such.

I plan to only record 16-24 tracks, and I won't need 500 plug-ins.

Here's what I DON'T know...

Do I just order a Dell with these specs? Is Athlon really that much better? Since I'm not capable, if I chose to, where do I go to build one? Does the brand of drive really make that much of a difference?

Unlike a multi-track recorder, how would I hook up a punch in/out pedal? (kinda off-subject question)

I'm very versed in recording (over 10 years) and I know my way around a computer just fine. I'm just not a "computer geek" and I'm not sure how to get started.

My budget is in the neighborhood of $700 if possible.

Thanks
 
I'd say to start, look at Dell, Gateway, and those types, to see what you can get in the pricerange you have in mind. You might even try some lesser known brands, and see what the specs/price is. To see how some stack up, go to pcworld.com, and do a search on some pc's. They might have some good info as far as reliability, and service also. As far as AMD versus Intel, I've got one of each, and don't have a strong opinion either way. Someone else might be able to help there.

Good luck.
Ed
 
Drummerbones said:
I'm very versed in recording (over 10 years) and I know my way around a computer just fine. I'm just not a "computer geek" and I'm not sure how to get started.

My budget is in the neighborhood of $700 if possible.

Thanks
Click to expand...

You should be fine building your own. If you have all the peripherals already (monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc), you should be able to get a nice machine for $700.

Look into AMD64 processors
ASUS, MSI, DFI, or Chaintech Motherboards
Seagate, Samsung, or Hitachi HDDs (All are pretty quiet)
1 gig Crucial memory (pretty cheap these days, but going up a little in price)
Video Card (Do you game or not?)
Do you have the Delta 1010LT already, or do you need that within the budget as well?

That should get you started.
 
AMD64 for speed - but you will pay a large premium for 'the fastest'.

You could get a dual Xeon set-up of course - but I'm guessing you don't have a money tree ;)

Building your own really isn't that hard - just a bit nerve-wracking the first time round.
I would recommend it.
 
Building your own has its ups and downs.

Ups:
- You can just get the parts you need without all the extra stuff PC manufacturers like to throw in.
- It tends to be cheaper.

Downs:
- If you don't research it enough, you could end up destroying some expensive hardware.
- You won't have any tech support.

I built my PC last year. I had been a Mac user all my life, so it felt weird building a PC. I had researched it for several months before buying parts, so I felt pretty comfortable with my decision.

As for parts, you probably won't need a 64-bit processor, so I'd get a high end 32-bit one, like the Athlon 3200+. AMD is a lot cheaper than Intel, and there isn't really much of a difference in speed between the two types of processors. AMD is usually the processor of choice for computer builders.
The hard drive's brand does matter, and I'd recommend Western Digital or Maxtor drives.

links:
http://www.buildyourown.org.uk/
http://www.pcmech.com/byopc/index.htm
http://www.ocforums.com/
 
Thanks for the replies thus far. I'm hoping to get the Delta card included in the $700 price tag, but that only leaves about $500 for the PC. That might be pushing my luck.

I've actually got a PC laying around that has a nice looking shell and like-new CD burner drive, DVD drive & floppy drive. I think the guts are a Pentium, maybe 733 or something like that. Only 128 MB of RAM though. Damn thing has Windows ME on it (AHHHHRRR!@!!) and it totally crashed on me. I ended up buying an HP just for a standard home PC. If I chose to rebuild that one, I'm wondering if it will have the compatibility of expanding to 1K RAM...I've got a computer wiz aquantance I might have take a look at it and tell me what I'd need to get where I want to go.

Also, I would need to replace the mother board to upgrade to the new processor, correct? And what about a slot for the sound card!?

That's it, I'm calling in the expert!!!
 
Drummerbones said:
Thanks for the replies thus far. I'm hoping to get the Delta card included in the $700 price tag, but that only leaves about $500 for the PC. That might be pushing my luck.

I've actually got a PC laying around that has a nice looking shell and like-new CD burner drive, DVD drive & floppy drive. I think the guts are a Pentium, maybe 733 or something like that. Only 128 MB of RAM though. Damn thing has Windows ME on it (AHHHHRRR!@!!) and it totally crashed on me. I ended up buying an HP just for a standard home PC. If I chose to rebuild that one, I'm wondering if it will have the compatibility of expanding to 1K RAM...I've got a computer wiz aquantance I might have take a look at it and tell me what I'd need to get where I want to go.

Also, I would need to replace the mother board to upgrade to the new processor, correct? And what about a slot for the sound card!?

That's it, I'm calling in the expert!!!
Click to expand...

Go the AMD XP route with an Abit NF7 Version 2 Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813127166).
That combo should be less than a couple hundred bucks.
1 (2x512) Gig of Corsair ddram is going for less than $80 these days
2 x Hitachi 80Gig should be under $120 (Zipzoomfly has it for the cheapest)

You should be good to go.
 
IronFlippy said:
Downs:
- You won't have any tech support.
Click to expand...

That's not exactly correct. Every component you install in the pc technically has a manufacturers guarantee (usually 12 months) & most will offer telephone support for their product.

Of course, this varies depending on the actual manufacturer.
 
I'd definitely go the Athlon 64 route. As far as building the computer, it's not hard at all these days. Everything is pretty much plug and play, just follow what the motherboard manual says to do. Big tip: order a anti-static wrist strap, ground it to the case, and wear it anytime you are touching the motherboard or any other internal parts. Ohh yeah, by all means, don't try to work on it (remove/add anything inside) when the power is on!!!! Other than that you'll be fine. I will NEVER EVER buy a computer off the shelf unless it's a Mac or a laptop. PCs I will always build. Why? Because that's what I do. I am graduating with a degree in Personal Computer Specialist this fall. Computers are everyone's friend!!! :D

If you need any more advice, e-mail me and I'll see if I can't help ya.
 
savings tips

A. you really dont need 2 80gig HD, I use 1 10 gig for progs/OS and another 60gig for storage/scratch.. the 60 is only 7500rpm, and I never have trouble doing 8 in at once or mixing 16, at 24bits-96khz. (on a layla24)

B. if you are a student or near a collage, you can usually buy XP for cheap... I paid some student $5 to buy me one.. bringing the total to $15 (cant beat that)

C. Dont worry about having the fastest available, it is already outdated, my 2.6gig p4 does just fine (you will max any chip out with enough vsti's and efx)


also check http://www.arsenalpc.com/ ... they are pretty cheap as well


gl
 
Salvage the DVD driver and the CD burner from your old computer, possibly the HDD too if it's ok.

The Athlon 64 seems the way to go if you're buyin ga new computer, I wouldn't mess around with older XP hadware if you're buying new, it wouldn't be worth it.

Looking at the prices from newegg, for a $700 budget I'd get this:
CPU - AthlonXP 3200+ (939): $190
RAM - 2xCorsair 512MB PC3200 DDR: $83
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-K8NS Ultra-939: $110
HDD: Western Digital 1200JB (or JD if you're cool with installing SATA): $82
Video: XFX GeForceFX 5200: $45
Case: Antec SLK2650 BQE + 350w PSU (make sure you get a decent PSU): $76

Windows XP Professional OEM: $145.95

Total $731 a little more than you had originally planned, but it'll give you enough to play with and a decent level of grunt. If anything, I'd spend a bit more on the video card for games ;)
 
Here's what I've been considering thus far. These are all from newegg.com.

Salvaging my existing CD, DVD, Floppy, case, maybe more...

*Mother Board: N82E16813127166 Athlon XP $82.00

*RAM: VS1GBKIT400C3 Corsair (2 X 512) $95.00 (might go 1 X 1K)

*Drives: HDS728080PLA380 Hitachi 80 GB (2 ea $64) $128.0

*Sound Card: N82E16829121106 M-Audio 1010LT $229.00

I already own Windows XP...

TOTAL: $534.00 (so far)

I know everyone has their favorite brand etc., but I need to know if I'm on the right track more than anything.

I'm having my computer friend look at my existing PC and my wish list this weekend to determine if it can be done. Do I need a different PSU, adequate cooling fan, should I bother salvaging my existing hard drive...

The mother board says Athlon XP....does the CPU have to be bought separately, or is it included? McbLt's recent post got me wondering if my list is complete or not. This is fun, exciting, educational, and nerve-racking. I'm out of my element.

("Donnie, you're out of your element!" John Goodman, 'The Big Lebowski'....classic)
 
Usually, the motherboard and cpu are seperate, unless you buy a combo. For $82, that is most likely just a bare MB. You will have to gat a cpu also. I believe the Athlon XP on the MB is just stating what it was designed for.

Sounds like you will have a pretty decent machine when done. Good luck with it.
Ed
 
I build computers...here's my advice. Don't go with 2 HDDs unless ur planning to use RAID to copy/backup ur files, etc. It'll be MUCH cheaper to get a 160 gig HDD and (since there's only 1...) it'll take half the time to access something than it will w/ 2 80's (assuming ur doing big stuff w/ recording and all). At www.newegg.com you can get 2 sticks of 512mb memory for $35 EACH!!!......THAT'S 1 GIG OF MEMORY FOR $70!!!!! You don't need the fastest processing ever. You can get a lot done w/ a P4 at 2.8 Ghz w/ HT...unless u wanna spend a TON more money, don't go as high as you can go.
 
Actually, there are extremely valid reasons for using 2 hdds for recording audio, which have been discussed at length in these forums.
 
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