# Ready To Build a PC for VI Composing? Here's My Pick, Under $2300 and It Screams.



## PaulieDC (Jan 14, 2019)

Hey all, if you're newer to this and ready to invest in your first tower that you can be sure will give you some horsepower, I went online to Newegg.com and built a list for a PC for under 2300 bucks that will be a great first-PC dedicated for music production. I have an insane 14-core machine with 45TB of drive space and all the blah blah blah that cost me 7 grand, but with Intel's new CPUs offering more than 4 cores at a reasonable price, you can build an 8-core rig with insanely fast NVMe storage for a lot less.

I'll paste the parts list at the bottom, but for $2,291 without even adding discount codes, etc, you get:

Intel 8-core/16Thread CPU (UPDATE, 1/15/19: Mihkel Zilmer pointed out that the original Intel CPU I had listed, the 9700K, is NOT multithreaded, it's 8 cores and 8 threads. He suggested to go for the i9-9900K which is 8 cores/16 threads, and he's right. Shopping list has been updated.
32GB DDR4 2666 ram, with two slots open for adding 32GB more later
MSI Gaming motherboard
TWO 1TB Samsung 970 M.2 NVMe SSDs for storing libraries and plugins, motherboard-mounted. NVMe is WAYYYY faster than standard SSDs. You should see how fast Berlin Strings loads on my PC off of this drive. Nuts.
SATA 1TB Samsung SSD for all music files, etc
SATA 500GB SSD for your OS/C Drive and all software installs (NO user files)
GTX 1060 Nvidia graphics card... optional, you can add it later, but this gives multi-monitor support and takes all screen redrawing off the CPU. I'd get it.
Massive air cooler for your CPU. Much easier to install than water cooling but you can do that if you like. I don't, the unit I picked is what I use on my 14-core proc
Windows 10 Pro
Awesome modular 750w PSU, more power than needed, great for expansion and just running cool and lean.
I picked a gaming case with 4 fans, but you can pick whatever case you prefer.
The PSU and ram and mobo and SSDs are the brands I use in my rig. I've bought a lot of components and did a lot of switchouts, and what's in the list are top performers.

I didn't add a cheap DVD drive, if you want that they are 30 bucks but you'll need a case that has the big bays to hold it. I just use and external USB drive in the rare event I need it.

Here's the list. I did add some notes to most items, please read if possible. These are great days to build, 8-core intel procs are finally affordable and walk AMD off the pier in performance (that should spark some comments, lol), and RAM has come way down in price, it was horribly high in 2018. I paid $640 for my 64GB set in May 2018. I just ordered a second set to get up to 128GB last week, paid $417. This is great time to build, and it's easier than you think. I built my first video editing rig in 2009, with panic inside and palms sweating, lol! After I got it done, I wanted to build another, it was so much fun. Google around, there are tons of vids. When you build, you know your PC inside and out, and you have anywhere from 3-year to lifetime warranties on the parts. Try buying a 5 year warranty from Dell, see how much that costs. Have fun! I'll be happy to answer questions if needed.

PS: If you have the funds, get two sets of RAM and max it out at 64GB, you won't be sorry. Some motherboards handle 128GB but they are more expensive (mine was $370), the point of this list is a starter rig that's more affordable, JSYK.

https://secure.newegg.com/Wishlist/SharedWishlistDetail?ID=EPFpVhcTVWdYU0CpSboe%2fQ%3d%3d&&cm_mmc=snc-email-_-sr-_-wishlist-EPFpVhcTVWdYU0CpSboe%2fQ%3d%3d-_-01/14/2019 (https://secure.newegg.com/Wishlist/SharedWishlistDetail?ID=EPFpVhcTVWdYU0CpSboe/Q==&amp;&amp;cm_mmc=snc-email-_-sr-_-wishlist-EPFpVhcTVWdYU0CpSboe/Q==-_-01/14/2019)


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## JohnG (Jan 14, 2019)

PaulieDC said:


> GTX 1060 Nvidia graphics card... optional, you can add it later, but this gives multi-monitor support and takes all screen redrawing off the CPU. I'd get it.



Although I like this build fine, I definitely will not be buying an Nvidia graphics card any time soon. I know their drivers have improved but I would pick something else.

Good post though, Paulie. It is pretty amazing what you can get for a couple thousand today.


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## StillLife (Jan 14, 2019)

Thank you, Paulie. I am planning to buy a new pc sometime this year, so having your information is very welcome.


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## Wall Art Music (Jan 14, 2019)

Sounds great! Now all I need is $2200!


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## PaulieDC (Jan 15, 2019)

Wall Art Music said:


> Sounds great! Now all I need is $2200!


LOL! Yeah, there is THAT... ANNNNDDD, it's $2300 now, I had the wrong processor in the first list!


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## PaulieDC (Jan 15, 2019)

StillLife said:


> Thank you, Paulie. I am planning to buy a new pc sometime this year, so having your information is very welcome.


Great! There are 547 ways to go, this is A way, but I think this is a decent starting rig that will still be relevant in a few years, one that slaves could be added to if needed.


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## PaulieDC (Jan 15, 2019)

JohnG said:


> Although I like this build fine, I definitely will not be buying an Nvidia graphics card any time soon. I know their drivers have improved but I would pick something else.
> 
> Good post though, Paulie. It is pretty amazing what you can get for a couple thousand today.


Oh man, that v382 driver caused more issues (as did several before) than was absolutely necessary. They've got it together now, but you're right, doesn't need to be an Nvidia card, there are so many Radeon-based that offer the same or more of the buck. My commitment to NVidia is a throwback to 10 years ago when DSLR video hit the scene with the Canon 5D Mark II and Adobe Premiere Pro was the only TLE that supported it natively. For whatever reason, you could only use Nvidia graphics in order to get the quirky 4:2:0 H.264 files out of the camera to utilize the GPU. That's changed now, it supports both. ;D


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## PaulieDC (Jan 15, 2019)

Out of curiosity I worked up a Mac Pro to see what a nearly equivalent machine would run, because I started on Macs in 1990 and am a lifelong fan, but the _prices_. I hadn't done this in a long time, I was curious... The Mac Pro with the 8-core Xeon E5-1680 v2, 32GB ram, GPU and *ONE* NVMe 512GB drive: *$4599.* Ugh. The Xeon is just slightly slower than the i7-9700K according to CPUBenchmark.net, plus Apple gives you older DDR3 RAM running at 1866MHz. The newer Mobo like in the list runs DDR4 at 2666MHz. And apparently there's no room to add the 2TB of NVME drivespace for libraries and there's no dedicated 1TB SATA SSD for all music files, like you get with the $2200 PC. I've been a long time Mac fan but that's hard to justify (says he who spent $1500 on an iPhone XS Max and $1250 on a 12.9" iPad Pro with Pencil ).


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jan 15, 2019)

PaulieDC said:


> Out of curiosity I worked up a Mac Pro



Well yeah, it's not a secret that the black Mac Pro is long in the tooth, nor that its design has tradeoffs, nor that it's expensive.

Nor that Apple's storage and memory are priced out of line.


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## Mihkel Zilmer (Jan 15, 2019)

Just wanted to point out one little error - 9700k is 8 cores / 8 threads (not 16 like you mentioned). Hyperthreading was abandoned for 9600k and 9700k and is only available on 9900k.


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## PaulieDC (Jan 15, 2019)

Mihkel Zilmer said:


> Just wanted to point out one little error - 9700k is 8 cores / 8 threads (not 16 like you mentioned). Hyperthreading was abandoned for 9600k and 9700k and is only available on 9900k.


Holy chicken noodles on a stick, I didn't catch that. I guess that's why the price is so low. I' just assumed like all previous processors that an i7 would have that. I updated the list and fixed the first thread and showed what you pointed out. For $125 more it's a no-brainer... $529 for an 8/16 is still pretty decent deal. Good catch, thanks!


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## Pictus (Jan 17, 2019)

PaulieDC said:


> Hey all, if you're newer to this and ready to invest in your first tower that you can be sure will give you some horsepower, I went online to Newegg.com and built a list for a PC for under 2300 bucks that will be a great first-PC dedicated for music production. I have an insane 14-core machine with 45TB of drive space and all the blah blah blah that cost me 7 grand, but with Intel's new CPUs offering more than 4 cores at a reasonable price, you can build an 8-core rig with insanely fast NVMe storage for a lot less.
> 
> [*]MSI Gaming motherboard



The Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO got a way better VRM implementation.
https://be.hardware.info/reviews/88...rd-is-echt-8-core-waardig-benchmarks-vrm-test






> [*]GTX 1060 Nvidia graphics card... optional, you can add it later, but this gives multi-monitor support and takes all screen redrawing off the CPU. I'd get it.


I prefer AMD, see why https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7060297



> [*]I picked a gaming case with 4 fans, but you can pick whatever case you prefer.


I would get one with USB-C like this https://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/define-series/define-r6-usb-c



> I didn't add a cheap DVD drive, if you want that they are 30 bucks but you'll need a case that has the big bays to hold it. I just use and external USB drive in the rare event I need it.



Why DVD?
Blu-ray is faster/safer and can storage a lot more data...
Get a model compatible with M-Disc
https://www.pcworld.com/article/293...ewed-your-data-good-for-a-thousand-years.html


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## PaulieDC (Jan 17, 2019)

Pictus said:


> The Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO got a way better VRM implementation.
> I prefer AMD
> I would get one with USB-C like this
> 
> Why DVD? Blu-ray is faster/safer and can storage a lot more data...



Sure, that's why I said "Great! There are 547 ways to go, this is A way..." 

The Gigabyte Mobo looks good. Besides better VRM, the M.2 slots don't appear to share bandwidth with the 6Gbit SATA ports. The Gigabyte also has built in wireless. Good suggestion, I've added it to the list and removed the MSI.

Case is arbitrary, I did say you can choose whatever case and folks should do that.. if they research anything, look at the bazillions of cases out there. I agree, going down the road of USB-C is actually a smart move, standard USB will eventually disappear. But most folks own standard USB peripherals right now and this is a thread about that first build, so I didn't stress that one.

The AMD graphics suggestion is fine, and yes, an AMD is also a good choice as noted in an earlier answer. But that has nothing to do with the DAW and getting pops and crackles as mentioned in the article, DAW's don't use a GPU for that. The video card will sit barely idle for the most part when producing music, except maybe for running video to score to. But that's not the same as rendering a video production. Your suggestion about VRM is definitely more important, that one is worth its weight in gold. My Nvidia-based EVGA GTX 1080 is phenomenal and the driver issue has finally been solved. Ford vs Chevy.

FWIW, "DVD" comment was just a placeholder, of COURSE I have a BluRay burner, I'm a video editor and some people still want disks, but in 2019 does anyone need any kind of optical drive? WHY? BluRay isn't faster, it's as slow as DVD in comparison to gigabit internet with cloud storage or a network attached RAID array for long term storage. PC Cases and even laptops in 2019 don't come with optical drives anymore, they are yesterday's technology. BluRay only holds 22GB in reality, single layer. I would need 40 of them to backup my Berlin libraries... burning one is maddening slow, a dedicated external drive is a better option if nothing else. For music I only use an optical drive for one thing, if I have to reinstall Kontakt 10. Actually now even that, I've copied them to a hard drive. Optical drives are heading to the same retirement home as floppy disks. Just my $.02.

Anyway, thanks for the reply, good info.


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## Pictus (Jan 17, 2019)

PaulieDC said:


> Sure, that's why I said "Great! There are 547 ways to go, this is A way..."
> 
> The Gigabyte Mobo looks good. Besides better VRM, the M.2 slots don't appear to share bandwidth with the 6Gbit SATA ports. The Gigabyte also has built in wireless. Good suggestion, I've added it to the list and removed the MSI.



If you use one NVMe SSD in slot M2A, no sharing.
But if use one in the M2M slot will loose SATA port 4 and 5.
Check the manual page 20
http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_z390-aorus-pro_wifi_1001_e.pdf



> Anyway, thanks for the reply, good info.



You are welcome.


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## Pictus (Jan 18, 2019)

Newegg has the GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS MASTER in promotion for 2 days
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813145089
This motherboard is TOP dog with reinforced slots and a base plate, this means
that the motherboard will not bent when using heavy coolers...





BTW, if need Thunderbolt port the GIGABYTE Z390 Designare has built-in TB ports.


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## TimCox (Jan 22, 2019)

Just thought I would chime in, I’ve had nothing but headaches and frustration from my gigabyte mobo. Terrible BiOS that is usually nearly impossible to actually access. Admittedly my mobo is now ancient so maybe gigabyte has fixed things


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## Sami (Jan 22, 2019)

I don’t like building with gigabyte despite the vrms either... been buying asus by default for years and with a little air cooling never experienced any issue with the vrm temp or any instability even at higher overclocks. I think that for someone like OP who I presume does not necessarily have much experience overclocking the „massive air cooler“ should suffice in generating some airflow over the vrm area


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## Pictus (Jan 23, 2019)

Not much practical like ASUS, but not a problem.
How many times we have to deal with the BIOS?
Very rarely...


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