Advice needed re brand new future-proof computer!!

[j7243]

Hi all,

I got my last PC custom-built about 4 or 5 years ago now, and it’s struggling to cope with Ableton and my plugins now. I’m looking to buy a new one that will hopefully be future-proof for the next 3-5 years.

I don’t really do any recording, but I do use the following plugins:

Ableton Live 6 -upgrading to 8
Garritan Jazz & Big Band
Garritan Personal Orchestra
Native Instruments B4
Fxpansion BFD
Fxpansion BFD Jazz & Funk
Fxpansion BFD Percussion
Spectrasonics Trilogy
Scarbee Vintage Keyboard Collection
Scarbee Imperial Drums
Arturia V Collection
Quantum Leap RA
Synthogy Ivory
Synthogy Italian Grand

I have a few questions I need answered to help me decide which components are right for me, so I’d appreciate any opinions or experience relating to the following…

1. Operating System – Windows XP Pro or Windows 7? Are my plugins all compatible with W7?

2. Processor – Intel i5 or i7 (both 2.66ghz 8mb cache)?

3. Motherboard - Any suggestions to go with above processors?

4. Memory – I’m looking at Corsair 4mb DDR3 1600mhz

5. Case – I want a super-quiet PC as my current one is really noisy! Antec Sonata III with 500W EarthWatts PSU a good bet?

6. Hard Drives – Western Digital 1tb 7200rpm 32mb for data good enough?

7. Should I convert to Mac instead?!?! I’m keen to give Logic a shot for its samples/instruments (but will still use Live as my main daw) - I want to make sure all my current plugins are compatible though.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[KrisM]

There is no such thing as a future proof computer.

I'm not researching your plugins for you get to work!

I'd go Windows 7 I think, if it were me. It's looking pretty good (and often benchmarking better than XP) for audio work these days.

AT LEAST 4GB of RAM. I'd prefer 8 myself.

Research motherboards with your processor (i7 if in your budget, imo). Go to newegg.com and look at the i7 (or i5) processor motherboards and see what people say. You'll mostly find gamers, but it'll give you an idea of what works well and with what RAM (some motherboards are pissy with certain RAM, timings, etc). THEN look for those motherboards on audio forums (here, KVR, Studio Central, etc).

The Sonata is highly regarded in all it's incarnations and iterations over the years iirc.

Pretty sure all those plugins are on Mac (unsure about Garritan's but if it's the older Kontakt version you're golden), but I'd again research to verify. I hear Logic/Live is a stout combination (but you need to check whether your plugins have an AU version that ALSO passes Logic's much more "strict" AU verification process) but I don't use it personally.

I will say that Live runs smooth on my MacBook.

You'll pay more for a Mac, but it's up to you to decide if the cost is worth it. To me, it was, and still is, but assembling PCs will always have a special place in my heart. I find the blitz of new research every 2-3 years to figure out what's "the new hotness" enjoying, and then putting it all together is fun, too. Booting up after installing XP SP2 and finding out you have to disable processor cache to apply some obscure update (all was well before) that now takes 6 hours because of your crippled processor in order to use your computer normally again... not so much

[H20nly]

well, if you're plugs don't work on a new OS it would be them that aren't future proof right?

[j7243]

@KrisM - Thanks for your feedback, it's much appreciated. I am now leaning towards converting to Mac! I'm the same as you, I love the idea of buying new components and putting together a new machine... plus I'd get better specs on a custom-built PC than on a Macbook Pro and for less money. But it seems that Macs are more stable and a more popular choice among professional producers.

@H20nly - Very true!

[esky]

Live is more stable on a Mac...? Go back in time and read about the moaning of popular forum Mac users. Buy a Mac and if one day you want a more powerful computer... buy another mac. Buy a PC and if you want a faster PC buy a new board and a new cpu. But if your intention is to be part of the professional mac user society...forget all this...

[chris vine]

^

[Jarvisimon]

Nobody's mentioned USB 3 yet.

[nuxnamon]

if you are going to a mac, I've always bought from their refurbished store.. it's basically brand new with the same warranty.. i got my dual quad mac pro for $1600.. maybe I got lucky on that one but the deals are still pretty good.. but there definitely is no future proof computer.. especially with macs because the only thing you can pretty much upgrade is the RAM and the HD.. but in my experience, i don't regret switching over because I got apple stickers

[Khazul]

Just built a new machine:

Gigabyte GA-X58a-UD3R motherboard (asus and gigabyte have allways been my favoured makes, chose gigabyte due to TI firewire chipset and TBH fancied a change from my usual Asus rig).
intel i7 930 (Quad core at 2.8GHz) overclocked to just over 4Ghz cooled by a Corsair H50 watercooler
6GB 1600Mhz DDR3 memory
WD velocityraptor (10000RPM/SATA2/300GB) OS drive - will add a WD 1TB SATA 3 drive for data.
Antec P183 case + CP850 PSU
Sony SATA DVD writer (cant remember which model)
4 x Akasa 120mm Viper fans (shift more air and quieter than stock fans).
Saphire Vapour-X 5770 for graphics (quiet enough for an audio PC and also very good for games if you want that too, price not bad either).
Creative X-Fi for windows/games/media sounds.

Case slightly modded such that 3 of the alaska fans are on the front pulling air in via filters (instead of the usual 2 this case allows for, the third is above the DVD drive), CPU cooler fan on the back pulling air out (the 4th alaska fan), top fan spot empty. Im not using any of the stock fans. You may need some fan controllers just to drop the max speed on the non motherboard-controlled fans just to get the air rushing noise level down to more or less unnoticeable. Also get some spare rubber fan pins (pac of 20 for 3 quid) as these can be easy to break when installing.

Dual booting XP+SP3 and Windows 7/64 until I get a decent Win7/64 capable audio interface.
This was an upgrade from my previous build - Pentium D @ 3.6Ghz that was just crawlng with the plugin I wanted to use - actually couldnt usefully cope at all with Massive or ACE.

Just posted one of the lowest CPU use levels to date in the Live perf test thread - finally can run a few instances of Massive and ACE (both complete CPU hogs) and CPU heavy fx like Aether and other decent reverbs etc.

As an aside, I just tried running Far Cry 2 at 1920x1200 with all the visuals maxed out and very smooth indeed.


For a more dedicated and even quieter audio machine, then I might change as follows:
Same CPU, but dont overclock it, same cooler as well - cant hear the pump at all.
Less powerful Saphire vapour-x graphics card, or even one with only passive cooling if you dont need decent grpahics performance at all.
You wont need as many fans (try 2, or 3 if using a passive colled graphics card), but those fan do seem quite decent and make sure you have some kind of power contol for them - inline resistor to drop the voltage down a litle, or some kind of speed switch/control etc.
The high speed drive seems very quiet as well.
Case is excellent - nice damping on drives, and the rubber fan pins serve the damp fan vibration too (alot better than the sonata I think, but also more pricey)
Power supply seems quiet as well even with the four drives currently in there.

If you fancy a mac instead, then go for the equialent hardware imac - I thinik there is now a 2.8Ghz i7 based model which should give similar performance without all the hassle of a self build.

[Ben_Binary]

Nobody's mentioned USB 3 yet.

Wassup with USB3?

What expansion type will it be available on like pci cards ?

[Jarvisimon]

Nobody's mentioned USB 3 yet.

Wassup with USB3?

What expansion type will it be available on like pci cards ?

i have no idea.

I mention USB 3 because it's the latest incarnation of USB and anyone wanting a computer that is future proof for 3-5 years, as the OT mentions, then they're going to want it as standard on their motherboard, not necessarily as a pci expansion card add on.

[Khazul]

Nobody's mentioned USB 3 yet.

Wassup with USB3?

What expansion type will it be available on like pci cards ?

i have no idea.

I mention USB 3 because it's the latest incarnation of USB and anyone wanting a computer that is future proof for 3-5 years, as the OT mentions, then they're going to want it as standard on their motherboard, not necessarily as a pci expansion card add on.

My machine has USB3 - not seen any USB3 devices yet, and there is Access who seem quite happy with USB 1.1 still

[j7243]

@nuxnamon - Good call! There are some decent options there... I hadn't considered an iMac before but there are a few with better specs than a new MacBook Pro that are considerably cheaper.

@Khazul - Your new machine is a beast! It must have cost quite a lot to put it together but I bet it flies! Thanks for all the info. Again, hadn't considered an getting an iMac but it looks like a good option.

& thanks to everyone else for your input...

[Khazul]

It must have cost quite a lot to put it together but I bet it flies!

About 1300UKP - already have monitor/keyboard/mouse, and additional hard drives - but yeh - seems to have been well worth it, if only to finally get to properly abuse some soft synths and fx that until now I have been barely able to use.

[djsynchro]

it just works