Hi. New here. Just a few general questions.

K

kidkage

New Member
Hi :)
CF n00b here.
I'm a music recording guy. I've spent the last few years learning about DAWs and interfaces and 32/64 bit, etc. etc.
But up until recently never put much thought into the machine I run on.

Back in December I began my first upgrades to my PC (just a stock Win 7. 64bit HP p6531p I bought on sale a few years ago).
Upped the CPU to a AMD Phenom II X4 980
RAM from 6 GB to 16GB
CPU fan to a Cooler Master Hyper N520

That stuff gave me the first opportunities to look and see the inside of a system, how it's works, and fits together.

And the bug has bit me.
For a while I've been looking into a "better" computer. I've never cared much for Macs (no need for me to go into Mac vs. PC. I'm sure you regulars are sick of that stuff :D)- But the ease and "stability" of Macs always appealed to me... until I saw their pricing, and that the specs aren't really that impressive for the price. After learning a thing or two about how computers work I'm sure for the 3,000 an iMac i was looking at would cost I could build a full tower monster PC that would be total overkill, but would give me "peace of mind" to run any project.

Now that you have somewhat of a backstory, I stop wasting your time and I'll get to the question(s):

My dream build is something with two quad core processors, 24 GB RAM, multiple drives (HDD or SSD... both perhaps:confused::D) running 64bit Windows 7.
My problem is that I don't know how possible that would be :(
as I haven't seen much info on the net on building something like that. Mainly the more "typical" build stuff- Motherboard- (single) AMD or Intel support, etc.

I was looking for some thoughts on that, the possibilities of it, reading materials, whatever else you want to throw at me.

I look forward to being a part of the forum. Both asking and helping others.

Thanks for reading. Your a trooper if you made it through that all :good:
 
What are you using this computer for? Music recording, video editing, photo editing, 3D modeling, gaming, what?

And two CPUs are more for server applications. You'd be better suited with an i7, which is a quad core with 8 threads. That would be the best without spending a ton of money.

16GB is all you're gonna use for almost any application. I wouldn't recommend any above that.

You'll need a power supply. A 650w from corsair, seasonic, antec, silverstone, PC power and cooling, NZXT, or XFX will do with one video card. If you're into extreme gaming, and want another video card, a 750-850w would do.

I highly recommend an SSD. Look for a SATA III one.

Something to get you started.
 
as was said, you are better off with a 2600k or if you need slightly more (150% I think) more power, a 39**k (6 core same chip as a 2600 just with extra cores on a different socket). That would be one kickarse system.
 
Thanks for the replies.

Yeah, I'll be using it solely for music recording.

I use a lot of virtual instruments. I thought what I have now (Phenom II X4 @ 3.7, and 16GB Ram) would be more than I would ever need for recording. But I guess I was wrong. My latency numbers are still a little higher than I thought they would be, and certain virtual instruments, and plug-ins put more strain on my system that I wouldve thought. The weird part is I didn't experience that with my old Athlon II CPU and 6GB Ram :confused: I don't know if it's because it's a HP and maybe the motherboard, software bug(s), or something else is causing it to not be as powerful as I expected, or if I overestimated how good the parts would be, or maybe I've underestimated how strong the programs really are.
It's been incredibly frustrating and nerve-racking.

That's what led me to wanting a high end "fool proof"/ best that I can get system.
 
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I don't know how demanding the software you are using is, but you will definitely get better performance from an intel processor and P67/Z68 motherboard. The Intel i3-2100 series is about as powerful as the 955 or 965 or so @ stock, so a 2500 or so will be way more powerful than your current setup. Good thing is your hard drive, DVD drive, CPU cooler, and RAM can transfer over saving you some money, and if you really wanted a 6 core LGA2011 (the most powerful at the moment) then you could put more money towards that.
 
wolfeking said:
I don't know how demanding the software you are using is, but you will definitely get better performance from an intel processor and P67/Z68 motherboard. The Intel i3-2100 series is about as powerful as the 955 or 965 or so @ stock, so a 2500 or so will be way more powerful than your current setup. Good thing is your hard drive, DVD drive, CPU cooler, and RAM can transfer over saving you some money, and if you really wanted a 6 core LGA2011 (the most powerful at the moment) then you could put more money towards that.
Click to expand...

Well that seems cool.
Never even thought about the fact that I can transfer things :o

If I got a full size case, would I be able to put my current hard drive in there as well as another drive?

I've went on HPs website and found that this is the motherboard in mine currently: H-RS880-uATX (Aloe) :confused:


So then Intel is faster than AMD?

And I will admit. When I bought the CPU I didn't know what to look for. I just saw Phenom II X4, 980 black edition, 3.7 GHz, and said "THAT'S GOTTA BE IT" :o
 
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claptonman said:
Your case is probably a microATX since your motherboard is. I don't think you'll be able to reuse the case.
Click to expand...

Mid-size ATX I believe.

But I wasn't planning on reusing it anyway. I was hoping to get a full size case. Only things I wanted to transfer would be my hard drive and RAM.

I'd leave the other stuff in there get another hard drive installed with the old 6GB ram and give it to my dad as an office computer. It's great. And was before I put the new stuff in too. I just need "more" for recording :)

Here's a link to HPs page on my computer just in case anyone is curious
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...&cc=ad&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_r1002_usen#N72
 
Looks like I'm going to sit tight with what I have now.
I'll get around to that particular build by summer 2013 around the time my new work space is constructed.
Those 6 core intel chips seem really interesting. They're pricey for sure, but I could get one of those and everything else, and still probably come under budget and over power what I wouldve spent and had on a mac. I'll be setting a pretty high build budget. Between 2-3 grand.
But, seeing as how it's year off from now, I'm sure technology will have involved even more.

I'll start browsing this forum and the net to start learning more.
Appreciate the quick help guys :D:good:
 
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