Working with music but also playing PC games

Discussion in 'PC' started by Pistascho, Sep 4, 2022.

  1. Pistascho

    Pistascho Member

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    I need some advice.
    What would be the optimal solution for you if you use one PC (or laptop) for music making and playing PC games ocasionally.

    At the moment I have two different partitions, one with the DAW and plugins installed.
    The other partition, I have the games and I also have other non-music related software.

    Do you have a neat solution, please drop it here.


    Thank you.

     
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  3. MYHO

    MYHO Noisemaker

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    Just use another physical hard drive for gaming.
    Advice to use a different user account is not very effective.
    Also, do not install a lot of games, this can greatly affect the performance of your PC.

    Some products are not compatible with games, this is rare - but it is possible.
    (If something heavy-CPU\GPU games can also wear out the processor a lot, and warm up your PC, this is not very good - if you value it and you have a good and expensive PC or MAC)
    Have a good mood! :winker:
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2022
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  4. BEAT16

    BEAT16 Audiosexual

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    Daw, plugins, software, games --> on C:/ (1st partition) so everything that needs speed so short access times.
    Pictures, videos, sound libraries --> on D:/ quasi as data storage.

    If C./ is too small you can also enlarge the partition (10% space should be left free).
     
  5. naitguy

    naitguy Audiosexual

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    Best Answer
    I have one computer I use for everything ... work, music, gaming.. other stuff. I like to keep my games on my fastest drive. I also like to have things like large libraries (kontakt, for example) on a fast drive. I do happen to keep them separate, but this is more of a force of habit. I have an O/S drive on an NVMe SSD, I have games on another NVMe SSD, and I have my music stuff on another NVMe SSD. I have some other drives for other random things. I mainly do it for organization reasons than for performance reasons, TBH.

    Other than that, I'd say don't overthink it, unless you find you really need to. Sometimes people get a little bit caught up on the minute performance enhancements that you might not even really need.

    It's going to depend on a few things though, such as how powerful your computer is, including CPU, memory, drive speeds for both gaming and music, and GPU for gaming. It will also depend on how much "horsepower" you need for your music production. With my PC and the VSTi-based electronic music I produce, I never really ever hit any bottlenecks, but YMMV based on what you use in your music development and the specs of your computer.
     
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  6. emax2

    emax2 Ultrasonic

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    Get two SSD drives if possible. one for your music software and one for games. These days if you use a standard hard drive it will make loading times slow. SSDs are the only way to go. Get a name brand SSD. Western Digital, Seagate and other brands like that are they way to go.
     
  7. macros

    macros Guest

    I've got all my stuff on one computer too, separate drives. a different computer would be better but reaper and Nvidia seem to get along better than Ableton does. or reaper just runs better in general (it does)

    but I was gonna suggest for the ultimate attention splitting a game like rimworld or really anything sprite based/old school graphics with turn based mechanics. if you're rendering something or just bored for a minute those are my go to games. like I'm not playing spiderman and working on tunes at the same time. if you get into a game like rimworld or a classic SNES RPG like ff3/6 you can run those on anything and the size means you won't have to worry about it interfering with music at all. not an ideal OVERALL gaming solution but a good music one.
     
  8. Pistascho

    Pistascho Member

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    I tried that, wasn't too optimal. So I agree. Thanks for your input.
     
  9. Pistascho

    Pistascho Member

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    Will do. Fortunately this laptop has two slots. Thanks for your input.
     
  10. Pistascho

    Pistascho Member

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    I went full retard and deleted the second partition. Only one partition for games and DAW... hehehe. Thank you for your input.
     
  11. Abdullah Sajid

    Abdullah Sajid Newbie

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    Balancing my passion for music with the thrill of PC gaming adds a dynamic rhythm to my life. Whether I'm immersed in the melodies of my favorite tunes or navigating virtual worlds on my gaming rig, each moment is a harmonious blend of creativity and excitement. It's the perfect symphony of leisure, where the beats of my favorite songs and the clicks of my gaming mouse create a soundtrack for unforgettable experiences
     
  12. Abdullah Sajid

    Abdullah Sajid Newbie

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    I'd recommend considering virtualization or a dual-boot setup. Virtualization allows you to run your DAW and games simultaneously using different virtual machines, while a dual-boot setup provides a clean separation for your music and gaming activities. It's all about finding a balance that suits your workflow and system resources.
     
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