Need help building new computer

  • Thread starter Thread starter NL5
  • Start date Start date
But I think you can also consider the AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ 3.2GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Processor .
 
Ok, new setup. Is this right?


Western Digital Caviar RE WD1600YS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136062
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

$119.98
($59.99 each)



SAPPHIRE 100164DDR2L Radeon X1650PRO 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814102098
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$69.99



CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400C5DHX - Retail
Item #: N82E16820145175
Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy

$35.00 Mail-in Rebate
$89.00



Open Box: ASUS P5K PREMIUM/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813131190R
Return Policy: Open Box Item Return Policy
$149.99



Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 Conroe 2.33GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6550 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819115030
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy

$169.99



iStarUSA D-400-6/Q Black Aluminum / Steel 4U Server Case-Quiet Version - OEM
Item #: N82E16811165021
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

Subtotal: $848.94
 
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It's two drives......

Yeah, but their combined space is only 320GB. Why get two when you can get one, that is bigger? ;) Less internal heat being generated, less wires, more space. Unless you planned on using one to backup the other, or are running a RAID 0 or 1, in which case, is a great idea.
Good find on your ram price! I dont know what case you have, but might want to order some quiet fans to swap the ones on the case out with. Also, you could probably save $20 - $40 on your choice of motherboard, but that one looks fine.
Good build.
 
I would get a vid card without a fan. I think there are some 7600GS that are fanless for not much $$.
Those Nexus fans are really quiet too, if you are looking to further quiet down your case.

Other than that, I'm jealous. :)
 
I would get a vid card without a fan.

Crap! I didn't even catch that. Too late though, it's already on it's way.......

I haven't built an intel machine since '96. I hope H2H is right. As long as it's stable, I will be happy though! :D
 
I don't see why it wouldn't be stable as heck. Core2Due is really awesome right now. The 775 board may be upgradeable for a pretty good while ahead too. And that GPU fan may be unnoticeable anyway. Some of them don't ramp up speed unless in 3D applications. That server case looks a little scary to me, but as long as it fits your needs. How do you access a CD drive? :confused:
 
I don't see why it wouldn't be stable as heck. Core2Due is really awesome right now. The 775 board may be upgradeable for a pretty good while ahead too. And that GPU fan may be unnoticeable anyway. Some of them don't ramp up speed unless in 3D applications. That server case looks a little scary to me, but as long as it fits your needs. How do you access a CD drive? :confused:

I am pretty sure that the front opens up to allow access to almost all of the drives - HDD's included. I have a magma chassis that is rackmount, so I figured I'd switch to that style. I have 7 PCI cards that I will still need to run for the foreseeable future - kind of a bummer.

I ended up with a slightly different MB when I realized the open box one didn't have any of the accessories. I know someone above said I could get one cheaper, but the cheapest one I could find that fit all my needs was $180, and I ended up with an ASUS for $219.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131182
 
carp dude, thats alot of money for a P35 chipset board. I'd have gone with th eIntel board like I originally was talking about. For that kinda jack, we have the new X38 boards coming in like next week, which have improved PCI resources which would be nice for your Magma chassis.

That case has 2 housings inside of it for various 5.25" devices. There are 2 3.5" bays for hdd's in the middle vertically and one 3.5 below the drive bays on the right side of the case. Its a pretty easy case to build in to and is definately road worthy. Just make sure to attach the support bar for extra rigidity.

As to video cards (for anyone who may be looking in the future) the 8600GTs come in fanless versions from several manufcturers now, and give you dual duallink DVI as well as Dx10 compatability with Vista for future use. Other cards such as the 8400 are also available fanless with fewer features and less memory for less money.
 
carp dude, thats alot of money for a P35 chipset board. I'd have gone with th eIntel board like I originally was talking about. For that kinda jack, we have the new X38 boards coming in like next week, which have improved PCI resources which would be nice for your Magma chassis.

That case has 2 housings inside of it for various 5.25" devices. There are 2 3.5" bays for hdd's in the middle vertically and one 3.5 below the drive bays on the right side of the case. Its a pretty easy case to build in to and is definately road worthy. Just make sure to attach the support bar for extra rigidity.

As to video cards (for anyone who may be looking in the future) the 8600GTs come in fanless versions from several manufcturers now, and give you dual duallink DVI as well as Dx10 compatability with Vista for future use. Other cards such as the 8400 are also available fanless with fewer features and less memory for less money.


That MB was one of the cheapest that had all the features I needed. To go up to an x38 would have been another $100.
 
I'd highly suggest an Intel P35 board and an E6550 processor. Your cost will be nearly identical to that setup. Current performance will be slightly better on the Intel with real world audio usage, and your upgrade path is wide open. With the AMD, you're pretty much at end of life cycle on that chip and board. Its really better all around. And for stability, we've tested it with 2 HDSP MADI and 3 UAD cards (as well as every combination you can think of) and its proven rock solid.

http://www.adkproaudio.com/benchmarks.cfm


Yes! I got the P style board with the 1333mhz FSB, and the 6750 Core 2 Intel.

But make sure you get the absolute fastest FSB and the absolute fastest memory to match it. For example, dont get a 1333 FSB and then get cheaper 333 or 800 memory. We are only talking about an extra $50-100 bucks here, but the advantage in your recording will be huge.

Think about it. Why do you think every major recording suite has a cpu meter to tell you when you've maxed out your cpu cycles?? If you want more freedom of choice and freedom of expression in your mixing with tracks and plugins and stuff, then the ONLY way you can get it is to get the fastest board FSB and the fastest memory and the fastest SATA hard drive you can possibly afford.

I went from buzzing my cpu frequently on my old Athlon cpu, to never even seeing the cpu meter move above 10% now, and I'm running a grand piano modeller and plugins on every track, etc.... It is well well worth the extra money!
 
Yes! I got the P style board with the 1333mhz FSB, and the 6750 Core 2 Intel.

But make sure you get the absolute fastest FSB and the absolute fastest memory to match it. For example, dont get a 1333 FSB and then get cheaper 333 or 800 memory. We are only talking about an extra $50-100 bucks here, but the advantage in your recording will be huge.

Think about it. Why do you think every major recording suite has a cpu meter to tell you when you've maxed out your cpu cycles?? If you want more freedom of choice and freedom of expression in your mixing with tracks and plugins and stuff, then the ONLY way you can get it is to get the fastest board FSB and the fastest memory and the fastest SATA hard drive you can possibly afford.

I went from buzzing my cpu frequently on my old Athlon cpu, to never even seeing the cpu meter move above 10% now, and I'm running a grand piano modeller and plugins on every track, etc.... It is well well worth the extra money!

I have a Xp3200 now, and I never max it out. This should be WAY more than enough power. I have 4 UAD cards to run the majority of my plugins, and all my reverbs are outboard anyway.......I am not rebuilding because I need more power, I need more stability. Something has started acting up, and it's just easier at this point to start over.........
 
Yes! I got the P style board with the 1333mhz FSB, and the 6750 Core 2 Intel.

But make sure you get the absolute fastest FSB and the absolute fastest memory to match it. For example, dont get a 1333 FSB and then get cheaper 333 or 800 memory. We are only talking about an extra $50-100 bucks here, but the advantage in your recording will be huge.

Think about it. Why do you think every major recording suite has a cpu meter to tell you when you've maxed out your cpu cycles?? If you want more freedom of choice and freedom of expression in your mixing with tracks and plugins and stuff, then the ONLY way you can get it is to get the fastest board FSB and the fastest memory and the fastest SATA hard drive you can possibly afford.

I went from buzzing my cpu frequently on my old Athlon cpu, to never even seeing the cpu meter move above 10% now, and I'm running a grand piano modeller and plugins on every track, etc.... It is well well worth the extra money!

So....I guess you would have been struggling with maybe 15% CPU usage if you hadn't splurged that extra $100 for the faster RAM? :rolleyes:
 
Just wanted to bump this thread up, and say thanks again. After six months of dealing with computer problems, the new set-up is ROCKEFFINSOLID! It took a bit to get things all working correctly, but I have an extremely complicated set-up. What a PITA that was. Even through all that BS, the computer itself hasn't skipped a beat. I ran my most cpu intensive project, threw a bunch more cpu plugins on it, and still never broke 40%! I couldn't imagine maxing this thing out. (especially when I upgrade to a quadcore or bigger cpu in the future!)

I did overspend a bit on the MB, but I never looked at the Intel branded boards. Anytrhing else that had all the things I wanted was nearly as expensive. Still, I think it was pretty cheap, and the case is built like a freakin tank, and looks badass! Now, I need to exp[and my rack so it's in there and not on the floor of the "machine room"........
 
Just wanted to bump this thread up, and say thanks again. After six months of dealing with computer problems, the new set-up is ROCKEFFINSOLID! It took a bit to get things all working correctly, but I have an extremely complicated set-up. What a PITA that was. Even through all that BS, the computer itself hasn't skipped a beat. I ran my most cpu intensive project, threw a bunch more cpu plugins on it, and still never broke 40%! I couldn't imagine maxing this thing out. (especially when I upgrade to a quadcore or bigger cpu in the future!)

I did overspend a bit on the MB, but I never looked at the Intel branded boards. Anytrhing else that had all the things I wanted was nearly as expensive. Still, I think it was pretty cheap, and the case is built like a freakin tank, and looks badass! Now, I need to exp[and my rack so it's in there and not on the floor of the "machine room"........
 
Solid.
I HATE moving everything over to a new computer and reconfiguring everything; but that feeling of having a new powerful computer set up how you want is great.
 
I just gotta bump this one more time.

I am still in disbelief. I did 3 days of drum recording, and 2 days of heavy mixing, and not one hiccup! Freakin' amazing.

Thank you all again! :D
 
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