Best Desktops for Pro Tools LE

[SteveP1950]

Allen: Thanks for info on parts to build a desktop for PTLE. Any recommendations though on a faster CPU? I'm hoping to build a 3 or 4 gig RAM system with maybe a 4 or 5 GHz chip. My thinking is that I wont have to upgrade for a few years.

Anybody out there have any good suggestions?

Thanks, Steve P.

[Allen Hallada]

Would I have a gain by buying the 3700+ over the mobile 3400+?

I still wonder how the heatsink would sit on the thing correctly. I know older AMD chips did not have the metal plate. Is that important for the heatsink seating?

Should I just go for the 3700+ since this is my first computer build or is the mobile 3400 the way to go?

Thanks in advance,

Jim

Hey Jim,
We don't know that yet. We will have our first 3700 vs. mobile 3400 coming up in the next few weeks. My guess is the 3700 will outperform the mobile 3400. I don't think it is going to matter though as I know they will both perform great. With the 3400 desktop, you are already getting a processor that will not see many limits with PTLE. I don't know of anyone that has experienced any so far. If you go with the mobile 3400 I'd definitely stick with the DFI motherboard listed below the Allenstein specs which fits the Zalman heatsink/fan better than the K8V Deluxe.


Allen

[Allen Hallada]

If I did buy the 3700+ would the better motherboard still be the K8V or is the DFI board the one now?

Either motherboard will work for the 3700+. The DFI is easier to configure SATA drives and install the Zalman heatsink/fan. Also if you plan to overclock the DFI is a better board. Otherwise they both have onboard firewire that works great with the 002 and they are both very stable.

Allen

[Allen Hallada]

Allen: Thanks for info on parts to build a desktop for PTLE. Any recommendations though on a faster CPU? I'm hoping to build a 3 or 4 gig RAM system with maybe a 4 or 5 GHz chip. My thinking is that I wont have to upgrade for a few years.

Anybody out there have any good suggestions?

Thanks, Steve P.

Hi Steve,
You can spend all you want on processors but performance wise the mobile AMD 3400 is our top performer at this time and we are waiting for results on the 3700. With either of these processors you are going to get near HD1 performance for a fraction of the price and will last you years. Even if you decide in two years to swap motherboards and processor the upgrade isn't going to kill you. I wouldn't spend over 350.00 on a processor. The FX series on the new 939 motherboards have not performed any better with PTLE.

Allen

[Allen Hallada]

I am curious about this too since I am buying my parts this week. Are there problems fitting a good heatsink like the Zalman onto the mobile chip? You know it's a small square and the desktop chip has that big piece of metal on the top.

The Zalman heatsink/fan fits the mobile 3400 just fine on the DFI motherboard.

Allen

[Allen Hallada]

Hey all -

I'm wondering the same thing. I was considering getting a 939 AMD processor - not such a good idea? Also - got any recommendations on a PCI Express equipped MOBO to suit? Perhaps a PCIE MOBO to suit a non-939 chip?? Thanx!


Doogz

Just to make it clear, we just finished a comrehensive testing of processors and motherboards from the AMD 64 3000+ up to the FX 55 on the Ultimate Allestein Challenge thread, and the clear winner by a large margin is still the mobile 3400 + socket 754. Some guys spent over 2k on their FX systems and didn't get the results of the mobile 3400+. We even had a laptop with the mobile 3400+ outperform the FX55 systems. PTLE is really chipset dependent and the 754 socket chipsets are still better performers with PTLE right now, and much less expensive. You can build a mobile 3400 system now for under 800.00 and get near HD1 performance. We are currently waiting on results of a modded 3700/DFI combo. Not sure why anyone would want to argue about these results and price. As far as the P4s, well they have just been left in the dust once again.
Allen

[WeNdeL]

So I've been reading through about the last 4-5 pages of this thread. I noticed some people talking about an Allenstein build. What and where is this?

Also, I have noticed that some people have stated that they are utilizing raid configurations yet it plainly states that that PTLE does not jive well with raid turned on. What gives?

Thanks!

[madcow]

So I've been reading through about the last 4-5 pages of this thread. I noticed some people talking about an Allenstein build. What and where is this?

Also, I have noticed that some people have stated that they are utilizing raid configurations yet it plainly states that that PTLE does not jive well with raid turned on. What gives?

Thanks!

The first page of this thread has the specs for the Allenstein machines...

[WeNdeL]

lol... shoulda started at page 1 eh?

[filete1]

*****NEW UPDATE*****

Allen,
I have just finish (at least for now), building my new PC DAW system.
Here´s the specs:

Antec Sonata w/ True Power 380w PSU
Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu fan heatsink
2x Nexus 120mm Real Silent Fan (on front and back case)
Akasa FC-03 fan control
Asus K8V SE Deluxe mobo
AMD64 3200+ 2000Mhz/ 1MB L2
Kingston 2x512MB
Matrox G550 DVI/VGA AGP card
Digidesign Audiomedia III (PCI audio card)
Yamaha SW1000XG (PCI midi card)
Western Digital IDE 8.5GB 7.200rpm (System disk)
Maxtor IDE 80GB 7.200rpm (audio disk)
Windows XP PRO with SP1
Protools LE 6.4

I am also going to get 2x Western Digital SATA 80GB 7.200rpm, and maybe put them
in RAID 0-1, but for now I made the DAVEC test with this config, and here is the result:

32 audio tracks - 15 aux tracks
128 buffer
44100/24-bit

I very happy with the CPU results, considering that is a 3200+ and not 3400+, that was
my first choice!
The system is very quiet (even more than my G5!), I can work with all the fans
on the lowest speed and still get a safe case and CPU temperature!


How does it sound to you?