Which PC - processors really - new build

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rob aylestone

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I've always bought bits to build my PCs, but the discovery that none of my audio or video computers are able to install the latest version of windows has made me doubt my ability to select the appropriate processor - so I thought I'd ask for advice. I'm looking for a motherboard - maybe even a bundle - with a processor that will enable the latest windows if I decide to go that way - but it needs to be Steinberg and Adobe friendly as it will run Cubase with a large sample library and have the ability to run Adobe CC with Premiere and Photoshop on multiple monitors. I don't need anything special in computer terms just a capable processor that is on the recent list and not the list of old processors. I have a few 2Tb SSDs that will go inside and I have rack mount cases that it will go in - Digital or HDMI monitor connections and that's about it?

I just have lost the plot on what are considered speedy but not stupid state of the art processors - so any assistance is useful. I'm not anti-mac but would prefer this one to stick with PC. I also don't want anything that requires crazy cooling as I'd prefer something quiet. It does live in a separate room, with a door - so ultra quiet is not that important, but something with a tornado doing the cooling is bad.
Any pointers as to what processor series I should consider. If it will run Cubase, Sound Forge and Adobe CC efficiently, that will do.
 
Hi Rob, there has been a bit of activity about this over at soundonsound.com. Most there seem to be happy to wait and stick with w10 for a year or two and many will never change to 11 and just run legacy machines.

Then there seems to have been something of a climb down* on the part of Microsoft? Initially it seems almost no existing motherboards/CPUs would run 11 but that seems to have changed? There is even a considerable body of opinion now that MOST reasonably new W10 systems will be fine on 'legs'.

* I WAS going to say "change of heart" but then of course Msoft Corp don't have one!

Dave.
 
I was thinking about a new build since my recording deck is a 4th Gen I5 processor, which is on the MSoft no-fly list. Since we still have some time, I decided to wait and do something in another year or 2. By then, you should be able to get a good 11th or 12th Gen I7, and with luck, Thunderbolt/USB4 will be more available on motherboards. That way you have the option of upgrading if you want to a more efficient protocol, or keep the old one if it still works fine. Win 10 is supposed to be supported for another 4 years, so there's no emergency. The Intel processors seem to have taken a pretty big jump in the 10th and 11th gen in capability. Something like a I7-12700K should be quick. I don't think you need I9 for audio processing but it might be good for video work, although a good video card would help.

The newer chipsets should also take advantage of DDR5 memory with bigger capacity, which might be good if you use a lot of sample libraries.
 
TalismanRich said:
I was thinking about a new build since my recording deck is a 4th Gen I5 processor, which is on the MSoft no-fly list. Since we still have some time, I decided to wait and do something in another year or 2. By then, you should be able to get a good 11th or 12th Gen I7, and with luck, Thunderbolt/USB4 will be more available on motherboards. That way you have the option of upgrading if you want to a more efficient protocol, or keep the old one if it still works fine. Win 10 is supposed to be supported for another 4 years, so there's no emergency. The Intel processors seem to have taken a pretty big jump in the 10th and 11th gen in capability. Something like a I7-12700K should be quick. I don't think you need I9 for audio processing but it might be good for video work, although a good video card would help.

The newer chipsets should also take advantage of DDR5 memory with bigger capacity, which might be good if you use a lot of sample libraries.
Click to expand...
Pretty much the stance of many in the recording industry Rich AFAICT. I am still running an i3 W7 laptop most days, internet the lot although my main computer is this i7 Lenovo.

Dave.
 
TalismanRich said:
I was thinking about a new build since my recording deck is a 4th Gen I5 processor, which is on the MSoft no-fly list. Since we still have some time, I decided to wait and do something in another year or 2. By then, you should be able to get a good 11th or 12th Gen I7, and with luck, Thunderbolt/USB4 will be more available on motherboards. That way you have the option of upgrading if you want to a more efficient protocol, or keep the old one if it still works fine. Win 10 is supposed to be supported for another 4 years, so there's no emergency. The Intel processors seem to have taken a pretty big jump in the 10th and 11th gen in capability. Something like a I7-12700K should be quick. I don't think you need I9 for audio processing but it might be good for video work, although a good video card would help.

The newer chipsets should also take advantage of DDR5 memory with bigger capacity, which might be good if you use a lot of sample libraries.
Click to expand...
i7 is ok for 4k video Rich as long as you have a good processer and graphics card.

Going bigger than 4k is pointless because it means a complete upgrade for the videographer and those who watch the video.

Even now the best format is 1080p because it means anybody can watch it with there appliances and with available internet speeds. 1080p is a very good quality video to watch as well. No complaints there.

Uploading 4k to YouTube is nothing but a pain because you need very good upload speeds and then it takes YouTube hours to process the 4k video.

None of this is needed for sound.
 
I don't really see the real need for 4K video for most things. However, even in 1080 resolution, there's a big advantage in having a fast processor and video card when you start rendering things. The faster it goes, the less time you have to wait around for stuff to complete. It's like the old days when you converted a wav file to MP3 on a 486-66. It took forever to rip an album. Now it's about 30 seconds for a 4 minute song. A whole album is done in a few minutes.

I don't have anything with 4K even now. Most of my TV watching is on a old 42" 720P HP plasma. I always thought the colors on the plasma screens were more realistic than on the LED screens. LED seemed to have too much "glow" years ago. They have toned things down a bit and you can usually put it in "cinema" mode which is more muted. I can't stand things when they hit "vivid" mode and push the saturation too high. It's like turning up the bass and treble controls on your stereo to max. Yuck!

We'll see how long I can hold out. My bassist buddy just build an I9 rig for his flight sim stuff! I'm trying to get him to install Reaper so we can work on songs together. Maybe I should just buy him an interface to give him a push. :unsure:
 
TalismanRich said:
I don't really see the real need for 4K video for most things. However, even in 1080 resolution, there's a big advantage in having a fast processor and video card when you start rendering things. The faster it goes, the less time you have to wait around for stuff to complete. It's like the old days when you converted a wav file to MP3 on a 486-66. It took forever to rip an album. Now it's about 30 seconds for a 4 minute song. A whole album is done in a few minutes.

I don't have anything with 4K even now. Most of my TV watching is on a old 42" 720P HP plasma. I always thought the colors on the plasma screens were more realistic than on the LED screens. LED seemed to have too much "glow" years ago. They have toned things down a bit and you can usually put it in "cinema" mode which is more muted. I can't stand things when they hit "vivid" mode and push the saturation too high. It's like turning up the bass and treble controls on your stereo to max. Yuck!

We'll see how long I can hold out. My bassist buddy just build an I9 rig for his flight sim stuff! I'm trying to get him to install Reaper so we can work on songs together. Maybe I should just buy him an interface to give him a push. :unsure:
Click to expand...
Well, if he has splashed the cash on an i9 rig but not on decent sound that is a ha'poth of tar scenario! If a 2 in 2 out interface is suitable the MOTU M2 would be blindin'.
If he is a bit twitchy about installing 'strange' programs on his Precious, you can load and run Reaper from a USB stick.

Dave.
 
I'm working on him, Dave. Back in the late 70s he had a Teac Model 5/80-8/DBX rig in the basement. A couple of Shure mics and a Sennheiser 421. After he moved from the house where he had built his little studio, he sold off all the equipment. It was time for raising kids, and working. Music got pushed aside.

When he came over a few weeks ago, I popped up Reaper, plugged in the 47jr, pulled up an old track from 15 years ago and said "start singing". He'd screw up, I would hit delete to the track, hit record and say "try again". After a few hours of playing around with this stuff, he was impressed. It was so easy compare to rewinding that 1/2" tape, cueing things up again, etc. Need another track... click the mouse and hit insert.

Now that the holidays are over, I just need to wait until he comes home next week from vacationing in Las Vegas. Hopefully no Omicron comes home with him or his wife. I might have to give him one of my spare Sweetwater Pro Audio catalogs. They have LOTs of nice toys to look at... it's the old audio geezer's version of a kid's wish book!
 
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