 my new pc spec |
the moneyshot 
str8 outa nocash
Registration Date: 31-12-2007
Posts: 328
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i have too get a new pc in about two months trouble is im not too sure what to buy. these are the specs of the one ive been looking at. is this worth the buy or should i change something. im running cubase and a lot of native instruments software so itneeds to be pretty fast to keep up. any help on this would be great thanks.
Processor (CPU)...........AMD PHENOM™ X4 9550 (2.2GHz) 4 x 512K L2 CACHE (SOCKET AM2+).
Memory (RAM)..............4GB CORSAIR XMS2 800MHz - LIFETIME WARRANTY! (2x2GB).
Motherboard................ASUS® M2N68-AM: DUAL DDR2, S-ATA II, PCIe x16, 1 x PCIe x1, 2 x PCI .
Operating System.........Genuine Windows XP™ Home + SP3, CD & Licence (£65).
USB Options..................8 x USB 2.0 PORTS (6 REAR + 2 FRONT) AS sTANDARD
Memory - 1st Hard Disk...500GB SERIAL ATA II HARD DRIVE WITH 8MB CACHE (7,200rpm)
Graphics Card.............512MB GEFORCE 8400GS PCI Express + DVI + TV-OUT
Sound Card...............ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities........ONBOARD 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Memory Card Reader.....INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (READS XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) Case............................Stylish Black/Silver Trident case + 2 front USB Power Supply & Case Cooling............350W Dual Rail PSU + 120mm Case
Fan Processor Cooling...........................SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE CPU COOLER (£15)
Firewire & Video Editing...................3 Port IEEE 1394a Firewire PCI Card (£9)
Monitor.........................................19 Inch Wide TFT Silver/Black 1440 x 900 5MS, D-Sub, DVI, Audio (£92)
Warranty.................................1 Year Return-to-Base incl 1st Month Free Collect & Return
total pice £578 inc vat
This post has been edited 6 time(s), it was last edited by the moneyshot: 21-12-2008 13:20.
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21-12-2008 09:34 |
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thechronic
admin
Registration Date: 01-11-2002
Posts: 5,293
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That's a very nice price for that setup.
Some remarks:
If you are replacing an old PC, don't waste your money on the XP license, just format the HD of the old computer, then install your old XP on the new PC and update it. For the life of me I will never spend any more money on Microsoft. My XP license has survived 3 computers already 
I will hold on to XP for a few more years until linux has matured for audio apps.
Two very important components are missing here: the power supply and the case.
Don't skimp on these, especially on the power supply. Make sure you get a 80+ rated power supply. With a cheap power supply your electricity bill will increase dramatically and the life span will be much shorter because of excessive heat generation.
They are not mentioning the brand and model of the power supply, this is probably the "catch" of the setup for this price. Make sure you know which PSU is in there before you buy it!!
case:
An excellent case for a studio PC is the Antec Sonata: very quiet and with a 80+ power supply included. It has several noise reducing features (like soft rubber feet underneath the case and rubber suspensions for the hard drive, no ventilation holes in the side panel). Get an additional slow turning 12cm fan (eg zalman) to mount behind the harddisks.
Which 8400GS are you buying? I would recommend the Asus GeForce 8400 GS SILENT, this is a passively cooled model which does not generate any noise.
For hard drives don't get just any brand, I have good experiences with Western Digital, they are very reliable.
4GB memory is too much. Windows XP has a maximum memory limit of 3GB.
The Corsair XM2 series is a waste of money. Get something like Kingston KHX8500D2K2/2G memory, it runs at 1066MHz instead of 800MHz, and it's CHEAPER than the Corsair XM2. Or get similar 800MHz memory with CAS5 latency from Kingston for half the price. Mind that some motherboards don't support 1066MHz memory on more than 2 modules.
Depending on the DAW you use a quad core may or may not be a good idea. If the DAW supports multiple cores well the quad core is the way to go, otherwise get a faster dual core. FYI the 9550 is a very slow processor, if not the slowest quad core currently for sale. For the same price the 6000+ dual core will be up to 50% faster for single threaded programs. Check the forums of your DAW for tips on which processor to get.
If your budget is limited AMD is the best bet. For the same performance Intels cost you 30-50 euro more (especially the motherboards are more expensive). For Intel look at the Q6600 for the most cost effective quad core. High end Intel quad cores are unbeatable but this comes at a price. AMD rules the midprice processors, Intel rules the fast pack.
For the motherboard I would get something with a newer chipset, something like the Asus M3N78 series. The M2N68 is the previous generation.
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22-12-2008 14:05 |
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the moneyshot
str8 outa nocash
Registration Date: 31-12-2007
Posts: 328
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thankyou both for the information, really gave me something to think about. i thought to be honest that setup sounded cheap and i dont know a great deal about computers. best feedback ive had guys, cheers 
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22-12-2008 15:48 |
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