synkrotron Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 (edited) Another one for the hardware sub forum I wasn't going to spend any more on my hobby this year but I am coming to the conclusion that my trusty old CLEVO i7 laptop ain't up to the task anymore. So I am currently spec'ing up a new desktop. I use a company in the UK called PC Specialist and their website is great for building up a spec. They even have a so called "Pro Audio" solution but I'm not so sure about that. I know I've titled this post "ASUS or Gigabyte" but I'll probably ask more questions along the way, although that may also depend on the speed of service I receive here So, yeah, which mobo then? ASUS or Gigabyte? I'm probably not going to go for the latest processors and what have you. For the case I'm going for a mid tower with 3 off 140mm fans:- https://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/define-series/define-r6-black CPU will probably be an Intel® Core™ i7-9700K3.60GHz12MB L3 cache 8 cores 8 threads. Probably 32GB RAM... There's more... don't go away... Edited March 7, 2019 by synkrotron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synkrotron Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 Looking like this:- Case = FRACTAL DEFINE R6 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASEProcessor (CPU) = Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-9700K (3.6GHz) 12MB CacheMotherboard = ASUS® PRIME Z370-P II: ATX, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBsMemory (RAM) = 32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (4 x 8GB)Graphics Card = INTEGRATED GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR (GPU)1st Storage Drive = 1TB Samsung 860 QVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)1st M.2 SSD Drive = 512GB INTEL® 760p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (upto 3230MB/sR | 1625MB/sW)DVD/BLU-RAY Drive = NOT REQUIREDPower Supply = CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIETPower Cable = 1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)Processor Cooling = Noctua NH-U14S Ultra Quiet Performance CPU CoolerThermal Paste = COOLER MASTER MASTERGEL MAKER THERMAL COMPOUNDSound Card = ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)Wireless/Wired Networking = 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)USB/Thunderbolt Options = MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTSOperating System = Genuine Windows 10 Professional 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amicus717 Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 (edited) It's been a few years since I built a new system, but the last 4 or 5 computers I've assembled (including my last couple of audio workstations, gaming computers for myself and my sons, and my home theatre PC), all use Gigabyte mobos. I've used Asus in the past, but for whatever reason, I've had poor luck with them -- early demises, stability problems, etc. That's all very anecdotal, and maybe just bad luck, as I have friends who swear by Asus and use nothing else. But I've had much better luck with Gigabyte mobos, FWIW, and they are now the only brand I will use. YMMV Edited February 7, 2019 by Amicus717 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synkrotron Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 Thanks for that @Amicus717 The gigabyte one I am looking at only has two "internal" USB 2 ports, which is a bit of a pain, so may yet opt for the ASUS, as above. I also need to make sure that the USB 2 ports are on the same controller, as per the Roland OCTA-CAPTURE manual, as I am linking a pair of them. More research required. Not ordered yet... cheers andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacab Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 (edited) That build spec looks good. That CPU should whup ass! There is another PC configuration site called PC Part Picker that steps you through selecting system components and makes sure they are all compatible, so that you do not accidentally select the wrong socket type for a CPU, or the wrong RAM for your motherboard, etc. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ For example, I ran across this note: Some Intel Z370 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Coffee Lake Refresh CPUs. Upgrading the BIOS may require a different CPU that is supported by older BIOS revisions. PC Part Picker also assists with pricing the build and sourcing the components. For ideas, you could always peek at the custom audio system configurations that Jim builds at StudioCat. http://www.studiocat.com/opencart2/ Edited February 7, 2019 by abacab 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synkrotron Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 Thanks @abacab I'll have a look at that part picker site. Been having a gander at @Jim Roseberry's site, very informative. I'd get one of those but I'm not sure it would be cost effective, although I haven't gone as far as checking shipping costs to the UK. But, yeah, good for ideas PC Specialist are also supposed to check component compatibility. For instance, for the spec above they informed me that I do not need a 650W power supply and that a 550W would be still be more than enough. I'm going to phone them as well, though, to make sure there are no "trip ups" in there... cheers andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Roseberry Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 If you can get a good deal on it, I'd go with the i9-9900k (8 cores, 16 processing threads). All cores can be locked at 5GHz. With the right cooler, it runs near dead silent. Regarding Asus vs. Gigabyte, the answer is "yes". ? We've used many Z370/Z390 motherboards from both... all with reliable performance. Get the board that has the features you want. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacab Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 I have heard that it can be tricky if you get a board that "supports" the latest CPU, but needs a BIOS update to do so. You will need a working CPU for that older BIOS in order to flash the board. The alternative is to find one with with the latest BIOS revision already on-board, or a seller that can flash it for you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Roseberry Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 FWIW, 550w power-supply is on the lean side for that build. It may work fine... depending on the number of drives, bus-powered USB devices, etc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Roseberry Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 2 minutes ago, abacab said: I have heard that it can be tricky if you get a board that "supports" the latest CPU, but needs a BIOS update to do so. You will need a working CPU for that older BIOS in order to flash the board. The alternative is to find one with with the latest BIOS revision already on-board, or a seller that can flash it for you. Yep. That's a bit of a pain... even if you have the spare CPU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Roseberry Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 8 minutes ago, synkrotron said: Been having a gander at @Jim Roseberry's site, very informative. I'd get one of those but I'm not sure it would be cost effective, although I haven't gone as far as checking shipping costs to the UK. But, yeah, good for ideas Shipping to the UK is expensive. We built a custom machine for UK based composer Evan Jolly (Hacksaw Ridge, Wonder Woman, etc). Shipping to the UK was ~$600 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synkrotron Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 10 minutes ago, Jim Roseberry said: If you can get a good deal on it, I'd go with the i9-9900k (8 cores, 16 processing threads). All cores can be locked at 5GHz. With the right cooler, it runs near dead silent. Regarding Asus vs. Gigabyte, the answer is "yes". ? We've used many Z370/Z390 motherboards from both... all with reliable performance. Get the board that has the features you want. I did look at the i9, briefly, and it jumps quite a bit outside my budget, unfortunately. Then again, this will probably be the last PC ever buy, ever. So getting the i9 would kinda future proof the build... Oohh... Decisions, decisions! I notice some of the boards come "RGB" ready. I mean, WTF! I have enough coloured lights in my studio haha! I'm thinking of "switching up" to the Z390 cheers, and thanks andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synkrotron Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 12 minutes ago, abacab said: I have heard that it can be tricky if you get a board that "supports" the latest CPU, but needs a BIOS update to do so. You will need a working CPU for that older BIOS in order to flash the board. The alternative is to find one with with the latest BIOS revision already on-board, or a seller that can flash it for you. Thanks again, @abacab, I'll mention that when I call them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synkrotron Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 10 minutes ago, Jim Roseberry said: FWIW, 550w power-supply is on the lean side for that build. It may work fine... depending on the number of drives, bus-powered USB devices, etc. Well, might even go for a 750W then as at some point I may decide to install a half decent GPU. Looking (drooling) at a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti KalmX Fanless 4GB GDDR5, you know, just in case I get bored of doing music stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synkrotron Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 9 minutes ago, Jim Roseberry said: Shipping to the UK was ~$600 Ouch! If you're ever over in the north west of England I'll treat you to a pie and a pint 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacab Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 I took a quick look at PC Part Picker for that build as you originally listed, and I estimate roughly $1,500 USD for that build, but I didn't shop around. Those are mostly Amazon, B&H, and Newegg prices pulled up by the picker. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synkrotron Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 1 minute ago, abacab said: I took a quick look at PC Part Picker for that build as you originally listed, and I estimate roughly $1,500 USD for that build, but I didn't shop around. Those are mostly Amazon, B&H, and Newegg prices pulled up by the picker. Interesting, thanks. About the same over here in pounds sterling but already built. I'm up for building, as I used to do that way back when... A lot easier now haha! Jim's got me thinking about the i9 now... an extra £125... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigb Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 To answer the title, I'd go with "Yes!" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacab Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 Here's link to the UK pricing and parts: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/89zbHh 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synkrotron Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 24 minutes ago, abacab said: Here's link to the UK pricing and parts: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/89zbHh Thanks, @abacab, I spotted the country selector top right ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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