Hardware Dudes - Fresh Eyes on i7 Build Please?

[lowlights]

Running PT LE 8.0.1 with Digi 003. Have approved Siig firewire card.

Building my "dream machine" ($1,000 budget) and after visits to this forum, here's what me and a smarter than me guy came up with.

Would you serious hardware guys let me know if you see any trouble with this?

[FOR OS] Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
Model #:WD5000AAKS

[FOR AUDIO] Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
Model #:WD5001AALS

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail

GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #:GA-EX58-UD3R

OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G1600LV6GK - Retail
Model #:OCZ3G1600LV6GK

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders w/ Tech Guarantee - OEM [FREE UPGRADE TO WINDOWS 7]
Model #:66I-03525

COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #:RC-690-KKN1-GP

XFX HD-435X-YAH2 Radeon HD 4350 512MB 64-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Low Profile Ready Video ... - Retail

OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS 600W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model GH22NP20 - OEM
Model #:GH22NP20

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
Model #:AS5-3.5G

[albee1952]

Looks good but for one thing. No 64 bit OS is yet supported. Vista Ultimate 32bit or XP 32 bit are your OS choices. Also, when you start building, DO NOT install all the crap that comes on the GigaByte disk. Only install the drivers for network and audio. And you will need to manually set your RAM timings in BIOS as the Auto setting will work like crap. Also make sure your BIOS version is F4(or newer). F2 made my rig run like a Celeron but F4 works great.(I haven't updated because; if it ain't broke......).

Re. the WD drives, look at pricing and sales as I think the 640gig black is on sale. Saving $5-10 on the Blue version just doesn't make a lot of sense to me(I have both drives on my system). If you can get a good deal on the Black, just buy all Black. Just my 2 cents worth. I would think about partitioning the system drive in half and using the other half for saving drive images and backups of important stuff. I would also get(maybe recycle drives from an older system) an external drive case(USB is okay for this) and keep your sessions backed up to the external drive. If you need to recover, you would not actually run from the USB drive, but you can copy a session back onto an audio drive. I guess that makes 4 cents worth

[TOM@METRO]

Albee has said all good things, +1 on them.

[mykhal c]

+2 on albee

[LincolnT]

Wow, that hardware looks great compared to mine. I'm glad the price of computers is coming down. I did not realize that could be gotten for under $1,000.

Some people like XP better than Vista. But if Vista gives you a free upgrade to Windows 7, I'd get vista. Then when Windows 7 comes out, I'd triple boot with Vista 32 bit, Win7 32 bit, and Win7 64 bit. Although Vista 32 bit is the Digi approved operating system, I have had good success with Win7 32 bit. And it wouldn't hurt to use your Win7 64 bit partition for experimenting or for future compatibility.

Also, you might want to buy Acronis True Image Home or Norton Ghost so you can make working images of your Pro Tools operating system in case settings get messed up. You can restore the perfect config in 5 minutes if you have a good image.

A partition editor like Acronis Disk Director Suite might also be handy.

[lowlights]

One question comes up in my mind - noting Albee's configuration with 6 GB as I was considering.

a 32-bit OS is only gonna recognize 3.5-3.7 GB of RAM maximum. And I believe I heard that triple channel DDR3 memory likes to see 3 of the 4 slots used on a motherboard, rather than 4.

So should I just back it down to 4 GB of RAM, or 3 GB of RAM? - 1 GB in each slot, or 2 GB in one slot and 1 GB in the other two, and leave the rest for "some day" when Pro Tools LE recognizes 64-bit OS?

What's the advantage I guess I'm asking to going 6 GB for me - if my Digi-approved OS doesn't see it?

[TOM@METRO]

4GB is optimal for installed RAM with a 32bit OS. Even though the OS recognizes somewhat less, the system still takes advantage of it. In a triple channel (DDR3) system to have 4GB you need to install 6GB. This will allow the 3GB switch and PT will access about 2.7GB of RAM.

[akhafaji]

Originally Posted by albee1952

And you will need to manually set your RAM timings in BIOS as the Auto setting will work like crap.

Hi albee1952,
I have Ex58-Extreme and i7 975 extreme and 6GB RAM OCZ gold. and I already have done all what you have recommend (nothing installed from GIGABYTE just the network cards / no sound driver installed /only 002R for sure )
Can you please tell me / (or even give me a hint) how I can set the RAM timings in BIOS. and how this could effect my PC performance / Audio recording etc ....

Thanks

[lowlights]

One last thing - I get the weird 6 GB installed in tri-channel to get 4 GB on the MOBO out of a 32-bit OS (and Albee explained via email the value of "future-proofing" since PT might upgrade their defined requirements to include 64-bit).

But single channel, dual channel and tri-channel memory?

According to this report - the differences are minimal to various programs with the i7 chip.

Should I go dual channel and save a few bucks? Anyone have experience with this?

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...,2057-13.html#

WOW - this process is excruciating!

[akhafaji]

Originally Posted by akhafaji

Hi albee1952,
I have Ex58-Extreme and i7 975 extreme and 6GB RAM OCZ gold. and I already have done all what you have recommend (nothing installed from GIGABYTE just the network cards / no sound driver installed /only 002R for sure )
Can you please tell me / (or even give me a hint) how I can set the RAM timings in BIOS. and how this could effect my PC performance / Audio recording etc ....

Thanks

any help will be appreciated