Quiet PC needed for audio production

[Cloud9]

Hi, would appreciate if anyone could put together some specs for me (I know generally what all the components in a PC do but I'm not super knowledgeable in terms of what makes one a better choice than another). Primary purpose of the PC will be for audio production - need it to be very quiet for obvious reasons! I'd like to leave some opportunity for a bit of video editing/gaming in future (nothing too heavy), but I realise PC builds are about compromise and I would rather compromise on that aspect of it than end up getting a lesser CPU or less quiet parts.

Budget is £1500. Monitor and other peripherals not needed.

 

[Steveyg]

I'm a little ignorant when it comes to the best selection for Audio gear to be honest. @SpyderTracks seems to be the go to guy for audio builds though

 

[SpyderTracks]

I'm a little ignorant when it comes to the best selection for Audio gear to be honest. @SpyderTracks seems to be the go to guy for audio builds though

I’m mobile ATM, but general rule of thumb is B550 for audio as it has better USB support, plus the option for a modular thunderbolt card which you can buy separately usually for under £100. Push for the strix if possible

RMx PSU as the fan is semi passive so lowers noise.

5800x would for the budget well for good single threaded performance.

Case, if it’s possible to factor in the Define 7 optimally.

Those are the main bits you want to build around where possible.

 

[Steveyg]

Something like this be a good starting point and we can start working from here to meet budget?

Went for the recommended case and motherboard, wasn't too sure on the drives so I went for the M2 mainly because they are silent as opposed to mechanical drives.

GPU again not 100% so I went for a solid 1080p card with the aim of making savings

850W RMx PSU, I don't believe the fans even turn on until it reaches around 40% and great build quality so it's very quiet

Corsair H150i to keep the 5800x cool and the corsair coolers are also pretty quiet. I'm not 100% on the H150i vs the H115i though, I know the H115i is very quiet but I'm not sure how the beefier H150i compares in that sense. Hopefully this is a good starting point and someone could help make suggestions on savings some cash or maybe some better areas for sound elimination as like I say it's not my wheelhouse

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H150i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
2 PORT (1 x TYPE A, 1 x TYPE C) USB 3.1 PCI-E CARD + STANDARD USB 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)
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 9 to 12 working days
Price: £1,740.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/BjJy0bgSEA/

 

[sck451]

I’m mobile ATM, but general rule of thumb is B550 for audio as it has better USB support, plus the option for a modular thunderbolt card which you can buy separately usually for under £100. Push for the strix if possible

While I don't disagree with the B550 suggestion in the slightest, especially if you go for the models with Thunderbolt support, but I'm curious about the USB point you make. The USB provision on X570 seems generally superior in terms of speed and numbers. I'd be interested to read more about it!

 

[SpyderTracks]

but I'm curious about the USB point you make.

It’s a good question, to do with DPC latency on the board, the B550 strix is one of the better ones in this regard.

There’s a good summary of it here under the DPD latency;

The ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi Motherboard Review: Premium Value

www.anandtech.com

The other benefit of B550 over X570 is no chipset fan, they can sometimes put out unnecessary noise.

 

[NoddyPirate]

It’s a good question, to do with DPC latency on the board, the B550 strix is one of the better ones in this regard.

There’s a good summary of it here under the DPD latency;

The ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi Motherboard Review: Premium Value

www.anandtech.com

The other benefit of B550 over X570 is no chipset fan, they can sometimes put out unnecessary noise.

That's really interesting @SpyderTracks - I think we had someone here recently with a Crosshair VIII board I think it was with popping and crackling on the audio channel. A BIOS update seemed to fix it, but I wonder was it actually all related to your link above? Interesting stuff....

 

[SpyderTracks]

That's really interesting @SpyderTracks - I think we had someone here recently with a Crosshair VIII board I think it was with popping and crackling on the audio channel. A BIOS update seemed to fix it, but I wonder was it actually all related to your link above? Interesting stuff....

They did have general USB issues on b550 and x570 to do with disconnects and latency issues until they released a BIOS update in April (AMD), so that would make sense, but even with that aside, the b550 strix is one of the best boards for audio with regards to latency.

 

[NoddyPirate]

They did have general USB issues on b550 and x570 to do with disconnects and latency issues until they released a BIOS update in April (AMD), so that would make sense, but even with that aside, the b550 strix is one of the best boards for audio with regards to latency.

Just having a quick read through some other info - many of the X570 boards seem to run up to ten times (or more) higher latency than the Strix B550. That's bananas!

Crazy latency could explain the other USB issues like I have had with the lower end B550 board too maybe. Interesting to see what future updates manage to do.....

Great info sir.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Just having a quick read through some other info - many of the X570 boards seem to run up to ten times (or more) higher latency than the Strix B550. That's bananas!

Crazy latency could explain the other USB issues like I have had with the lower end B550 board too maybe. Interesting to see what future updates manage to do.....

Great info sir.

I do wonder if the April AGESA update that AMD pushed out to board partners has improved latency across a lot of boards. Unfortunately haven’t come across any new DPC tests since that update.

 

[NoddyPirate]

I do wonder if the April AGESA update that AMD pushed out to board partners has improved latency across a lot of boards. Unfortunately haven’t come across any new DPC tests since that update.

I couldn't find any other DPC info with a quick search there either.

Is it still a Beta AGESA update do you know? I don't think I've seen any full release updates yet. There was an AGESA patch back in April too mind you.....exactly as you say would be interesting to keep an eye out for any improvements that might bring and whether solving the USB hassles that have been going around generally would impact the DPC latency too.....

 

[SpyderTracks]

Is it still a Beta AGESA update do you know?

I have no idea actually, haven’t looked on specific board BIOS updates

 

[sck451]

It’s a good question, to do with DPC latency on the board, the B550 strix is one of the better ones in this regard.

There’s a good summary of it here under the DPD latency;

The ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi Motherboard Review: Premium Value

www.anandtech.com

The other benefit of B550 over X570 is no chipset fan, they can sometimes put out unnecessary noise.

That's certainly interesting about latency: I'd love to read something since the Ryzen 5000 BIOS updates, especially as the X570 boards all came out well before the B550 ones; I do wonder if a BIOS revision may have fixed a lot of it.

I have the Tuf X570 and I'm not convinced the chipset fan is audible. I opened the side panel of my machine, disconnected all the case fans to leave just the Noctua fan on the CPU cooler and the chipset fan, and I'm convinced that even in that scenario the chipset fan was inaudible. Obviously it would be preferable not to have it, but it certainly isn't problematic.

All that said (and I'm sorry for creating the tangent) I think the Thunderbolt support in itself is sufficiently compelling to go for the Strix B550.

 

[Cloud9]

Thanks everyone for the input so far and @Steveyg for your spec - will take a closer look at this over the weekend but just wanted to check in to say it's appreciated. The discussion about the motherboard is interesting and not something I'd have known about at all beforehand.

​

 

[Cloud9]

Something like this be a good starting point and we can start working from here to meet budget?

Went for the recommended case and motherboard, wasn't too sure on the drives so I went for the M2 mainly because they are silent as opposed to mechanical drives.

GPU again not 100% so I went for a solid 1080p card with the aim of making savings

850W RMx PSU, I don't believe the fans even turn on until it reaches around 40% and great build quality so it's very quiet

Corsair H150i to keep the 5800x cool and the corsair coolers are also pretty quiet. I'm not 100% on the H150i vs the H115i though, I know the H115i is very quiet but I'm not sure how the beefier H150i compares in that sense. Hopefully this is a good starting point and someone could help make suggestions on savings some cash or maybe some better areas for sound elimination as like I say it's not my wheelhouse

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H150i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
2 PORT (1 x TYPE A, 1 x TYPE C) USB 3.1 PCI-E CARD + STANDARD USB 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)
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 9 to 12 working days
Price: £1,740.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/BjJy0bgSEA/

Thanks for this. I probably should have said in the OP that £1500 was already my upper limit. Any pointers from where to make savings from anyone much appreciated!

 

[sck451]

This is definitely possible: go down to the 5600X processor, the Tuf B550 motherboard and the Coolermaster Masterliquid 240 cooler (not as quiet as the Corsair ones, but you can't have everything unfortunately and it is a very quiet case) and lose the unnecessary USB card. If I were you I'd change the PCS M.2 drive to the Samsung 980 Pro. (If you revert back to the 512GB PCS M.2 drive, it goes down to £1493.)

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
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)
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 9 to 12 working days
Price: £1,530.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/dMAgFhAGAA/

 

[Martinr36]

This is definitely possible: go down to the 5600X processor, the Tuf B550 motherboard and the Coolermaster Masterliquid 240 cooler (not as quiet as the Corsair ones, but you can't have everything unfortunately and it is a very quiet case) and lose the unnecessary USB card. If I were you I'd change the PCS M.2 drive to the Samsung 980 Pro. (If you revert back to the 512GB PCS M.2 drive, it goes down to £1493.)

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
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)
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 9 to 12 working days
Price: £1,530.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/dMAgFhAGAA/

drop to Normal RAM rather than RGB should ave some

 

[sck451]

drop to Normal RAM rather than RGB should ave some

It doesn't, surprisingly: they're the same price. I did check!

 

[Cloud9]

Thanks for the input, looks good.

Btw, what's the deal at the moment in terms of global component shortages etc - are things improving, is now a good time to buy a PC or would holding off for a bit be worthwhile?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thanks for the input, looks good.

Btw, what's the deal at the moment in terms of global component shortages etc - are things improving, is now a good time to buy a PC or would holding off for a bit be worthwhile?

Now is crazy, prices are through the roof due to stock shortages. The best place to buy a pc is through a system builder, it’s hit and miss as to weather you’d be able to source parts individually and would likely pay a lot more than getting them through a system builder.

Last year they were saying it would improve around May, June is here and now they’re saying it could be a couple more years.

Previously we’ve recommended people to hold off, but the likelihood is we’re in for the long haul, so if you’ve got the budget, the tech makes a new build extremely appealing. I say now is as good a time as any. Plus, it’s extremely important we all treat ourselves with some lockdown presents, can’t think of a better one than a PC!

The build recommended by @sck451 are all parts readily available so there shouldn’t be any massive wait times.