[mminutel]

I like a lot of the suggestions here. The Mac is a good suggestion, but I think it would be a bit big and conspicuous for my taste if they are anything like the G5. The only good thing about a netbook is the footprint. It will have plenty of speed for audio, but you would probably have to go with external hard drives. The mac mini would be an excellent choice.

If you are going to build a computer, I would suggest going with something last gen to save on money. I am not going to go into actual parts, but I will say, my music server is around seven years old, has a Pentium 4 with 512MB ram and runs fine. The main thing is that you want it to be quiet.

If you have an iPod Touch or iPhone, there is actually a really cool app that allows you to pick what song you want to play on the computer from your apple product. You could even set it up to be controlled by your laptop or other type of smart phone. That is what I do. That way, you wouldn't have to have a monitor, keyboard, or mouse unless the computer needs service.

 

[meatwad]

James, here is the list I put together for you. I can email it to you as well. It's just barely over budget, but I think it's very well-appointed for what you want to do with your new computer.

Newegg.com - Once You Know, You Newegg

You mentioned to me in your PM that you might want to upgrade your PC at a later date for gaming which is why I chose the setup I did. As a matter of fact, the build I suggested would be quite capable of gaming, dare I say even pretty high performance - probably wouldn't have to even upgrade anything.

I would have chosen last-generation Core2 Intel chips, but now that they are phasing out they are actually going UP in price as the inventories dwindle.
I would have chosen an AM3 socket AMD chip, but in my quick search I found that the motherboards were actually more expensive than with the Intel, and would have saved little if anything.

The core i5 is the least expensive Intel Socket 1156 chip out right now. If you really wanted to upgrade later on, you could put in one of the 800-series i7 chips for a decent performance boost, but honestly the i5 is an extremely good value for what you get.

Is this overkill for a PC to use merely as a storage center for your music? Yes, of course it is. But because you mentioned to me that you might want to upgrade your setup later on, I chose a system that would give you plenty of options to upgrade, with a good amount of forward-compatibility. The motherboard I chose supports the upcoming USB 3.0, as well as the new SATA 3.0 features. These are not all that important now, but they could prove to be quite useful later.

The only thing I would say is that if you don't want to do any gaming just yet and want to save a few bucks you could downgrade the video card to a 5750 or a 5770. The 5000-series Radeon cards are the only ones currently supporting DirectX11, which again is not really important right now but in a year's time probably will be. They offer the HDMI output that you want for your HDTV.


Overall I think it's a pretty good setup and if I had a grand to plunk down on new hardware I probably would get something pretty similar. I will probably get flamed for suggesting a system that's definitely much more powerful than necessary for music needs, BUT you mentioned a desire for gaming, and since I am very much a gamer, I think this really fits the bill!

 

[mminutel]

meatwad, why not go with AMD? I like the i-line chips from intel, but AMD would be perfectly capable, even for moderate gaming, and is a better bang for buck until you get up into the higher priced Intels in my opinion.

As for games, I would still go with a cheaper computer for your music server. You probably want it to be something that you configure and forget about. I don't like to have my server hooked up to a monitor/keyboard/mouse unless I absolutely have to, because I like my components to look neat. I think monitors and stuff look weird when they aren't needed, not to mention you would have to have a desk for all of this.

My suggestion would be to buy an older computer that will work fine for music and spend the rest of your budget on a gaming computer later. Remember that computers advance very fast. A gaming computer, without upgrading it regularly, doesn't last very long.

 

[meatwad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mminutel /img/forum/go_quote.gif (snip)AMD would be perfectly capable, even for moderate gaming, and is a better bang for buck(snip)

No arguments there, you could definitely build a cheaper system with some older AMD setups. For a music computer, like I said, the setup I suggested is completely overkill, unnecessary, and you could do just fine with less.

For a gaming computer, however, I think there are clear advantages. By most accounts Intel's chips have done better in gaming benchmarks and tests than AMD's have. Furthermore, Intel's Socket 1156 is new technology and it provides the ability to easily upgrade a CPU, for example. As far as I know AMD hasn't released any plans for new CPUs. Overall though, I chose Intel because as a gamer, I am willing to pay extra for the higher performance. As audio enthusiasts, I'm sure many of us can relate to these diminishing returns.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mminutel /img/forum/go_quote.gif A gaming computer, without upgrading it regularly, doesn't last very long.

On this I disagree. I purchased my computer in July 2008 and I have yet to make any major upgrades. i had a similar budget too. I have added minor upgrades here and there, but the guts of my system remain pretty much unchanged, and I can easily get another year out of this system. Granted, I have my CPU pretty well overclocked (q6600 stock is 2.4GHz, mine is running 3.45GHz w/ only an upgraded cpu cooler) but other than that it has held up very well.

 

[FallenAngel]

1) I'm not a fan of MACs in general and am completely anti-mac-fanboys who simply say "get a mac, it's better, etc" while showing that they know nothing. Mini-rant over. No MACs

2) Seriously, if the intended use of this computer is a storage station, lets not start recommending $1000 powerhouse machines, especially not ones with $300 video cards.

From the intended usage standpoint of storage and simple organizational usage, absolutely anything built in the past 5 years (an eternity in computer terms) should suffice. Storage is super cheap these days, just grab 2 a few of these WD 1TB drives, put them in RAID 1 to ensure you don't get data corruption. You should also consider regular backups. As for the computer itself, perhaps one of I'd go integrated everything in a small/mid chassis - no more than $300 for the rest of the box. Well, personally, I'd just go straight to Lenovo Outlet and grab this - barely $200, comes with Windows XP, will do everything you need it to, and you get an extra 160GB drive to play with (maybe you could creatively mount all 3 and run O/S off the 160GB and leave other 2 for storage).

 

[sonci]

cMP² | Main / HomePage

 

[Afrodisiac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by meatwad /img/forum/go_quote.gif James, here is the list I put together for you. I can email it to you as well. It's just barely over budget, but I think it's very well-appointed for what you want to do with your new computer. Newegg.com - Once You Know, You Newegg You mentioned to me in your PM that you might want to upgrade your PC at a later date for gaming which is why I chose the setup I did. As a matter of fact, the build I suggested would be quite capable of gaming, dare I say even pretty high performance - probably wouldn't have to even upgrade anything. I would have chosen last-generation Core2 Intel chips, but now that they are phasing out they are actually going UP in price as the inventories dwindle. I would have chosen an AM3 socket AMD chip, but in my quick search I found that the motherboards were actually more expensive than with the Intel, and would have saved little if anything. The core i5 is the least expensive Intel Socket 1156 chip out right now. If you really wanted to upgrade later on, you could put in one of the 800-series i7 chips for a decent performance boost, but honestly the i5 is an extremely good value for what you get. Is this overkill for a PC to use merely as a storage center for your music? Yes, of course it is. But because you mentioned to me that you might want to upgrade your setup later on, I chose a system that would give you plenty of options to upgrade, with a good amount of forward-compatibility. The motherboard I chose supports the upcoming USB 3.0, as well as the new SATA 3.0 features. These are not all that important now, but they could prove to be quite useful later. The only thing I would say is that if you don't want to do any gaming just yet and want to save a few bucks you could downgrade the video card to a 5750 or a 5770. The 5000-series Radeon cards are the only ones currently supporting DirectX11, which again is not really important right now but in a year's time probably will be. They offer the HDMI output that you want for your HDTV. Overall I think it's a pretty good setup and if I had a grand to plunk down on new hardware I probably would get something pretty similar. I will probably get flamed for suggesting a system that's definitely much more powerful than necessary for music needs, BUT you mentioned a desire for gaming, and since I am very much a gamer, I think this really fits the bill!

i5 and a 5850? Overkill

Very overkill.

Quote:

Originally Posted by meatwad /img/forum/go_quote.gif No arguments there, you could definitely build a cheaper system with some older AMD setups. For a music computer, like I said, the setup I suggested is completely overkill, unnecessary, and you could do just fine with less. For a gaming computer, however, I think there are clear advantages. By most accounts Intel's chips have done better in gaming benchmarks and tests than AMD's have.

False. Phenom II and i5/i7 perform virtually identically in gaming. In fact, a gaming PC is the very place you would NOT want to waste money on i5/i7 for.

Quote:

Originally Posted by meatwad /img/forum/go_quote.gif Furthermore, Intel's Socket 1156 is new technology and it provides the ability to easily upgrade a CPU, for example. As far as I know AMD hasn't released any plans for new CPUs. Overall though, I chose Intel because as a gamer, I am willing to pay extra for the higher performance. As audio enthusiasts, I'm sure many of us can relate to these diminishing returns.

And AM3 is not new technology? Thuban is releasing soon, a 6-core Phenom II, and this will fit in all AM3 boards. The 1156 has no 6-core plans, since they're Intel's "cripple" line.

 

[jeycam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FallenAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif 1) I'm not a fan of MACs in general and am completely anti-mac-fanboys who simply say "get a mac, it's better, etc" while showing that they know nothing. Mini-rant over. No MACs

Why? It's easier to get bit-perfect, the software is easier to use (unless you use iTunes on a Windows), it works more fluent, turns on faster, consumes less power (once again, unless you use super-micro-ITX with crappy processor and no HDD) and well, at least for me aestethics are quite important when buying a source for an audio system. Oh, and iTunes remote and VNC works much better (and is easier to setup) so controlling it with iPhone/iPod Touch is a pleasure. And no, I haven't own a Mac "for years", I've just recently switched, but there indeed is a difference.

 

[grokit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FallenAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif 1) I'm not a fan of MACs in general and am completely anti-mac-fanboys who simply say "get a mac, it's better, etc" while showing that they know nothing. Mini-rant over. No MACs.

Geez, a little defensive in the anti-Mac, no? Well I respectfully and completely disagree with your non-sensical "Mac-phobic" attitude

And while I don't have thousands of posts I don't "know nothing" either, and would argue that Apple puts much less arbitrary barriers to getting pure digital audio "out of the box (or note/netbook)" and to an external DAC. There's simply nothing (in comparison) in your path to digital audiophile nirvana to bypass with downloaded ASI/O codecs, like you have to with any Microsoft OS, which all introduce latency and various kinds of noise and distortion that will only be amplified if you use an internal sound card instead of an external DAC. This is one reason why the vast majority of professional audio production engineers and facilities use Macs.

So putting that debate aside for now (but I would welcome a polite continuation anytime, as I am sure I could learn much from a supremus), it would seem that the OP needs to decide whether or not to dedicate a machine to digital audio reproduction and/or serving sound over a network, or if you are going to game, surf the net and other multi-tasking activities as well with your digital audio computer, as your central processing power and multi-core (and physical space) requirements will be vastly different.

If you do plan to work or otherwise multi-task on a machine that is underpowered and/or doesn't have adequate RAM memory, simultaneous audio performance will certainly suffer

edit; ah, never mind

 

[jp_zer0]

Quote:

Originally Posted by meatwad /img/forum/go_quote.gif James, here is the list I put together for you. I can email it to you as well. It's just barely over budget, but I think it's very well-appointed for what you want to do with your new computer. Newegg.com - Once You Know, You Newegg You mentioned to me in your PM that you might want to upgrade your PC at a later date for gaming which is why I chose the setup I did. As a matter of fact, the build I suggested would be quite capable of gaming, dare I say even pretty high performance - probably wouldn't have to even upgrade anything. I would have chosen last-generation Core2 Intel chips, but now that they are phasing out they are actually going UP in price as the inventories dwindle. I would have chosen an AM3 socket AMD chip, but in my quick search I found that the motherboards were actually more expensive than with the Intel, and would have saved little if anything. The core i5 is the least expensive Intel Socket 1156 chip out right now. If you really wanted to upgrade later on, you could put in one of the 800-series i7 chips for a decent performance boost, but honestly the i5 is an extremely good value for what you get. Is this overkill for a PC to use merely as a storage center for your music? Yes, of course it is. But because you mentioned to me that you might want to upgrade your setup later on, I chose a system that would give you plenty of options to upgrade, with a good amount of forward-compatibility. The motherboard I chose supports the upcoming USB 3.0, as well as the new SATA 3.0 features. These are not all that important now, but they could prove to be quite useful later. The only thing I would say is that if you don't want to do any gaming just yet and want to save a few bucks you could downgrade the video card to a 5750 or a 5770. The 5000-series Radeon cards are the only ones currently supporting DirectX11, which again is not really important right now but in a year's time probably will be. They offer the HDMI output that you want for your HDTV. Overall I think it's a pretty good setup and if I had a grand to plunk down on new hardware I probably would get something pretty similar. I will probably get flamed for suggesting a system that's definitely much more powerful than necessary for music needs, BUT you mentioned a desire for gaming, and since I am very much a gamer, I think this really fits the bill!

I have pretty much the same computer

Awesome build, destroys everything you throw at it if you overclock it some.

 

[meatwad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afrodisiac /img/forum/go_quote.gif i5 and a 5850? Overkill Very overkill.

not like I already said that multiple times or anything...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afrodisiac /img/forum/go_quote.gif False. Phenom II and i5/i7 perform virtually identically in gaming. In fact, a gaming PC is the very place you would NOT want to waste money on i5/i7 for.

Yes, the i5 and the Phenom II 965be are pretty much neck-and-neck in the reviews and benchmarks, but the reviews I've read tend to favor the i5. Anyway, this isn't really the place to start the zillionth AMD vs Intel debate. In my opinion, at this particular price point, the i5 wins, but you could easily cut your CPU/mobo budget in half with cheaper Phenom processors and the HUGE number of inexpensive boards that support AM3 and they do provide a great value. At this price point I say Intel, but for anything less I'd go with AMD. I'm not just an Intel fanboy here, but I stand by my suggestion - feel free to make your own.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afrodisiac /img/forum/go_quote.gif And AM3 is not new technology? Thuban is releasing soon, a 6-core Phenom II, and this will fit in all AM3 boards. The 1156 has no 6-core plans, since they're Intel's "cripple" line.

Didn't know about the new Phenom chips, and honestly didn't know that AM3 was only released in Feb 09, so I guess neither has the advantage in that regard. But a new 6-core Phenom, as well as the 1366 chips it will be competing against, would just be - I'll say it again - overkill, and irrelevant to this discussion.

 

[JMURRAY16]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Meatwad - thanks so much for taking the time - I am going to look into those components today.
I appreciate that you took my comments in my PM into account too - having a system that is upgradable would be very nice and I am thinking about making it a possible gaming/blu-ray machine as well.

Thanks again.

 

[grokit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonhapimp /img/forum/go_quote.gif Newegg.com - Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000BEVT 500GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Nice drive, didn't realize they were getting so cheap, but cheaper with free shipping here

 

[jonhapimp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grokit /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nice drive, didn't realize they were getting so cheap, but cheaper with free shipping here

Even Better

 

[meatwad]

Updated my list for a music rig, bringing the total cost to under $600 - Phenom 2, smaller power supply, and onboard viideo. AMD wins.