Phil O'Keefe Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 :cues ram pic: :phil: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lefort_1 Posted September 2, 2012 Members Share Posted September 2, 2012 :phil: Well, if you insist....LOTS AND LOTS OF RAM!!!NOT Enough Ram:Fake Ram from Former Soviet Republic.... re-labeled EweART ... will not perform as expected:Dual Buss Architecture:Again, you want lots and lots of RAM:Check the Design Methodology...you do not want buss collisions: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted September 2, 2012 Author Members Share Posted September 2, 2012 ^^^ I like your rams better than my rams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted September 2, 2012 Author Members Share Posted September 2, 2012 Say no more... you're already using virtual instruments, so max that ram out! Fast processor - check. Fast drives - check. I'd say you're on the right track there. Get the 32 GB of RAM if you can swing it. At least get 16 GB. I maxed out the RAM in my new MacBook Pro (16GB) and am very happy I did. Virtual synths and plugins in general use RAM, so having a lot of it on hand is a good idea. And if you think that SSD is fast, try running your DAW from a RAM disk. With 32GB, you'd have more than enough RAM available to do stuff like that - keep the program and all audio files in RAM at all times... I can't afford the 2400mhz ram...maybe 16 gigs but not 32. I could get 32 gigs of 1330 or maybe 1600. So is it better to have 16 gigs 2400 or 32 gigs 1330? How do I make a ram disk? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members caeman Posted September 2, 2012 Members Share Posted September 2, 2012 Once you reach 24GB of RAM under Windows 7, you can turn off Virtual Memory. That should gain you some CPU cycles back. Couple that with an SSD and you should be able to record for days without slowing down. Anytime you can avoid disk access, you avoid unnecessary slowness. The hard drive is always the slowest link on a computer, even with SSDs, though the SSD does remove a great portion of that bottleneck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danhedonia Posted September 2, 2012 Members Share Posted September 2, 2012 I urge you to read this: http://www.just2good.co.uk/chipset.php Computers are called "systems," and the chipset is an often overlooked, not well known but crucial part of EVERY build. Focusing on discrete elements of hardware like RAM, CPU and your HDD is meaningless without putting them on an appropriate platform. If your chipset is not really well designed for the CPU you select, or the RAM, you could have a case full of super-expensive components that either doesn't function well, or has hiccups. An analogy: your guitar signal chain is only going to sound as good as the weakest link (e.g., Eventide pedals through crap speakers will sound crap). Same with data processing. There's good news and bad news about that in the mobo (motherboard) manufacturing world. On the one hand, the geeks who are into benchmarking stats (Maximum PC is a good place to start) can give you a pretty good dose of info for a relatively small investment of your research time. OTOH, it's unfamiliar, and mobo manufacturers are somewhere just this side of carny hawkers when it comes to providing useful on packaging or websites like Newegg, though perhaps that's improved. Audio streaming will emphasize having a good relationship between your northbridge chipset and your RAM. Note that I did not say "have a great northbridge," but a "great relationship between the two." Certain RAM works best with certain iterations of chipsets. And bluntly, you are not doing FPS (first person shooter) games where you're looking for insane frame rates, so you do NOT need to overspend on RAM or a CPU. In fact, if you get a pricy stick of RAM that isn't easily managed by your chipset, your performance will likely suffer and you will become frustrated because you can't pinpoint the issue. I hope that this is helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danhedonia Posted September 2, 2012 Members Share Posted September 2, 2012 Also this: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-northbridge.htm ... and maybe splurge five bucks on the latest issue of Maximum PC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted September 2, 2012 Author Members Share Posted September 2, 2012 How do I tell if I am getting compatible components? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cryptosonic Posted September 2, 2012 Members Share Posted September 2, 2012 You need to cross reference specific parts pairings with what is within budget. Read lots of reviews. Building isn't really that cheap, what one saves in dollars is paid in research time unless you're already a hardware nerd/gamer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members deanmass Posted September 3, 2012 Members Share Posted September 3, 2012 Always buy as much ram as you can afford. No one thing impacts performance as much as ram. Buy your motherboard to take the current family of processors, but buy the slower one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ambient Posted September 3, 2012 Members Share Posted September 3, 2012 I just built my PC last week: i5-3550, 2x4gig 1600 RAM, gigabyte H77 mobo, WB caviar blue HDD. I was building on a budget, so I didn't cram it full of RAM and storage. My thinking is that those bits are the easiest to add if I feel like I need to. I got and i5 as the i7 really does seem like over kill and the price is pretty different - especially for the 'k' type (only really useful if you're overclocking, which I'm not). Also an i7 is gonna get hotter, require more cooling so it will be noisier - especially if OCing.If you're doing video editing/encoding though, then the i7 will probably make a good difference. Anything put together today is probably gonna kick the crap out of a top-of-the-line system form 2 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 How do I tell if I am getting compatible components? Research. Lots and lots of research. I always start over on the DUC since I'm a Pro Tools user and PT compatibility is crucial to me. I check to see what chipsets folks are having success with, and note the ones they are complaining about or that are known to cause issues. I check Avid's documentation as far as their system requirements and supported systems. By starting there - with the manufacturer of my DAW program and their support community, I hopefully avoid many issues. You can also often find systems listed that have been spec'ed out by knowledgeable people and that others are successfully running Pro Tools with. There are similar resources available regardless of the DAW you use - Sonar, Digital Performer, Logic - all have active manufacturer's or user supported forums. Lots of the larger computer sites can help you spec out a system too. You can grab a well regarded bare-bones system and add to it, or start from scratch. There's a ton of computer and peripheral product benchmarks and reviews out there, and if something you're considering hasn't been reviewed, you may want to reconsider - the computer world gets to their reviews pretty darned fast, and most of the hot items are just as eagerly anticipated in their world as the latest new Fenders and Gibsons are around here. But most of them are not going to be all that knowledgeable about DAW recording, which is why it's so important to check with the company that makes the software you want to run, as well as the audio interface you want to use to insure the hardware you get will work with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted September 3, 2012 Author Members Share Posted September 3, 2012 Well I am starting to rethink building and maybe just buying one... seems like I might be better off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members deanmass Posted September 3, 2012 Members Share Posted September 3, 2012 If you doing aa PC, the SWS pc's are sweet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted September 3, 2012 Author Members Share Posted September 3, 2012 If you doing aa PC, the SWS pc's are sweet... ? More info please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danhedonia Posted September 3, 2012 Members Share Posted September 3, 2012 Echoing recent posts: as a former (reformed?) PC modder, I can honestly say that there are two reasons I can think of to build a PC:1. You need it to look a certain way; and/or2. You seek a certain performance spec that is atypical for the overall budget of your system (e.g., you don't care to have much storage space, but require a very high-end graphics card in order to participate in online gaming).(Maybe 3: you have access to cheap or free components)Other than that, you're probably better off buying. I, uh, got pretty into #1 above, there. Auto finishes and the like. I was pretty fond of getting the insides all lit up purdy, too. Phil's suggestions are great, and I really agree with Ambient that most people overspend when putting together a PC. The advice to "buy more RAM" is, IMHO, a little misguided. You do want a good dollop of RAM - and audio is about buffering, which places more importance on it - but again, the northbridge controls the RAM and how it behaves with the CPU (which you will certainly be using with your audio software) so simply buying "more and better RAM" won't make a bit of difference if your chipset is not well suited. I know this must sound both fishy and bit wonky/geeky at first, but really, you can do the research without having to learn the principles: as Phil said, cruise the fora for the various manufacturers, Google around a bit, and see what people have to say. Phil is also correct when he notes that there's a healthy amount of info out there; computer component nerds are completely over the top when it comes to online communing. Just want to add that even if you buy a preassembled PC I would suggest doing the research on chipsets. For the obvious reason: a lot of PC manufacturers buy aging components on the cheap, and slap together systems that you may find frustrating. For years, HP was notorious for shoving underpowered mobos into desktops that were otherwise packed with reasonably good components; it was their way of saving $25 a machine, and for all I know about their business that was a sizable slice of margin. As a recovering modder, here's an alternative tip I can offer you: buy a PC at Costco, take it home and try it out, and if it doesn't work, bring it back. Their return policy is generous, and that may be your fastest, easiest route. I picked up a little Acer not long ago that's doing the multimedia thing quite nicely, and only set me back $499. Had it annoyed me, I could have solved the problem with one 15 minute drive and 5 minutes of waiting in line. YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ambient Posted September 3, 2012 Members Share Posted September 3, 2012 Well I am starting to rethink building and maybe just buying one... seems like I might be better off. Definitely build one. It's much cheaper, you get exactly what you want, and you know how to upgrade in the future. You also have control over the quality of the parts, a lot of manufacturers will load up on RAM and an impressive sounding CPU but skimp on stuff like PSU and case. The actual putting together of the machine is much easier than I expected - you just have to take your time and be careful not to drop {censored}. The hardest/most time consuming thing is researching what bits you wanna use. It seems super complicated at first, but once you get going it starts to make sense and your choices reduce a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members komodo117 Posted September 3, 2012 Members Share Posted September 3, 2012 Well I am starting to rethink building and maybe just buying one... seems like I might be better off. Nah man definitely build one. You obviously want a high performance computer, and the best way to do that without overpaying is to just immerse yourself in the community and soak up as much knowledge as you can and it will pretty much build itself for you. That is the college of the internet. Don't let it overwhelm you. Computers aren't all that difficult to figure out, it's just all details. No different than guitars, pedals and amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Marshall Posted September 3, 2012 Members Share Posted September 3, 2012 Unless you are working on truly huge projects with 50 tracks and 100 plugins running you are not going to need 32 GB of RAM. Do current OSes even know what to do with that much RAM. Does any current recording software take advantage of hyperthreading? (I don't know on either of those) My old band broke up nearly ten years ago. I recorded our album in cakewalk 8 with 450mhz celeron, 1gb of ram... though i did research the heck out of the motherboard and video card. We had a couple songs with 30+ tracks and loads of plugins with barely a hicup. I do think I had to render a couple of the more cpu intensive plugins though. (reverbs) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted September 3, 2012 Author Members Share Posted September 3, 2012 Thanks guys. I just don't get this north southbridge stuff. I found this pc at Future Shop Canada. All I have to do is add a 2nd drive and the firewire card. I can't buy the components for this much. http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/asus-asus-intel-core-i7-3770-desktop-computer-cm6870-ca-3ab-english-cm6870-ca-3ab/10217358.aspx?path=8d7dcc0bd7aa8919d2f4a4e14ef5742ben02 it has the i7 3770, 16 gigs @ 1600mhz...One drawback is the 300watt power supply but it says it has some kind of power saving thing going on. I can always upgrade the psu later for $30-$50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Marshall Posted September 3, 2012 Members Share Posted September 3, 2012 Thanks guys. I just don't get this north southbridge stuff.I found this pc at Future Shop Canada. All I have to do is add a 2nd drive and the firewire card. I can't buy the components for this much.http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/asus-asus-intel-core-i7-3770-desktop-computer-cm6870-ca-3ab-english-cm6870-ca-3ab/10217358.aspx?path=8d7dcc0bd7aa8919d2f4a4e14ef5742ben02it has the i7 3770, 16 gigs @ 1600mhz...One drawback is the 300watt power supply but it says it has some kind of power saving thing going on. I can always upgrade the psu later for $30-$50. I remember when 300 watts was a lot!!! One thing i did on my old recording PC was buy a really nice power supply. it wasn't about wattage for me. It was about noise. I found one with a nearly silent fan, which was a big deal because we multitracked a lot of backing vocals in the same room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cryptosonic Posted September 3, 2012 Members Share Posted September 3, 2012 I remember when 300 watts was a lot!!! One thing i did on my old recording PC was buy a really nice power supply. it wasn't about wattage for me. It was about noise. I found one with a nearly silent fan, which was a big deal because we multitracked a lot of backing vocals in the same room. Agreed, do not skimp on your PSU. If your system chews up most of your power headroom that PSU fan is always going to be spinning and it will be spinning fast. Look for a unit with a single large fan with 30-50% more power than you need, and high efficiency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members caeman Posted September 3, 2012 Members Share Posted September 3, 2012 300 watts should be fine, unless you try and run a fancy graphics card. And just to be extra save, invest in an Automatic Voltage Regulator. That will extend the life of any power supply, UPS and other various electronics by keeping the power consistent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members r0bo01 Posted September 3, 2012 Members Share Posted September 3, 2012 very good advice from all posters, but no one has talked about 32bit vs. 64 bit operating systems. a 32 bit o.s. can access 3.5 gb of ram, whereas a 64 bit o.s. can access 16.7 exabytes (thanx google). if 64 bit goes without saying, never mind me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted September 3, 2012 Author Members Share Posted September 3, 2012 Yes 64 bit... Some places are offering a $15 upgrade to win8 Pro if you buy a pc... Here is a strong contender:http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3381406&CatId=2627 $850. Same as the other one but with no separate graphics card. The graphics card on the other has 3gigs ram, but also has a fan. The other drawbacks are the 2tb drive is sata2, 3 per second transfer where sata3=6...and the small amount of expansion for pci and drives. But it will be a rocket for me and I can alway buy a new case and or mother b later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.