PC noob needing a spec check please (music production)

[ddr305]

I've been using Mac for the last 10 years but I think I'm going to move away for at least the next few years due to their Apple Silicon transition period but I'm not too clever on windows machines. I'm after something to run FL Studio, various VST's and eventually connect up some hardware synths. Will this see me through the next few years with the possibility of upgrading parts along the way. Also have I selected the correct option for wifi? It didn't even occur to me I'd need it as I'm so used to everything having it by default.

Case
CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 275Q QUIET CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-9700K (3.6GHz) 12MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME Z390-P: ATX, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
INTEGRATED GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR (GPU)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster Hyper 212X (120mm) Fan CPU Cooler Black Edition
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 16 to 18 working days
Price: £1,211.00 including VAT and Delivery

 

[ddr305]

Is there any reason for choosing AMD over Intel in your spec? I'm aware of some compatibility issues between AMD processors and audio software/hardware. I notice too that all the 'pro audio' PC's are Intel on the website, assuming it's possibly for that reason

 

[ddr305]

Oh OK, thanks. As I say I've not used a Windows PC in a long time so any information is helpful at this point.

I look forward to SpyderTracks response also.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Hiya, sorry, only just saw this.

@Nursemorph build is spot on, the only thing I'd add is you can't configure more than 16Gb 3600MHz RAM in the configurator. But I'd buy the above and then call up separately and ask them to fit an extra 16Gb taking it to 32Gb, that would be very useful for you. Basically for Audio, you really need 3600MHz RAM.

But yeah, other than that, it's completely spot on.

The incompatibilities with soundcards etc was with older motherboards USB controllers, that's not an issue on X570.

There were BIOS issues when Ryzen 3000 was first released also leading to poor latency etc, but that's all been ironed out. AMD have worked extremely closely with both Microsoft and software partners to iron out the initial bugs. It's really stable these days.

 

[ddr305]

That's great, thanks @SpyderTracks

One last thing, what kind of maintenance is needed to keep this setup going and how long is it likely to last for? Reading about reinstalling windows every 6 months is a bit daunting

 

[SpyderTracks]

That's great, thanks @SpyderTracks

One last thing, what kind of maintenance is needed to keep this setup going and how long is it likely to last for? Reading about reinstalling windows every 6 months is a bit daunting

Yeah, MS release major windows platform updates twice a year around March and September. These should really be clean installed to save compounding issues. This is true of any performance machine.

You'll have to clean the inside of dust perhaps every year.

The usual driver maintenance. Make sure they're always up to date.

That's about it though.

 

[ddr305]

@SpyderTracks Oh so nothing too crazy then. Ok so I've added some other bits I need to the setup (screen etc) and managed to get it right around where I need to be price wise. Would you mind just double checking? I've had to make a couple of minor changes to keep the price right but I think it will still be ok. Feel free to let me know if anything is overkill on there now.

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Eight Core CPU (3.9GHz-4.5GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
1GB NVIDIA GEFORCE 710 - DVI, HDMI, VGA
1st Storage Drive
1TB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 470MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 350W VS SERIES™ VS-350 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Monitor
AOC U2879VF 28" 4K Monitor - 3480 x 2160, 1MS, HDMI, DVI, DP
Keyboard & Mouse
LOGITECH® K120 USB KEYBOARD
Keyboard & Mouse
LOGITECH® OPTICAL USB MOUSE
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
SATURDAY DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 16 to 18 working days
Price: £1,491.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/puRP7phxdC/

 

[ddr305]

I only picked the 350 as that's what the builder suggested but that's why I checked here first. Which one would you recommend?

 

[ubuysa]

Yeah, MS release major windows platform updates twice a year around March and September. These should really be clean installed to save compounding issues. This is true of any performance machine.

You'll have to clean the inside of dust perhaps every year.

The usual driver maintenance. Make sure they're always up to date.

That's about it though.

Microsoft seemed to change their upgrade philosophy somewhat last year. It now seems that the April/May upgrade will be a feature upgrade (including major changes/additions) and these upgrades really are best clean installed. The September/October upgrade now seems to be a maintenance upgrade (like an old service pack) and these can generally be installed via Windows Update like any other update.

This means that it's probably only necessary to clean install Windows once a year. You can find more details on how to ensure installing an upgrade via Windows Update is as painless as possible here: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/foru...upgrade-to-a-new-version-of-windows-10.69471/.

 

[ddr305]

You didn't mention a budget so have assumed some leeway. This would cover everything you need as well as being as quiet as possible to be without sacrificing airflow (quietness is important yes?). Wasn't sure about RAM as didn't think music production needed huge amounts:

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Eight Core CPU (3.9GHz-4.5GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
1GB NVIDIA GEFORCE 710 - DVI, HDMI, VGA
1st Storage Drive
1TB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 470MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 16 to 18 working days
Price: £1,329.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/RRK3VfYkH0/

What screen resolution could I get with this gpu? I'd like a higher resolution to have more screen real estate.

 

[SpyderTracks]

What screen resolution could I get with this gpu? I'd like a higher resolution to have more screen real estate.

I would personally up the gpu to a 1030, it’s just a much newer card. That would support 4K happily.

i would also stress you need 3600mhz RAM, makes a big difference for audio. For the PSU you want the 750w RMx

youve also got a very slow drive in there, cost wise theres almost no difference to go with the m2 that was originally suggested. And you need a separate drive for project files. @Nursemorph system is really where you want to be.

 

[ddr305]

I would personally up the gpu to a 1030, it’s just a much newer card. That would support 4K happily.

i would also stress you need 3600mhz RAM, makes a big difference for audio. For the PSU you want the 750w RMx

youve also got a very slow drive in there, cost wise theres almost no difference to go with the m2 that was originally suggested. And you need a separate drive for project files. @Nursemorph system is really where you want to be.

I've never had a device with 2 drives before. How does that work? What would each drive be used for?

 

[SpyderTracks]

I've never had a device with 2 drives before. How does that work? What would each drive be used for?

The OS and programs go on the primary drive which in this day and age should be an M2 drive. Then you’d have a secondary drive for your data / project files. In the old days, you could only really fit one drive and you used to partition it to keep data separate.

These days it’s so cost effective and actually leads to better performance to separate drives.

 

[ddr305]

Ok.. so if i had the 1tb ssd and 512gb m2 ssd would windows come preinstalled on the m2?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Ok.. so if i had the 1tb ssd and 512gb m2 ssd would windows come preinstalled on the m2?

You select where you want windows installed when you proceed on the configurator, but yes you’d want to specify the m2 for windows.

 

[ddr305]

Thanks, I appreciate all the help, I think we're there. The below and then call them to get another 16gb ram added?

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Eight Core CPU (3.9GHz-4.5GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GT 1030
1st Storage Drive
1TB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 470MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Monitor
AOC U2879VF 28" 4K Monitor - 3480 x 2160, 1MS, HDMI, DVI, DP
Keyboard & Mouse
LOGITECH® K120 USB KEYBOARD
Keyboard & Mouse
LOGITECH® OPTICAL USB MOUSE
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
SATURDAY DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 16 to 18 working days
Price: £1,603.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/FtNPRSu!yk/

 

[SpyderTracks]

Looks good to me

Yep, spot on

 

[ddr305]

Sorry to drag up this old post but I've finally had a response saying:

"Thank you for contacting PCSpecialist.

I am afraid that this system would be unable to work with 32Gb of 3600Mhz. Due to the stability issues the website is unable to let you select it.

I hope this answers your question."

Any other suggestions?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Sorry to drag up this old post but I've finally had a response saying:

"Thank you for contacting PCSpecialist.

I am afraid that this system would be unable to work with 32Gb of 3600Mhz. Due to the stability issues the website is unable to let you select it.

I hope this answers your question."

Any other suggestions?

Don’t email, call up or use web chat and ask to speak with Mustafa.

 

[ddr305]

@SpyderTracks Ok so I've contacted them on live chat and been told Mustafa wasn't available so I asked when he would be and they said they don't know.. didn't really seem interested in being helpful