Music PC - New Build specs - feedback

[TracingArcs]

So, I would like to have a new Music PC. My old one I feel is lacking in a few places (it is 5+ years old, and a mishmash of old parts some going bacl to 2011).

I have decided after always using Intel that I can get a fairly decent Ryzen CPU for a decent price. And it seems Ryzen are now settled and comparable to Intel for music production.

Spec :

Case : bequiet Pure Base 501

MOBO : Asus TUF gaming B650E wifi (though I will not be using wifi I have a cat 7 cable access)

CPU : Ryzen 7 7700 8 core/16 thread 3.8 - 5.3GHz turbo 65w (using integrated graphics i don't game)

Cooler : be quiet Pure rock 2

RAM : 32Gb (2x16gb) Corsair DDR5 Vemngeance 5600MHz

PSU : be quiet Pure Power 12M 80 Plus Gold

OS drive : 1TB WD Blue SN5000 NVMe PCIe 4.0 

Storage : 2TB WD Blue SN5000 NVMe PCIe 4.0

Plus I have 2x 1TB of Crucial MX500 ssd from the old system I will also use in this build

OS : W11 Home (I have always used home versions of windows and am unsure if pro would be a benefit)

All this would be approx £1025. Considering I paid more than that in 2011 for an i3- 540/4gb system in 2011. Seems to be fair-ish.

I could have an Intel system built around and i5-14600K for about £150 more.But the Intel history lately has made me think. And Ryzen seem on a par and work with Sonar/Cakewalk.

Any feed back appreciated. It's a simple build but capable I feel. I do not game it is purely for music creation. Thanks.

[kitekrazy1]

Just go with it.  I like those low watt AMD CPUs.

These thread often come with 1600 suggestions.

"well you wont be able to have 200 tracks" kinda stuff

It depends on what you want to do with it.  

I often wonder if the boards is the built in wifi any good. 

[IainThompson]

I'm in the same boat of trying to source a new PC for Sonar, and it is 10 years since I have had to do it.  I don't need 200 tracks open at once!

On the ready built options (from computer specialist UK) I come across this spec for £679.  I know there is some lack of detail on make or RAM,  motherboard, cooling, etc. The sales blurb is theirs, not mine.

An almost impossible question, I know, but how would this perform compared with TracingArcs spec above?

 

Office Business PC – Intel Core i7-14700 | 64GB DDR5 RAM | 1TB M.2 SSD | Windows 11

⚡ Intel Core i7-14700 – 20-core processor with superb multitasking

⚡ 64GB DDR5 RAM – For demanding office & creative workloads

⚡ 1TB M.2 SSD – Ultra-fast boot and load times

⚡ Windows 11 – Fully installed and activated

⚡ Ideal for: Business, data analysis, programming, design, and multitasking

⚡ UK-built, plug & play, upgradeable and efficient

 

💼 Professional Power for Demanding Workflows

This office powerhouse PC is built to meet the needs of professionals and business users who demand top-tier performance. Featuring the latest Intel Core i7-14700 (20 cores, 28 threads) and an incredible 64GB of ultra-fast DDR5 RAM, it’s perfect for multitasking across dozens of browser tabs, Excel sheets, programming tools, databases, virtual meetings, and even light creative software.

With a 1TB NVMe SSD, startup and file access are near-instant, giving your business efficiency and speed where it counts. Whether you're in finance, development, creative services, or high-demand remote work, this PC is ready to power through it all.

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-14700 – 20 Cores (8 Performance + 12 Efficient), 28 Threads

RAM: 64GB DDR5 (2x32GB) – Blazing-fast multitasking

Storage: 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD – Fast OS + file access

OS: Windows 11 Home or Pro (customizable)

Connectivity: USB 3.2, HDMI, DisplayPort, LAN

Build: Clean, quiet, professional case – low power and high airflow

[Chaps]

42 minutes ago, IainThompson said:

An almost impossible question, I know, but how would this perform compared with TracingArcs spec above?

 

Office Business PC – Intel Core i7-14700 | 64GB DDR5 RAM | 1TB M.2 SSD | Windows 11

⚡ Intel Core i7-14700 – 20-core processor with superb multitasking

⚡ 64GB DDR5 RAM – For demanding office & creative workloads

⚡ 1TB M.2 SSD – Ultra-fast boot and load times

⚡ Windows 11 – Fully installed and activated

⚡ Ideal for: Business, data analysis, programming, design, and multitasking

⚡ UK-built, plug & play, upgradeable and efficient

CPU: Intel Core i7-14700 – 20 Cores (8 Performance + 12 Efficient), 28 Threads

RAM: 64GB DDR5 (2x32GB) – Blazing-fast multitasking

Storage: 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD – Fast OS + file access

OS: Windows 11 Home or Pro (customizable)

Connectivity: USB 3.2, HDMI, DisplayPort, LAN

Build: Clean, quiet, professional case – low power and high airflow

An important thing to consider is how expandable is the system? How many M.2 NVMe SSD can you put in the motherboard?  One is good, more is better. How many watts is the power supply? Will it handle all the components you might end up putting in the case? How many hard drives will the case hold and what kind? How many fans can the case hold? The more powerful the CPU the more heat it will generate, generally. How many USB ports will the motherboard support, and what kind? How many PCI slots does the motherboard have? Does the case have multiple USB ports on the front and what kind? Things that don't seem important right away might be a problem down the road as you learn the limits of your system.

One thing I've noticed when doing my own shopping for computers is that many companies that sell computers is that there is often an area that they skimp on that they don't mention, and often that is the motherboard. Of course, anything you buy you can always upgrade in the future. Not happy with the motherboard or the case's air flow. Replace them with superior components when you have the extra cash.

[TracingArcs]

Hi Iain

I concur with Chaps. I had my system built by SCAN UK. A long established and respected audio PC builder. Whom I have bought off many times. Here is a link to there current offers. https://www.scan.co.uk/3xs/custom/daw-digital-audio-workstation-pcs/workstations#anc

They spent a long time talking me through my needs etc. And advised me every step of the way of progress. Ending up with a video of the completed system before despatch. I went with the system as detailed in my original post. And they set up connections for me to just plug in my extra SSDs. I went with Ryzen due to issues and advice about 14th Gen Intel.  Though I have always used Intel in the past.

I have to tell you the system from SCAN is so quiet it is totally inaudible. Plus the Ryzen CPU is so fast. And upgradeable in the future if needed. I would strongly advise you look/talk with a company with a strong history in building audio PCs.  As we know our needs are different to gamers etc.

Edited Wednesday at 01:11 PM by TracingArcs

[IainThompson]

Thanks for the feedback and the recommendation for Scan computers. I had come across their website but didn't make the connection back to your spec at the top of this post. It looks like I will end up with something similar, although even a few months later some of the components seem to have changed (so now it is the Ryzen 7 9700X 8C/16T CPU instead of the Ryzen 7 7700. I have no idea how much difference this makes in the real world! Thanks, once again.

 

[TracingArcs]

Iain. If you go to the link I put above to Scan. And press configure on the first set up (PB650) you can change elements you want to such as cpu, ram, etc. Which is what I did. Added the Ryzen 7 7700 instead of the 7600. And added an extra 2Tb NVMe  drive for storage (WD SN5000). 

You can do this with any of the setups they have. I did a lot of research beforehand. And chose the 7 7700 because it had a good mix of cpu 8/16 threads and importantly was only 65w power. So no need to go with beefy cooling etc.

[Wookiee]

If it helps, I have found SCAN 3SX computers to provide excellent service. I purchased an i9 14900K system from them just over 14 months ago, before we knew about the dred Intel i9/7 14/13 series rot.

Unfortunately my i9 fell foul of that rot, even though I don't over clock, and use an AIO for cooling. They immediately arranged for my machine to be collected, repaired, replaced the i9. Run full system tests, and returned to me in 7 days, I did have to pay for the DPD return trip but a small price indeed.

[IainThompson]

Once again, thanks for the advice (TracingArcs and Wookie). My order for a Scan 3SX is now placed with a spec very similar to Tracing Arc's!

[TracingArcs]

Great ! Maybe Wookie and myself should get something from Scan for the recommendation !

They will set up W11 as a local account. So ignore Windows pushing you to open a MS account including splash screens (unless you want too). It backs off after a few days. I hope it all works well for you. 

[Mark Morgon-Shaw]

2 hours ago, IainThompson said:

Once again, thanks for the advice (TracingArcs and Wookie). My order for a Scan 3SX is now placed with a spec very similar to Tracing Arc's!

I specced one up for a friend of mine who also works in production music, and even with the best prices over at PC Part picker it was only £100 less to get all the parts than over at Scan, inc the build, delivery and 3yr warranty.

So he ordered it from them and it arrived yesterday - I persuaded him to go for the 12 core Ryzen instead of the 8 core and not pay what were asking for Windows 11 

Edited 9 hours ago by Mark Morgon-Shaw