# New PC Build List. Any Suggestions?



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

Hey community,

I compiled this list at New Egg as a comparison to a local PC builders list at $1000
more expensive. The local builder had suggested I should stick with Intel compatibility.
Suggestions before pulling the trigger? Any help appreciated!

Intel Core i7-11700K (Replacing Intel i9-11900K)
GIGABYTE Z590 AORUS ELITE LGA 1200 Intel Z590 ATX Motherboard
Crucial Ballistix 3200 (4x32) (Replacing 3600)
MSI GeForce GT 1030 2GB DDR4 Video Card
EVGA SuperNOVA 850 power supply
SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2 2280 500GB PCI 4.0 (Replaces Evo)
Fractal Design Celsius+ S24 Prisma Liquid Cooler
Win 10 Pro OEM
Looking at New Egg Build service

(G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 128GB (4 x 32GB) DDR4 3600 Replaced by Crucial)
(WD Drive replaced by Samsung 870) (Per suggestions) Thanks!









Custom PC Builder | Newegg


Newegg's custom PC builder makes it easy for you to compare components, find compatible parts, save your builds, and share your builds with friends.




newegg.io


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

Bump


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

3DC said:


> Its a nice rig but with that budget for peace of mind I would squeeze a bit more money for proper Samsung SSD disks and Crucial RAM. No dedicated GPU?


Forgot to add the GPU..Thanks! Crucial is the way to go over G.Skill? I knew the WD was a bit iffy even tho I use one now in my current Rig and it's OK.

MSI GeForce GT 1030 2GB DDR4 

Didn't feel the need to spring for anything more powerful since even my 10-year-old Nvidia's do the trick even now. Especially with GPU prices so insane right now


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

SAMSUNG 870 QVO Series 2.5" 1TB SATA III 

Now replaces WD Sata for the system drive. Thanks, @3DC!


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

3DC said:


> Crucial is my preference. Never had any problem with them for decades. Personal choice.
> You are good with 2GB dedicated GPU if you don't intend to play games and you will not do any serious video editing. Perfectly fine for music production.
> 
> 
> Take EVO instead its just a few bucks more but better and faster technology


My RAM preferences are all theoretical. I did fine with Corsair for the old system, but at 16 Gigs it ain't cutting it anymore. My old Geforce GT-630s did fine scoring for picture, which is all I need. I have 2 stacked for a 4 monitor setup on my old 3rd Gen i7 system. If my pastime was just audio I'd still be fine with this. But now I have enough VI's to choke a horse


----------



## Technostica (Jun 17, 2021)

The RAM is out of spec for the CPU (3200 max without over-clocking) as you probably know, mentioned it just in case.

I wouldn't ideally use a QLC drive (QVO etc) as a boot drive.
As for the size, unless you plan on installing some libraries on it I'd say that 500GB is fine.
I'd take a 500GB PCIe SSD over a 1TB SATA QLC.
Keeping your boot drive small makes is quicker for system images also.


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

Technostica said:


> The RAM is out of spec for the CPU (3200 max without over-clocking) as you probably know, mentioned it just in case.
> 
> I wouldn't ideally use a QLC drive (QVO etc) as a boot drive.
> As for the size, unless you plan on installing some libraries on it I'd say that 500GB is fine.
> ...


Excellent. Thanks. This is why I put it up here. sure missed the RAM issue. I'll make the changes. Would I need another PCI drive for cloning or just back up with an external?


----------



## Technostica (Jun 17, 2021)

I am not saying that it’s bad to buy faster RAM, just be aware of it.
There are some issues with memory on the 11th series platform, so I’d research it before buying above 3200.

You are paying a large premium for the i9 which is hardly any faster than the i7 for this generation as they are both 8 cores, 16 threads.

If you definitely don’t need integrated graphics then save money and buy the KF version.

This review lists the different versions, specs and pricing:








Intel Rocket Lake (14nm) Review: Core i9-11900K, Core i7-11700K, and Core i5-11600K







www.anandtech.com





If you limit your CPU to say 150 - 200 watts, the difference between your chosen i9 and the i7-*11700F will be very small and that CPU is nearly $250 less.*


----------



## mscp (Jun 17, 2021)

Intel i9-11900K is weaker than its predecessor. Are you sure you want to go with it?


----------



## Wedge (Jun 17, 2021)

jazzman7 said:


> Hey community,
> 
> I compiled this list at New Egg as a comparison to a local PC builders list at $1000
> more expensive. The local builder had suggested I should stick with Intel compatibility.
> ...


Don't get the samsung 870 SSD. Get a Samsung, Crucial or really any NVME drive. They will be much faster. If I remember correctly (I'm not looking it up) the Z590 has 3 NVME slots, use them. The speed difference is noticable. plus you'll have more room in your case for drives or other things down the road.


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

Technostica said:


> I am not saying that it’s bad to buy faster RAM, just be aware of it.
> There are some issues with memory on the 11th series platform, so I’d research it before buying above 3200.
> 
> You are paying a large premium for the i9 which is hardly any faster than the i7 for this generation as they are both 8 cores, 16 threads.
> ...


Excellent! Thanks, I'll look this over. This kind of specific info is exactly what I was hoping for.


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

3DC said:


> If the budget is very tight you can go with AMD Ryzen 7 build. Not the best single thread performance choice but with 128GB RAM it should cope with all samples just fine, I think.


The budget is not lavish, haha. It's not super tight either. Just do the best possible without chasing the bleeding edge


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

Phil81 said:


> Intel i9-11900K is weaker than its predecessor. Are you sure you want to go with it?


Technostica said something similar, I'm looking up the alternative now


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

The article was excellent! Switching to 
Intel Core i7-11700K
I also stepped the RAM down to 3200 as suggested
Crucial Ballistix 3200 MHz DDR4


----------



## jamwerks (Jun 17, 2021)

850 watt power supply necessary? 650 0r 750 not enough?


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 17, 2021)

I just built two identical PCs for different churches for streaming and the speed of the i9-10900K blew me away considering I paid 2.5x for a 14-core i9-7940X whose benchmark is only 20% more.

ANYWAY, your basic build is the right specs, I'd just change a couple things. This is just FYI, you can do whatever you prefer of course!

i9-10900K
MSI Unify Mobo I'm a big MSI fan, but I've built a few Gigabyte towers that never gave me an issue. The ram speed is a little slower than what you picked and there's no PCI 4.0, BUT you get three PCIe X16. One for your Graphics card (Mandatory, no video ports on this mobo), which leaves two slots open for PCIe cards that hold additional NVMe M.2 drives if (when) you have to expand space for more libraries.  

That combo is quite a performer.

Crucial ram gets my vote also, I have their Ballistix and have used Crucial ram since the 90s, never had a fail. Come to think of it, Corsair and G Skill haven't either. Only Patriot and Mushkin tanked on me in the past.

I wouldn't do SATA SSDs, why have such slow drives? I like using Samsung Pro drives for my C: drive which is OS and apps only, no Libraries or user files. Pop this 1TB Crucial NVMe SSD in to start for your most important libraries, the read speed is crazy. AND, they both mount right on the Mobo. 

How fast are they? I took a 1.8GB .mp4 video file, copied it to the C: drive (Samsung). Then I copied that file to the Crucial drive, so, between NVMe SSDs. The progress bar didn't even appear. 1.8GB copied INSTANTLY. The standard SSD you picked is just standard now, not the speedster they used to be. I have a couple to hold things I rarely use, like Komplete Ultimate, lol. Oh, and they are good for cheap storage for piano libraries that only load once in your template.

Great pick on the PSU, I've had the SuperNova for years, zero issues. 850w is plenty of power to give the rig breathing room.

FWIW, I tried for the first time on those two church builds, and it is surprisingly quiet! My old Antec tower sounds like an HVAC unit, so this case seemed silent next to it. It's not silent like the expensive be Quiet! Dark 900 case, but for the price it's quite good. Has sound dampening material inside, and plenty of room for cooling. I always go with this huge thing when I build something for someone else so there's no chance of any leak issues. Idle temps on air are about 28-32C, not bad for non-liquid. The 1157 mount it comes with fits 1200-series boards.


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 17, 2021)

jamwerks said:


> 850 watt power supply necessary? 650 0r 750 not enough?


Probably is, but I like a bigger engine also so the thing doesn't strain and you can expand if needed. I have a 1000w PSU, but I have 7 SSDs and three spinners in the case. Even with that the PSU fan doesn't always run because the load is light. But yes, his build would survive on 650w.


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 17, 2021)

jazzman7 said:


> The article was excellent! Switching to
> Intel Core i7-11700K
> I also stepped the RAM down to 3200 as suggested
> Crucial Ballistix 3200 MHz DDR4


Ha! You posted this almost the exact same time as mine, lol! Good choice, go with that, disregard my usual long--winded dissertation above. 

Although I still say definitely use an NVMe drive for C:, not a slower SATA SSD.


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

PaulieDC said:


> Ha! You posted this almost the exact same time as mine, lol! Good choice, go with that, disregard my usual long--winded dissertation above.


Excellent! Many thanks for all the suggestions!


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

jamwerks said:


> 850 watt power supply necessary? 650 0r 750 not enough?


I didn't see a big price difference and over the years, it has seemed better to be generous here. No expertise tho!


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

PaulieDC said:


> I just built two identical PCs for different churches for streaming and the speed of the i9-10900K blew me away considering I paid 2.5x for a 14-core i9-7940X whose benchmark is only 20% more.
> 
> ANYWAY, your basic build is the right specs, I'd just change a couple things. This is just FYI, you can do whatever you prefer of course!
> 
> ...


Actually, I love the long-winded post! Will be studying


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

PaulieDC said:


> Ha! You posted this almost the exact same time as mine, lol! Good choice, go with that, disregard my usual long--winded dissertation above.
> 
> Although I still say definitely use an NVMe drive for C:, not a slower SATA SSD.


Switched to the NVME only 500 GB for ease of backup as suggested.
My WD blue SATA Sample drive in my old system doesn't kill it speed-wise for loading I agree. As time rolls on, I will add more NVME's. I might throw another 2TB NVME drive on now for my most intensive and heavily used VI's


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 17, 2021)

jazzman7 said:


> Actually, I love the long-winded post! Will be studying


I can hear a medley of voices in the forum saying "for the love of Mike, Jazzman, don't encourage him!"


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

PaulieDC said:


> I can hear a medley of voices in the forum saying "for the love of Mike, Jazzman, don't encourage him!"


Speaking of encouragement, I'm a bit confused about integrated graphics. How does that work without a card?


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 17, 2021)

jazzman7 said:


> Switched to the NVME only 500 GB for ease of backup as suggested.
> My WD blue SATA Sample drive in my old system doesn't kill it speed-wise for loading I agree. As time rolls on, I will add more NVME's. I might throw another 2TB NVME drive on now for my most intensive and heavily used VI's


I'm gearing up to swap out a 1TB for a 2TB. Spitfire is one of the main reasons, for instance, SSO is a 755GB download but they need 1.5TB during the install! You can install one at a time but once you get Strings and Brass done, it's a tight squeeze. I upgraded to SSS and SSW Pro and had to move other libraries off to give the installer the wiggle room. Problem is, 2TB's are still bloated price-wise. Samsung and Pioneer 2TB NMVe drives are $300+ but they give you the desired 3400mb+ read speed. Crucial has https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GVDNTGJ/ref=ewc_pr_img_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 (one for $230) but it's 2400mb read speed, and if you go this far you want faster versions since drives are still the slowest kink in the chain, although these drives are closing the gap. For all of us, read speed is... um... er... crucial. 

BTW, one way to add more NVMe drives is via a PCIe card as long as the Mobo slot it rated at least 4X. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01798WOJ0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (This little inexpensive beauty) gives you a slot for an NVMe drive, and a second slot for an optional SATA M.2 (you do need a SATA cable for that drive). You don;t have to out a SATA M.2 drive in there, they are getting harder to find. I run two of these cards, for two extra NVMe drives, and then I stuck M.2 SATA drives in the other slots... they are slower but perfect for file storage, such as Cubase Projects. I dedicated a SATA drive to that and a SATA drive to OneDrive for faster file transfer. But you can leave them blank, the card's main purpose is adding NVMe's down the road if needed.

Wait until you see how fast you PC will boot up and run on that i7 processor and the faster drives and the faster mobo bandwidth. You'll go bonkers.


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

PaulieDC said:


> I'm gearing up to swap out a 1TB for a 2TB. Spitfire is one of the main reasons, for instance, SSO is a 755GB download but they need 1.5TB during the install! You can install one at a time but once you get Strings and Brass done, it's a tight squeeze. I upgraded to SSS and SSW Pro and had to move other libraries off to give the installer the wiggle room. Problem is, 2TB's are still bloated price-wise. Samsung and Pioneer 2TB NMVe drives are $300+ but they give you the desired 3400mb+ read speed. Crucial has https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GVDNTGJ/ref=ewc_pr_img_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 (one for $230) but it's 2400mb read speed, and if you go this far you want faster versions since drives are still the slowest kink in the chain, although these drives are closing the gap. For all of us, read speed is... um... er... crucial.
> 
> BTW, one way to add more NVMe drives is via a PCIe card as long as the Mobo slot it rated at least 4X. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01798WOJ0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (This little inexpensive beauty) gives you a slot for an NVMe drive, and a second slot for an optional SATA M.2 (you do need a SATA cable for that drive). You don;t have to out a SATA M.2 drive in there, they are getting harder to find. I run two of these cards, for two extra NVMe drives, and then I stuck M.2 SATA drives in the other slots... they are slower but perfect for file storage, such as Cubase Projects. I dedicated a SATA drive to that and a SATA drive to OneDrive for faster file transfer. But you can leave them blank, the card's main purpose is adding NVMe's down the road if needed.
> 
> Wait until you see how fast you PC will boot up and run on that i7 processor and the faster drives and the faster mobo bandwidth. You'll go bonkers.


Excellent! I will pick that little guy up and install myself later. Appreciate the time you have taken. Do you build for anyone else besides your Church?


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 17, 2021)

jazzman7 said:


> Speaking of encouragement, I'm a bit confused about integrated graphics. How does that work without a card?


OK, integrated graphics simply means your motherboard has HDMI and DVI jacks and if your CPIU has graphics capability, you can run a monitor off of that without needing to buy a video card. Naturally it's not graphic power that will run games. Dedicated or discreet graphics simply means you popped in a video card and you plugged your monitor into THAT. We don't need huge gaming graphic cards for VI work but you DO want a graphics card to handle all the redraws, etc, so the CPU doesn't have to do that part.

How it works and what we see today: The CPU has to support video and the motherboard has to support it. When i5's were coming out, they didn't have the Intel graphics built in and people HAD to buy a video card. Well, today's higher-end gaming-level motherboards are starting to leave built-in video out, figuring that gamers have one or more video cards so let's save the cost and complexity. The MSI mobo I used for the church PCs did NOT have video jacks at all, so even though the i9-10900K had graphics support, there were no video ports on the mobo! SO, I had to have a video card plugged into a PCI slot when I booted up the rig for the first time as I was waiting for the real card to arrive. I keep a cheap card on hand for that situation since I get calls a lot for hardware help.

Your i7 supports Intel UHD 750 graphics so if your motherboard supports integrated graphics, then you can plug into the board's video when you fire up your build. I prefer to do that, just plug into the mobo video when starting up for the first time, then add the GPU later after Windows is set up and stable.

Yikes, hope all that makes sense!


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 17, 2021)

jazzman7 said:


> Excellent! I will pick that little guy up and install myself later. Appreciate the time you have taken. Do you build for anyone else besides your Church?


I've actually built a couple for members on here and on a nature photography site I used to frequent, and I did do a couple laptop upgrades for a couple members because the laptops had to be pulled apart to get to the spot where the ram and drive sat... perils of thin laptops today! It's not my business, as a software developer I prefer to not wrangle hardware, lol! But I've built a bunch of PCs in the last 12 years so I've learned some of the little tricks. I'm happy to help if you have questions, etc. You don't happen to live anywhere near Arizona by any chance?


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

PaulieDC said:


> OK, integrated graphics simply means your motherboard has HDMI and DVI jacks and if your CPIU has graphics capability, you can run a monitor off of that without needing to buy a video card. Naturally it's not graphic power that will run games. Dedicated or discreet graphics simply means you popped in a video card and you plugged your monitor into THAT. We don't need huge gaming graphic cards for VI work but you DO want a graphics card to handle all the redraws, etc, so the CPU doesn't have to do that part.
> 
> How it works and what we see today: The CPU has to support video and the motherboard has to support it. When i5's were coming out, they didn't have the Intel graphics built in and people HAD to buy a video card. Well, today's higher-end gaming-level motherboards are starting to leave built-in video out, figuring that gamers have one or more video cards so let's save the cost and complexity. The MSI mobo I used for the church PCs did NOT have video jacks at all, so even though the i9-10900K had graphics support, there were no video ports on the mobo! SO, I had to have a video card plugged into a PCI slot when I booted up the rig for the first time as I was waiting for the real card to arrive. I keep a cheap card on hand for that situation since I get calls a lot for hardware help.
> 
> ...


It does! I was not planning to bypass a vid card altogether but was thinking of Vid card AND integrated graphics as a possible supplement. I'm doing a radical re-think of my current 4x25" monitor setup approx 30" from my face. This setup on paper is beautiful, but in practice, it's an eye killer. (Dry and tired) while I can binge Netflix all day from my older 55" with my regular glasses without problems. A youtube I saw Has a Huge monitor farther back. and a cpl others here and there for various apps. looks great


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

PaulieDC said:


> I've actually built a couple for members on here and on a nature photography site I used to frequent, and I did do a couple laptop upgrades for a couple members because the laptops had to be pulled apart to get to the spot where the ram and drive sat... perils of thin laptops today! It's not my business, as a software developer I prefer to not wrangle hardware, lol! But I've built a bunch of PCs in the last 12 years so I've learned some of the little tricks. I'm happy to help if you have questions, etc. You don't happen to live anywhere near Arizona by any chance?


Ha! my sister does, but I live in the Carolinas. It would be nice to work with a builder that shares our specific problems and skillsets. Perhaps we could work out a way for me to hire you without necessarily shipping Hardware all over the country. A pipe dream perhaps. A possible hybrid thing where I physically build part or all in consultation with you would be my first guess. Let me know how you would envision this working since you have experience.


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

Here are a couple of shots with what I have in mind.








A BIG Monitor farther back as in pic 2 with a couple of angled monitors sitting on the desk as in pic 1.

Here is my current setup. My Keyboard now sits on the desk in front of my monitors. The monitors average about 30" away from me. One single Big screen 65" or bigger sitting farther back plus the 2 desktop angled ones sounds like a pretty good strategy. This seems far off subject I know, but the Vid card setup would affect how I implement this general idea.


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 17, 2021)

jazzman7 said:


> Ha! my sister does, but I live in the Carolinas. It would be nice to work with a builder that shares our specific problems and skillsets. Perhaps we could work out a way for me to hire you without necessarily shipping Hardware all over the country. A pipe dream perhaps. A possible hybrid thing where I physically build part or all in consultation with you would be my first guess. Let me know how you would envision this working since you have experience.


Wow, killer setup in the images above!

Actually, I think I know how we can do a hybrid build, I'll send you a DM with the details. Thing is, I like to help others, so it wouldn't be for hire, I could never charge one of my peers on here. I get so much out of this site it's crazy, so it's nothing for me to help someone get their new rig together when they really want assistance. I have some photos I'm processing for a client right now so I'll email you in the morning. Don't buy anything yet!


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 17, 2021)

PaulieDC said:


> Wow, killer setup in the images above!
> 
> Actually, I think I know how we can do a hybrid build, I'll send you a DM with the details. Thing is, I like to help others, so it wouldn't be for hire, I could never charge one of my peers on here. I get so much out of this site it's crazy, so it's nothing for me to help someone get their new rig together when they really want assistance. I have some photos I'm processing for a client right now so I'll email you in the morning. Don't buy anything yet!


Wow. That is fantastic! I tend to get into research mode, then after a while, I finally just have to get the beast off my back and make a move. Much appreciated! I will sit tight and wait to hear from you to get rolling. Have a great night!


----------



## Technostica (Jun 18, 2021)

jazzman7 said:


> Technostica said something similar, I'm looking up the alternative now


Phil81 is referring partially to the fact that the 11th gen maxes out at 8 cores versus 10 cores for the 10th gen.
The 11th gen has newer cores so they are faster per core.
It's a mixed bag overall and if you read the conclusion on the last page of the Anandtech review I linked previously that gives an overview.
The 11th gen i7 still seems a good compromise.
Chasing that last 5 or 10% or so often seems like an expensive folly.


----------



## phil_wc (Jun 18, 2021)

Quick question, is AMD ryzen is also good for music production? I'm using Cubase on intel 6800k and thinking about upgrading some parts.


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 18, 2021)

I stuck with Intel but many on here have built some killer machines with Ryzen. I heard UAD did not play well with AMD but that is the only specific instance I know about


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 18, 2021)

Technostica said:


> Chasing that last 5 or 10% or so often seems like an expensive folly.


BINGO. Quote of the week.

The Ferrari SF90 Spider may outrun the Aston Martin DB11 (drool), but it all depends on the driver. But if you want speed, neither will disappoint.

Side note: when you look at the MSRP for these two vehicles, orchestral libraries seem like pocket change!


----------



## Technostica (Jun 18, 2021)

Keep in mind that the relatively new 11th gen platform is EOL and they are releasing the next platform around October.
I say that not to suggest that you wait for that, but in case you want a platform that you can upgrade.
The 12th gen Alder Lake platform is a big departure and may well have more teething problems than usual.
For a platform with headroom then AMD AM4 makes more sense as you can upgrade to 12 or 16 cores.
Also, AMD have shown a version of a current Ryzen 9 with a 3D V-Cache stacked on the chip.
What that means is a very large and fast cache which can improve performance in certain workloads by 15-20%.
They are going to start manufacturing it this year but not clear if this will go into an AM4 chip.
Even if they do, it might be very expensive, but it shows you that AM4 might have even more of a lifespan than Intel's 11th gen.

I'm fairly conservative as when I build a system I look at the overall platform not just the CPU.
Stability and compatibility are very important to me.
But unless you are using hardware that has known compatibility issues with AMD, it's very hard to ignore them right now.

With regard to using 3 screens, check on the resolutions that you need as the cheaper GPUs usually have much more limited output options.
Also check what type of inputs the screens support and at what resolution.
Cheaper GPUs might have 2 digital and 1 analogue output and the maximum resolution on some of them will be low.
For 3 decent outputs you will typically stray into gaming GPU territory where supply is tight and prices are silly.
Unless you look at entry level professional cards such as the Nvidia Quadro or the AMD equivalent.
They will usually come with 3 DisplayPort outputs.


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 18, 2021)

phil_wc said:


> Quick question, is AMD ryzen is also good for music production? I'm using Cubase on intel 6800k and thinking about upgrading some parts.


I don't use AMD processors but given their popularity now it sounds like they have come of age. No doubt you'll get more power for less money. It's probably Canon vs Nikon at this point, find the best sale and research reviews on motherboards (most important), and sure, you can build a killer rig with a Ryzen. The motherboard you plant your CPU on is key, yet it's the one place where many folks try to cut corners budget-wise. Putting a racing engine in a '74 Ford Pinto doesn't usually work out too well, lol.


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 18, 2021)

Technostica said:


> Keep in mind that the relatively new 11th gen platform is EOL and they are releasing the next platform around October.
> I say that not to suggest that you wait for that, but in case you want a platform that you can upgrade.
> The 12th gen Alder Lake platform is a big departure and may well have more teething problems than usual.
> For a platform with headroom then AMD AM4 makes more sense as you can upgrade to 12 or 16 cores.
> ...


I knew the setup would be tricky for that monitor system. I have no idea If I would be happy with the results of the Big background monitor. Sharpness and the ability to read the fonts have historically been tough. + The world has gone GPU crazy. I know there won't be any letup for greed, but hopefully there will be ways to eventually get capable Vid results without losing your shirt. 

One of the things the local builder I talked to here said was that the higher end Ryzens run pretty hot which made me stick with Intel to match his build list for comparison purposes. I'm open to AMD arguments!


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 18, 2021)

jazzman7 said:


> I knew the setup would be tricky for that monitor system. I have no idea If I would be happy with the results of the Big background monitor. Sharpness and the ability to read the fonts have historically been tough. + The world has gone GPU crazy. I know there won't be any letup for greed, but hopefully there will be ways to eventually get capable Vid results without losing your shirt.
> 
> One of the things the local builder I talked to here said was that the higher end Ryzens run pretty hot which made me stick with Intel to match his build list for comparison purposes. I'm open to AMD arguments!


I needed to run 4 monitors for one of the churches that got the i9-10900K PC I built for them. Thanks to crypto whatsit, forget finding a decent card.. I had an old EVGA GTX 550 TI so I put that in there, then found another one used on eBay for $26. Two monitors per card, works great! They are all simple 1920x1080 so it works. If finding graphics is difficult, let's look into two cheaper cards that support 4K and run two monitors per card. If you aren't gaming, it'll work great. We'll need to make sure your MOBO has at least 3 PCIe slots, always want an extra for an expansion.


----------



## Pictus (Jun 18, 2021)

jazzman7 said:


> I knew the setup would be tricky for that monitor system. I have no idea If I would be happy with the results of the Big background monitor. Sharpness and the ability to read the fonts have historically been tough. + The world has gone GPU crazy. I know there won't be any letup for greed, but hopefully there will be ways to eventually get capable Vid results without losing your shirt.
> 
> One of the things the local builder I talked to here said was that the higher end Ryzens run pretty hot which made me stick with Intel to match his build list for comparison purposes. I'm open to AMD arguments!


Nothing is more hot or power hungry than the outdated Intel CPUs...





Go AMD! 
I created a PC you may use as a baseline guide, buy the parts and bring to the
local builder to assembly, check at https://pcpartpicker.com/list/7bGzVc
If do not need Thunderbolt, can change the motherboard to
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/cL...-pro-v2-atx-am4-motherboard-b550-aorus-pro-v2
Later can add a Thunderbolt card.

The extra 140mm fan is to be placed in the case front.

The PSU is overkill because it is semi-passive, up to +-250W the fan is off and up
to +- 600W the RPM/Noise is very low.
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/corsair-rm850x-v2-psu,5568-5.html



Or go 100% passive


https://pcpartpicker.com/product/P6PgXL/seasonic-prime-fanless-500-w-80-platinum-certified-fully-modular-fanless-atx-power-supply-prime-fanless-px-500


or


https://pcpartpicker.com/product/rbvbt6/seasonic-prime-titanium-600w-80-titanium-certified-fully-modular-fanless-atx-power-supply-ssr-600tl




Some good tweaks





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





Get a Windows 10 Pro OEM key








Advertorial: Get Windows 10 Pro for 13 EUR


It's no secret that many home PCs run pirated versions of Windows. But how necessary is it in our time? Numerous pirate builds allow many backdoors to be installed in them, causing irreparable damage...




www.guru3d.com


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 19, 2021)

See? Ryzen is coming of age. Especially for gamers. But, has the latest Ryzen series caught up with Intel in Floating Point and single-core performance? That’s not a big issue in other realms but for music editing it‘s HUGE. If AMD has caught up in that area, then great, go for it.


----------



## IgneousOne (Jun 19, 2021)

I've built a new music production PC around a 5900X, I haven't used it properly yet (am still installing programs / libraries / tweaking etc.) but it looks to be a good sytem.

BeQuiet 802 case / lots of BeQuiet 140mm fans / Noctua U12A cooler - runs cool and very quiet !


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 19, 2021)

Ok, did some research, and it’s the current line of AMD that has caught up to Intel in the areas that we as composers need to worry about. This cpu benchmark.net chart shows the comparable Ryzen 7 and Intel i7 11th gen to be neck-and-neck in single core, and I checked floating point separately and they are pretty much identical. The power consumption and yearly cost of operation are not that different, Intel as expected is slightly higher. At this point it’s Ford vs Chevy for us. Strict gamers should go for Ryzen, definitely. According to the CPU mark specs.


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 19, 2021)

IgneousOne said:


> I've built a new music production PC around a 5900X, I haven't used it properly yet (am still installing programs / libraries / tweaking etc.) but it looks to be a good sytem.
> 
> BeQuiet 802 case / lots of BeQuiet 140mm fans / Noctua U12A cooler - runs cool and very quiet !


Based on what I just researched, good call on the Ryzen pick. If anyone who produces music is going to do a Ryzen processor, they need to pick the current generation for single core and FP reasons. 

Nice case… I’m definitely getting rid of my windbag loud Antec case and going for the beQuiet!


----------



## Mr Greg G (Jun 19, 2021)

phil_wc said:


> Quick question, is AMD ryzen is also good for music production? I'm using Cubase on intel 6800k and thinking about upgrading some parts.


I switched from Intel to AMD 6 months ago, because these CPU give a great bang for the buck and are perfect for workstations given their number of cores + single core speed for zen3. You can find benchmarks on the proaudioscan website even though it's not up to date. It covers only the previous generation of Ryzen from 2020 (zen2) but the new generation (zen3) is even better and performs better than Intel on every level (workstation, games etc).


----------



## phil_wc (Jun 19, 2021)

Mr Pringles said:


> I switched from Intel to AMD 6 months ago, because these CPU give a great bang for the buck and are perfect for workstations given their number of cores + single core speed for zen3. You can find benchmarks on the proaudioscan website even though it's not up to date. It covers only the previous generation of Ryzen from 2020 (zen2) but the new generation (zen3) is even better and performs better than Intel on every level (workstation, games etc).


Ohhh nice good to hear that. I would upgrade next year.


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 19, 2021)

Mr Pringles said:


> I switched from Intel to AMD 6 months ago, because these CPU give a great bang for the buck and are perfect for workstations given their number of cores + single core speed for zen3. You can find benchmarks on the proaudioscan website even though it's not up to date. It covers only the previous generation of Ryzen from 2020 (zen2) but the new generation (zen3) is even better and performs better than Intel on every level (workstation, games etc).


That’s exactly what I found too, just TODAY, which is great news for all of us. Now we as music producers have a totally level playing field. As a multi-decade Intel guy (who works for a semiconductor company where Intel is one of our customers, although that genuinely has nothing to do with it), I’d use the new line of Ryzen in a heartbeat NOW, because single-core and FP have caught up. I never knew that was an issue, but moot point now. The Ryzen 5800X and the Intel i7-11th Gen are pretty much identical in specs and price and if you need to keep the cost of the CPU at $400 or less, either is a no-brainer. The selling price for both CPUs is identical… That is incredibly amazing—that for that price, someone starting out in orchestration or even wanting to upgrade like Jazzman can get some serious power without laying out 4 figures like we did just three years ago! The deciding factor is simple: who has the motherboard in stock that has the specs you want? 😂 Because those are getting harder to find I recently discovered. As far as power, I mean, 105w vs 125w watt isn’t exactly a wide gap. “Being in stock” anymore is the driving factor. 😀

However, I have seen some threads about AMD having less latency and that’s a very interesting thing to research also. I wonder what aspect in the food chain that really affects, because I have no problems with that personally but every CPU and motherboard can have a different “relationship” for lack of a better word. Audio Interface and drivers also come into play there. I had issues even with my i9-7940X, but as soon as I invested in the RME Babyface Pro with those great ASIO drivers, all my issues literally went away. @rgames has put out some very detailed videos on this whole subject, really good info if you look that up.


----------



## Pictus (Jun 19, 2021)

PaulieDC said:


> (...)However, I have seen some threads about AMD having less latency and that’s a very interesting thing to research also. (...)


Nowadays Ryzen 5000 is a better choice.
RyanC has AMD 5950X and Intel 7980xe and both with Thunderbolt, look what he says:








Gearspace.com - View Single Post - The "today we build our studio pc" thread


Post 15475993 -Forum for professional and amateur recording engineers to share techniques and advice.



gearspace.com












Gearspace.com - View Single Post - The "today we build our studio pc" thread


Post 15477383 -Forum for professional and amateur recording engineers to share techniques and advice.



gearspace.com












Gearspace.com - View Single Post - The "today we build our studio pc" thread


Post 15506250 -Forum for professional and amateur recording engineers to share techniques and advice.



gearspace.com


----------



## Mr Greg G (Jun 19, 2021)

Pictus has spoken
/thread


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 19, 2021)

Pictus said:


> Nowadays Ryzen 5000 is a better choice.
> RyanC has AMD 5950X and Intel 7980xe and both with Thunderbolt, look what he says:
> 
> 
> ...


Hmmmm… I think it’s pretty clear you own stock in the company. 😀


----------



## Pictus (Jun 19, 2021)

PaulieDC said:


> Hmmmm… I think it’s pretty clear you own stock in the company. 😀


LOL!
I have no stock!!


----------



## PaulieDC (Jun 19, 2021)

Pictus said:


> LOL!
> I have no stock!!


😀 I was kidding anyway. Honestly that’s how I am about the RME Babyface pro, I want everyone to own it, LOL!


----------



## wst3 (Jun 22, 2021)

I decided to take a slightly more conservative route (thanks in part to Prime Day!)

My project is a relatively small upgrade, I need to add TB to the system, which means a new motherboard, which means a new CPU, and sadly new memory. I ended up with these (arriving later this week):

CPU - Intel i7=10700k
(for the price this seems very hard to beat).
Mobo -https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SYWZW4S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (ASUS Prime Z590-A)
(this was the hard part, I wanted to go with Intel 500 series chip set to future proof as much as possible, and there are not reasonably priced Z590 boards with on-board TB, so I will add their TB card when I pick up my first TB equipped interface. This also let me spread the cost out over time.)
Memory - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0884TNHNC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (G.Skill RipJaws V Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) DDR4 3600 Model F4-3600C18D-64GVK)
(this lets me upgrade easily to 64 GB, should I need to.)
Cooler - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084P82HRY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (ARCTIC Freezer 7 X - Compact Multi-Compatible CPU Cooler) 
(had to go somewhat short because this is going in a 4RU rack mount case)
Always interested in thoughts and suggestions. And I will post my thoughts comparing this build to my very reliable current build:

CPU - Intel Core i7 4790K @ 4.00GHz
RAM - 32.0GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 800MHz
MOBO - ASRock Z97 Extreme4
Other than TB this machine would probably have lasted at least another year - I think???


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 22, 2021)

wst3 said:


> I need to add TB to the system,


??


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 22, 2021)

Fat's in the fire now! Just picked up the
SAMSUNG 980 PRO 2TB PCIe NVMe Gen4​313.00 Amazon prime deal. Decided to pull the trigger in spite of the generally ugly prices. Need for Speed!


----------



## Mr Greg G (Jun 22, 2021)

Well, I don't want to be a downer but I was a tad disappointed by my Samsung 970 nvme. I couldn't notice any difference with a SATA SSD in real world applications (Windows starting up, Cubase etc) 

PS: TB = either Thunderbird (Pontiac) or thunderbolt which makes a bit more sense.


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 22, 2021)

Mr Pringles said:


> Well, I don't want to be a downer but I was a tad disappointed by my Samsung 970 nvme. I couldn't notice any difference with a SATA SSD in real world applications (Windows starting up, Cubase etc)
> 
> PS: TB = either Thunderbird (Pontiac) or thunderbolt which makes a bit more sense.


If it doesn't help, I can pull the plug since there is a delay. Shame "In theory" and "On paper" doesn't match up with real-world when we want it to! Appreciate the input


----------



## Mr Greg G (Jun 22, 2021)

No no, it doesn’t mean you have to cancel your order, you‘ve got yourself a very good deal. It’s just that for now, I don’t think components (MB etc) use the real potential of nvme SSDs. But it doesn’t mean this potential wont be used in the future.

And at least if there’s a bandwidth bottleneck somewhere, you will be sure it won’t be the Samsung. Just don’t expect a really noticeable difference between SATA SSD and nvme SSD for the time being.


----------



## Pictus (Jun 22, 2021)

wst3 said:


> Cooler - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084P82HRY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (ARCTIC Freezer 7 X - Compact Multi-Compatible CPU Cooler)
> (had to go somewhat short because this is going in a 4RU rack mount case)


Change to the 3 heatpipes model, the Freezer A13 X


----------



## wst3 (Jun 23, 2021)

jazzman7 said:


> ??


TB = Thunderbolt. I use UA plugins extensively, and my poor old Apollo Twin USB just isn't quite big enough, so I want to add an Apollo x6 to my studio. To do that I need to upgrade the studio computer. The parts arrive today!!!


----------



## wst3 (Jun 23, 2021)

Pictus said:


> Change to the 3 heatpipes model, the Freezer A13 X



sadly it appears that is only for AMD CPUs. I will keep looking...


----------



## Pictus (Jun 23, 2021)

wst3 said:


> sadly it appears that is only for AMD CPUs. I will keep looking...


That is strange...
Anyway, the best smallest you can get is DARK ROCK TF
and it is compatible with your motherboard.


----------

