I'm building a new computer for professional audio production. Major concerns are quietness, performance for pro audio, and stability with my audio software (Pro Tools 8 LE).
CPU:
I chose the i7-3930k LGA 2011 (six-core) because they were rated the king of the hill for stability and performance for Pro Tools.
Intel Core i7-3930K Sandy Bridge-E 3.2GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 2011 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73930K
RAM:
I chose 32GB of RAM because I plan on actually using it. Single audio sample libraries can run 40 gbs, so I wanted as much RAM as possible. I chose 8GB kits so I can upgrade to 64GB next year. I chose 1866 RAM because it was only $15 more than 1600 RAM, and I don't expect much better performance from 2100 or 2400. I chose G.SKILL because everybody loves G.SKILL lately.
G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL10Q-32GBZL
Motherboard:
I chose the Asus P9X79 Deluxe because it has great sound (for leisure, mp3s, etc.) and onboard WiFi (which I need). However, the board has a 50% rating on NewEgg with customers complaining about receiving 2 or 3 defunct boards in a row. So I am considering changing boards, or dropping ASUS altogether and going for Gigabyte. Stability/reliability is the most important thing to me, as I DON'T want to spend months RMA'ing defunct boards. Any suggestions or thoughts on the Deluxe?
ASUS P9X79 DELUXE LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
Thermal Compound:
Prolimatech has outperformed AS5 and other compounds on almost every benchmark I've seen:
Prolimatech PRO-PK1-5G PK-1 Thermal Compound - 5 Gram
Heatsink:
I chose the Noctua NH-D14 because it is consistently rated as the best air-cooler on the market. It is spoken of as the best combination of air-flow and quietness. Plus, paired with my case, it offers sick airflow (see my case-choice for a picture).
Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 140mm and 120mm SSO CPU Cooler
Case:
I chose the FT02 because it is a silent case, beautiful, and one of the best coolers out there. Sound insulated foam, 3 large quiet 180mm fans, one-way pressurized air-flow. This case gets wonderful reviews
SilverStone Fortress Series SST-FT02B-USB3.0 Black 4.5mm aluminum unibody frame, 0.8mm steel body ATX Mid Tower Computer
FT02 (case) with NH-D14 (cooler): All seven fans flow in one direction! Pressurized, directional airflow driven by 3 quiet 180mm fans on the bottom blowing out 1 120mm fan on the top. Natural convection at its best!
SSDs:
Rated good for reliability. Cheaper than one 256GB drive. I will use one for reading sample data and one as an OS boot drive.
2x Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
HDDs: (already purchased)
I will write my audio data to these drives.
1 x SeaSonic S12 Energy Plus SS-650HT 650W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified ...Western Digital AV-GP WD10EVDS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal AV Hard Drive -Bare Drive
1 x Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
GPU: (already purchased)
Not the best choice as the fan is loud and it generates a ton of heat, but I'm trying to recycle parts. I will never use my computer for gaming. Just need to project to a monitor.
EVGA 320-P2-N811-AR GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
PSU: (already purchased)
I have been told by numerous folks that this PSU is good enough for my purposes, but I still worry it's either too old (bought in 2007) or it doesn't deliver enough power.
SeaSonic S12 Energy Plus SS-650HT 650W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified ...
1394a: (already purchased)
Will fit in an PCIe.
SIIG FireWire 2-Port PCIe Model NN-E20012-S2
DVD-ROM: (already purchased)
1 x PLEXTOR 18X DVD±R Super Multi DVD Burner Black SATA Model PX-810SA/SW-BL
Fan controller:
Scythe Kaze Master Pro 5.25 Fan Controller
Fan: (to replace the loud 120mm case fan)
Scythe SY1225SL12L 120mm "Slipstream" Case Fan
CPU:
I chose the i7-3930k LGA 2011 (six-core) because they were rated the king of the hill for stability and performance for Pro Tools.
Intel Core i7-3930K Sandy Bridge-E 3.2GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 2011 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73930K
RAM:
I chose 32GB of RAM because I plan on actually using it. Single audio sample libraries can run 40 gbs, so I wanted as much RAM as possible. I chose 8GB kits so I can upgrade to 64GB next year. I chose 1866 RAM because it was only $15 more than 1600 RAM, and I don't expect much better performance from 2100 or 2400. I chose G.SKILL because everybody loves G.SKILL lately.
G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL10Q-32GBZL
Motherboard:
I chose the Asus P9X79 Deluxe because it has great sound (for leisure, mp3s, etc.) and onboard WiFi (which I need). However, the board has a 50% rating on NewEgg with customers complaining about receiving 2 or 3 defunct boards in a row. So I am considering changing boards, or dropping ASUS altogether and going for Gigabyte. Stability/reliability is the most important thing to me, as I DON'T want to spend months RMA'ing defunct boards. Any suggestions or thoughts on the Deluxe?
ASUS P9X79 DELUXE LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
Thermal Compound:
Prolimatech has outperformed AS5 and other compounds on almost every benchmark I've seen:
Prolimatech PRO-PK1-5G PK-1 Thermal Compound - 5 Gram
Heatsink:
I chose the Noctua NH-D14 because it is consistently rated as the best air-cooler on the market. It is spoken of as the best combination of air-flow and quietness. Plus, paired with my case, it offers sick airflow (see my case-choice for a picture).
Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 140mm and 120mm SSO CPU Cooler
Case:
I chose the FT02 because it is a silent case, beautiful, and one of the best coolers out there. Sound insulated foam, 3 large quiet 180mm fans, one-way pressurized air-flow. This case gets wonderful reviews
SilverStone Fortress Series SST-FT02B-USB3.0 Black 4.5mm aluminum unibody frame, 0.8mm steel body ATX Mid Tower Computer
FT02 (case) with NH-D14 (cooler): All seven fans flow in one direction! Pressurized, directional airflow driven by 3 quiet 180mm fans on the bottom blowing out 1 120mm fan on the top. Natural convection at its best!
SSDs:
Rated good for reliability. Cheaper than one 256GB drive. I will use one for reading sample data and one as an OS boot drive.
2x Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
HDDs: (already purchased)
I will write my audio data to these drives.
1 x SeaSonic S12 Energy Plus SS-650HT 650W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified ...Western Digital AV-GP WD10EVDS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal AV Hard Drive -Bare Drive
1 x Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
GPU: (already purchased)
Not the best choice as the fan is loud and it generates a ton of heat, but I'm trying to recycle parts. I will never use my computer for gaming. Just need to project to a monitor.
EVGA 320-P2-N811-AR GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
PSU: (already purchased)
I have been told by numerous folks that this PSU is good enough for my purposes, but I still worry it's either too old (bought in 2007) or it doesn't deliver enough power.
SeaSonic S12 Energy Plus SS-650HT 650W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified ...
1394a: (already purchased)
Will fit in an PCIe.
SIIG FireWire 2-Port PCIe Model NN-E20012-S2
DVD-ROM: (already purchased)
1 x PLEXTOR 18X DVD±R Super Multi DVD Burner Black SATA Model PX-810SA/SW-BL
Fan controller:
Scythe Kaze Master Pro 5.25 Fan Controller
Fan: (to replace the loud 120mm case fan)
Scythe SY1225SL12L 120mm "Slipstream" Case Fan
All in all, I think you'll be really happy with this setup.
