Buying new computer

[Southernbudz]

i dont know that much about computers, better yet, i barely know anything about computers. im thinking of buying a new computer strictly for Media, etc etc.

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/sh...%20performance

the link above, is a hp pavilion elite HPE 510T Series

would you say this is a good computer to run pro tools efficiently?

thanks in advance

[sunburst79]

Buying a pre made computer from a OEM is a bit off a crap shoot as far as PT goes. I ran through the ordering specs and upgraded the machine from a i5 to a i7 processor, changed the video card to a 1GB Radeon and added a second HDD for Audio and it came to 879.00. For that kind of money you could purpose build your own DAW.

Normally with OEM machines you need to do a fresh install of Windows to eliminate the bloatware and "optimizations" added by the manufacturer. Most OEMS use a generic "Disk Image" to install Windows on the machine and it may not be truly optimised for that machines hardware. With any luck you can borrow a Windows installer disc for Home Premium from someone and use the Windows key the machine ships with to do a clean install of Windows. Normally the OEM's "Restore" feature reinstalls all of the junk that the OEM shipped with the machine in the first place. If not you may be looking at buying a OEM copy of Windows to reinstall. I'm not saying a clean install is mandatory just that it may be and should be factored into your buying decision.

Many folks have built their first machines here on the DUC. People will help you spec one and build it.

[albee1952]

Sunburst said it as good as it gets. The only way I would buy an "off the shelf" computer for Pro Tools would be either a Mac(big dollars) or by specifying an i7 9xx cpu(as that would force a socket 1366 motherboard with an x58 chipset) as that will be the safest bet for compatibility. Any normal desktop tower will have room for an extra internal hard drive or two and you can get drives from newegg.com, tigerdirect.com or several other sources. Look for 7200 rpm, 32-64 meg cache and no "green" references(WD Caviar Black are a good choice). I recommend checking out the Windows/LE section sticky thread called "i7 Builds" and just read the first page or two to see whats going on there. You might come away with the confidence to build, or with a list of approved parts and setup details that you can take to a local PC shop for a custom build to your specs. Speaking of images, you will want to buy Acronis True Image(or similar) and save an image of your new system as soon as you get it, then save another image after installing Pro Tools, and maybe a 3rd image after installing all your software and plugins. Down the road, something will happen to mess up your system and those images will make restoring the system quick and painless. Another good investment is in a decent UPS to run your setup. The APC models between $169 and $199 at Best Buy are good choices and can save your ***** and your computer/drives(they have for me anyway).

[Craig F]

an HP workstation class might be OK but most home models are not
if you can hold out try and get a Thunderbolt (Light Peak) port on the MOBO

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by Craig F

an HP workstation class might be OK but most home models are not
if you can hold out try and get a Thunderbolt (Light Peak) port on the MOBO

I wouldn't wait for light peak. Its too new to be a factor, and totally untested with Pro Tools. Just an opinion(and a search for it on newegg comes back empty, except for non-related stuff).

[Southernbudz]

Thank you guys, i think ill go with building my own daw, that's when i get a job of course
thanks again, and i def will check that thread you mentioned.

[Southernbudz]

one more last question, so you still wouldn't recommend that cpu i just linked you guys with? im not downloading music onto it or nothing, just running protools only!

[albee1952]

The i7 9xx cpu is the leader in powerful PT systems. The 950 is the best bargain(bang for the buck) in the line, while the 980X is the monster(6 core) but cost an arm and half a leg