Best Desktops for Pro Tools LE

[Targon]

Originally posted by da BaSsTaRd!:
every ata/100/133 motherboard i ever bought came with at least one 80 pin cable. problem solved....

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">There not 80 Pin cables, they are 80 wire cables for connection to a 40 pin controller. The 40 wires are for pin connection the other 40 wires are sheilding.

Targon

[Allen Hallada]

Originally posted by OHENEBA:
Hi Allen thanks for starting this topic. By the way what's the advantages in having a video card that will give you dual monitors? Can each one perform separately?

Also I am going to follow your advice and go with this setup, make any adjustments and I will wait for answers before I go on with it since you guys know so much. I am just a beginner in Pro Tools and computer music in general. I do my recordings mostly at Church.

Motherboard : Asus A7V266-E
CPU Athlon XP 2000
Ram: 512 DDR
Video: ATI All-In-One 8500
(newest model)
Currently, I am using Asus P4T, Intel P4 with 1.5Ghz and at times will drive me crazy and I don't know whether some drivers causing it or what.

Also is there any recommendation for a SOUND MODULE besides the Digidesign Samplecell? I wish they can come out with something like the Sound Module in Cakewalk SONAR. You don't need a Keyboard or any outside gear to play your Midi.

One thing I am more concerned after going through various postings is the IRQ #9 which is supposed to be assigned to Digi 001.

Is there anyway if by default during the installation of the software, Digi 001 is assigned a different IRQ #, can I chanage it mannually? If it's possible then I think that will be great.

Thanks guys and keep on with the dialogue.

E-Mail: [email protected]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Your system looks good above. The dual monitor is great for having edit and mix windows showing at the same time. Not a big deal for some people and with Windows it needs to be reset each time you load ProTools at this time.
Good luck.
Allen

[Daniel Wellman]

Is the Athlon T-Bird 1.4 GHz still the processor to go with now that XP support is on the way?

Windows XP provides optimizations for processors with the SSE instruction set. I know that Logic is writing/has written their app to support SSE for plugins & mixing; no clue if Digidesign will support this but I won't gamble.

My friend is building a system and I'm advising him on what to get. Probably won't need all 24 tracks, but will want to use some soft synths with plugin effects, etc. (AFAIK these aren't availble for the Windows PTLE 9x - but maybe with DirectConnect in XP?)

At first I said the Abit KG-7 Raid with the 1.4 Ghz T-Bird, but wondered if this is still recommended when we're talking about SSE optimized applications?

At unitedmicro.com, a T-bird 1.4 GHz run for $103 and an AMD XP OEM 1800+ runs for $122. Based on some of the Tom's hardware benchmarks from last year on the XP processors,

http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/01 q4/011031/xpvsp4-09.html

I'm wondering if spending an extra $20 for an SSE chip is worth it in the long run (i.e. two years) [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Any comments or food for thought?

Thanks to everyone out there who's keeping this informative and interesting discussion going!

-d

[Allen Hallada]

You can get the 1.4Ghz T-bird much cheaper than that. Check www.pricewatch.com for best prices. I think it is the way to go until the Clawhammer arrives.
Allen

[OHENEBA]

Now let's get to the bottom line.

WHICH IS BETTER?
The ASUS Motherboard: A7V277-E or the A7M266? and by the way which one is a newer model?

2. Which chipset (CPU) to go with which model.

3. Is anyone using the Athlon XP 2000 with either
the A7V266-E or A7M266 (Does the XP 2000 mean
2.0 Ghz?).

3. Also based on the reviews on the tomshardware.com, those using the A7V266-E with the following options that comes with it are giving good reviews compared to the regular A7V266.
The options are: 6 USB, Digital audio, Promise Raid card etc.

Is anyone running this A7V266-E with the above options with Pro Tools since at the review site, the reviewers are not particularily talking about music.

Guys I need help from all not just Allen. I think Allen has been doing great but everyone's input will be appreciated.

Thank you.

Steve.

[Allen Hallada]

Originally posted by OHENEBA:
Now let's get to the bottom line.

WHICH IS BETTER?
The ASUS Motherboard: A7V277-E or the A7M266? and by the way which one is a newer model?

2. Which chipset (CPU) to go with which model.

3. Is anyone using the Athlon XP 2000 with either
the A7V266-E or A7M266 (Does the XP 2000 mean
2.0 Ghz?).

3. Also based on the reviews on the tomshardware.com, those using the A7V266-E with the following options that comes with it are giving good reviews compared to the regular A7V266.
The options are: 6 USB, Digital audio, Promise Raid card etc.

Is anyone running this A7V266-E with the above options with Pro Tools since at the review site, the reviewers are not particularily talking about music.

Guys I need help from all not just Allen. I think Allen has been doing great but everyone's input will be appreciated.

Thank you.

Steve.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I use both and they are both great motherboards. The A7M266 was easier to configure for alot of people. I would get the T-bird 1.4Ghz instead of the newer XP2000 processor. Much less expensive and better performer with digi so far. And wait for Windows XP support before jumping on a new system as XP rocks over ME.
Good luck,
Allen

[JonB]

Originally posted by Allen Hallada:
I would get the T-bird 1.4Ghz instead of the newer XP2000 processor. Much less expensive and better performer with digi so far. And wait for Windows XP support before jumping on a new system as XP rocks over ME.
Good luck,
Allen

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Forgive my ignorance, but I thought that where Pro Tools LE was concerned, "faster processor" = "better performance". Why would the T-bird 1.4Ghz perform better than the XP2000?

[greenroom]

QUOTE]Forgive my ignorance, but I thought that where Pro Tools LE was concerned, "faster processor" = "better performance". Why would the T-bird 1.4Ghz perform better than the XP2000?[/QB][/QUOTE]

Well one reason is that they are incredibly easy to overclock and a 1.4 could go up to 1.8 easily - that would be serious grunt. Secondly, they are cheaper (at least here in the UK) and thirdly, i don't think the Bios upgrading of most pre-AthlonXP motherboards is that successful to cater for the XPs. My IWILL 266-R for example has been reported to have huge probs with the Bios upgrades for XP chips.

[Allen Hallada]

And in the real world of Digi the 1.4Ghz is still our best performer. The XP is more heat efficient, but the old T-birds are better performers.
I also wanted to mention that I will be adding the KT333 chipset to this system in the near future as prices drop. So far this chipset is working well with great performance at around 112.00 now for the A7V333 motherboard.
Allen [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[pk_hat]

Originally posted by Allen Hallada:
I'm starting to feel sorry for those poor souls like PK that are switching to Mac now. Hea hea.

Allen [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] (Drooling)

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">here's to reading a not-so-recent thread for the first time and seeing the above. By the way, Allen, I may have envied all the features Mac users are entitled to with PT and perhaps have 'considered' switching over in the past, but it never happened and most likely never will, so please stop feeling sorry for poor souls like me, it's unhealthy.

I find this a great thread as indeed, I'm looking at switching from my P3 733 to a new Athlon system, if anything, to allow for more BF and Waves plugins without a choke.

pk