Need help buying a new PC tower

  • Thread starter Thread starter Leatherface74
  • Start date Start date
L

Leatherface74

New member
I want to hear what you guys suggest. My gamer friend keeps trying to push all these pricey gamer suited towers and I know I don't need something that powerful. All Im looking for is something that will allow me to record 30 some tracks at 44000. I'm looking at a price range of 500 to 900 dollars. The more tracks the better.

Any suggestions? All I want is a new tower, nothing else. Oh yea, no macs either (not a fanboy thing, I just don't have the cash for that).
 
Have you considered building your own? For $500 to $900 bucks, you could build a pretty sweet system. Also, do you already own a computer and can you salvage parts from that, or are you going to keep it and get this one as well. Anyways, you should check out parts at www.newegg.com. Incredible service and very competitive prices. Just get a checklist of parts going:

Motherboard
Processor
Video Card
2x Hard Drives (one for progs, one for audio)
at least 1GB of RAM
CD/DVD Burner
Case and Power Supply

I'm assuming you already have an audio interface and that stuff. For $900, you can build a system that will easily do 30+ tracks @ 44100. Probably could also at $500, just have to pick and choose a little more carefully. Anyways, hope this helps.
 
Well, suppose I want to record at 96000 with 40 tracks. What would that take? I can salvage a 1 gig ram card from my old PC and the Audigy sound card. What components should I get assuming i have a 1,200 dollar spending cap?
 
If you're wanting to do 96k recording, then the Audigy card wont cut it. Actually if youre wanting to do any serious recording, don't use the audigy. For cost effective, then I would look at the Pentium-D line of stuff. Dual Core Processors that have been getting some good reviews in the audio community. If you're needing an audio interface, then that's a whole other issue. I would stick with Firewire options like the Presonus Firepod ( I have one for sale by the way, check the free ads forum), or the MOTU line of stuff. To do that many tracks you will certainly need two hard-drives. Try to get SATA drives and keep the programs and windows installation on one drive, and then record to the other drive. If money becomes tight, then you could probably skimp out a little on the graphics card, since audio stuff doesn't require heavy graphics, but make sure you don't use an onboard graphics solution, get a dedicated card for it.

About that 1gig stick from your old pc. You need to check what kind of RAM it is, because if its fairly old, more than likely it is not compatible with a current setup, or at least wouldn't be as productive.
 
The ram card is new, I just purchased it a few months ago from newegg. I just got a job to pay for all this stuff, so I'm going to save up and get a reasonably good setup, I'd just rather not blow it all on stuff I won't use. What specific parts would you recommend within 1,200? I'm sorry to bother you, it's just that I really don't know the technical aspects of these things very well. I'm really not incredibely anal about things like minor hiss and such, I just really care that the computer be able to handle alot of tracks, as I like to layer things alot. I would also be using this computer for some 3d game creating work I do in my spare time, although the software I use isnt too demanding so it would not require a great graphics card.

If I were to purchase a tower for audio recording within the 1,200 range, what do you recommend if anything?
 
I would advise (for any computer building project) starting with the software and any specialized hardware, and work from there.

For instance, if you want to use ProTools, you will be required to use one of their interfaces. Therefore, if you buy the hottest new processor and mobo, which coincidentaly have known stability problems when used with PT and your favorite plugs, you've just built a shiney new $3k paperweight. If you use a two year old mobo/chip combo, which have a track record of bullet-proof performance with PT, you could record a bucketload of tracks for $900.
 
Well Im thinking of using software which doesnt require using any specific interfaces. Im not getting protools, as I don't like it much.

I'll likely invest in cakewalk or some basic audio recording program. Back when I didn't have the money, I used Cool edit and really enjoyed it. I might just use that and buy everything else.
 
Same general idea. Find some forums specific to your recording software (or N-Track, or Kristal or whatever dirt cheap/free sw you might also like) and build up around a chip/board that have rock-solid stability with that software.
 
$1200 get a mac

Why pc? ..Get a Mac
You can afford the new macbook or you can look for a power book
Ebay works wonders
 
Only one open PCI slot. On the plus side, you have a couple of FW ports.

I'd get a boot drive (40-80G HD for your OS and recording software) before worrying about more RAM.
 
Man, I seriously have no idea what you're talking about. Im not computer literate. Could you please explain what that is?
 
Really, Im not sure I need more than that I think. I mean, Im recording one track at a time, on cool edit. I really don't know how that could be very demanding on that system, unless you know something I don't (which I think you do).
 
I'd get a boot drive (40-80G HD for your OS and recording software) before worrying about more RAM.
Click to expand...

He means to get another separate hard drive. So you have one for your OS and software and another for your recording files. He is suggesting that you will benefit more from this than adding more RAM.

If you are thinking about getting the most powerful machine for the price, you should go PC. Mac has nice features too, but limited in what you can get for it and what you can expand (or improve) later.

IMO, here are the factors you should look for (with regards to recording, under your budget):

- At least 2 GHZ processor, duo core if possible.
- At least 2 gigs of ram, dual channel
- Enough firewire ports, USB ports and PCI slots for your equipment (and future equipment.)
- At least 2 hard drives. one 7200 RPM hard drive (or two, but the other will just be for running windows, etc.) The 7200 you probably want like a 300 GB or more hard drive, if you will be recording at 24/96, since this takes up a lot of disk space. The one for windows doesn't have to be that great.

if you buy the hottest new processor and mobo, which coincidentaly have known stability proble
Click to expand...

Take this advice. Don't buy top of the line, as it will have stability problems. Buy what was hot 6 months ago


Everyone will have their preference on what company to buy what from, but that will be up for debate. If you stick with major brands, you should be fine. Just don't buy seagate hard drives.

Don't worry about video cards, just get a cheap one, unless you plan to do graphics or gaming.

Although if you want something set out the box that will be easier to use, you can go with Mac. But you pay for that ease of use, monetarily and for future upgrading. And on options of programs.
 
So you think with a few modifications, that the PC in the link I posted could work for me? I was always intending on installing the second drive. Thanks for the advice!
 
Although you may want to look into getting those 2GBs of RAM as dual channel. But if you just get this, it should work fine.
 
Cool, just curious, but whats the difference between what that PC has and dual channel?
 
hmm...

well, to put it simply, let's say you have 2 1GB sticks of ram that have a speed of 400MHz. With single channel, it'll be like running a 1 2GB stick at 400 MHz. With dual channel, it'll run both 1GB sticks at 400 MHz for different processes (thus, you are utilizing the speed of both sticks). Like having two waiters at your table, instead of 1 that can carry more food.

Here is a more detailed description with a great diagram:

http://www.pctechguide.com/14Memory_Dual-channel_DDR.htm
 
yeah basically right. on the original DDR & old sdram, when sdram sent 1 instruction to the processor, it cannot send one back at the same time. It's like SDRAM = 1 lane, if 2 cars were coming opposite directions, one would have to wait till it was out of the way for the other one to go. DDR is like 2 lanes, one car can continue to go north, while the other car can go south at the same time, DDR 2 would be like an express lane, all cars can go past the speed limit. with more lanes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top