# New PC build, listed parts. Thoughts?



## SciFlyBoy (Sep 20, 2015)

Hey,
I've been slowly putting together a parts list for a new computer and want to run it by anyone to hear their thoughts. I ran this through PCPartPicker to see if anything clashed, it says WIN7 won't support more than 16GB RAM. Let me know if there's any other info you need.

Windows 7(64)
i7 6700
MB Asus Z170AR
32Gb Corsair vengeance 2666 (16x2)
Samsung 850 EVO 120GB SSD
WD 7200RPM 1TB IHD
Corsair CSM 650w
CM Hyper 212EVO

1) Should I consider learning Win 10?
2) What is the benefit of getting the i7 versus the i5?
3) I run my audio off an Audio Interface, should I get a soundcard or stick with the AI?

Thank you. -W


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## Mystic (Sep 20, 2015)

1) Check your drivers before you do. I'm running on Win 10 great. 
2) Hyperthreading on i7 is a huge benefit.
3) Most mobos have onboard sound but if you have an audio interface, disable any other sound devices on the computer.


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## kitekrazy (Sep 21, 2015)

W7 Pro supports 128GB RAM. i7s have hyperthreading. Hyper 212 is not necessary unless you get a processor with an unlocked multiplier. Stock coolers work fine. Running a DAW without an interface is like putting snow tires on a Ferrari.


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## JohnG (Sep 21, 2015)

the size of your SSD is very small -- way too small. 

Win 7 Pro will support 24 GB of RAM but you have to mess with the BIOS (I did, anyway, when I upgraded to Pro).


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## Greedo (Sep 22, 2015)

No, Windows 7 Pro 64bit supports 192GB. 32bit Windows 7 has a limit of only 4GB. Its the same with 32bit Windows 10 Pro, but 64bit Windows 10 Pro support 2TB. So, for God's sake, get at 64bit OS . I think 120GB SSD is Ok if you only using it as a system/OS disk. Allso if you're using large sample libraries, get a large SSD for you most used samples and put the rest on a slower 7200rpm disk 

And allso:
1: Go for Windows 10. It's fast. And if you know how to use Windows 7 or Windows 8 theres no problem at all. It's easy 
2: Get a i7 for DAW
3: An dedicated Audio Interface/Soundcard is a must. Don't consider using the onboard Soundcard at all


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## sleepy hollow (Sep 22, 2015)

SciFlyBoy said:


> 3) I run my audio off an Audio Interface, should I get a soundcard or stick with the AI?


What kind of audio interface do you have? Let us know - maybe you don't have to buy a new one.



Mystic said:


> 3) ... but if you have an audio interface, disable any other sound devices on the computer.


Not necessarily, got a PCI soundcard, a USB interface and the on-board soundchip activated on my DAW. No problems here. Never ran into trouble with more than one soundcard in the past, well, not on my own computers (been using ASUS boards mostly).


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## SciFlyBoy (Sep 22, 2015)

Thank you guys, this is a lot of good information.



sleepy hollow said:


> What kind of audio interface do you have? Let us know - maybe you don't have to buy a new one.



I have an M-Audio Fast Track Pro. I got it to replace my MIDI interface because my keyboard still has a MIDI connection. It's not supported by M-Audio anymore as I get any updates from AVID. I also read that there's no driver for Win 10.

Is the 32GB too small, just right?

I plan to have the SSD to run my OS and run a slave.

Again, thanks a lot guys. -W


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## Mystic (Sep 22, 2015)

sleepy hollow said:


> Not necessarily, got a PCI soundcard, a USB interface and the on-board soundchip activated on my DAW. No problems here. Never ran into trouble with more than one soundcard in the past, well, not on my own computers (been using ASUS boards mostly).


It's more along the lines of prevention from possible issues. I've run multiple as well in the past but there can be issues with doing it that way. It's better to remove the possible issues if you can.


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## kitekrazy (Sep 22, 2015)

JohnG said:


> the size of your SSD is very small -- way too small.
> 
> Win 7 Pro will support 24 GB of RAM but you have to mess with the BIOS (I did, anyway, when I upgraded to Pro).



Windows eats 40gb of that.


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## SciFlyBoy (Sep 23, 2015)

So, am I safe with a 256GB?


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## Mystic (Sep 23, 2015)

256 should be fine for a system drive as long as you are saving your files and keeping libraries on something bigger


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## JohnG (Sep 23, 2015)

I guess 256 is enough. Personally I'd go with 512 just in case. Even though I don't use much hard drive space on my slave computers' boot drives, sometimes I back something up, or want to move samples from one drive to another and it's more convenient.


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## SciFlyBoy (Sep 28, 2015)

If I'm unable to get a working slave for the time being, would I be able to run my libraries and cubase on my one system with these specs?


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## JohnG (Sep 28, 2015)

SciFlyBoy said:


> would I be able to run my libraries and cubase on my one system with these specs?



If I were building this I'd rather have four 250-500 GB drives (or 1TB each) than try to stream all my samples off of a single large drive. I personally would opt for SSDs, but with enough regular 7200 drives you can do quite a bit, as long as you aren't using multiple mic positions and the Most Ultimate Patches from the Most Ultimate String Libraries.


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