Overwhelmed in the 'Best Desktop' search!

[toddamo]

Dear friends...

Five years ago I went to the 'Best Desktop' thread and had
that machine built. (AMD Athlon 64, etc.)

Well...I squeezed a lot of toothpaste from that tube but
it's finally time to move on. (HW Buffer errors, transport not
starting every time, issues with running amp simulations,
definitely no re-wire, etc.)

Checking the current sticky thread for 'Best Desktop', I see
that it was last updated in 2007.

I also checked the other HW stickies...and most of the discussion
is way over my head. (Dual core, quad core, this core, that core,
Octo-Mom, i7, etc.)

So I'm curious if there is another current 'Best Desktop' spec
list going around. And of course...'Best' is all relative to what you
can afford. I'm definitely at the 'best bang for your buck' end of the
spectrum as I don't have a lot of beans to spend. (About $1000...or so.)

I'm also looking at some of the pre-built systems at places like...

http://pcaudiolabs.com/rokbox_LE.asp

http://www.sweetwater.com/creation_station/towerle.php

http://www.adkproaudio.com/systems/v...m?recordid=134

But again...I look at the specs on those different systems...
and honestly...it goes over my head.

I've got IT tech guys/gals around my workplace but none of them
are versed in DAW issues.

It seems like the most bang for the buck would come from buying
the parts myself and finding someone to build it for me.
But assembling those specs...in my budget range...is a challenge.

I'd appreciate any thoughts, suggestions or advice you can share!

Thanks very much for reading!

[spkguitar]

You want to be looking at the very first post of the "i7 builds - Specs and Results" thread.

Depending on where you shop you can build an i7 machine for about a grand.

[toddamo]

Thanks very much for responding!

I've looked at that page and I'm looking now again.

I'm still not quite understanding what that page is
trying to communicate. My girlfriend just walked by
and asked me...don't they have anything written in English?

I know that people are comparing many different
systems and their operation of Dverb...but that's
as far as I can comprehend.

There are so many different systems there!

How can I parse all of that computer lingo to find out
what might be the best system for me?

Is i7 the way to go? Is there a company making i7 systems?

Has the nice/concise/readable 'Best Desktop' thread been abandoned?

Obviously, it sounds like I'm looking for some hand-holding here,
but I can't imagine that I'm the only tech-challenged person on this board.

I appreciate the depth of people's knowledge that post on
these threads...but I'm also utterly confused by it.

Thanks again!

[Shan]

Originally Posted by toddamo

There are so many different systems there!

Follow guitardoms build in that thread as close as you can and you'll have a good solid system.

Shane

[toddamo]

Thanks, Shan.

Most of the components in that system show up as 'deactivated'
on the Newegg website.

Does that mean they are not manufacturing them any more?

As obvious a question as this sounds...wouldn't I want more
current components if I'm building a new system which I hope
to get a few years out of?

Thanks very much.

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66Ghz, GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard , COOLER MASTER RR-920-N520-GP 92mm Sleeve CPU Cooler , HIS Hightech H465P512P Radeon HD 4650 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card , OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory , CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

[spkguitar]

Yeah, his build is very familiar to me...

The EX58-UD3R is getting harder and harder to find these days, though. (I'm glad I got mine from sunburst79!)


You might want to consider filosofem's build. Things in the PC world change so often that if you hold still for a second, everything will be different/outdated.

The newegg links have been dead for awhile, but I'll try to help you with the new ones:

Gigabyte X58A-UD3R - $209
Intel Core i7 930 - $285
GB DDR3 Memory $170
Radeon 5450 512MB vid card - $50
600W power supply - $70
2 x 500GB WD Caviar Black @ $60ea = $120
Lite-On DVD/CD burner - $20
Windows 7 64 - $140
And a case of your choosing all comes to just over $1000.

(keep in mind, this is not a definitive list; I'm just showing you what is possible to find, though those parts should work just fine... unless I'm wrong... which I am frequently )

You can cut corners in a few places, re-use parts from an old machine if you already have them (DVD, hard drives if they are good), and like I said, you might be able to shop around and find things cheaper than they are at newegg.

[Benoni]

You DO NOT want to get the Creation Station you listed. its has integrated graphics, which are not approved by Avid. Yes Sweetwater guarantees they will work, but why pay $999 for a PC you can build for $600, and why not get one that meets the requirements from Avid. The top of the Line Creation Station would be ok, but still, it is way overpriced for what you really get.

[toddamo]

Guys...(are we all guys here?)

Thanks very much for giving me a little push.

I'll be back with more questions, I'm sure.

But this is a great start!

Thanks again for the patient and informative help!

[DanoWpg]

I'd have to agree about building a system; definitely more bang for your buck! My i7 build cost me just under a grand for a system that's pretty close to what spkguitar has listed there (I recycled my vid card and my DVD burners). You won't be disappointed in going that route and there's lots of people that can help you out if you run into any problems.

[FordVan]

I just built a AMD Phanom II 945 (Quad core at 3Ghz) with 4GB of DDR3 1333Mhz RAM and 1.5TB of drives system for about $600. I just rendered a 24 track mix with about 40 SSL/BombFactory/PSP Lexicon plugins on it and ran about 17% CPU. Of course, I am running Windows 7 64bit, which you would need to run to use all 4 cores and more than 3gb of RAM.

I was where you were just a couple of months ago, almost hopelessly out of the loop with new hardware. A trip to Fry's and a little research got me going in the right direction.