Expert: Bobbert - 10/1/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hello,

I am having a company in the SF Bay area build a custom computer. They have outstanding customer service reviews, a good mix of componants at a fair price, and have been outstanding in assisting me with this configuration.

I primarily use my computer for professional quality home-based music recording, but I am also a PC gaming enthusiast. I don't mind spending the $3,816, but I want to make sure this computer will take me into the next decade. I got almost 10 years out of my last high-end computer, which still works but can run any new software. Can you review my specs and please make any comments or suggestions. Thanks!

Specifications:
Chassis: Cooler Master HAF 932

Power Supply: 750W Corsair HX (Dual SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition)

Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 2.83GHz (1333MHz FSB) (12MB Cache)

Motherboard: Asus P5E3 Premium WiFi-AP (Intel X48 Chipset) (Supports CrossFire)

System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Corsair Dominator DHX

Hard Drive 1: 300GB Western Digital VelociRaptor (10K RPM) (16MB Cache)
Hard Drive 2: 500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA)

Optical Drive 1: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x)

High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)

Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 4870X2 2GB

Sound Card: Asus Xonar D2X (PCI-Express Slot Based

Air Cooled Stage 3 WindTunnel (Copper Heatpipe Heatsink & Additional Case Fans

Tweak Windows: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial services on the operating system

Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate (64-Bit Edition)

Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based)

Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty


ANSWER: Looks great to be honest, a few things I'd point out, which are mostly my preferences, at this price point, why not go with PC Power & Cooling (over the Corsair unit), I like their 860W TurboCool. The other bit is you might want more than 500GB of storage, especially for modern music recording.

As far as the music recording/production goes, the Xonar D2X is a good card, but it isn't designed at all for the semi-professional use you're looking at, you might want to consider a soundcard from M-Audio or E-MU which will have a more professional nature to it, which will complement the studio use of the machine (theres a number of other companies in addition to M-Audio and E-MU you could look at, PreSonus, Digidesign, MOTU, Solid State Logic (SSL), Lynx, UAD, Mackie, Lexicon, Tascam, Edirol, Focusrite, Apogee, RME, and ESI, to name more than a few).

-bob


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Bob Thanks,
About the power and RAM, I felt I needed a bit more myself as well. Regarding the sound card. I use a Firewire audio interface, the MOTU UltraLite MK3, so I don't really go through the sound card to record. My sound card is really for playback and mastering the music. Do you still think that I should consider a sound card designed primarily for the semi-pro musician?

ANSWER: Yes and no as far as the soundcard goes, the Xonar D2X has good playback quality, my only issue would be its ASIO drivers under professional applications (although you didn't specify what you use, and I haven't ever personally played with Asus' ASIO drivers, I do know however, that Creative's ASIO drivers (they target similar markets) under pro and semi-pro applications are verymuch in a gray area in terms of reliability (contrasted to M-Audio which works as it should all the time)).

Does your firewire interface support output monitoring? I would consider doing that, and saving some money on the new soundcard.

As far as RAM goes, at 8GB, I think you've got more than more than enough, you could probably drop down to 4GB or 6GB and not even notice it. Storage wise, yes, I would add more.

And my note on the power supply isn't really more capacity, its just that with a computer this expensive, why not get a better power supply? The HX isn't a bad unit, but the TurboCool should handle this system much better.

-bob


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much for your help.

To be a little clearer, I currently use an M-Audio 410 Firewire, but it's never performed all that great. Pops and garble on play back & it's kind of problematic to configure with software a lot of the time. It's always the one dialog box I didn't check that causes me great distraction. Also, M-Audio is stuck on getting Vista drivers out for it, so I'm planning on switching to the MOTU which I think (and pray) does have ASIO drivers for Vista. Yes, both the M-Audio and MOTU supports output monitoring.

FYI, my software is Sonar 7, Sound Forge 8 and Ableton Live.

I'm bumping up against my $4,000 budget, but I do want a top quality sound card. I started out with a budget of $2,200 and little by little found myself spending a lot more. It's in my nature to want the best, and I'm still willing to pay for it. So, of every thing out there what company and model sound card would you go with? Last question I hope. Thanks.

Answer
I'd hold off on the soundcard, is what I'd do, get the MOTU, see how you like it, if it works, you've saved $200, if not, come back to the drawing board, and find something that works for monitoring. As far as the FireWire 410 having pops and garble, I've never heard that complaint, you may be able to get it replaced or repaired by M-Audio as a result. Although, you are correct, in its lack of Vista x64 drivers.

-bob