# First ever PC build. Thoughts?



## Eckoes (Jul 5, 2021)

Hi all,

As stated I am considering building a PC for the first time ever. I am not an orchestral composer. I mostly record jazzy/rock/funk/psych instrumental music, but I use all VI’s (except for my guitar parts) and I want a machine that will last a while.

I have been using an off the shelf ASUS machine for years, and it has served me well but it is showing its age, and I would like to use faster SSD’s, a much faster multi-core CPU, and upgrade my RAM from 16gb to 32gb (for now.)

So I’m looking for some guidance. I put together a build that I will link below. I think the main problem could be the size of the cooler. It may not allow the case to close all the way.

Anyway, let me know what you think.

My budget is about $1500 +/- a little but.

Thanks!

Here’s the build I was thinking of. Please feel free to suggest any swaps or additions. Anything really. This is my first build so I’m wide open.



https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Calaban70/saved/#view=K4qfyc


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## Pictus (Jul 6, 2021)

Get Windows PRO OEM from
https://www.guru3d.com/news-story/advertorial-great-microsoft-windows-10-pro-deal-with-urcdkey.html

Change the 500GB drive to


https://pcpartpicker.com/product/TwWfrH/samsung-970-evo-plus-500-gb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-mz-v7s500bam



If you wish to economize some bucks or if the Samsung 2TB is not avaliable, can change to


https://pcpartpicker.com/product/xM97YJ/hp-ex950-2-tb-m2-2280-solid-state-drive-5ms24aaabc



You will need one SSD heatsink because the motherboard only have one





NH-D15 + Crucial RAM needs a case with 173mm clearance for CPU cooler height.
The be quiet! Pure Base 500DX has 190mm.


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## wcreed51 (Jul 6, 2021)

Don't you get endless span email after buying Win10 from a place like that?


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## Tim_Wells (Jul 6, 2021)

Unless you're set on Intel, you might want to consider the AMD Ryzen 5600X. It performs better, costs less, and runs cooler.


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## Pictus (Jul 6, 2021)

wcreed51 said:


> Don't you get endless span email after buying Win10 from a place like that?


I do not know, Gmail seems to work very well against spam.


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## easyrider (Jul 6, 2021)

5900X


🙏🏻


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## Eckoes (Jul 6, 2021)

Wow lots to think about. Thanks everyone!

-If that motherboard has m.2 x2, why do I need an extra heat sink for the SSDs? Sorry for my ignorance…most of this stuff is very unfamiliar to me. But it would seem that if they allowed 2x m.2 the motherboard would be built for it?

-Also, that deal on Windows 10 seems too good to be true. Is that a website for cracked software? I’m sorry, I don’t understand what I’m looking at.

-I am not set on Intel, but I have read that they are more reliable. Plus, on pcpartpicker, the Ryzen CPUs don’t seem to be compatible with the motherboard I’ve chosen. Can anyone check that for me? I don’t even know how to determine which CPUs are compatible with which motherboards.

No Ryzens appear as available with that motherboard selected. I am not opposed to changing the motherboard, but I am trying very hard not to go too much over $1500.

-Thanks for the tip on the different case! Much appreciate!

I’m in no big hurry to build this thing. I want to make sure everything is right, so I will take my time. Please continue to chime in with your thoughts!

Should I be worried about Windows 11? How could that affect my decisions?

Thanks again everyone!


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## Eckoes (Jul 6, 2021)

Tim_Wells said:


> Unless you're set on Intel, you might want to consider the AMD Ryzen 5600X. It performs better, costs less, and runs cooler.



I kind of had my heart set on 8 cores. I don’t know enough about this stuff to give you a good reason, I just figured that 8 cores would add to the usable lifespan of the machine. Am I wrong in thinking that?

My typical project has no more than 30 tracks on average. Only the electric guitars are actually recorded audio. Usually no more than 3 - 4 guitar tracks.

The rest of the tracks are some combination of:

-Drums/percussion - mostly BFD3, but some NI drums as well.
-Bass - EZ Bass lately, but also MODO and the Scarbee Rick.
-Keys of some sort (mostly from Komplete)
-Violin/strings - Embertone Friedlander (may buy Josh Bell) and also NI Session Strings Pro.
-various other VI’s -mostly from Komplete 12U
-Acoustic guitar VIs - Mostly Orange Tree
-Some synths - NI
-Busses and Aux tracks
-mixing plugins - various

Is a 6 core CPU sufficient, and if so, what would be the benefit of going with 8 cores instead?

Thanks again eveyone!


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## Jay Panikkar (Jul 6, 2021)

Eckoes said:


> Is a 6 core CPU sufficient, and if so, what would be the benefit of going with 8 cores instead?


Tbh, it's highly unlikely that you'll run into issues with 6 cores unless you start stacking hundreds of tracks.

The 5800X has 8 cores compared to the 6 on the 5600X, but it's slightly more expensive than the 9900K. And you will need to change to an AM4 socket motherboard; AMD processors don't work with Intel motherboards and vice versa.

Personally, I prefer AMD processors these days, but it doesn't matter either way for these kinds of workloads.



Eckoes said:


> Should I be worried about Windows 11? How could that affect my decisions?


Windows 11 requires a TPM security module. You'll need to check the specifications for your selected motherboard: https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1046215/


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## Tim_Wells (Jul 7, 2021)

Eckoes said:


> I kind of had my heart set on 8 cores. I don’t know enough about this stuff to give you a good reason, I just figured that 8 cores would add to the usable lifespan of the machine. Am I wrong in thinking that?
> 
> My typical project has no more than 30 tracks on average. Only the electric guitars are actually recorded audio. Usually no more than 3 - 4 guitar tracks.
> 
> ...


First let me say, I'm far from an expert. But I am building a new PC right now. From my understanding... particularly in the world of DAWs... core count is much less important important than clock speed. Core counts beyond 6 or 8 don't buy you much. That may change as the plugin and DAW software companies find ways to leverage more cores. 

I suggested the 5600X because it is probably the best bang per buck CPU for DAWs right now. But the 5800X and 5900X will give you more power and cores. I personally like the idea of a cooler, less power hungry CPU. If you do a Google search on the 9900k vs. 5600X, you'll see the 5600X out performs in most categories, regardless of the benchmark. 

Your typical project is strikingly similar to mine. I have no doubt the 5600X will give me all the horse power I need and more. But I'll keep you posted, once I get everything set up.


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## Pictus (Jul 8, 2021)

Eckoes said:


> Wow lots to think about. Thanks everyone!
> 
> -If that motherboard has m.2 x2, why do I need an extra heat sink for the SSDs? Sorry for my ignorance…most of this stuff is very unfamiliar to me. But it would seem that if they allowed 2x m.2 the motherboard would be built for it?


I only see one SSD heat sink in the Asus PRIME Z390-A






Heatsink for SSD is controversial...
The controller likes to work cooler, but NAND chips likes warmer...
What I do? *YMWV*
I make sure all my NVME SSDs have heatsink, BUT I insulate the heatsink 
with a piece of paper/tape from the excessive airflow, this way the NAND
chips don't get too cold.
To measure temperatures use this https://www.hwinfo.com/download/ 





Eckoes said:


> -Also, that deal on Windows 10 seems too good to be true. Is that a website for cracked software? I’m sorry, I don’t understand what I’m looking at.


It is not cracked, just OEM version, not retail.








OEM vs Retail: Which Windows License You Should Settle With


A few days ago my friend sent me a link to a website that is was selling Windows 10 key for a lot cheap. How cheap? Let’s say that the price disparity




appuals.com







Eckoes said:


> -I am not set on Intel, but I have read that they are more reliable. Plus, on pcpartpicker, the Ryzen CPUs don’t seem to be compatible with the motherboard I’ve chosen. Can anyone check that for me? I don’t even know how to determine which CPUs are compatible with which motherboards.
> 
> No Ryzens appear as available with that motherboard selected. I am not opposed to changing the motherboard, but I am trying very hard not to go too much over $1500.


Here your AMD 5800X PC for $1460


https://pcpartpicker.com/list/7zJF2V



Some tweaks you may like





Nvidia Driver, no latency anymore?


Hi all! We all know that AMD drivers have from far, less latency than Nvidia drivers, and for that reason we all recommand an AMD graphic card for audio working. But recently i have dealt with a new install on a PC with an Nvidia graphic card. And when i updated to the latest driver i saw an...




vi-control.net


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## Eckoes (Jul 8, 2021)

Great info Pictus, and thanks for the AMD build!

I have a lot to learn. Will spend some time trying to understand all this stuff. I don’t want to spend $1500 and not get the PC I’m hoping for.

Thanks to everyone!


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jul 8, 2021)

Eckoes said:


> Hi all,
> 
> As stated I am considering building a PC for the first time ever. I am not an orchestral composer. I mostly record jazzy/rock/funk/psych instrumental music, but I use all VI’s (except for my guitar parts) and I want a machine that will last a while.
> 
> ...


If it's possible, get an i9 10900K and call it a day.


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## Eckoes (Jul 9, 2021)

Jeremy Spencer said:


> If it's possible, get an i9 10900K and call it a day.


I’m not convinced the extra cores/cost are necessary for the way I use it.

I like the idea of making the machine as future “proofed” as possible, but considering I have been using a dual core A series AMD processor for years with pretty good success, I think a 6 or 8 core machine with NVME SSD’s and double the RAM of my current setup will provide me with a massive and satisfactory performance boost.

And I honestly don’t need to buy any more samples libraries. I understand that VI’s will be more accurate and demanding as time goes on, but I have everything (and more) that I need already.


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## wcreed51 (Jul 9, 2021)

Eckoes said:


> And I honestly don’t need to buy any more samples libraries.


Good luck with that


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## Eckoes (Jul 9, 2021)

wcreed51 said:


> Good luck with that


Haha yeah….you may have a point there.


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## Eckoes (Jul 9, 2021)

Pictus said:


> Here your AMD 5800X PC for $1460
> https://pcpartpicker.com/list/7zJF2V


What exactly does this mean?

”Warning!Some AMD B550 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Vermeer CPUs. Upgrading the BIOS may require a different CPU that is supported by older BIOS revisions.”


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## Wedge (Jul 9, 2021)

Eckoes said:


> What exactly does this mean?
> 
> ”Warning!Some AMD B550 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Vermeer CPUs. Upgrading the BIOS may require a different CPU that is supported by older BIOS revisions.”


What it sounds like and hopefully someone can clarify this more...

I know some AMD motherboards need to have the UEFI (It's a newer version of BIOS and basically is a hardware operating system so that the components can communicate in order to boot, ect.) updated in order to work with the newer AMD CPUs. But this is usually older motherboards like the B350, it's because AMD has been great about keeping to the same CPU socket on their motherboards (So basically a first gen Ryzen CPU fits in the same plug as the new Ryzens, so people like me didn't have to buy a new motherboard when upgrading.)

If I'm reading the above correctly, some motherboards need the UEFI updated to be compatible with new CPUs. But in order to update the UEFI you need an older CPU that's compatible with the nonupgraded UEFI in the motherboard. I honestly think most of the newer boards shouldn't have a problem, unless you're buying CPU at or near it's release. It's just a matter of what version of UEFI they shipped with or basically when they were made. You should be able to get this information from the motherboard's manufacturer's website.


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## osterdamus (Jul 9, 2021)

Eckoes said:


> Great info Pictus, and thanks for the AMD build!
> 
> I have a lot to learn. Will spend some time trying to understand all this stuff. I don’t want to spend $1500 and not get the PC I’m hoping for.
> 
> Thanks to everyone!


I’ve built several PCs over the years, but it always feels like the first time every time I make one, because of the developments in technology. Bus speeds, item sizes etc. so it’s a process you have to “trust” and like.

However, if you get it right, which you will with the right amount of research, you’ll have a machine that’ll last you a long time. My latest custom build lasted from 2011-2019. I needed a new SSD disk and and power unit along the way, but CPU, motherboard and ram was the same throughout.


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## Frogs Can Talk (Jul 10, 2021)

Hi,

I would also recommend going for an AMD setup, it's cheaper and very reliable. I built my rig last year in January, and received it just a few weeks before my country went to lockdown in February... What a lucky purchase! Anyway, I'm very happy with my 3900X and highly recommend AMD.

About the number of cores, I think right now for your usage, 8 would be fine. On the other hand, since the battle for high CPU frequencies is over, all applications have become very core-hungry. If you can fit 12 cores in your budget, my advice would be to not overthink it and do it, to be slightly more future-proof.

The RAM is not an easy part to pick. To optimize the value for money, I would suggest you pick the highest bus frequency your motherboard can run without overclocking, then select the lowest possible CAS latency within your budget. RAM is not just about size and bandwidth, it's part of the whole DFD performance chain, so timings matter.

When picking your SSDs, i would suggest you read some benchmarks done in the "real world". You will be suprise to see that nvme drives do not offer that much performance gain (and often none) when it comes to reading small files. Sure, they will speed up loading times, because they have a larger bandwidth, but this only applies when reading big files, or a very predictable list of files. Just saying that the battle nvme vs sata is nowhere near hdd vs ssd. It's good to realize that when picking your motherboard, to avoid being too focus on the number of nvme slots.

When choosing your motherboard, pay attention to that bus frequency I mentioned earlier. Ignore the supported frequencies that are only attainable through OC. The higher the number without OC, the better. Also, forget about PCIE gen 3 vs 4, last gen is very expensive and won't bring you better perfs to make music.

Finally, I would suggest picking a cheap GPU with fan stop feature, even if it's a rig 100% dedicated to music. Video chipsets on your motherboard will use your RAM and CPU to function, and are less reliable (well, in my experience). Depending on the number of monitors you intend to plug in, it might be a prerequisite anyway.

To educate yourself, I suggest you read websites like AnandTech or TechPowerUp for their in-depth reviews. There's a lot to absorb in order to make the right decisions, so take your time and good luck!


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## osterdamus (Jul 10, 2021)

If I may add one more comment: a Facebook friend raved positively after buying an intel Nuc10i7 mini PCs. I think it’s in the $500 range, but cheaper editions exist. You then have to add add up to 64GB ram and whatever SSD you want. It’s essentially a PC in Mac mini form factor, give or take.

I don’t have experience with these myself, but if I ever need to extend beyond my current MacBook Pro via VEP, I’d probably go with one of these. Asus has similar products, btw.


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## wcreed51 (Jul 10, 2021)

What are peoples current views on using the onboard video? Seems to be ubiquitous now, with Display port, etc. That wasn't the case when I built my current system 9 years ago.


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## Pictus (Jul 10, 2021)

Eckoes said:


> What exactly does this mean?
> 
> ”Warning!Some AMD B550 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Vermeer CPUs. Upgrading the BIOS may require a different CPU that is supported by older BIOS revisions.”


Means the motherboard maybe need a BIOS update to support the new CPU.
In the case of TUF GAMING B550-PLUS the BIOS must be version 1004(2020/08/18) or newer.
But you can update the BIOS without a CPU/GPU/RAM installed...
Download the latest BIOS


https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/BIOS/TUF-GAMING-B550-PLUS-ASUS-2404.ZIP


-Unpack the content to a FAT32 USB drive
-Run the BIOSRenamer.exe
It will rename the BIOS file from TUF-GAMING-B550-PLUS-ASUS-2404.CAP to
TGB550PS.CAP
-Place the USB drive in proper slot





-Press the button and wait




BTW, some BIOS settings for the ASUS TUF B550 you may like:

SB Clock Spread Spectrum [Disabled]
Performance Bias [None]
PCIEX16_1 Mode [GEN 3]
Energy Star Ready [Disabled]
ErP Ready [Enable(S4+S5)]
Above 4G Decoding [Enabled]
Resize BAR Support [Disabled]
SR-IOV Support [Disabled]
Legacy USB Support [Disabled]
XHCI Hand-off [Disabled]
Launch CSM [Disabled]
OS Type [Windows UEFI mode]
Download & Install ARMOURY CRATE app [Disabled]
ECO Mode [Disable]
VDDCR CPU Switching Frequency [350]
VDDCR CPU Power Phase Control [Extreme]
VDDCR SOC Switching Frequency [350]
VDDCR SOC Power Phase Control [Extreme]
CLDO VDDP Voltage [0.900]

And use the Curve Optimize




__





Is it worth upgrading a 3950X to 5950X for orchestral work?


I've been away from the PC building game for a while. Title said it all: is it worth upgrading a 3950X to the 5950X ? Specifically asking for orchestral work, with quite some samples loaded, VSTi's + plugins running .. the usual. Rest of my system: - G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4-3200 RAM, 32GBx4 =...




vi-control.net


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## Eckoes (Jul 10, 2021)

Pictus said:


> Means the motherboard maybe need a BIOS update to support the new CPU.
> In the case of TUF GAMING B550-PLUS the BIOS must be version 1004(2020/08/18) or newer.
> But you can update the BIOS without a CPU/GPU/RAM installed...


Thank you again for all the detailed info.

But I’m starting to get a bit intimidated. I tried to install a BIOS update on a PC years ago and ended up breaking the computer. I’m sure someone could fix it, but it sits in the corner now, unbootable, dusty and unused.

I have no experience with this stuff and I’m wondering if I’m getting in over my head.


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## Tim_Wells (Jul 10, 2021)

Eckoes said:


> Thank you again for all the detailed info.
> 
> But I’m starting to get a bit intimidated. I tried to install a BIOS update on a PC years ago and ended up breaking the computer. I’m sure someone could fix it, but it sits in the corner now, unbootable, dusty and unused.
> 
> I have no experience with this stuff and I’m wondering if I’m getting in over my head.


I hear you bro. I read though some of this stuff and I'm not sure I understand exactly what they're saying.


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## Pictus (Jul 10, 2021)

Eckoes said:


> Thank you again for all the detailed info.
> 
> But I’m starting to get a bit intimidated. I tried to install a BIOS update on a PC years ago and ended up breaking the computer. I’m sure someone could fix it, but it sits in the corner now, unbootable, dusty and unused.
> 
> I have no experience with this stuff and I’m wondering if I’m getting in over my head.


You are welcome, there is nothing to worry...
As I am/was an IT guy, I did this *hundreds of times*, never a problem! Maybe luck...
Nowadays with a modern motherboard that can update the BIOS even when there is no
CPU/GPU/RAM installed, there is nothing to worry!
The BIOS flashback thing is independent from the motherboard BIOS, does not matter if the BIOS
is corrupt or even if the BIOS update process is interrupted, we can always restart the process...


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## chimuelo (Jul 13, 2021)

wcreed51 said:


> What are peoples current views on using the onboard video? Seems to be ubiquitous now, with Display port, etc. That wasn't the case when I built my current system 9 years ago.


I use on die GFX because my video needs are minimal. Using multiple 2D screens uses little resources, and on die GFX hasn’t interfered with the CPU since the Intel Clarksdale series.

AMD 5700G due out August 5th is what I’m waiting for. To replace my i7 4790k’s I must see improvements in CPU designs with more power and less heat. Intels have added more heat and more cores. AMD wins this time.


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## wcreed51 (Jul 13, 2021)

Thanks!


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## bill5 (Jul 21, 2021)

Eckoes said:


> Should I be worried about Windows 11? How could that affect my decisions?


You should always be worried about the cluster #### that is Microsoft and a newer version of Windows. It's like kissing Darth Vader on the lips. :shiver: Win 10 sucks, but I wouldn't "upgrade" to God knows what with 11.


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## osterdamus (Jul 21, 2021)

bill5 said:


> You should always be worried about the cluster #### that is Microsoft and a newer version of Windows. It's like kissing Darth Vader on the lips. :shiver: Win 10 sucks, but I wouldn't "upgrade" to God knows what with 11.


You’re not wrong. Windows 8 came out in 2012, and after that I slowly started checking out of Windows. I don’t mind changing things up for proper progress, but that whole touch screen touch up with spreading system settings over a light weight interface (touch) and “advanced settings” (desktop), together with downplaying the start button, was the dumbest thing I’ve seen in my career. It was like they flushed 30+ years of UX theory and discussion. I turned to Mac. Yes, more expensive, can’t be upgraded (now), plenty of downsides as with anything. But at least it doesn’t get in my way when I need to work. Never touched Windows 10. May touch windows 11, but only for the purpose of having a dedicated machine for VEP7 in such case, everything else will still worked on through my Mac.


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## bill5 (Jul 21, 2021)

You don't even want to get me on a rant about MS and Windows.  We'd be here all night. Out of mostly convenience/laziness I am tolerating Win 10 on my new system for now but plan to upgrade to Win 7 which actually was a great OS and I suspect the last great OS that MS will ever create.


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## osterdamus (Jul 21, 2021)

bill5 said:


> You don't even want to get me on a rant about MS and Windows.  We'd be here all night. Out of mostly convenience/laziness I am tolerating Win 10 on my new system for now but plan to upgrade to Win 7 which actually was a great OS and I suspect the last great OS that MS will ever create.


Ok ok, we'll end this digression here 😄


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## wcreed51 (Jul 22, 2021)

bill5 said:


> You don't even want to get me on a rant about MS and Windows.


No, We don't...


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## Eckoes (Jul 22, 2021)

I have had a great experience with Windows 10 for the most part


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