PC hardware: Building a system, I am majorly stuck on a motherboard etc
Building a system, I am majorly stuck on a motherboard etc
by rocknje - 7/5/09 8:50 PMHello,
I am building a system and I am not sure what motherboard to buy.
I am thinking about getting an intel motherboard Core i7. I am not sure which motherboard to go for.
To give you a better Idea. I don't play games. I need a computer for music production.
Here are a few that I have been looking at
EVGA (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188039
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188046
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?
Item=N82E16813188049)
Any others you might recommend? Should I go AMD Route? Realistically, I don't want to spend over $200 if possible, but if people are for the EVGA then I might just do it.
Thank you very much for your time
Value wise ....not sure about Core i7 ...CPUs, MBs and RAM
by VAPCMD - 7/6/09 5:51 AM In reply to: Building a system, I am majorly stuck on a motherboard etc by rocknjeare considerably more expensive than Socket 775 systems. Not sure the extra $$ gives proportionate increase in performance for most. Core i7 MBs start at $200 and go to $400 and the CPUs start about $275 unless you live near a MicroCenter where they're sometimes on sale for $200.
Here's a socket 775 MB with decent rating from buyers.and it's $115 after rebate.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358
VAPCMD
Thank you for your answer.
by rocknje - 7/6/09 6:46 AM In reply to: Value wise ....not sure about Core i7 ...CPUs, MBs and RAM by VAPCMDDo you think it is better to go to a DDR3 motherboard than a DDR2? I use music producing software and I need to make sure I can use this with out my computer bogging down.
When it comes to CPU's it doesn't have to be the Core i7, I will consider the ones before that as long as my computer can handle my music production software, so it doesn't bogg down my computer. Then I am fine.
Is Gigabyte Motherboard the way to go? Asus? EVGA?
Here's another case to add to the mix...
by VAPCMD - 7/6/09 5:45 PM In reply to: Thank you for your answer. by rocknjehttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811160026
VAPCMD
PS...If you go i7....then expect to spend more than projected. Your i7 MB is going $200-$300 .... $250-$275 for the CPU.....$100 for the RAM and then there's the video card.
Re Win7...what are planning to use 'til it becomes avialable ?
VAPCMD
Rewriting this post. Sorry for the lack of info.
by rocknje - 7/6/09 10:20 AM In reply to: Building a system, I am majorly stuck on a motherboard etc by rocknjeHello,
I am building a new system and I am not sure which route to take in terms of which motherboard, processor etc. Here is some info on what I am building a computer for...I am building this computer for music production and not gaming. Software I use is FL Studio and Protools as well as plugging in instruments to the computer for recording. I need a computer system that won't bogg down when I have all these softwares and plug-ins open.
I would like to get the Core i7 processor, but not sure if I should go for it or not. Should I go the AMD Route? It seems more affordable to go for the AMD Route. If I go with the AMD I am thinking about this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103674
Then comes to the motherboard. I am really not sure which one to decide on. Here are a few brands I have been looking at are EVGA, Gigabyte and ASUS. What about other brands like Intel, Foxconn, MSI, DFI? When it comes to memory should I stick with DDR2 or DDR3?
I have some wish list categories.
Jeff's Computer Build = Stuff I already have and purchased { http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=8883254 }
Jeff's Future Build = Stuff I am thinking about buying. { http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=11217152 }
Other Case Considerations = Other cases I am thinking about. {
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=10509211 }
So, I still need Motherboard, Processor, Sound Card, Memory. I am looking to spend $500 more, but no more than $600. Few notes:For the Case, I am leaning towards the Azza Solano 1000 and for the Video card I bought from Best Buy the VisionTek HD 4350 ATI Radeon Video Card, should I keep or upgrade it? For Sound card people have recommended M-Audio an EMU for music production, What do you guys think?
Thank you very much for your time
Some answers, hopefully! :)
by ikjadoon - 7/6/09 11:13 AM In reply to: Rewriting this post. Sorry for the lack of info. by rocknjeOK, so a quick Google search on ProTools and FL Studio show that they are multi-threaded, but, to be perfectly honest, they don't go into a lot of detail. It was literally one line in FL Studios feature list and a few forum posting describing multi-threaded-ness on ProTools. So, I would definitely get a quad, but I think you knew that already. 
The part I'm debating is AMD/Intel quad. From my research, ProTools seems to work rather nicely with i7's, with a certain bench (Dverbs, if you've heard of it) it gets twice the score than a Q6600.
If I were you, I would go i7. But, realize, you'll need DDR3. Core i7 can ONLY take DDR3, no DDR2 here. 
For the best performance with i7, we do want triple-channel memory. I'm not fully versed on the performance benefits from double to triple-channel, but the prices are close enough and i7 has a memory controller built for triple-channel, so why go slower? And, like I said, prices are close.
Do you plan to overclock? If so, I would go for one of those cases. But if you aren't, you don't *NEED* the cooling that those cases give and a cheaper case will suffice.
But, here's the rub. The cheapest i7 is $280. An i7 motherboard will run you $200 or more, a few dipping into the high 100's. Memory (6GB, triple channel) will be another $100. If you're counting right, we're at $580 and we haven't even bought the sound card, which sounds pretty important considering the tools you're using.
We can dip down into Intel quad's or AMD's quads, but the i7 may be a bit out of your price range. Both AMD/Intel quads are great. AMD has cheaper motherboards and are a little more overclocking friendly, but Intel's quads are faster per-clock than AMDs. A 3.2GHz AMD (Phenom II 955) is a bit slower than the Q9650 (3.0GHz).
Research your tools a bit, see what other people are using them with. Some tools, unfortunately, are highly biased to one architecture or another. See if there are any anomalies there.
Good luck!
~Ibrahim~
Thank you.
by rocknje - 7/6/09 6:19 PM In reply to: Some answers, hopefully! :) by ikjadoonThank you very much for your reply. Affordability and espcially I am not a gamer, I am really leaning towards AMD Phenom, what I mentioned in my post. I don't plan on overclocking. Here is my First Mock Build and can be subjected to change. Case wise, I am still deciding on the Azzan and Antec 1200.
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=11224712
Let me know your thoughts on the build so far. As for Memory, what about these
what do you think of the Mushkin hp? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820146868
OCZ
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820227381
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820227365
What about the AuzenTech AZT-FORTE X-Fi Forte 7.1 Low Profile PCI Express Sound Card compared to EMU's, Creative Labs and M-Audio?
Gotcha, gotcha...
by ikjadoon - 7/6/09 7:02 PM In reply to: Thank you. by rocknjeThanks for the links, Ramarc. Now only a bit more so I don't feel bad about buying one for me, lol!
I just built an AMD Phenom system last week, though it was the dual-core version: Phenom II X2 550, 3.1GHz. Thing absolutely roared; and for the price? Heck yes.
Build looks great, though I might make a few changes:
The 955 is the fastest Phenom available,true, but you're definitely paying quite a premium for it. If it were up to me, I would go for the 940. It's at 3.0GHz instead of the 955's 3.2GHz. But, it is still a Black Edition CPU, meaning it has an unlocked multiplier. That means it is DEAD-simple to overclock. I would get the Phenom II 940, save $56, go into your BIOS and change the multiplier from 15 to 16. BAM: you get a 955 for free. I highly doubt you'll have to do any voltage tweaks at all. No need to fuss with memory multipliers or HTT multipliers: change one number and you're golden.
I would personally change the RAM to this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148261
What do you get for an extra $5? Tighter timings (CAS6 versus CAS8) and cool lights! Check out the video review in it's review section. CAS latency isn't a big performance gain, but it can help, especially in memory-intensive applications. Not sure if yours falls under that. But, darn, those lights are too cool. Now we HAVE to get a case with a window, lol!
The links you posted are truncated; they've been cut short. Can you try pasting them again?
I'm the wrong guy to ask about sound cards: I use onboard and can't tell the difference since the day I threw out my Creative card. I will tell you this, though: the X-Fi chipset is mainly targeted toward gamers and the like. E-MU and M-Audio are targeted for professionals. I'd just go with the one that fits your budget AND (more importantly) has all the connections you'll need. And then some.
You realize these are full-towers, right? I have a Coolermaster Stacker 830 (big boy, trust me) and it's huge. Like, no mid-tower compares. Just trust me. Think big. Then go two more steps. That's a full tower. In my opinion, I'd go with the AZZA. Never heard of them, but it has good reviews. You get a bigger side fan and it's a whole lot cheaper. And who doesn't love 230mm fans?! 
Good luck!
~Ibrahim~
Thank you again.
by rocknje - 7/6/09 9:27 PM In reply to: Some answers, hopefully! :) by ikjadoonHi Ibrahim,
The links I have posted are working. I am not sure if you tried clicking on them. Here they are again.
Jeff's Computer Build = Stuff I already have and purchased { http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=8883254 }
Jeff's Future Build = Stuff I am thinking about buying. { http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=11217152 }
Other Case Considerations = Other cases I am thinking about. { http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=10509211 }
Thank you for the CPU insight. I will look into it. Yeah, I realize it is a full tower case. I measured it and yes it is larger than my mid tower, but the only difference is the height, which is 16 on my midtower and 22 on the full tower. Yes it is taller, but still fits in my work space. My mid tower is 20 is length or width what ever you call it and 8 inches from side to side. On the ones I picked it is about the same as those dimensions. Should work out ok. If it turns out to be too big for my tastes, can I return to new egg with out a problem? I will check out as well.
Thank you again for your help. Any thing else let me know. I should have some questions in a bit.
Good, good. :)
by ikjadoon - 7/6/09 10:14 PM In reply to: Thank you again. by rocknjeI was actually referring to the RAM you linked me, but I still like the one's I linked, unless you need a lower price?
Oh, yeah. Newegg has a fantastic RMA program. I'd much rather deal with Newegg than a company.
I looked through the case choices again and I really like the AZZA. The others are too expensive, IMO, for what you get, but I'm not one to talk with a $220 case. But the AZZA looks like it has the good stuff: removable mobo tray, good fans, nice exterior design. It isn't tool-less, but I find the trusting reassurance of a tightened screw a bit more satisfying than the promise of wimpy plastic.
~Ibrahim~
Thank you.
by rocknje - 7/6/09 11:28 PM In reply to: Good, good. :) by ikjadoonThank you once again. Sweet. I am going to get the Azza case. Those RAM's are for Intel motherboards, so I am no longer looking at those. I thought about that too. Yeah, Tooless is easier, but those thumb screws are not bad either.
So, this looks like my final build http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=11224712. I will make my final decision by the weekend for sure.
If you or anyone else has any recomendations please let me know. Thanks again.
One minor thing:
by ikjadoon - 7/7/09 10:48 AM In reply to: Thank you. by rocknjeIt looks good. RAM, actually, isn't "for" a certain brand. RAM will work as long as it has the same subsystem (DDR2, DDR3, etc) in any system. Speeds don't even matter because they have built-in specs that work with any mobo (SPD) but may have to be adjusted to get to the actual specs.
Looks nice from my end.
~Ibrahim~
Thank you.
by rocknje - 7/8/09 11:38 PM In reply to: One minor thing: by ikjadoonThank you. I am hoping to make a decsion on my system by the end of the weekend.
When you said: "Speeds don't even matter because they have built-in specs that work with any mobo (SPD) but may have to be adjusted to get to the actual specs."
How do you do that? How do you adjust the specs to get the actuals?
Kewl, kewl. :)
by ikjadoon - 7/12/09 6:06 PM In reply to: Thank you. by rocknjeIt's in the BIOS, memory options.
core i7 boards under $200
by ramarc - 7/6/09 5:35 PM In reply to: Building a system, I am majorly stuck on a motherboard etc by rocknjemsi x58 pro
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130221
gigabyte ga-ex58-ud3r
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375
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