SFF PC for music production (Avid Pro Tools) and light video editing

[MajorBriggs]

Hey folks,

I need a relatively powerful and compact, good value for money PC mostly for music production and some video editing here and there.

Here are a few comments on some of the components chosen and, below, the part list. Please check it out and let me know your opinions. Thanks!

*Edit: Overall quiet operation is also a priority.

-

CPU: The software we use for music production is Pro Tools 12, so we would like to stick to an Intel platform because we had problems with AMD in the past, and getting maximum stability is gold in this line of work. To achieve this, we also disable SMT and Turbo features in BIOS, so we'll need to focus in base speeds and physical core count rather than max. turbo frequencies and threads for this build. Our top choice would be an i7-13700k* (just for the base clock speeds, no OC in mind), but since this option is not available for the SFF builds, we are looking into an i7-13700. The i7-12700k would also be fine, but there is no suitable cooling solution for its TPD unless we get a bigger case.

GPU: Leaning towards nVidia's side, I'm undecided between a 12Gb RTX 3060 and a 8Gb RTX 4060.

PSU: I know that I could get away with a CV550 just fine, but quiet operation and reliability/power efficiency are a priority. This RMx 750w is the only option for full a full size PSU I have from the list.

Case: This size and shape would fit perfectly in our home studio, although it limits the options for some components, which will also affect the overall performance of the PC, noise levels, airflow, etc. I am eyeballing alternative SFF cases, like the Fractal Define 7 nano, but I need to check if it will literally fit the space I have available for the computer.

Case
THERMALTAKE CORE V1 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 16-Core Processor i7-13700 (Up to 5.2GHz) 30MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B760-I GAMING WIFI (Mini-ITX, LGA1700, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 50 RGB 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
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
Norton 360 inc. Game Optimizer - Free 90 Day License
Browser
Microsoft® Edge
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
2 - 3 DAY DELIVERY TO REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 6 working days
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book
Price: €1,661.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.ie/saved-configurations/intel-z690-sff-gaming/8HcjvKShcV/

 

[Steveyg]

"Compact, Power & Quiet" are not words that go together with a PC mate, pick two basically it would be close to impossible to go with three

I understand previous AMD machines had real problems with certain software but the Intel options are just so bad and expensive that it's hard to recommend. Especially with them drawing so much more power making them much more difficult to cool meaning the cooler will be working HARD ie loud.

At a glance that CPU cooler will never cool the 13700 which runs really really hot it just isn't capable and will be running flatout trying to making it in turn super loud

Unfortunately this build above just wouldn't be a good fit for what you're looking for

@SpyderTracks is much more knowledgeable on the music productions side than me so I'll leave the suggestions to him but this is what I can see above mate

 

[MajorBriggs]

"Compact, Power & Quiet" are not words that go together with a PC mate, pick two basically it would be close to impossible to go with three

I understand previous AMD machines had real problems with certain software but the Intel options are just so bad and expensive that it's hard to recommend. Especially with them drawing so much more power making them much more difficult to cool meaning the cooler will be working HARD ie loud.

At a glance that CPU cooler will never cool the 13700 which runs really really hot it just isn't capable and will be running flatout trying to making it in turn super loud

Unfortunately this build above just wouldn't be a good fit for what you're looking for

@SpyderTracks is much more knowledgeable on the music productions side than me so I'll leave the suggestions to him but this is what I can see above mate

Thanks for your answer. I do understand what you're saying. I was hoping that limiting the CPU to its 2.1GHz base speeds and its advertised TDP of 65w would do the trick to keep the component operating relatively cool. Unfortunately, going AMD is not an option for this project.

Could a bigger case that allows a better ventilation and a 240 AIO improve things a little?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thanks for your answer. I do understand what you're saying. I was hoping that limiting the CPU to its 2.1GHz base speeds and its advertised TDP of 65w would do the trick to keep the component operating relatively cool. Unfortunately, going AMD is not an option for this project.

Could a bigger case that allows a better ventilation and a 240 AIO improve things a little?

What's your reasoning for not going AMD? PT12 fully supports AMD in exactly the same way, it's the same X86 as Intel, literally no difference from Avids point of view, and certainly with regards to Audio, the way the cores are full fat rather than bit / little of Intel, AMD are far better suited for latency and general performance.

 

[MajorBriggs]

What's your reasoning for not going AMD? PT12 fully supports AMD in exactly the same way, it's the same X86 as Intel, literally no difference from Avids point of view, and certainly with regards to Audio, the way the cores are full fat rather than bit / little of Intel, AMD are far better suited for latency and general performance.

Thanks for your reply. My decision to stick to Intel is based on my own previous experiences with AMD. Maybe I've just been unlucky, but it didn't work for me in the past, whereas my previous and present Intel-based computers have had a noticeable lower amount of errors or stability issues. That's why I specified it in the post

 

[SpyderTracks]

Maybe I've just been unlucky, but it didn't work for me in the past, whereas my previous and present Intel-based computers have had a noticeable lower amount of errors or stability issues.

Was that since Ryzen 3000 though? Previous to that AMD were awful, AMD are now what Intel used to be, Intel are now the weak processors, run crazy hot, use about double the power for similar performance and are generally very poor processors

 

[MajorBriggs]

Was that since Ryzen 3000 though? Previous to that AMD were awful, AMD are now what Intel used to be, Intel are now the weak processors, run crazy hot, use about double the power for similar performance and are generally very poor processors

Although I appreciate the observations, AMD is definitely a hard pass for me in this project. But thanks again

 

[TonyCarter]

This is where I'd normally suggest a Mac Studio Max or Ultra...but the budget would be well and truly blown with one of those.

 

[SpyderTracks]

This is where I'd normally suggest a Mac Studio Max or Ultra...but the budget would be well and truly blown with one of those.

I would suggest a MacMini, plenty of power

 

[TonyCarter]

I would suggest a MacMini, plenty of power

But when you up the spec to more cores and/or adequate amount of RAM/SSD at Apple's extortionate prices, it becomes the same price of the entry-level Mac Studio...and you get more 11 more GPU cores, 10Gb ethernet, and an SD-slot.

 

[SpyderTracks]

But when you up the spec to more cores and/or adequate amount of RAM/SSD at Apple's extortionate prices, it becomes the same price of the entry-level Mac Studio...and you get more 11 more GPU cores, 10Gb ethernet, and an SD-slot.

View attachment 39274View attachment 39275

Ah, yeah of course, that's very true.

But anyway, we're getting off topic.

If the OP is intent on Intel, you definitely won't be able to manage a SFF build, you'd need superior Corsair AIO cooling on anything over an i5 and the SFF can't fit the radiators.

If we can work out your space requirements first of all, then we can go from there

 

[Scott]

There's a bit of a bridge between enthusiasts and sales unfortunately. I don't think any enthusiast knowing their stuff will spec a system to your outlined parameters. Sure, we can shoehorn compatible bits into a box and have it switch on, but that's not really what anyone would do with their own cash. For Intel to be one of those stipulations makes it all the more difficult as it's almost impossible to recommend them just now with the offerings from AMD. I think Intel are around 2 years away from having a proper CPU of note that doesn't simply aim for "fastest gaming CPU" headlines. You need double the cooling for the same performance with Intel, it won't be recommended.

Getting any CPU and throttling it is counter productive. You're as well just getting a lesser CPU to begin with, it'll run cooler by default.

With all that being said, the configurator won't steer you wrong in compatibility. If you're happy to accept the limitations on performance, temperature and acoustics of what you have chosen then it will work absolutely to those expectations.

 

[MajorBriggs]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I can see that heat dissipation may be a problem in the build originally posted. I've found this other case that will take a 240 radiator at the front, so it may be a bit more suitable to cool down and Intel CPU while maintaining a relatively small size overall.

I also took the chance and swapped that i7-13700 for a i7-12700k (no i7-13700k option) as I think that higher base clock speeds would be as bigger as a benefit than the lower core count would be as a detriment for the intended purposes of the PC.

Ideally, depending on whether it creates negative pressure or not, I would use the 2 included case fans as exhaust to help with the airflow. I'm also not sure if PCS would include any remaining bits and pieces included originally in the case (e.g. fans, brackets, optional top or side panels, etc.) or not. I would obviously be very interested in getting these 2 fans, plus the optional ventilated top panel that can be swapped for the solid one.

Now, here it is. Thanks again for your help:

Case

FRACTAL DEFINE 7 NANO BLACK

Processor (CPU)

Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700K (Up to 5.0GHz) 25MB Cache

Motherboard

ASUS® STRIX B760-I GAMING WIFI (Mini-ITX, LGA1700, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)

Memory (RAM)

32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)

Graphics Card

12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 - HDMI, DP, LHR

1st M.2 SSD Drive

1TB SAMSUNG 990 PRO M.2, PCIe 4.0 NVMe (up to 7450MB/R, 6900MB/W)

Power Supply

CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET

Processor Cooling

PCS FrostFlow 240 Series ARGB High Performance Liquid Cooler

Warranty

3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

Delivery

2 - 3 DAY DELIVERY TO REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Build Time

Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 6 working days

Price: €1,599.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.ie/saved-configurations/intel-z690-sff-gaming/sPXKzrn8pw/