Dear AS Community,

long story short. Mac user who wants to convert into Windows. my Budget is max 1400-1600.- Euro
I don't have any further Experience with WIndows / Building a PC.
Still I tried my best to educate myself before posting here.
I tend to use lots RAM for mixing work and production. my M1 / 16 GB Ram simply can't handle this anymore. enclosed you can find some components that I was planning to use. My Friend recommended me to use Pcpartpicker.com but since I am a newbie to this, and scared so I wanted to give this Forum a try.

any meaningful help is highly appreciated.

some ideas based on intense Research:

(Samsung SSD 990 Pro Series 2TB VS Silicon Power 2TB NVMe
2 TB SSD for Orchestra Librarys
2 TB SSD for Project Files / Plug In Data
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
32GB / 64GB Ram?
G Skill Trident Z Neo Series (64GB Ram)
CPU Fan: Noctua NH-U12A / Noctua NH-U12A
Power: Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 ARGB / FSP Hydro PTM Pro 850W
Fraktal Pop Mini Silent / Fractal Design Define Nano S

THX in advance <3

 

Sounds like you've been doing your homework.
I'm I'm one very happy guy regarding my last few builds. I have never had issues with Asus boards.

You'll be happy with 32GB for most of the things you'll be doing RAM wise.

I'm using an Intel generation 10 processor that is fast and has no latency issues. I understand that Intel generation 12 and up in particular have a latency bug that can affect audio. Something was posted on this site about it a while ago. Just do a search for latency. Just make sure your CPU is extremely well-reviewed if you're getting it from Amazon or wherever.

My system is only (rarely) buggy because it inherited the main imaged hard drive a previous computer which was also founded on Windows 10. (upgraded to 11 - it's fine. Don't listen to detractors.).

Unless you're doing heavy gaming or intense, frequent video editing, I believe a CPU high quality fan such as the one you're getting or suggesting will probably be fine.

I have no issues with my Samsung Nvme drives (2 ... 1 for the op sys. And the other for quicker video editing), Samsung SSD's (documents/desktop work) and WD HDD's (2) for libraries n such.

Just be sure to mount the fans in the proper direction of airflow that is to go through the cabinet.

Don't forget that a good video card can take some of the load of some of the things some of the time. I'm fairly happy with Nvidia 1660 super. It's not an RTX though, which avails you to some higher end video editing I believe (such as the ability to use nvid software that redirects your eyes away from a script and into the lens of the camera using artificial intelligence).

This is my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

If you're hesitant about building the PC yourself, check out UK based https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/custom-pc/
You can configure a PC to your desired specs and it will ensure there's no compatibility issues with the components.
They have an excellent reputation and they deliver to Europe. If you go down this route, get the 3 Year Silver Insurance for an additional €6.

 

The following would be my choice based on your list...

System 1 (roughly 1,631.903 EURO:

• AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 4.5 GHz 16-Core Processor
• ASRock X670E Steel Legend ATX AM5 Motherboard
• Noctua NH-U12A 60.09 CFM CPU Cooler
• G.Skill Ripjaws S5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory
• Solidigm P41 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive X2
• Solidigm P44 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
• Fractal Design Pop Silent ATX Mid Tower Case
• Corsair RM850e (2023) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply

System 2 (roughly 1,538.68 EURO:

• AMD Ryzen 9 7900 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor
• ASRock X670E Steel Legend ATX AM5 Motherboard
• Noctua NH-U12A 60.09 CFM CPU Cooler
• G.Skill Ripjaws S5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory
• Solidigm P41 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive X2
• Solidigm P44 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
• Fractal Design Pop Silent ATX Mid Tower Case
• Corsair RM850e (2023) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply

Notes:

1. Ram timings should be as tight as possible for AMD CPUs (similar to ECC server memory). Staying with two RAM modules allows CPU memory controller to operate as designed without stress. Bandwidth throughput is the key to reliable data transfer.
2. The ASRock BIOS since the introduction of Zen 4 have been solid & dependable.
3. the Solidigm SSDs are on par or, surpass Samsung. solidigm was the partner/maker for Intel SSDs.
4. The chosen case gives a little more room for heat dissipation & improved airflow than the mini.
5. The chosen power supply is a better choice over the Thermaltake. Can be swapped out with Seasonic/Phanteks if not available in your region.

 

Hello,

Why everybody advise AMD CPU ?
I have a UAD Apollo X8 soundcard, so for compatibility problem, I think I need to stay with Intel.
Think about getting a i9-13900k.

 

Nevermind.

 

Last edited: Sep 9, 2023

wow! thank you so much everybody for the fast replies. some really useful stuff already in there, especially @quadcore64 !
I will definitely go with 64Ram.

 

@Trurl, good point. indeed I don't plan to do video editing. neither gaming. just intense mixing session on 96khz with rather CPU hungry plugs.
and yes, I am going to use two Monitors (that I will probably buy in used condition to save money) That being said I don't have any knowledge about monitors.I prefer good visual Quality tho and will need to find a budget-friendly solution for that. also might add that mouse/monitor and keyboard are outside of the budget so it probably will cost 2000 in the sum + -

btw, I already bought a Babyface Pro Fs two years ago. Needles to say I am really happy with it..
The Audio quality is supreme.

 

Last edited: Sep 9, 2023

I would seriously avoid something like this. I am not sure if this is the exact company, but I think it is. There was a user on here who got a pc from them (or a company exactly like them) who was a Cubase user. (right before it being k'd as v12). The thread became very long, and the guys was replacing SSD's over and over. I'm not even sure of the resolution, but he did eventually stop asking for more help with it. It was the worst pc help thread I have seen on this forum. But it is not the only one just like it, that I have seen over the years. I would avoid a "custom builder" at all costs. Any of them. Do it yourself.

 

@quadcore64 You've smashed it, man.

If I was buying a PC for myself, I would use R7-7700x and very probably go with Asus Prime B670 motherboard, same 32GB RAM, but I would research more about Asus problems with 670 motherboards I've heard of. Not that it would change much performance wise or longevity wise. Great PSU like that is the key to longevity and stability, and silence. I don't buy high end CPUs because I don't think they're worth the high-end price for the performance and power usage you get, so 7700x is like a nicely balanced CPU, worth every penny. VGAs on these CPUs are excellent for DAWs. Good time for building a fast, reliable, long lasting AMD PC.

Cheers!

@clone absolutely agreed. Custom builder can be useful for beginners to assemble some basic list of components and then refining the choice afterwards when you do some research on the components, and that's how far its usefulness goes.

 

Last edited: Sep 9, 2023

As you wrote your M1 with 16 GB RAM "simply can't handle" your productions, I would consider thinking about another option. You could continue using it as your main DAW and use something like Vienna Ensemble Pro to add one (or more) PC workstations handling the huge sample libraries.

This way you can continue using your M1 which still is a quite powerful and silent machine and add more processing power if you need it. That's the way many orchestral composers handle really large templates.

 

https://audiosex.pro/threads/latency-culprit-found.71191/

 

Most latency problems can be minimized/avoided by:
Correct BIOS settings (PBO, EXPO - not over-clocking outside of these settings)
Properly matched RAM (using two modules, not four, with tight timings)
Updated BIOS to current AGEASA
Windows CPU setting

 

Sure, but that thread deals with yet another issue and one of the reasons why people would skip Intel for audio.

 

Last edited: Sep 11, 2023

Lot of ppl saying the AMD team is stronger than ever I'm planning to switch to AMD too. I used to use an apollo duo x with thunderbolt, an old roland usb soundcard, a babyface pro fs and it literally makes no difference from usb latency wise I always got 12ms 512 buffer 44.1 no matter what (although u can have 100+ channels for live/mixing/mastering with thunderbolt connection) but yeah x8 is pretty pricey so it would make sense for you to stick with intel.

I got a fairly old build around 4 years old:

i9-9940x default speeds
tridentz 4x8GB (4200 mhz xmp is off my pc won't boot so I currently got it on default rip my money I used to have 8x8GB but the xmp was unstable asl @Hildegard you really don't need more than 32GB personally I mix as I go with 30+ channels running real time so I sold the other 4 sticks bc nzxt monitor never shown more than 20-30% usage. From personal experience xmp makes no sense in the long run that's just from personal experience as the xmp was working fine in the first 3 years then suddenly it couldn't take it anymore... unfortunately I have no experience with manual OC next time just gonna go with 2 sticks)
asus prime deluxe ii mobo
3060ti founders edition
1500W evga (wanted an SLI setup but changed my mind)

What do u guys think how much EUR the components worth ? I'd prefer to keep the case and cooler to save money

 

Sorry to hijack this thread but I have a related question.
Anyone knows of a good EMI shielding case?

I mainly play guitars and I get a fair bit of EMI noises through the pickups (both humbuckers and single coils) even at a lower distortion settings.

Currently I have a Corsair Carbide 275Q which does a decent job but I'd like to mitigate the issue even more.
If possible a little bit of airflow would be best as, last year, I gifted myself a "do it all" PC with beefy components and I use it both for recoding/mixing and other tasks (working and gaming mainly).

Thanks!

 

You already have some great advice above, so I wont confuse you further.

One thing people do when it comes to pc builds though, (I've seen it SO often) and that is look at the PSU and see a high spec supply but a cheap make.. Then 2 years down the line the whole thing blows up, because what they THINK is decent power, is actually made up from ridiculously cheap and sometimes dangerous components.

I saw somebody else mention it and will go back up soon to 'agree' with them (@quadcore64, you nailed it).. Go for a Corsair Gold standard Power Supply, making sure you go higher powered than you think you need, because everything you add on hardware wise will require more juice!

There are other decent makes too, but that is one top PSU that will never let you down!

 

Last edited: Sep 11, 2023