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## Aenae (Sep 9, 2017)

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## Architekton (Sep 9, 2017)

My recommendation is to cut this:

- gfx card...you dont need such expensive card...
- go with Samsung SSD 850 Evo, you wont feel much difference between 960 and 850 except on your bank account
- take cheaper motherboard, also no need to go for best as you wont be, I presume, overclocking and using gfx cards in SLI mode
- ditch dvd rom? (i havent been using one since, what...5 years or even more?)
- its nice to have 64gb of RAM but you will survive with 32gb and than later on you can buy another 32gb if you will be needing them


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## Gerhard Westphalen (Sep 9, 2017)

I know very little about video rendering needs so keep that in mind for my comments.

Do you really need that graphics card? For audio definitely not and you can probably find something to suite your needs for $100.

You can keep 1 m.2 for the OS but really don't need a second one. Go with an 850.

There's no need for that motherboard. I think that's waaaay too expensive. You could probably find something for $150. You don't need any of those fancy gaming features.

You could probably use a less powerful power supply. If noise is an issue I'd go with the RMi series where the fan stays completely off below a certain power usage. They are expensive though.

If you have any other computers with a DVD drive then you don't need it on this. Questionable if you really need it at all. If you do, I'd consider getting Blu Ray.

That case seems expensive.

In general you can find some great sales or rebates and save a lot that way. You may not get the specific parts that you want though. Things like the case, SSD, HD, and mobo you can generally save a lot on with random sales throughout the year.


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## Prockamanisc (Sep 9, 2017)

You can cut the case in half and get a cheaper one. Try a Fractal R5, it’s a standard.

Scour eBay for some deals on the processor.

Don’t get the SSDs until you can afford them, just use cheaper HDDs for now and wait a few months.

…Actually, why are you getting the 960s for SSDs? That’s SUPER overkill. I’d get a 256GB 960 Pro for the operating system and just use HDDs for your samples until you can afford SSDs, which you can install once you can afford them.

Start with 16 or 32 GB or ram, use 16GB sticks and just get extra sticks when you can afford it.

The power supply might be a bit overkill, but you won’t save much there.

I don’t know the motherboard, but make sure it can scale up as you can afford a better system. I’m sure in a pinch you could get a cheaper one.

Why are you getting a CD drive? Don’t. Borrow one for an hour while you install Windows off a disc. 

I would just start with no graphics card. If you feel like you need one in a few months then buy one.

So that’s a savings of around $1500, so you can pick and choose what you want to do. I built a slave for a few pennies under a grand last year, and it’s awesome. I posted about it here: https://vi-control.net/community/threads/small-form-factor-slave-build-1k.53337/


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## kimarnesen (Sep 9, 2017)

This is an interesting thread as I'm considering a new slave PC as well.


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## Publius (Sep 9, 2017)

Some great suggestions, leaving nothing for me to to add except to ask: Do you have an old pc that is being replaced and can you get a video card, hard disk, case, and power supply from that?


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## Prockamanisc (Sep 9, 2017)

Publius said:


> Do you have an old pc that is being replaced and can you get a video card, hard disk, case, and power supply from that?


Sure, as long as it fits and it's compatible. Personally, I wouldn't re-use a hard drive from a normal-usage computer because it could have viruses and stuff. Slaves should be for work, and only work, don't use the internet on it unless you need to upgrade software or something. Be responsible, it's an investment and a work machine. Use a MacBook Pro as your general usage computer.


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## Publius (Sep 9, 2017)

Prockamanisc said:


> ...Personally, I wouldn't re-use a hard drive from a normal-usage computer because it could have viruses and stuff...



Unless one re-formats the disk.


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## yhomas (Sep 9, 2017)

Regarding the OP, it is usually more expensive to build one's own custom PC than simply shop for an off the shelf PC and then make upgrades. IMO, look for a dell XPS8920 or other similar PC in the $800-$1100 range and upgrade ram and SSD.


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## kitekrazy (Sep 11, 2017)

Prockamanisc said:


> Sure, as long as it fits and it's compatible. * Personally, I wouldn't re-use a hard drive from a normal-usage computer because it could have viruses and stuff.* Slaves should be for work, and only work, don't use the internet on it unless you need to upgrade software or something. Be responsible, it's an investment and a work machine. Use a MacBook Pro as your general usage computer.



The last time a I had a virus was the last century. Reformat or use for storage. I'd hate to be that paranoid.


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## Piano Pete (Sep 11, 2017)

If time is not of the essence, you can usually take advantage of super deals at certain times of the year: Thanksgiving/February come to mind. I have a separate post about that somewhere, you can check my history. From a quick review of your items, you seem to be purchasing some things that are marked up mostly for the "wow" factor or looks. As someone else posted, Evo 850 pros are great, cost effective per gig, and go on sale quite a bit. I personally would go with a different MB, especially if over clocking, that would be more cost effective. I would also go with different ram.

Reusing hard drives that you know and have used is perfectly fine. If you are using it as the C: drive, then it may be best to reformat. If it is just extra storage, slap it in. Having built several computers for cad work, graphic design, digital rendering, and audio, what specifically are you wanting to use it for? What software are you planning on using? This will help me, and others, make more precise recommendations than just shooting in the dark.


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## rrichard63 (Sep 11, 2017)

One or two people suggested a smaller/cheaper power supply. I have to disagree with that. I think 750 watts is probably right.

But I agree with several others about the graphics card. Even for video editing, the GTX 1060 seems like overkill. Also, adding RAM later is very easy, so start with 32GB or even 16.

How important is quiet operation in your studio? If the computer is going to live in a (hopefully ventilated) closet, then you can skimp on the case and fans. Otherwise, you might need the one on your original wishlist.

Have you considered buying a computer preassembled? In the U.S., Purrrfect Audio (www.studiocat.com) is wonderful. They pay less than you will for the components, and the difference might cover what they charge for assembly and set up. And they know more about hardware than you and I do. I'm a very happy customer.


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## Piano Pete (Sep 11, 2017)

I would not necessarily skimp on the out wattage of the power supply, but I would preferably look for a higher rated one-- in regards to efficiency.


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## Aenae (Sep 12, 2017)

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## Jaybee (Sep 12, 2017)

Still think you're overcooking it on the GFX card. Something like a Palit GeForce GT 730 KalmX Passive Silent Graphics Card - 4GB retails in the UK for £60 ($80) unless you need this build to double as a gaming rig.


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## Publius (Sep 12, 2017)

Good work on the cost-saving choices. To answer your one question: I like getting the 64 gig of ram and one less ssd drive. 500 gig ssd is pretty large.


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## passsacaglia (Sep 12, 2017)

ps. why is the *MSI GeForce GTX 1060 6GB Gaming X *so expensive? I'm finding EVGA cards for much cheaper.
Do you really need the 6GB, maybe you game?  I'm no pro at gaming nowadays but...sounds a liiittle pricey 430 for that card man.
Sure you can't go with a MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB LP or smthn? 
or this one: 
MSI Computer Video Graphic Cards GeForce GTX 1050 TI GAMING X 4G


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## rrichard63 (Sep 12, 2017)

Aenae said:


> ... I am now considering going down to 32 GB instead of 64 GB RAM, this is hard, but I am going to do it... you are right that I could add more, but I have no experience doing this. I am afraid I won't be able to figure that out on my own. I want to avoid having much, but if it's very easy then that would help me with that decision. I just looked, is it that simple? I don't want to be or draging cables. If it is a click in the motherboard like it looks like after a quick Google search, then I can most likely do that on my own. ...



I find this a little confusing. Perhaps I am missing something. You are concerned about adding RAM to an existing PC but not concerned about assembling one from scratch?


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## passsacaglia (Sep 12, 2017)

http://www.xtremegaminerd.com/best-budget-entry-level-graphics-cards/


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## Aenae (Sep 12, 2017)

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## Mornats (Sep 12, 2017)

My PC is an overclocked gaming/DAW PC and one thing that was recommended to me was to always buy your RAM in matched sets. Mine is 3 years old now and I can't even get extra RAM with the same CAS timings as my existing RAM and when I was looking around on forums to see if mixing the CAS timings was ok, the answer was no - even if it's the same clock speed, make and model of RAM. Mixing RAM and in particular doing it on an overclocked machine is not good for stability or compatibility - so I've been told. I've got no real experience of it as I've never mixed RAM sets before.

So I'd go more for the RAM than the extra SSD. You can always easily add an extra SSD when you need the space later on. Unless of course you know you need the extra space now. But even then you could put your lesser used or smaller libraries onto an HDD for now.


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## Piano Pete (Sep 12, 2017)

You could save more money by not going with the ram you have selected. There are minute benefits between the speeds of ram and cas latency for most computer usage. From my tests, I have not found the price hikes worth it. Sure, it is hot to show off to people, but I would rather keep that extra money in my pocket. In your scenario, you could save an additional hundred dollars or so by going with slower speed ram.

Out of curiosity, why do you keep going back to the 960 evo? 500gb is $250, and if you were to go with the 850 evo, which is a reliable SSD and more than fast enough for what you are planning to do, you would only spend $170 (currently on sale for $150). It is more than enough to support your DAW work and render video. From what I have been reading from your posts so far, I do not think you would really notice the difference between the two SSDs. There are very few scenarios outside of a select few individuals that really _need_ them to function. M.2 memory, while it is technically faster, is too expensive per gig that I wouldn't grab it if you are budgeting a computer. If it were me, I would grab two 500gb 850s for $300. For $50 more, you walk away with 1TB worth of SSD storage versus $250 for 500gb.

I would also double check all of the items you have planned to purchase and read their specifications. Use a PSU calculator to get a rough-guesstimate of the power usage. Leave yourself room to grow into it; get a PSU that is efficient and quiet. It is ok to spend some extra money on a platinum rated PSU. I have had good experience with Seasonic products. (Yes, components are getting more efficient that the power usage of computers has been going down. I am in the camp to grab one that is going to last and that can support new parts down the road. I hate having to redo cable management after upgrading parts.)

Make sure you are reading the specifications and making sure that parts you purchase can actually be used. Do your homework! I always hate to see when people invest hard earned money into something only to later find out that an extra couple of hours of diligence could have avoided a calamity. Luckily, Newegg has good return policies, but this is a good practice to keep.


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## Aenae (Sep 13, 2017)

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## passsacaglia (Sep 13, 2017)

Aenae said:


> I am getting the last one as I wrote in my update.


Ah ok I saw that now. Btw the EVGA seems a little cheaper, reviews said it performs likewise and they have excellent customer support. Where do you find 220 for the MSI card? : )
Even Newegg has some for around 184 for that one... there's always money to save :
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...eForce_GTX_1050_Ti_4GB-_-14-487-294-_-Product 

Or you also have this MSI for 189, dunno the difference tho:
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...eForce_GTX_1050_Ti_4GB-_-14-137-054-_-Product


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## Piano Pete (Sep 13, 2017)

Aenae said:


> Thanks for your opinion. I still haven't decided what to pick.
> 
> Wait, what? The https://pcpartpicker.com/product/yY...tx-lga1151-motherboard-z270-gaming-pro-carbon motherboard supports 64 GB RAM? Obviously even first one, the much more expensive one I had originally when I was way over budget obviously supported 64 GB as well. I don't get why you are saying I selected a motherboard which doesn't even support 64 GB RAM when it does. You might be thinking of https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Jc...ga1151-motherboard-z270i-gaming-pro-carbon-ac



I apologize, you are correct. I was looking at it from my phone and it kept selecting the AC version from the Newegg App. I will correct that post. See, I should've double read it .

If you want to build it to set and forget, grab the 64gb of ram over an m.2. For DAW work particularly, depending on how many instruments you use etc, you will benefit greatly from having the extra RAM over m.2 storage. Even if you aren't using it all at first, you will have enough headroom for later.

If you have the money for both and really want the m.2, that is perfectly reasonable as well. My suggestions are coming from trying to save as much of a budget as possible, hence my hesitancy towards recommending a m.2 SSD; however, m.2 or not, I would recommend grabbing 64gb of ram regardless-- even more so if it is a singular computer without a slave to support its operations.

My final big recommendation is a quality of life thing that is often overlooked, but it may be worth investing in some longer SATA cables, one or two, depending on how large your case is. I have found that this can be a godsend at times when sorting out cable management. If it is a more compact case, the cables that come with the MB usually work well, but it also depends on where you put your storage etc.

Hopefully this helps some.


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## Prockamanisc (Sep 13, 2017)

Having the m.2 as the OS drive makes a big difference. My template used to take 7 minutes when I had an 850 EVO, and it now takes a little over 5 minutes after I installed the 960 Pro. That's significant. I would just get like a 5TB HDD for a few months to store all the samples, then slowly move the samples onto SSDs as you're able to afford them.


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## JohnG (Sep 13, 2017)

1. for music, there is no perceptible difference between higher and lower clock speed RAM, but MORE RAM is very noticeable and very helpful [edit: in case I'm not being clear, I DEFINITELY recommend the 64 GB of RAM instead of supposedly faster SSD];

2. for music, there is no perceptible difference between the 960 and 850 SSD;

3. for music, you don't need a fancy graphics card;

4. the M.2 for boot drive is nice / not necessary at all. I do have SSDs for some boot drives, HDs for others on PC slave computers, but really that time saving is negligible during the work day. I don't notice the difference.

PC Partpicker is not reliable, in my unfortunate (recent) experience.


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## Symfoniq (Sep 13, 2017)

A 750 watt power supply is completely unnecessary for that build. I'd get a higher efficiency power supply instead, with a hybrid mode that shuts off the power supply fan below a certain load (some Seasonic units do this).


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## Andrew Aversa (Sep 15, 2017)

What country are you in? Some of those prices look incredibly high. A 7700k is at most $334 in the US, for example, and can be often found cheaper.


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