CPU's for a windows 7 x64 update (plus other build talk)

[botkiller]

We use SSDs at PCAudiolabs for OS drives primarily (if requested or on a custom build), and larger mechanical hard drives for more data storage - but we build RAIDs and such a lot.

I have not seen stability issues with SSDs, and certainly not with the tech where it is now.

As for mobos, Gigabyte beats ASUS IMHO. I've seen more issues with ASUS than I can shake a stick at, and very little with Gigabyte; GB boards last forever. I have used the exact motherboard you posted about and it is a very good one. Be wary of the UEFI settings, just so you know; they can drag you down and cause serious headaches. The z87 chipset is probably the best to go with with a 4th generation intel processor. Just remember that that board's max RAM is 32GB. That's more than most will ever need, but you can't expand further.

Remember that you can get all the best gear, but make sure to take time in the build; if you don't, you won't see the speed you're looking for.

Good luck on your build, take your time.

[hibidy]

UEFI

Could I get you to elaborate on this? Frankly, I don't overclock or mess around with the settings much (I turn off the internal audio device)

[fedexnman]

SSD for sample drive and OS / plufgins and programs drive . HDD 7200 rpm for everything else . SSD is so nice , man they load fast .

[t3toooo]

when you start getting into the more "real world" benchmarks it appears that the 4770 out performs the 6 core.

i pretty much doubt that.

if you want to go top notch then read about intels "tick tock" strategy.

nah,i don't even want to discuss any benefits of the differences btw the intels consumer and workstation chips.

however,some observations.

my 2012 lga 2011 intel board with my 3930k cpu is hands down the best computer i've ever build.
on my boards bios i just one click enable overclock profiles and no that is not turbo.
i'm currently on a 4ghz overclock,could go to 4.6ghz but i don't need it.

the most important thing for me and i didn't even know it at this time,
the overclock is rock solid,not a single quirk!

the cpu's ghz is adjusting by itself what power is needed.
so if i only do some low cpu demanding work my comp throttles down to 1.5ghz.

there are no clicks or stutters and all the quirks i had with audio and the consumer boards are simply gone.
however,that's only for the computer,a buggy software or driver would not work better,lol

to summarize.

i did spend 300 more for this combination than i would spend on the consumer "line".

there were some usb 3 driver quirks on the x79 platform but jeeeezus,that's long solved by any means.



@ hibidy i wonder why you're using 300gb of of software on your C drive?

throw anything like library's out of the c drive and put it on a separate drive,that's how it's done.

i hope there isn't much confusing,i would assist you on what parts to use and already thought about pm'ing you.
please do me a favor and stop reading those dumb computer reviews.

[hibidy]

Not sure how to take that, but when you factor in price, performance, power consumption and that there seems to be a school that the 87 boards are more up to date than the 79 boards, it's not a crime to come to the conclusion I have.......or is it?

[t3toooo]

Not sure how to take that, but when you factor in price, performance, power consumption and that there seems to be a school that the 87 boards are more up to date than the 79 boards, it's not a crime to come to the conclusion I have.......or is it?

i'm fine with this of course.


power consumption?
i didn't see any increase in my electricity bill but then i don't use 600 watt.
although that's what most review sites are writing,x79 is a power hog,they don't write that the user surely wont use that much power.
for audio,headroom is important so the cpu isn't going 100 anyway like for graphic application,my 600 watt seasonic power supply is only very slightly warm,i guess my computer needs around 150-200 watt mostly (when working with a full blown low latency session) but of course,physically there must be some power demand anyway (that's the point).

a low watt cpu has also less power and the efficiency increase,small versus more power will take years (of development) not month's like many review sites are falsely suggesting.


like i said,the cpu throttling works perfect,unlike many people stating that there are (possibly) problems,i don't have any.
the higher price justifies the better performance,don't know if there is any one-click bios-overclock available in a consumer board that is working perfectly.

well to stay in the real world,of course a 300$ is better than a 150$ board.
it's a question where to invest the money.
a 180gb intel ssd costs around 120$ for example,it would be plenty enough room for software,while library's should go on another drive.

since you're talking about processing audio using a lot of plugins i thought i could give you a recommendation about my personal experience,at least you want to work some years with this gear.

[hibidy]

@power consumption: Oh, I thought that less power consumption meant less heat which meant lower fan speeds.

[t3toooo]

@power consumption: Oh, I thought that less power consumption meant less heat which meant lower fan speeds.

did i said something else?
oh and less power consumption=less performance.

[t3toooo]

i think it's not clear what's meant by "throttling"

the cpu gets quasi power on demand,if you work with a lot of plugins at the same time the cpu gets more power and consumes more of it.
if you close your session,the cpu immediate throttles down and its consumption is reduced to a minimum,like a car when you step down from the gas pedal.

you can download "realtemp" to see cpu/gpu heat and clock stats to see it for yourself.

http://www.techpowerup.com/realtemp/



ok,that's just some thought's and experiences.

i think if you go seriously building a computer you can think about designing it.
lots of things to consider and to ponder,i remember it did costs me weeks to collect knowledge and to build my rig.
the amount of invested money can vary drastically depending on your decisions.




howsoever,i'm quite a nerd in this regard.

[hibidy]

I'm just trying to soak it in......

[mkdr]

a 180gb intel ssd costs around 120$ for example,it would be plenty enough room for software,while library's should go on another drive.

If you are aiming for most performance streamable samples should be on the SSD. Putting OS on the SSD and sampler instruments on HD will only make your OS and projects open a bit quicker, but inflict a massive blow on your sreaming performance.

[t3toooo]

a 180gb intel ssd costs around 120$ for example,it would be plenty enough room for software,while library's should go on another drive.

If you are aiming for most performance streamable samples should be on the SSD. Putting OS on the SSD and sampler instruments on HD will only make your OS and projects open a bit quicker, but inflict a massive blow on your sreaming performance.

the os on my ssd is way faster and much more liquid,no way i ever would go back to a hdd for my os.
that would be the first thing for me to do to tune up a computer.

i avoid storing any other files that aren't necessary (besides presets or smaller files) on my os drive but i do let plugins/software store it's data there too (to avoid any conflicts),this way the os backup is also slimmer.

regarding ssd versus hard drive for samples and streaming.
big library's that are streamed are fine on a ssd but for samples loaded in the ram i still store them on a hard drive,so the loading time is maybe a tiny bit longer but that's negligible.

so that would be 3 different drives.

no idea why it should "inflict a massive blow on your sreaming performance"?
since any drive can do independently it's own task i see no reason for that,instead everything is quicker,or in other words,if the os needs to wait it is waiting anyway but this is the case with a ssd as well.

[mkdr]

no idea why it should "inflict a massive blow on your sreaming performance"?
since any drive can do independently it's own task i see no reason for that,instead everything is quicker,or in other words,if the os needs to wait it is waiting anyway but this is the case with a ssd as well.

No need to argue. Just try it. For me it's the same as running sample instruments fully from RAM. And chucking a 100gb library fully into RAM is expensive(or impossible).

And just like i said; OS on SSD makes loading things quicker, like you pointed out too, but it won't help in "realtime performance".. whereas an SSD for streaming does! It's all about "what performance" you are after. I'm assuming more polyphony and stability during DAW-work is the goal here.. not Word startup times.

So all I'm trying to tell is that SSD's really shine at streaming. If you wan't to invest on performance start there. And there's the plus side that if you only read from the drive it wont slow down(and eventually break) like SSD's do when there's lots of writes to it (like what happens on OS drives).



Everyone i know who has had an SSD for OS drive has eventually got a broken drive(including my wife on her work laptop). And those were all properly configured drives. It's gonna happen, no question about it. New drives might lengthen the process, but they too will slow down during that time. Run a benchmark enough times and you'll see the effect (DONT!)

They are quick. The OS works quicker. I agree. Nothing wrong with that. But it's like buying a 200$ GPU for DAW work. It will make it run smoother, but wont give you much for the actual work you are doing. Same reason as to why some people still stick with WinXP.

[mkdr]

.....It will make it run smoother, but wont give you much for the actual work you are doing. Same reason as to why some people still stick with WinXP.

Oh and one example is games. Should you buy a 200$ GPU or a 200$ SSD to house your games in. The SSD will make the games load a lot quicker(and the OS), but the FPS of the game is not going to benefit.

[Gonga]

If you get an EVO, set it up with Magician to prolong the life of the drive and implement over-provisioning (all simple with industry-leading Magician software that Samsung includes), I would bet it'll outlast the typical large HDD. My 2 and 3 TB WD drives are only lasting less than three years now, not four. I know because I keep sending them back just before the warranty runs out! My new 4TB Seagate is showing SMART errors right out of the gate, but at $180 nothing else comes close, and it's the fastest non-ssd HDD I've ever owned, based on my own tests.