Tell us about how many tracks you want to record simultaneously and what other features you're looking for and we can recommend a soundcard. I can vouch for Cubase as a nice app. I am using 2.0 and I love it.

I'm no expert on 64 bit systems, but I can tell you that VIA chipsets have a very bad reputation in the DAW world. Perhaps you should consider the MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum motherboard since it uses the NVidia Nforce3 chipset, a chipset with a very good rep with respect to audio.

You machine will definitely be able to run the ammount of plugs you mentioned.

Your situation is very similar to someone else's here that I recently helped. You should read [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.recordin…"]that thread[/]="http://www.recordin…"]that thread[/].

Hi David,
thanks for answering my post so quickly.

I checked out the post you recommended and it was very informative. And I also checked out the new mobo you mentioned:

MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum -
Chipset: nForce3 ULTRA
RAM: 4x DIMM Supports dual channel DDR266/333/400 Max 4GB
Slots: 1x AGP 4X/8X, 5x PCI
Ports: 2x PS/2, 1x COM, 1x LPT, 8x USB2.0(Rear 4), 1x IEEE1394, 2xRJ45, 1x S/PDIF Out, Audio Ports
IDE: 2x ATA 133 up to 4 Devices
SATA/RAID: 4x SATA RAID with 0,1,0+1

I was wondering if you feel that this board is a good match for my existing components?

In answer to your question I'd like to be able to record at least 8 tracks at one time.

Thanks again for all your help.

Check out the M-Audio Delta 1010 and the Aardvark Q10, both nice cards for the money. I'm sure that board will work with the other components you've picked out, but I really don't know the board well.

Just a quick scan over your list and two things come to mind.

1) 550W is overkill for a power supply - unless you want to build a noise maker.

2) I'm not sure what Dreamweaver needs for a graphics card, but I think you want a killer 2D card - not a killer 3D game card. As in the other thread French mentions - Matrox may be more bang for your buck.

Thanks!
I was also curious if I should look out for any specific CD/DVD drive/burners. I hear that Plextor is very good. I was checking out the two models below.

Plextor Black 52x32x52 CD-RW Drive, Model PX-PREMIUM/SW BLK

Plextor 12X DVD+/-RW Drive, Model PX-712A

If you can recommend anything else that you feel is better please do so.

Also as the n00b that I am I have a stupid question concerning motherboard chipsets. The board you recommended has a NVidia Chipset, does this have any bearing on graphic card compatibility as the one I picked out was an ATI.

zemlin wrote: Just a quick scan over your list and two things come to mind.

1) 550W is overkill for a power supply - unless you want to build a noise maker.

I went high because I know that higher end graphic cards can really suck down the power. Do you think 500W is a better choice?

zemlin wrote:

2) I'm not sure what Dreamweaver needs for a graphics card, but I think you want a killer 2D card - not a killer 3D game card. As in the other thread French mentions - Matrox may be more bang for your buck.

I do video editing as well so I assumed (dangerous word) that the more bleeding edge the better. I'll check out Matrox. If you feel there is any particular card that's pretty decent please let me know.

Thanks for your help.

I run an Antec 380W. Since noise and heat are issues, add up the power requirements on your components and see what is really necessary rather than just aiming high when it probably isn't necessary.

"Tweakers" may buy a power supply with a high rating because they can - thinking it's better. Cheap 500W supplies will have high current ratings on a couple of the voltages, but disproportionately low values on some of the others. It allows them to put a big sticker on the box without lying, but doesn't really provide the necessary power for a fat system.

A conservatively and better balanced power supply (like an Antec) will likely out-perform a Hu-Flung-Pu 500W PSU.

"Bleeding Edge" cards are going for game performance with 3D hardware. You're talking 2D for video - completely different animal as far as what the card has to do. Don't get hung up on the amount of RAM either - Big RAM numbers are for texture mapping, not 2D graphics. The Matrox P650 or P750 cards may well be better for you - their multi-monitor implementation is far better than nVidia or ATI.

In my experience, motherboard chipsets in relation to video card chipsets have no bearing on video card compatibility. The Matrox cards are renown for their compatibility and stability and because of this they are the DAW standard. Choose a model depending on what features you want and you should be good to go.

As you can tell by reading the other thread, I am a big fan of the Nexus power supplies. I think having the fan on the bottom is a great innovation because it helps get more heat out of the case. Also, they are dead silent. They make a 400 watt version that you should look into. I agree 100% withy Zemlin's comments on power supplies.

Thanks for all your help guys.
I'll make some more changes (Nexus, Matrox) to my list and start to finalize everything. Thanks again!

Another thing you should pickup is Arctic Silver 5 and a decent HSF setup like the Thermalright SLK's. They all copper and are excellent heat dissipators. Along with a good 92mm fan to keep the sound down but the CFM's High enough to cool your CPU. Also rounded cables will help a lot vs the big ribbons that come with your case.

Just want to chime in here, You do not want to go with a smaller power supply, I would suggest you stick with the 550. You stated you want to run 3 HDD's. On startup you'll be spining up 3 drives and that is a tremendous load on the PS, not to mention all of your cards, fans, MOBO and a power sucking CPU. It is a common mistake to only add up the power requirements and choose a PS. You must also take into account what type of devices and how many you will be powering as HDD's put 2 to 3 times the load on the PS at startup as when running at full speed. The other statements about a balanced PS are true, don't be mislead by numbers. I would suggest you visit this site as it contains info and tests on just about every peice of computer hardware out there.

http://www.tomshardware.com/

Stay away from VIA chipsets for any PC. David's suggestion of Nvidia chipsets for AMD's is a good one.

Plextor makes the best burners out there. Go with the DVD burner not the CD-RW. It's more versitale and 52X drives are known for problems.

The Thermaltake case is a great choice (I have one for my gaming rig) just make sure you get a model with a fan speed control and temperature readout.

I have to run so I'll add to the post later :D

Big_D wrote: On startup you'll be spining up 3 drives and that is a tremendous load on the PS, not to mention all of your cards, fans, MOBO and a power sucking CPU.

Each drive will draw about 25-30 Watts when spinning up.

Thanks for the input Big D, 'preciate it.
Things have changed a little bit as I continue to research my build. This is what I've gathered so far, please feel free to comment :D .

The motherboard I'm now currently looking at is the DFI "LANPARTY UT nF3 250Gb" NVIDIA nForce3 250GB Chipset. Since it's a 754 socket I have to change my CPU (people are saying that the Clawhammer is better then the New Castle). The impression that I'm getting is that the 939 boards aren't really that stable and don't really deliver a killer performance upgrade over the 754. It seems that Also there isn't really a great selection of 'em either. Also I heard that the Hitachi or Maxtor drives may be a better bet. The memory will also have to change as well as that I have not been able to find out if the DFI will support 1 gig sticks as opposed to 512 sticks. I tell ya trying to configure a machine is pretty confusing :? .

If anybody has ANY suggestions or comments please don't hesitate to pipe it. Believe me I could use the help.

thanks

I'm with Big-D on the PSU issue.

Both because of start up and secondly and more important if you go with the advice on the Aardvark Q10 you better have a big PSU.
If you plan on using those 8 micpre's at a time. It draws from the PCI bus.

When shopping for a PS, don't shop by wattage look at the amperage each provides at a specific voltage. Your PS supplies 12V, 5V and 3.3V. If you add up the amperage draw of all of the components in your system that draw 12V you can calculate how much amperage and watts will be required from your PS for the 12V leg and you can shop for a unit that fits that requirement. The same applies to the 5V and 3.3V. Here's a very simple example.
I rounded the numbers for simplicity sake and only included a few items. Many components use more than one voltage but I've only included 12V. The HDD is at full speed.

Processor - 8A X 12V = 96 Watts
HDD - 2A X 12V = 24 Watts
DVD - 1A X 12V = 12 Watts
Fan - .25A x 12V = 3 Watts

As you can see the amps add up to 11.25 and the watts add up to 135. You now have some numbers to look for when shopping for a PS. Remember this is the minimum your system can use and the ps should exceed these numbers by at least 20%. The most important number to be concerned with is the 12V figure because this is where cheap PS's fall short, the overall watts look good but the 12V watts are below standard. Do the same for 5V and 3.3V and check each voltages amperage or watt total against the manufactuers specs to find a unit that is suitable. Adding all of the numbers will give you the total wattage requirement.

One last note if you don't intend to play games on your PC I would go with the Matrox as suggested. I would also suggest sticking with a 462 pin socket MOBO. The other stuff is just too new and most of the makers of these MOBO's are not exactly top shelf or use the VIA chipset. My recomendations would be ASUS A7N8X-E Deluxe with an Athlon XP 3200+ and the memory David recomended to you. This is a time tested setup used by many gamers and DAW users alike and it kicks ass. You will never notice the 300 Mhz difference between the 3200 and 3500 and you'll pay twice the price. Remember stability is key for a DAW and with really new hardware like the 3500 and the MOBO's that go with it your taking a chance. If you really must have the 3500 I would suggest waiting until ASUS or ABIT release a MOBO. The reason they don't have one out yet is because they get it right before they ship it.

Hope this helped :D

Another great lesson, D! 8-)

Thanks 8)

I'll have to side with going with a bigger power supply also. I went through having to replace a PSU a while back. I run 2 IDE & 1 SCSI HD along w/ 3 internal fans in a rack case. If I had stuck with a 300 or 400 watt power supply, I'd be changing it every 3 to 6 months (if that). Go bigger, it'll pay off in the long run.

Big D,
excellent treatise on power. I really appreciate the effort :). So it looks like a 550W power supply will do the trick.

I originally started with the 939 socket board because of the dual channels for memory. Then I found out that when you populate all the DIMMS in the board the FSB goes south. So that's why I went down to the 754. I also like the DFI board because I've seen some great reviews and also with the nF3 chipset there is no north bridge or south bridge, just one chip and I've heard that really helps with latency issues. Mind you all this info is making me a bit :? so I'm going to continue researching.

My list to date:

Thermaltake Xaser V Damier Black Full-Tower Case, Model "V5000A"

Specifications:
Case Type: Modern Tower –Xaser V Damier
Color: Black
Material: Metal
Drive Bays: 5.25" x 5/0, 3.5" x 2/3 (external/internal)
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: Dual USB2.0, IEEE1394 Firewire, audio & speaker ports
Power Supply: N/A
Cooling System: 2 x 80mm, 3 x 90mm
Motherboard Compatibility: Micro ATX, Standard ATX & Extended ATX(Dual CPU)
Dimensions: 19"x 8"x 22" (HxWxD)
Special Features: Tt VIP Pack include: Damier series mouse pad, sticker, CD-ROM disc with screen saver and wallpapers

Antec 550W Power Supply, Model "TRUE550"

- Specifications -

Type: ATX
Maximum Power: 550W
PFC: No
Power Good Signal: 100-500ms
Hold-up Time: >= 17ms at Full Load
Efficiency: >= 68%
Over Voltage Protection: +5V trip point<+6.5V; +3.3V trip point<+4.1V; +12V trip point<+14.4V
Overload Protection: Latching Protection+5V @<47A;+3.3V @ <48A;+12V @ <18A
Input Voltage: 115/230 VAC
Input Frequency Range: 47-63 Hz
Input Current: 10.0A for 115VAC; 6.0A for 230VAC
Output: +3.3V@32A; +5V@40A; -5V@0.5A; +12V@24A; -12V@1A; +5VSB@2A
MTBF: 80,000 hrs. @ 25ºC
Approvals: UL, TUV, CB, VDE, FCC CLASS B, DEMKO, NEMKO, SEMKO, F

DFI "LANPARTY UT nF3 250Gb" NVIDIA nForce3 250GB Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 754 CPU

- Specifications -

Supported CPU: AMD Athlon 64 processor
Chipset: NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb
RAM: 3x DIMM Supports DDR266/333/400 Max 3GB
Slots: 1x AGP 8X/4X, 5x PCI
Ports: 2x PS/2, 1x COM, 1x LPT, 8x USB2.0(Rear 4), 1xRJ45, 2x S/PDIF In/Out, Audio Ports
IDE: 2x ATA 133 up to 4 Devices
SATA/RAID: 2x SATA RAID with NVIDIA RAID 0,1,0+1,JBOD, 2x SATA by Marvell SATA PHY
Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC850(8-Ch)
Onboard LAN: Marvell 88E1111 GbE PHY
Form Factor: ATX

AMD Athlon 64 3400+, 512k L2 Cache, The Only 64-bit Windows Compatible Processor - OEM

Specifications-

Model: AMD Athlon 64 3400+
Core: Newcastle
Operating Frequency: 2.4GHz
FSB: Integrated int chip
Cache: L1/64K+64K; L2/512K
Voltage: 1.5V
Process: 0.13Micron
Socket: Socket 754
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, 3DNOW!, 3DNOW!+
Packaging: OEM(Processor Only)

Harddrive1 for OS and work apps
Maxtor Ultra Series Kit 120GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model L01P120, Retail

- Specifications -

Capacity: 120 GB
Average Seek Time: 9.3 ms
Buffer: 8 MB
Rotational Speed: 7,200 RPM
Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA133
Features: Ideal for high-end gaming and digital video, Ultra quiet operation with FDB motor
Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year
Packaging: Retail (see pics for details)

Harddrive 2 – audio apps
Maxtor Ultra Series Kit 80GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model L01M080, Retail

- Specifications -

Capacity: 80 GB
Average Seek Time: 9.3 ms
Buffer: 8 MB
Rotational Speed: 7,200 RPM
Interface: Serial SATA150
Features: Ideal for high-end gaming and digital video, Ultra quiet operation with FDB motor
Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year
Packaging: Retail (see pics for details)

Harddrive 3 – audio files, sample sets
Maxtor 250GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model 6B250S0, OEM Drive Only

- Specifications -
Capacity: 250GB
Average Seek Time: 9.0 ms
Buffer: 16MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: Serial ATA 150
Features: SATA II, -NCQ [Native Command Queuing]
Manufacturer Warranty: 3 years
Packaging: OEM Drive Only

Plextor 12X DVD+/-RW Drive, Black, Model PX-712SA/SW-BL, Retail

- Specifications -

Write Speed: 12X DVD+R, 4X DVD+RW, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD-RW, 48X CD-R, 24X CD-RW
Read Speed: 48X CD-ROM, 16X DVD-ROM
Interface: SATA
Buffer: 8MB
OS Support: Windows XP/ 2000
Features: Lossless linking technology, Buffer UnderRun Proof technology, POWEREC, GIGAREC, Q-CHECK, SECUREC, SILENT MODE.
Packaging: Retail Box (see pictures for details).

Graphics card will probably be the Matrox as advised.

Still on the hunt for memory.

Soundcard will more likely be the M-Audio Delta 1010

Again if anyone would like to put their .02 in it would be greatly appreciated

and thanks again for everybody's input, you've all been a great help!

Any time guys. It's nice to know someone is actually reading this stuff.

The 550W PS will work with plenty of reserve for extra fans, cards and the like. The 500 would also be sufficient but with less wiggle room. The Antec Truepower PSU's have great spec's and the fans (2) are temperature controlled so they are very quiet. Actually David alot like the Nexxus with a downward pointing fan and the traditional fan out the back.

Since this for a DAW you could also consider ENERMAX Noisetaker series http://www.maxpoint.com/

When I built my DAW 2 years back, I did look around and they allways came out on top, so I went with a 350w Enermax. Acording to calculations I should have a 410w PSU but she never even coughs :D or complaints 8-)

golli wrote: Since this for a DAW you could also consider ENERMAX Noisetaker series http://www.maxpoint.com/

When I built my DAW 2 years back, I did look around and they allways came out on top, so I went with a 350w Enermax. Acording to calculations I should have a 410w PSU but she never even coughs :D or complaints 8-)

Man if it was me my computer would have crapped the bed. You are a lucky man!!
As for me I'm probably going to be getting the OCZ 520ADJ "Powerstream" 520W PSU. Heard a lot of nice things about it and it's pretty quiet.
...the saga continues :-?

I like the Enermax PSU's also Golli. I don't have one currently but may have to get one for my next DAW.

I thought it would be a while before I'd go through replacing my PSU. It finally went out on me this past weekend. I was in a crunch for cost & did'nt want to skip on performance, so I found what I thought was a good deal. I purchased this from Micro Center for under $50 bucks and it's got the works. The manufactuer & model is an: Aspire ATX-AS520W. Here's the web page for some of their other products. http://www.aspireusa.net/index.htm

I just sold my athlon64 based rigg for a G5. PC's are cool, I've always had one because I'm a videogame freak, and know how to build them very well, but I'll say, the G5 is the way to go for music.

I understand if you set on the pc and weren't looking for this kind of advice, but if music is your thing, get a G5, it gets the bs out of your way and lets you make music. PC's just have too many problems, windows is just crap, and you never know when it will just act up on you. I feel I have an unbiased outlook on this issue, I've had both platforms around me my whole life and couldn't give a shit what I'm working on as long as I get to make music, thats what really counts.

I'll never go back, except to my athlon (32bit) rigg to play Counter Strike Sorce :roll:

-Kevin

First off I want to say thanks for everybody's input. This is a great forum!!

@FunkGarden - I work on both Macs and PCs and find that while Macs are pretty slick I think that Windows plays nicer with the outside world. I was doing a lot of layout work while the whole OS9 to OS X upgrade was going on and I found it to be pretty frustrating (crash 'o plenty). Also I'm not sure if the Macs are really worth the money as they are a good deal more expensive. Mind you I'm not a Mac basher because Windows has its fair share of problems too. I think I just feel more comfortable in the PC enviroment.

Ok, here's the latest and greatest (and hopefully the last list).

Thermaltake Xaser V Damier Black Full-Tower Case, Model "V5000A" -RETAIL
ASUS "A8V Deluxe" VIA K8T800 Pro Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 939 CPU -RETAIL
--(I've heard nothing but good things about this board, finally!!)
ATI RADEON X800 PRO Video Card, 256MB GDDR3, 256-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP -RETAIL
--(gotta get this card cause I need good 3d support, adding music/effects to 3d presentations 'n stuff)
OCZ PowerStream 520W Power Supply, SATA Connector, Model "OCZ520ADJ" -RETAIL
AMD Athlon 64 3500+, 512K, L2 Cache, Windows Compatible 64-bit Processor 939 Pin - Retail
OCZ Performance Series Dual Channel 184-Pin 2GB (1GBx2) DDR PC-3200 - Retail 184-Pin
--(want to have the ability to pop in one more gig 'cause Drumkit from Hell/BFD take up a whole hell of a lot of ram.)
I/O Magic 1.44MB 3.5 Inch Internal Floppy Drive, Black Bezel, Model IFLP02, Retail
Maxtor Ultra Series Kit 80GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model L01M080, Retail
Maxtor Ultra Series Kit 200GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model L01M200, Retail
Maxtor Ultra Series Kit 120GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model L01P120, Retail
Lite-On Black 52X32X52X16 Combo Drive, Model SOHC-5232K BLACK, Retail
Plextor 12X DVD+/-RW Drive, Black, Model PX-712SA/SW-BL, Retail

Next question is, how do you guys have your files 'n stuff organized on your harddrive?

-One set up I've been considering (and please chime in) is to have the 120gb drive partitioned. One half would be work apps and files, the other half would be audio apps.

-The 80gb drive would hold the drum samples

-The 200gb drive would hold the audio files.

thanks again for all your help!

Splinterhead wrote: I think I just feel more comfortable in the PC enviroment.

Cool, my Athlon64 PC was setup very similar to your specs, just socket 754, and it was damn fast. I had some really strange ProTools issues during bouncing though, always sounded terrible. I never got a clear anwser on that, it seemed to be a PC issue, my mac is fine, but others on PC's don't seem to run into that. Thats the PC world for ya. Hopefully you have better luck, because the Athlon 64 is a badass proccessor.

The one thing I saw in your specs that made me shiver was the maxtor drives. I've had ibm's western digitals, and maxtors, and every time the maxtors just start loosing data. I lost my entire session for my band 2 months ago to a maxtor. Every time I re-install windows, it re-indexes the drive and files go MIA, a disk recovery brings back some of them, but my sessions were long gone. Thats my Maxtor experience, the hitachi/ibm's and western digitals have always worked better for me.

*edit - Just FYI, the maxtor curse happend on two seperate pc's, two seperate motherboards, and two seperate maxtor drives with the same crappy results. To much of a coincedence for me.

Good luck,

-Kevin

Thanks for your insight FunkGarden. I started receiving some bits and pieces of my system. I may have to exchange the Maxtors for a different brand. I'm going to hunt around to see if any other people had any of the same issues as you.

thanks again!

For info, specific to Harddrives go to:
http://www.storagereview.com

An exelent site with a survey that has been going on for quite some time (few years) on relyability and stuff like that.

They regularly publish standardised reviews on drives.

Let us know what you deside on 8-)