Do I need a graphic card?

Discussion in 'Computer Hardware' started by Blue, Jul 8, 2018.

  1. Blue

    Blue Audiosexual

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    Hi everyone,
    I have bought a new pc becuause my last was too slow.
    I have now a i7 8700 processor(6 cores 3.2GHz,4.6GHz with Turbo Boost)) with a MSI mother board with H310 chipsets and a SSD.
    My Sound card is a RME UCX via usb3.
    Windows 10 Pro.

    I work without a graphic card,because I had an old Nvidia GTX460 and I read sometimes that Nvidia graphic cards are not very efficient with DAWs too.
    So my screen(VGA) is connected to the motherboard's VGA port.

    I have made some little tests and I'm disappointed with the performance;the Asio load is not stable in Studio One and Live as it was with my old computer which has the Nvidia460 and a i5 2400(4 cores 3.0GHz) processor.

    Do some of you work with the motherboard's graphics?
    Or do you think that a dedicated graphic card could improve the performance?

    And another point,do some of you work with Intel Turbo Boost enabled ?

    Thanks !
     
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2018
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  3. Baxter

    Baxter Audiosexual

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    Simple answer: Yes. Buy a dedicated graphics card.
     
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  4. mrpsanter

    mrpsanter Audiosexual

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    I use the graphic chipset (Intel 530) of my motherboard and didn't notice any problem while using my DAW (S1).

    As a matter of fact, I never took the time to compare with a dedicated card since everything seems to be working fine so far.
     
  5. Blue

    Blue Audiosexual

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    Thanks guys,
    Do you think my Nvidia460gtx can do the job,just to make music?I only do that with this computer.
    Or do you think buy a newer one would be really useful?
     
  6. Olaf

    Olaf Platinum Record

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    There are some VSTs that can utilize a dedicated GPU to render the GUI (e.g. FabFilter), but especially with a recent i7 the benefit is negligible.
    On the other hand, you'll probably get bloated drivers with additional interrupts, more heat, more fan and electric noise, and more power drain.

    To sum it up:
     
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  7. midi-man

    midi-man Audiosexual

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    Yes it will be fine. In fact I would use the old card so you will save on some system ram.
     
  8. Baxter

    Baxter Audiosexual

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    That will work.
     
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  9. pizzafresser

    pizzafresser Producer

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    A dedicated graphics card shouldn't give you a noticable boost in DAW performance over what you already have. Unless you want to play pc games or do other graphically demanding tasks such as video or 3D editing your built in graphics solution should suffice for basic DAW usage. How much RAM do you have and how is it clocked? That could possibly be a bottleneck in your system.
     
  10. lerkjurk

    lerkjurk Platinum Record

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  11. EddieXx

    EddieXx Audiosexual

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    weird, if you are having problems and you have a gfx-card installed then yes, one card can make a difference over the other but, if you are not running any dedicated card and you are having problems with performance in Studio One then your problem is another and probably not even specific for daw work but a general problem on that system.

    most probable there is a configuration or installation/drivers problem to be solved. you should be able to run your daw flawlessly on the integrated graphics.
     
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  12. Parasite-B

    Parasite-B Platinum Record

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    I would personally definitely recommend getting a graphics card, unless you don't mind waiting for about 30 seconds for a plug-ins' GUI to pop up. Through personal experience of just having the PCI-E port on my motherboard die, and not reading my graphics card anymore, having to switch to the integrated graphics, there's a huge noticeable difference to me. I was only using an AMD Radeon HD 6700 512mb card, but the difference is very noticeable.

    Edit; 30 seconds is a bit of an exaggeration, but I can definitely tell the difference, and get impatient at times.
     
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  13. taskforce

    taskforce Audiosexual

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    I kindly disagree with the friends saying the onboard gpu is ok. Surely the integrated Intel grfx will do the job driving one or two or 3 even monitors.
    But, there two main drawbacks when using the onboard graphics inside your Intel cpu:
    1) The integrated graphics unit takes ram from the system ram, the bigger resolution and more monitors you have, the more ram it will consume. (A secondary artifact from this, is slower response in fast re-draws, realtime 3d rendering etc., as plain ddr4 is not as fast as the dedicated GDDR5 found in modern Gpus, not to mention the even faster HBM2 in some high end models)
    2) I read in this thread someone mentioned with a dedicated gpu you will have more noise,more heat etc. I said it in another thread and i will repeat it, this is false. Modern gpus, even the most modest ones, will not speed up their fans if you don't do anything demanding like play a 3d game. Which leads me to the second drawback which is: When you work in your daw using the integrated grfx for display purposes, you put an extra (unwanted) load on the cpu. Chances are this (unintentional) load, after sometime will start forcing your cpu's cooling solution fans to spin up their speed to dissipate more heat from the cpu and therefore you will get constantly more noise.
    So, to conclude, it is the other way around in this subject, for a noiseless system with also top performance, you 'll be better off with a dedicated gpu rather than just the integrated grfx which is mainly a solution for buyers on a tight budget or plain office work.
    Thanks for listening :)
    Ps: I recommend a modest but modern Radeon, they are less intrusive than Nvidias. But anything is better than the onboard solution.
     
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2018
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  14. Parasite-B

    Parasite-B Platinum Record

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    @taskforce I completely agree, especially your suggest of a modest Radeon, over Nvidia. I have a 2gb Nvidea card which I started to use, after using my 512mb Radeon, and it was much worse. There seemed to be a lot more bloatware, and background processes going on, making things really sluggish for me. Only speaking from experience, but Radeon definitely seems to be the best choice over intergrated graphics, or Nvidia.
     
  15. eXACT_Beats_

    eXACT_Beats_ Rock Star

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    Basically, it depends on how much you want to spend...or can spend. AMD is cheaper and isn't a terrible option, but Intel would be (is,) my choice despite AMD's bragging on their clock speed and core count, which isn't as significant in music production as you would think....comparatively, anyway. I have heard a lot of people say that AMD is better for music production because they have "X" DAW and a "Y" computer, or that it is better for the actual recording process, but I have never seen evidence of AMD out-performing Intel. It could be a real thing, but I have never heard anyone claiming that who could/would show any proof. My experience, as well as others, is that Intel is the more stable of the two. At the end of the day, price is usually an issue, so, as I said, AMD isn't bad, it's just not as good. Honestl thoughy, what most people are running in their DAWs doesn't need Pentagon-grade hardware to run smoothly. Just my two cents.... :shalom:
     
  16. taskforce

    taskforce Audiosexual

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    Yep, time and time again it is noted and observed that the nvidia driver adds more realtime background processes. Still, it's only a 10 minute re-configuring to stop these from re-appearing next time you boot up. Guides to avoid/uninstall or disable all the nvidia bloatware are all over the internet, so i don't see why would anyone make a big fuss about it.
    Cheers mate
     
  17. dbmuzik

    dbmuzik Platinum Record

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    Go with the advice from @Olaf unless money isn't a factor and you can spend on a card that's far superior to what you have onboard (a card your average DAW project could hardly stress, or heat up). It's beneficial as it takes the task off your CPU. But only worth it imo if you get something high end, and not something that's gonna burn up just for some subtle improvement.
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2018
  18. Torrao

    Torrao Platinum Record

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    I'll just recommend you a modest AMD card. Their drivers are much more audio-friendly than Nvidia's. Keep an eye open for a used Radeon RX470. They're not what miners aim for, so they can be found used at sane prices. They're also very cool and quiet.

    I "downgraded" from a more expensive Nvidia card to that one and couldn't be happier.
     
  19. KidPix

    KidPix Producer

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    Make sure to connect to the Intel USB port and not ASMedia.
    Make sure to use the proper USB driver and not Microsoft generic one.
    https://www.win-raid.com/t834f25-USB-Drivers-original-and-modded.html

    Use LatencyMon to check for offending drivers
    http://www.resplendence.com/latencymon

    Only install the Nvidia drivers and not the extra crap
    https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7060297

    Don't let audio glitches ruin your performances!
    https://www.cantabilesoftware.com/glitchfree/

    Before doing anything create a restore point
    https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4571-create-system-restore-point-windows-10-a.html
     
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  20. vladdrac

    vladdrac Kapellmeister

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    Get a cheap RX 460 and don't worry about GPUs for a long time. They are rock solid for DAW usage. Your GTX460 should suffice, but since it's an old card and your rig is brand new, I'd go for the 460 just to be future proof. They are dirt cheap after all.
     
  21. Medrewb

    Medrewb Platinum Record

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    I was using i3 1st gen for 5 years without GPU.
    I bought a new PC i5-6400 and have been using it for 3 years without GPU.
    I bought GTX 1050 Ti last year (for games)....

    AND I WAS NOT SURPRISED
    NO FREAKING DIFFERENCE IN AUDIO PRODUCTION. EVERYTHING IS THE SAME!
     
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