htpc running aleton - would this be powerful enough?

[emitecaps]

hi,

i'm thinking of buying this htpc. i dont have the expertise to self build so was considering this
http://www.ambros.co.uk/product/1610/zo ... ebone.html

spec is as below - i would probably install 8gb of ram and buy a ssd drive. for a soundcard i would probably use a behringer uac 202 usb card. do you think this would be suitable? my concern is whether the i3 2330m would be powerful enough?


Model ZBOX ID82
Intel® Chipset HM65 Express
GPU Intel® HD Graphics 3000
Intel® Core™ i3 2330M (dual-core 2.2 GHz)
Socket NA (integrated CPU)
Frontside bus NA
Expansion Slots na
3D API
DirectX DirectX 10.1
OpenGL OpenGL 3.1
Networking
Ethernet 10/100/1000 Mbps
WiFi 802.11n/g/b + Bluetooth 3.0
Audio
Analog Stereo Output
Digital 8-ch via HDMI
S/PDIF
Storage
Hard Drive Support 2.5-inch SATA 6.0 Gb/s HDD/SSD
Optical Drive na
Memory Card Reader 6-in-1 (MMC/SD/SDHC/MS/MS Pro/xD)
Ports
DVI 1
HDMI 1
DisplayPort na
SATA 1 (SATA 6.0 Gbps)
eSATA na
IDE na
PS2 na
Serial Port na
USB Ports 2 USB 3.0 (on back panel)
4 USB 2.0 (2 back panel / 1 front panel / 1 top panel)

thanks

[jestermgee]

Depends...

Almost any PC will "Run" ableton. I assume you will have an OS installed on said machine (not mentioned). If you plan on putting 8GB in there you will need a 64bit OS. Then you will need all 64bit drivers and if you want to access the extra ram, you need to be using 64bit software. Things start getting just a touch more complex (but not hard).

Where I said depends, this is dependant on what you want to do with Ableton. If you just want to mix MP3 files and become a superstar DJ then it will handle the MP3s fine (superstardom not guaranteed). If you want to start throwing in a lot of VST instruments and effects (especially heavy layered synths such as Massive or large librarys such as Omnisphere etc) then it may struggle up to a point.

Im not a fan of those micro PCs. Too hard to fit things into but then I have also never bought a machine off the shelf. I prefer to invest time into building all components into it so I know they are all quality parts picked for the job. I also learnt that if you are going to aim at a new machine, getting something top of the line today means it won't be so "out of date" so quick.

[emitecaps]

thanks - these are very good points! i think i might look into building my own a bit more as there's little point buying something that I will need to replace soon
thanks again

[jestermgee]

thanks - these are very good points! i think i might look into building my own a bit more as there's little point buying something that I will need to replace soon
thanks again

If you are not good at building then there is no problem buying off the shelf, just try and shoot for a processor that is in your budget and save a few weeks if it means you can get something a little better. As you get to the higher end the costs tend to go up for seemingly very little so that's where I like builds personaly, you can put the cost where you need it.