5 year old pc, maybe time to upgrade suggestions

[leighbeynon]

i would only like to get a powerful new motherboard and cpu,
i don't want to move to windows 7 and would like to continue to use my sata drive with windows xp with all my sounds, projects and programmes is it possible to use part of my current set up
and replace just the motherboard and cpu, maybe quad core or something better than my dual core

i guess the only issue is im already at max ram for windows xp so would i really see any performace increase ?

[XPM]

I just built a new machine around this mobo CPU combo. Runs nicely, but I'm using windows 7.
http://www.dabs.com/products/asus-intel ... -7402.html

[darkenedsoul]

You are going to need a product that allows you to do a universal restore onto new hardware if you change out CPU/mobo due to different chipsets and all. I don't know what else is out there for free but Acronis (don't think home will do it unless you purchase the universal restore product) can do this (I haven't had to just yet but will in the future whenever I decide and have funds to build new one). Search online for free backup/restore products and see if any have a universal restore option, meaning you can just restore onto the new hardware configuration then load in the drivers needed to handle the new mobo chipset and whatever else is new. It isn't a simple process but it can be done.

As for not wanting to go to Win7, my laptop has it, runs ok but haven't done a ton with Live on it yet.

Mike

[Khazul]

Re: not wanting to move to win 7.
I held off upgrading to Win7/64 for a long time, basically until i could find stable drivers for everything etc, and now that I have been using 7/64 for a while, I would say its at least as stable as win xp (with the caveat that Im using latest versions of everything and some have got much better in the meantime).

Performance wise, some test i did dual booting this machine (i7 @ 4Ghz, 1600Mhz memory, 10000 RPM SATA2 OS drive, 7200 RPM SATA3 data drive) between XP and Win 7 indicated the following:
- Moderate stress (upto 70% cpu or so use reported in live) performance observed to be identical and equally glitch free.
- Extremely high stress (80%+ cpu use reported in live) - win xp remained glitch free to a higher CPU use (but this machine is fast enough to never really push it this hard in reality anyway).
- If it means anything DPC latency is much lower on Win XP, meaning drivers for exmple can be more response, so maybe lower latencies achiveable, but seems marginal in real use.
- Default install of Windows XP will only allow upto 2GB memory use by Live, by comparison in Win7/64, I can use upto 3.6BG memory for live - might be useful if you usign trillian, omnipshere, kontact, sampler etc alot.
- Stability I cant tell the difference - live has become more stable recently no naturally my experience is of greater stability since Ive been on win7/64. Indcidently, I did find the driver for teh RME Fireface 400 better on Win7/64 - think that was just down to a wierd release by RME that happened to work much better on Win7/64 than on XP - who knows?

Summary - no real performance loss, much more memory available assuming you have a machine with a reasonable amount of memory in it (for eg 6GB).

Windows XP is no longer a supported operating system as far as Microsoft are concerned (over 5 years since it was replaced by vista) - any issues present you will have to live with. Increasingly this will extend to applications and plugins etc. Allready for example Cubase 6 has dropped support for Windows XP (Vista as well which is surpsing in some ways).

Now assuming you get yourself a modern machine (i7 CPU, intel chipset on a reputable motherboard, asus/gigabyte etc for example, 6GB or more DDR3 memory etc), Win7/64 will work out as a better OS for running Live on average. Obvious exception - you have some really old applications/plugins that you use alot and havnt been updated, or devices without 64 bit drivers.

If you start with WinXP, then definately consider allowing room to dual boot - start with XP, stick your old drive in with all your music stuff on it (thats what I did) and leave decent size a partition free to install win7/64 later and start trying it. I havnt use my XP partition for ages now and actualy regret even botherign to install XP on here, but then at least I giot a chance to compare the two OSs on the same hardware.

If you have an existiing WinXP OS on the drive, then it aint going to be happy at the hardware upgrade - much safer to reinstall it on the new hardware.

[leighbeynon]

so any recommendations on cpu and boards ?

i was always told if you buy Intel cpu get an Intel board for continuity ?

im thinking about quad core myself if i can afford it !

[Khazul]

so any recommendations on cpu and boards ?

Because it easier to copy and paste - results I posted to Live perf test thread which details stuff used....

1. Ableton Live CPU Meter 11% / 12% (Virus TI ASIO was 11%, others 12%)
2. Laptop/Desktop? Make/Model? Custom Build PC - Gigabyte X58A-UD3R, 1600 DDR3 memory, i7 930 @ 4GHz
3. Operating System? Windows XP SP3
4. Ableton Live version? 8.1.3
5. CPU Make, Model, and Speed? i7 930 @ 4GHz
6. Amount of Ram? 6GB (3.5GB available to XP)
7. Soundcard (and driver version if you know it)? Virus TI ASIO, Creative X-Fi ASIO, Yamaha 01x mLan ASIO, NI Audio Kontrol 1, RME FF400 (All gave similar results)
8. Hard Disk Drive Speed (if you know)? OS: 10000rpm SATA 2, Data 7200 RPM full SATA 3
9. Number of playback tracks? 8

Updated for Windows 7/64 on same hardware:

1. Ableton Live CPU Meter 12%
2. Laptop/Desktop? Make/Model? Custom Build PC - Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R, 1600Mhz DDR3 memory, i7 930 @ 4GHz
3. Operating System? Windows 7, 64 bit
4. Ableton Live version? 8.1.3
5. CPU Make, Model, and Speed? intel i7 930 @ 4GHz
6. Amount of Ram? 6GB
7. Soundcard (and driver version if you know it)? Virus TI ASIO (4.0.5), RME FF400, NI Audio Kontrol 1, Creative X-Fi ASIO (All same results)
8. Hard Disk Drive Speed (if you know)? OS: 10000rpm SATA 2, Data 7200 RPM full SATA 3
9. Number of playback tracks? 8

One issue iwth the BIOS on this motherboard -= DO NOT lett the chipset temp rise too much as the BIOS does something really stuipid that drive DPC latency to 25000us, so you need good airflow. Under normal temperature operation however the machine is very stable and very quick.

[jamief]

i7 cpu 920 ghz
1333 mhz ram 4 gb
motherboard of your choice.

This is a fast machine and perhaps may last you another 5 years. i7 all the way

[leighbeynon]

i7 you say, ok ill look into this,

so this is better way to go than quad core, or is it more affordable really,
Novatech should have some barebones available for i7

thanks leigh

[bangaio]

You should look at the new sandybridge chips - the chiopset has a wee problem at the moment being sorted by intel but my i5 2500k is absolutely blazing fast just at stock speeds. Hits i7 speeds and more and is quite a bit cheaper. I'd wait until new i5 p67/h67 boards get out there and go with the new.

Also in addition to the win 7 bit - just switched to this (and I'ma mac user as well) and I am vey impressed. No hitches at all so far.

[leighbeynon]

yeah ive just been reading that some of the i5 are just a fast as the i7
and this would save me quite a bit of cash since ill need a new motherboard and graphics card
and well ill need ram also since my ddr 2 wont run in a new board !

[Rave]

I have an iMac i7 with 8gb ram. It rox

[leighbeynon]

hey i read those sandybridge chips have been recalled !!!

so best to avoid these until they re-release in 2-3 weeks, this is the chip i was going to go for aswell !