First stab at computer building

C

cliaru

New Member
Hello,

This is my first post! I am trying to build my first computer ever and I would love some help. The budget for this computer is $1500 and the sole purpose of this computer is home recording. I do not know much about computers so I think it might take a while to get things started. Anyway, here's what I'm looking for:

- Processor: Processing power is my top priority along with RAM, and I'm trying to cram as much as I can in this machine
- RAM: As I said, I want a lot of memory, probably 8 gigs
- I want it to make little noise. I don't know what components make noise (cases? hard drives? power supplies?) but if I can pay more to make it produce less noise, I will
- Video Card: I'm not looking for anything fancy, but I will be using two monitors at once
- Motherboard: I don't know what makes one better than another... may need a little help
- Case: I haven't really decided what goes into my computer but I know I will use at least two hard drives (three would be best) and I will probably expand the machine when I get better sound cards and such (it would be a big plus if it would be easy to put together...)
- Hard Drive: I am trying to put just the basic stuff in one hard drive like the recording software (the master drive? I don't know what it's called...) and I would like to store my recorded files in a separate hard drive (500 gigs minimum) and, if possible, a back up hard drive (I don't know anything about the RAID settings and stuff)
- Sound Card: I'm not sure what home recordists use so I'm gonna have to do some research, but if you have any suggestions it'd be awesome (this won't be included in the $1500)
- Power Supply & Fan: I suspect these will make some noise... so the less noise the better

I know I missed some components in this list so if you could help me out it would be great. Sorry for the long post and thanks for your advice in advance!
 
the NUMBER ONE thing i would look at for you would be noise reduction. this means the less moving parts you have, the better. youll need to look for large case fans. preferably ones that are 120 mm. 80 mm case fans tend to be louder.

another thing to keep in mind is try getting a graphics card that has no fans. you can get cards that have dual dvi output, but that only have heatsinks.

and you should keep the hard drives to a minimum with quiet rigs. i would say use solid state, but if you are adamant about having so much disk space, then you cant avoid it.
(as an aside, you may want to look into getting a solid state for the pc while you record, but then buying an external drive with tons of space to dump all of your files.)

if you want me to take some time and make a parts list for you, just let me know. im interested in this as well!
 
Thanks for taking such an intrest in this! My top priority is processing power, so if I had to I would choose power over noise (I could run the cable into a closet or another room if I had to). But the large fan and the fan-less graphic card sounds great, and I would put it in my build if I can afford it. I'm not sure about the solid state drives. Aren't they super expensive? Also, the files are going to be very big so I will need all the capacity I can get. If you could list some parts (especially the motherboard and the case because I have no clue on those) it would be great. Thank you so much!
 
you can have both processing power AND noise reduction. most aftermarket fan coolers have large fans, which are perfect for your application. most solid state harddrives are expensive, but i seriously doubt youll have music recording files bigger than 32 or 64 gigs each lol.
 
A lot of fans isn't really a problem. I have an antec 900, and a 9800 GTX (has a huge fan and around it) and it's not loud at all, even the huge 120mm fan is quiet. In almost every case though you can adjust the fan speed if you think it's too loud.
 
dubesinhower said:
the NUMBER ONE thing i would look at for you would be noise reduction. this means the less moving parts you have, the better. youll need to look for large case fans. preferably ones that are 120 mm. 80 mm case fans tend to be louder.

another thing to keep in mind is try getting a graphics card that has no fans. you can get cards that have dual dvi output, but that only have heatsinks.

and you should keep the hard drives to a minimum with quiet rigs. i would say use solid state, but if you are adamant about having so much disk space, then you cant avoid it.
(as an aside, you may want to look into getting a solid state for the pc while you record, but then buying an external drive with tons of space to dump all of your files.)

if you want me to take some time and make a parts list for you, just let me know. im interested in this as well!
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I agree completely with the noise reduction and the quiet components. I would not, however, recommend using SSD for the record drive. While they will work fine for recording, the cost per GB far outweighs any potential speed/track benefits in recording. You could use one for your system/app drive(s) if you really want. A good hard drive will be quieter than most system fans under operation anyway. You can also use external drives and put them in sound proof casings (vented of course) or in another room entirely.

Cliaru, what recording software will you be using? I ask because you will want to make sure that it will work with Vista64.

Also, unless you will be loading large sample libraries into RAM, you would not need a full 8GB of ram. A newer triple channel DDR3 system with 6GB of RAM is where I would recommend starting. If you ARE going to be loading samples into RAM, I would bump that up to 12GB.
 
tknick90 said:
A lot of fans isn't really a problem. I have an antec 900, and a 9800 GTX (has a huge fan and around it) and it's not loud at all, even the huge 120mm fan is quiet. In almost every case though you can adjust the fan speed if you think it's too loud.
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btw that top fan is 200 mm not 120.
 
dubesinhower said:
you can have both processing power AND noise reduction. most aftermarket fan coolers have large fans, which are perfect for your application. most solid state harddrives are expensive, but i seriously doubt youll have music recording files bigger than 32 or 64 gigs each lol.
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It depends on what you are working on. ;)

While the individual audio files may be small (relatively), several of my projects have been over 100+ GB even after cleanup. :)

Frankly, for the budget, a nice pair of 1TB drives would do well. I would recommend using one for recording and the other for backup.
 
Zatharus said:
Cliaru, what recording software will you be using? I ask because you will want to make sure that it will work with Vista64.

Also, unless you will be loading large sample libraries into RAM, you would not need a full 8GB of ram. A newer triple channel DDR3 system with 6GB of RAM is where I would recommend starting. If you ARE going to be loading samples into RAM, I would bump that up to 12GB.
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The software will be either Sonar or Cubase (I'm leaning towards Sonar). I didn't even think about the OS yet. I will be using Vista 64, right?
Also, I don't think I'll be dealing with large sample libraries (I'm new so I'm not going to be doing anything fancy... yet). But a book I read told me to get a lot of RAM if I can... I'll be using guitars, basses, and mics for vocal recording and MIDI for others (drum machine, piano, etc.) Should I get less RAM? Also, if I need more later I will be able to put it in, right?

Thanks so much for all the advice guys!
 
dubesinhower said:
btw do you need monitor, mouse, and keyboard?
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I think I have something lying around the house if I look for them but I might end up just getting new ones ;) I was just gonna get simple basic ones... should I get fancy ones? I know I will have to get at least one monitor (I have one somewhere). Do you have any suggestions?
 
not really. those things are preference. they dont really add noise lol. another thing. do you want the price of windows included? or will you be buying it after?

i came out with a pretty sweet build for grand total of $1528. not including windows or any monitor, mouse, or keyboard.

also, im not sure what you will need for audio. idk how that whole thing works, so you may want to look into what youll be recording with.

anyways, heres the build.
 
cliaru said:
The software will be either Sonar or Cubase (I'm leaning towards Sonar). I didn't even think about the OS yet. I will be using Vista 64, right?
Also, I don't think I'll be dealing with large sample libraries (I'm new so I'm not going to be doing anything fancy... yet). But a book I read told me to get a lot of RAM if I can... I'll be using guitars, basses, and mics for vocal recording and MIDI for others (drum machine, piano, etc.) Should I get less RAM? Also, if I need more later I will be able to put it in, right?

Thanks so much for all the advice guys!
Click to expand...

Yes, you will need Vista64 to use the extra RAM. More ram won't hurt. I heartily recommend getting as much as you can afford. The 6GB I recommended is a good base. Start with that, then after all the rest of your components come together and you have more left over, move up to 12GB or more if you can.

You can always add more RAM later if you have room and purchase correctly. For example, if you start with the 6GB and would like to go to 12GB top, purchase a 3x2GB set now and then a second 3x2GB set later. This is running under the assumption that you have a six slot, triple channel, DDR3 board. Or, if you want to star with 12GB up front, purchase a 3x4GB set now and a second set later.

For your MIDI instruments, what kind of input equipment are you looking at? V-Drums or just keyboard entry? Also what kind of sample libraries and softsynths do you have in mind for this? The software side of this project can add up extremely fast and even top the initial equipment build in cost depending on what you want.
 
Zatharus said:
For your MIDI instruments, what kind of input equipment are you looking at? V-Drums or just keyboard entry? Also what kind of sample libraries and softsynths do you have in mind for this? The software side of this project can add up extremely fast and even top the initial equipment build in cost depending on what you want.
Click to expand...

Well I don't really know how the drum machines are hooked up to the computer (I've never used them before... Since I can't get a drum set in my house I will buy a the machine). I'm looking Boss Dr. Rhythm DR-880 Rhythm Machine. I will need a keyboard because I will require many piano sounds. I haven't looked into the softwares yet since I was focusing on the computer at this moment so I'm not really up to speed in that area, so if you could make some suggestions it would be very nice.

Dubesinhower, thanks for the build. It looks beautiful. To be honest, I don't know what half the stuff on there does though. First of all, the processor, is that the newest one from Intel? How does it perform compared to the quadcore (is it noticeable)? Two set of the 6 gig RAMs, does that mean I will have 6 sticks of RAM? I thought the board could only hold 4... (I'm not that bright). Finally, the case... is it worth the money? Is it easy to assemble?

Thank you so much for everything!
 
Zatharus said:
:) Shoot, I remember when 4GB was huge. 12GB is nothing now. 24GB of RAM could even be considered affordable now.
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Wow, I remeber when 4 gig of RAM was the newest thing also! I think about those days when I need to cut back on some new awsome gear :P
 
that build has 12 gigs of ram total. 3 times 2 gigs is one "triple channel kit". there are two "kits" in that build. the motherboard has a total of 6 slots for memory. 3 sticks times 2 is 6 lol. so youll have 12 gigs in 6 slots.

the core i7 is the up and coming intel cpu. its in its infancy now, but many people are impressed so far. there is no real comparisons yet, since i7 is "expensive" because it is new.

the difference between quad core and the i7 is that the i7 has 8 "virtual cores". it uses hyper-threading technology to make 4 cores act like 8. also, the i7 uses a new bus technology for the motherboard. basically, its ****ing fast lol.

lastly, that antec 900 is a VERY nice case. many people swear by it. its quiet, and has very good cooling. im not sure if it has a removable motherboard tray, but you should be more than pleased with building in that playground lol.
 
dubesinhower said:
that build has 12 gigs of ram total. 3 times 2 gigs is one "triple channel kit". there are two "kits" in that build. the motherboard has a total of 6 slots for memory. 3 sticks times 2 is 6 lol. so youll have 12 gigs in 6 slots.

the core i7 is the up and coming intel cpu. its in its infancy now, but many people are impressed so far. there is no real comparisons yet, since i7 is "expensive" because it is new.

the difference between quad core and the i7 is that the i7 has 8 "virtual cores". it uses hyper-threading technology to make 4 cores act like 8. also, the i7 uses a new bus technology for the motherboard. basically, its ****ing fast lol.

lastly, that antec 900 is a VERY nice case. many people swear by it. its quiet, and has very good cooling. im not sure if it has a removable motherboard tray, but you should be more than pleased with building in that playground lol.
Click to expand...

No it doesn't.
 
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