Best Core 2 Series Desktops-Results and Specs

[sunburst79]

Truthfully if you had bad power its not that suprising that you had the Mobo or RAM fry off. I read somewhere that something like 80% of the houses built before 1990 have wiring issues despite the fact that its been a requirement in most states to use 3 prong outlets since the late 1970's.

The Cats okay?

You might want to keep a eye on the PSU as that would have taken a lot of the abuse if the electrical socket was miswired. I'm not trying to scare you but its something to keep in the back of your mind.

Hopefully your trials are over and you can have some fun.

[rocketeer]

Well, my house was built in the 30's so there you go!!

Actually, it was re-wired awhile ago, but apparently not the room I chose to put my rig in. I should've realized when my genelecs would make the occasional RrrrrrRRRRRR noise.. they don't like unsteady power.

So far everything seems fine, my computer's been on for hours as I install all of my plug-ins. PT seems to be running very well, so fingers crossed. I will take your advice though, and keep an eye on the PSU.

Kitty's fine, she's just waiting for me to leave so she can scratch up my sub...



rocketeer

Truthfully if you had bad power its not that suprising that you had the Mobo or RAM fry off. I read somewhere that something like 80% of the houses built before 1990 have wiring issues despite the fact that its been a requirement in most states to use 3 prong outlets since the late 1970's.

The Cats okay?

You might want to keep a eye on the PSU as that would have taken a lot of the abuse if the electrical socket was miswired. I'm not trying to scare you but its something to keep in the back of your mind.

Hopefully your trials are over and you can have some fun.

[sunburst79]

Kitty's fine, she's just waiting for me to leave so she can scratch up my sub...

Be glad she doesnt kill your mouse

[jello]

I am ready to press buy on these items, to get myself a Quad pc. So, will this work out fine, and will I need an extra firewire card?

Here is the components;

Mobo; ASUS Maximus Formula X38 Socket 775 DDR2, SATA, ATX, GbLAN, 2x PCIe 2.0 16x
Harddrive; Seagate 320GB S-ATA II NCQ 7200RPM Barracuda 7200.10 16MB cache
Ram; Mushkin DDR2 4GB extreme Performance XP2-8500 2x2048MB 1066MHz. (5.5.5.12)
Lcd; ASUS 22"W LCD 2MS 300CD 1680x1050, 2000:1, DVI-D+VGA
Cpu/fan; Zalman CPU Vifte CNPS9700LED
Keys; Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave
Lcd card; ASUS GeForce 8600GT 256MB GDDR3 Silent Tv-Out, 2xDVI-I, HDTV, HDCP, PCI-Express
dvd; Samsung DVD SH-S202N LightScribe IDE, bulk SH-S202N/RSMN
paste; Arctic Silver 5
Tower; Antec Performance One P182 Gun Metal ATX miditower u/PSU
Psu; MIST, 600W, Rev.3
cpu; Q6600 Go

Its my first build, so any feedback is Good feedback!!!

[mykhal c]

I am ready to press buy on these items, to get myself a Quad pc. So, will this work out fine, and will I need an extra firewire card?

Here is the components;

Mobo; ASUS Maximus Formula X38 Socket 775 DDR2, SATA, ATX, GbLAN, 2x PCIe 2.0 16x
Harddrive; Seagate 320GB S-ATA II NCQ 7200RPM Barracuda 7200.10 16MB cache
Ram; Mushkin DDR2 4GB extreme Performance XP2-8500 2x2048MB 1066MHz. (5.5.5.12)
Lcd; ASUS 22"W LCD 2MS 300CD 1680x1050, 2000:1, DVI-D+VGA
Cpu/fan; Zalman CPU Vifte CNPS9700LED
Keys; Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave
Lcd card; ASUS GeForce 8600GT 256MB GDDR3 Silent Tv-Out, 2xDVI-I, HDTV, HDCP, PCI-Express
dvd; Samsung DVD SH-S202N LightScribe IDE, bulk SH-S202N/RSMN
paste; Arctic Silver 5
Tower; Antec Performance One P182 Gun Metal ATX miditower u/PSU
Psu; MIST, 600W, Rev.3
cpu; Q6600 Go

Its my first build, so any feedback is Good feedback!!!

lookin' good!!! 2 things...i'm not sure about the need for a FW card tho. i looked at the specs and it did not identify the FW chipset. so it's hard to know if it will be compatible with PTLE. i'd say if ya got an extra $30 layin' around then gettin' a DIGI approved card is well spent.

i'm not familiar with your choice of keyboard but i would 'think' that you would not want to run wireless usin' PTLE. if it's a BLUETOOTH device then i would think you want BLUETOOTH disabled when runnin' PTLE. but this is just my opinion since i have NOT worked with any wireless keys or mice. other than that, looks good to me!! happy buildin'!!!

blade, did you ever test the onboard FW on your X38???

[polen]

lookin' good!!! 2 things...i'm not sure about the need for a FW card tho. i looked at the specs and it did not identify the FW chipset. so it's hard to know if it will be compatible with PTLE. i'd say if ya got an extra $30 layin' around the gettin' a DIGI approved card is well spent.

i'm not familiar with your choice of keyboard but i would 'think' that you would not want to run wireless usin' PTLE. if it's a BLUETOOTH device then i would think you want BLUETOOTH disabled when runnin' PTLE. but this is just my opinion since i have NOT worked with any wireless keys or mice. other than that, looks good to me!! happy buildin'!!!

blade, did you ever test the onboard FW on your X38???

Hello Guys

Hi Mikhal C

I post my experience whit X38 Maximus Formula a page above.

I make my build whit the data find in this foum and I am grateful for that!

Firewire ports of Maximus Formula work great and whitout problems.
I install the first port whit DIGI 002R and the second whit a Ext HD and work great.
NO PROBLEMS at the moment.

If you need more info pls let my know.

In other way last night i configure my XP SP2 whit this tutorial and in first impression obtein more velocity and estability:

http://www.pcaudiolabs.com/winxp_tweaks.asp?cat=reso

If some one is interested in see it and make coments is wellcome.

I put my HD's in AHCI but dont have point of reference to know if this is efective or not.


Regards

POL

[mykhal c]

polen, my bad!! i forgot that your recent build was X38. thanks for remindin' me!! also thanks for posting your results regardin' the onboard FW. glad to know that you are able to use it!!! and thanks for the tweaking link!!

[DeyBwah]

Hi all, I posted this as its own thread but Sunburst said it may be a good idea to post the info in here since it may have to do with my Core 2 processor.. Anyone with any ideas or suggestions, feel free to share your 2 cents! Thanks folks.

So here it is!


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I've been working at this problem since mid February, if anyone can give me a lead on what the problem is, I'd be grateful!



I bought a new Dell XPS420 in early December last year. The specs are..


Vista Ultimate w/sp1 (upgraded from Home Premium in March trying to address the problem)

Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00ghz

4.00 GB RAM

32-bit Operating System


I'll post a better spec sheet if necessary.


-Situation-

So I've been running Pro Tools LE for about 5 years now. I used to be on Windows XP Media Center Edition just before I upgraded to my Dell XPS 420. Pro Tools LE ran perfectly fine on the Dell until "randomly" mid February, Pro Tools couldn't locate my hardware. (002)

I figured it was my firewire port on the computer so I tried using my front port rather than the back one. This is where things were VERY strange. I tried numerous different combinations on the 2 firewire ports and my external hard drive and Digi002. At one point, Pro Tools was detecting my hardware when I would use the USB port instead of firewire for my external hard drive. But that didn't last, eventually, no combination worked.

I searched Google for a solution and followed random leads that looked similar. I even upgraded my Home Premium Vista to Ultimate because I read that firewire support is limited with home premium?! That hurt the wallet but killed the heart because it still didn't resolve the issue. :/

At that point, I figured it is a problem with my Dell machine. I worked with customer service for 2 weeks straight doing everything from uninstalling programs, having a tech come out to replace the motherboard and front I/O panel.. 2 times, to eventually backing everything up and fully formatting and reinstalling the OS... 3 times!

Each reinstall, I tried different solutions.. like not updating windows at all, (like no sp1) to fully updating... Each time Pro Tools failed to locate my digi002 hardware.

At that point, I figured it was the digi002 slowly malfunctioning to a screeching stop. So to make sure, I took it to a friend's house who runs Pro Tools LE on a iMac. It worked! So all fingers pointed to the Dell machine as the culprit.

I worked with Dell customer service further and convinced them it was the firewire port on the computer. They hate doing system exchanges and would rather replace every component in the machine, so let me tell you, it was rough trying to get them to replace my machine... but I succeeded!

Success didn't last though. The new machine arrived, I installed Pro Tools 7.4cs4(at this point) and still the same problem! I've tried everything in this thread...

http://duc.digidesign.com/showflat.p...&Number=802377

But still nothing...

This is incredibly frustrating because it worked perfectly fine and then out of the blue it stops. The 002 works fine on my friend's iMac so it isn't the hardware. The ENTIRE computer was replaced, so it isn't the computer. I've disabled ALL services minus Microsoft's so it isn't a conflict in there.. I've searched the internet DAILY trying to find a clue but every lead I follow with a similar issue leaves me stranded.

Whats the next action?

Namaste,
Dey


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Can you please post a Sandra report?

Also, which firewire card are you using? A built-in port or one of the recommended firewire cards?

--------------------
Digidesign Tech Support
Help us help you
Support FAQ

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Thanks for responding so quickly.

I can't run Sandra on this computer for some reason, it keeps freezing.. is there any other software that I could use?

I am using the built-in firewire ports that came with my Dell. There is one on the front I/O panel and one in the back, part of the motherboard.

Some additional info:

I tried installing a SIIG firewire card, Vista Compatible and it didn't work either.

Namaste,
Dey

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Here are my system specs from Ashampoo PowerUp 3

Dell XPS420

Windows

OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate
Version: Multiprocessor Free 6.0.6001
Service Pack: Service Pack 1
System Memory: 3325
Installed on: 22/04/2008
Running since: 05/05/2008
Registered User: Dey

Processors

No, of CPUs: 1
Name: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @3.00GHz
Frequency: 2992 Mhz
Socket: CPU
Voltage: 1.2 Volt
Manufacturer: Genuine Intel
Model: x64 Family 6 Model 23 Stepping 6

Mainboard

Primary bus type: PCI
Secondary bus type: ISA
BIOS: Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A04
BIOS manufacturer: Dell Inc.

USB

Controller 1: Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2937
Controller 2: Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2938
Controller 3: Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2939
Controller 4: Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 293C
Controller 5: Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2934
Controller 6: Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2935
Controller 7: Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2936
Controller 8: Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 293A
HUB 1: USB Root Hub
HUB 2: USB Root Hub
HUB 3: USB Root Hub
HUB 4: USB Root Hub
HUB 5: USB Root Hub
HUB 6: Generic USB Hub


Drives

Model: ARRAY
Type: Fixed hard disk media
Serial no.: ARRAY
Interface type: SCSI
Capacity: 1000202273280 bytes (931.51 GB)
Partitions: 3

Display

Name: ATI Radeon HD 2400 PRO
Chipset: ATI Radeon Graphics Processor
RAM: 128 MB
DAC: Internal DAC(400MHz)

Namaste,
Dey


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Unfortunately that report doesn't tell me what we need to know for sure, but I looked up that model and it appears it has an unsupported/untested and likely problematic chipset, the Intel X38 Express.

If you've tried everything in the General Troubleshooting thread and you can verify the 002 hardware works on another system, it's likely that there's something specific to this system causing the problem. Since we haven't tested that chipset, I don't know if it even works and we do know that 'express' chipsets are usually a no-go.

I'm sorry I don't have better news for you. Maybe someone here can verify, if they're using that particular processor/chipset combination, that this does or does not work. Often times, with incompatible systems, they'll work for a bit - a week, a month, a year, but they're almost assuredly going to fail and, after that, it's unlikely that you'll get it working again.

--------------------
Digidesign Tech Support
Help us help you
Support FAQ


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Thanks for the info, I'm not completely hopeless yet though..

"Often times, with incompatible systems, they'll work for a bit - a week, a month, a year, but they're almost assuredly going to fail and, after that, it's unlikely that you'll get it working again."

Is there anyway to check for sure that my machine is incompatible? I mean, this is a pretty popular computer and I can't imagine that I'm the only one who's running Pro Tools on it either.. right? :P

If something else comes to mind, I would appreciate any direction or information. I just can't accept that the computer I specifically bought for recording is not going to work anymore.. It has been too long for a refund too, which I tried when I was working with Dell Customer Support. It worked for 3 months and out of the blue stops.. now thats rough!

Namaste,
Dey

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Stick my head in here... There are one or two builds over in the Core 2 Specs thread that are running the X38/X48 and they are running fine. Not approved or supported but no reported issues so far. These were purpose built machines built by expirenced builders for PT though, not a OEM production machines.

Point one. Certain types of antispyware/firewall/antivirus programs will keep the 002 from being recognised. If you running any of these unplug the network cable and disable them and see if you can get the interface and or PT to work.

Point two. Your sandra report lists a ARRAY and RAID is not supported and often causes problems, I would break the array and install the OS and PT on a regular disk.

Point three. You list a 938GB array but no dedicated audio drive this is a must also. Break that array and use one of the drives for the OS and one for the Audio drive.

You might want to repost all you info in the Core 2 Specs thread and see if we can't figure it out.

I dont want to appear contrary to Digis post but I doubt that the problem is the chipset and regardless you need to get the drives sorted out first.

EDIT: Some of the problems you report with external drives being recognised and other FW stuff disapearing/reappearing sound a lot like MykhalC's problem with WebRoots Internet Security Suite.

Edited by sunburst79 (05/06/08 09:47 AM)


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Thanks Sunburst,

"Point one. Certain types of antispyware/firewall/antivirus programs will keep the 002 from being recognised. If you running any of these unplug the network cable and disable them and see if you can get the interface and or PT to work."

Out of the few times I started from scratch, I've tried installing nothing but the OS and Pro Tools. It still didn't recognize.. I've also tried disabling all my non-windows services. Didn't mess around with disabling too many devices, since I don't know which ones to mess with. Any suggestions on that?

"Point two. Your sandra report lists a ARRAY and RAID is not supported and often causes problems, I would break the array and install the OS and PT on a regular disk."

I also read that RAID causes problems.. how do I go without RAID? Any links or resources to get me moving on that? Do I have to format everything... again?? Argg..

"Point three. You list a 938GB array but no dedicated audio drive this is a must also. Break that array and use one of the drives for the OS and one for the Audio drive."

My dedicated Pro Tools hard drive is an external 500GB Sea Gate.


Thanks for getting your hands dirty in this one, my whole life has stopped since February it seems.. This is just a test though right? I'm dedicated! >

I'll try posting my problem in the Core forums, appreciate your time!

Namaste,
Dey

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Here's a link to the actual thread.

http://duc.digidesign.com/showflat.p...part=1#1279026


Thanks ya'll!

Namaste,
Dey

[mykhal c]

"Point two. Your sandra report lists a ARRAY and RAID is not supported and often causes problems, I would break the array and install the OS and PT on a regular disk."

I also read that RAID causes problems.. how do I go without RAID? Any links or resources to get me moving on that? Do I have to format everything... again?? Argg..

"Point three. You list a 938GB array but no dedicated audio drive this is a must also. Break that array and use one of the drives for the OS and one for the Audio drive

i'm with sunburst on the 'array'. that's where i'd start. since it is a DELL build isn't their tech support available to help you out to break the array?? or did you order it specifying that you wanted an array?

[DeyBwah]

Hi Mykhal,

I ordered my Dell with RAID, does that mean I can't disable it manually? I don't even know why I got RAID, my brother recommended it.. he's a tech geek, but knows nothing about Pro Tools. I'll dig into Dell's customer service again.

Namaste,
Dey