Help building a Music Production PC for around £400-£550 ?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
P

PhilipMusic

Reputable
Nov 1, 2015
4
0
4,510
Hello there , I am looking at buying a Desktop Pc for music production (I don't plan to use it for gaming at all). I should probably mention I produce on FL Studio, and often have lots of intensive Plugins running at once, along with live automation clips. I haven't really a clue about which types of motherboards I should be looking at. And as for graphics cards, anything that could handle 1 or maybe 2 monitors at 1080p in everyday tasks would be acceptable. I was wondering about the Nvidia GT 720 or 730? Also , the Amd fx 8320 caught my eye as a good CPU ?
My budget - for the desktop only - is around £400 - £550. (£600 at the very, very maximum) - please tell me if this is unrealistic :)
I'm not really sure if a soundcard is necessary, but may consider getting one depending on any advice given.

Please might someone tell me:

1 : Could I opt for a higher range CPU - like the fx 8320 , and a 16GB Ram - whilst retaining other lower cost parts - or would this slow down/limit the performance of the PC whilst producing – leaving the CPU and RAM a bit overkill?

2: Would a setup such as the one here, be acceptable : http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AMD-FX-8320-Eight-Core-4-00GHz-2TB-16GB-NVIDIA-GT-730-Gaming-PC-AGB-USB3-/201369619888?hash=item2ee2908db0

3: Can I trust sellers like the one above on eBay - they seem to sell PC's of similar standards for a lot cheaper than places like PC Specialist?

All feedback is greatly appreciated :)
Thanks for reading and/or answering my question/s!
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
bambiboom

bambiboom

Splendid
Apr 7, 2012
2,462
5
21,965
PhilipMusic,

This is the kind of system to treat as a workstation. Multi-tracking and effects processing sampling /soft synths can require a lot of CPU power, library and project files can be numerous. It's only recently that professional-level music production software has begun taking more advantage of multi-threading and it appears that you can configure FL Studio to do so:

https://support.image-line.com/knowledgebase/base.php?ans=476

Given the budget vs. the demands on the system, I suggest something like this:

DELL PRECISION T3500 SINGLE XEON DUAL CORE TOWER 2.40GHZ 8GB 500GB DVD-RW WIN 7 > sold for £99.99

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DELL-PRECISION-T3500-SINGLE-XEON-DUAL-CORE-TOWER-2-40GHZ-8GB-500GB-DVD-RW-WIN-7-/381413777367?hash=item58ce085fd7%3Ag%3AY4sAAOSwKIpWApIA&nma=true&si=uUMAgHAAQt9VbIc20%252BgO%252BteqeO4%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

And you take out the 2.4GHz CPU and replace it with:

Intel Xeon W3690 3.46ghz Six Core 12m Cache 6.4 GT/s CPU with Paste __ SLBW2 > sold for £119.37

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Intel-Xeon-W3690-3-46ghz-Six-Core-12m-Cache-6-4-GT-s-CPU-with-Paste-SLBW2-/111761935775?hash=item1a0587cd9f%3Ag%3A6rMAAOSwyQtV59BT&nma=true&si=uUMAgHAAQt9VbIc20%252BgO%252BteqeO4%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

This is a 6-core @ 3.46 / 3.73Ghz

Then add:

RAM (DDR3- 1333 ECC) to have 24 GB > about £60

AMD V4900 for about £35 or GTX 650 ti for £60

A 250 GB SSD for OS /Applications /Working > About £75

A Western Digital lTB for storage > £42

M-Audio 192 sound card about £30
______________________________

TOTAL = about £520- 560

Occasionally, there will be will be a T3500 with a W3690 and 24GB RAM already in it, for perhaps £350 or so.

In my view, a sound card is essential for this use. I use an M-Audio 192 card in my my two main systems, and two M-Audio 2496 in other systems, and an EMU 0404 in my dedicated music system (HP z420 E5-1620 AMD V4900) these are all cards with duplexing and importantly MIDI in/out/through. I typically run these into a sound system. The dedicated sound computer ( and Yamaha S90, Neumann KM184's, VMP2 valve microphone preamp) go into an Audio Research LS3 / D130 / Infinity 360/ Sennheiser 380 Pro system and the ones connected to work computers use a Logitech z2300 2.1 sound system and the other a Z313 2.1 system. I like these Logitech systems as the sound is not bad and they have a wired remote with a headphone jack.

Performance with 6-cores /12 threads @ 3.46 /3.73GHz, 24GB of RAM, an SSD, and a reasonable level of GPU should exceed the performance of a new built system. Of course , it's the risk of used, and obsolete but I've had 5 used workstations in the last 10 years and never had a failure. They are built to run at full bore all the time. The M-audio 192 is an obsolete PCI deign, but having MIDI and 24/192 digital at that price- and they're quiet, is very useful.

I find dual monitors very useful. On my CAD system I use single and dual 27", 2910 X 1080 and 2560 X 1440 and for the dedicated sound system a pair of old Dell 19" LCD as there is no 3D or video.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

1. HP z420 (2015) > Xeon E5-1660 v2 six-core @ 3.7 / 4.0GHz > 32GB DDR3 ECC 1866 RAM > Quadro K4200 (4GB) > Intel 730 480GB (9SSDSC2BP480G4R5) > Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > 600W PSU> Logitech z2300 > Linksys AE3000 USB WiFi > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H (2560 X 1440) > Windows 7 Professional 64 >
[ Passmark Rating = 5064 > CPU= 13989 / 2D= 819 / 3D= 4596 / Mem= 2772 / Disk= 4555] [Cinebench R15 > CPU = 1014 OpenGL= 126.59 FPS] 7.8.15

2. Dell Precision T5500 (2011) > Xeon X5680 six -core @ 3.33 / 3.6GHz, 24GB DDR3 ECC 1333 > Quadro K2200 (4GB ) > Samsung 840 250GB / WD RE4 Enterprise 1TB > M-Audio 192 sound card 875W PSU > Logitech z313> Linksys WMP600N PCI WiFi > Windows 7 Professional 64> HP 2711x (1920 X 1080)
[ Passmark system rating = 3490 / CPU = 9178 / 2D= 685 / 3D= 3566 / Mem= 1865 / Disk= 2122] [Cinebench 15 > CPU = 772 OpenGL= 99.72 FPS] 7.8.15

Network: Netgear GS108-400NAS Gigabit Ethernet







 
Upvote 1 Downvote
P

PhilipMusic

Reputable
Nov 1, 2015
4
0
4,510

Thanks a lot for the advice ;) Just a few more questions :D Would changing the parts be simple - and would it be risky at all ? Also , would the hard drive come with an OS - if so could you please name a few examples ? , or would I have to buy one separately ? (sorry but I'm quite new to this kind of thing ) . Thanks again for your help :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
bambiboom

bambiboom

Splendid
Apr 7, 2012
2,462
5
21,965
Thanks a lot for the advice ;) Just a few more questions :D Would changing the parts be simple - and would it be risky at all ? Also , would the hard drive come with an OS - if so could you please name a few examples ? , or would I have to buy one separately ? (sorry but I'm quite new to this kind of thing ) . Thanks again for your help :)

PhilipMusic,

Of course, buying a finished system is much less effort, but if you're methodical, I think it's not difiicult careful- it's more or less plugging stuff in and then making settings. The CPU is the fussiest plugging in part: place it without damaging anything, applying thermal paste in the correct amount an place and seating the cooler / properly. There are a lot of settings in BIOS and so on. But, absolutely anything to do on a computer may be seen in YouTube videos.

Hard drives do not include the operating system- you have to have one, or better, you buy a system that has a "COA"- a sticker on the case with a serial number. With my Precision T5500, there was a Windows 7 Professional COA on thte top, I downloaded the ISO fiel from MS and activated using the original serial number and updated it. Dell also sent me a disk with the original software on it- free of charge. I think they may be required to do it if they don't provide disks originally or they like to have their very expensive systems- a T3500 was probably £1500 or more when new and could be much more as a W3590 6-core cost £1200 on it's own.

As for HD's, if you're having an SSD, have a look at the Crucial MX100 within your budget and for the mechanical storage drive, the Western Digital Blue 1TB. Those are good value.

If the idea of changing the parts seems too fussy, give me a budget and I'll have a look around at systems closer to being used as found. Still, you'll have much better results fro the same cost upgrading a used high-quality system and in my view, it's very useful to know how to work on computers- otherwise, it costs money and delay.

Here is another old Precision I upgraded. I was given this system by an architectural office closing down:

Precision 390 (2006) (Original): Core2 Duo 6300 dual-core @ 1.86GHz, 2GB DDR2 667 > Quadro FX550 > 2X WD 320GB . Windows XP Pro 64-bit
[ Passmark system rating =397, CPU = 587 / 2D= 248 / 3D=75 / Mem=585 / Disk = 552 ]

I spent about £100 (CPU £20, RAM £18, OS XP to Win 7 upgrade £60 / I had the GPU from another system upgrade):

Dell Precision 390 (2006) (Revised): Xeon X3230 quad-core @ 2.67GHz > 8 GB DDR2 ECC 667 > Firepro V4900 (1GB) > 2X WD 320GB >Linksys WMP600N WiFi > Dell 24" > 1920 X 1200 > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
With Firepro V4900 (1GB)
[ Passmark system rating = 1458, CPU = 3699 / 2D= 431 / 3D=1350 / Mem= 885 / Disk=552]

The same office also gave me a Dell Dimension E520:

Dell Dimension E520 (2006)( Original): Pentium D 830 dual core @3.0GHz > 2GB DDR2 667 > GeForce 7300LE > 2X Dell 19" LCD > Windows XP Professional 64-bit
[Passmark system rating = 384, CPU = 613 / 2D= 248 / 3D=72 / Mem= 562 / Disk=521]

And I spent about £100 on it: only adding 2GB of RAM but buying a GeForce GT 440 (1GB):

Dell Dimension E520 (2006)(Revised): Core2 Duo E6700 dual core @2.66GHz > 4GB DDR2 667 > GeForce GT440 (1GB GDDR5) > 2X Dell 19" LCD > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
[Passmark system rating = 1219, CPU = 2024 / 2D= 457 / 3D=978 / Mem= 828 / Disk=576]


> And the Precision 390 is surprisingly good on 3D modeling. Satisfying to get the old crocks to sprint. This system works well enough that I'm thinking of selling the T5500, which I have almost never used. I had it as a rendering system,, but my newer HP z420 is so fast, I just run the renderings on it at lunchtime and the evening. The Precision 390 is fine as my backup .

Cheers,

BambiBoom







 
Upvote 0 Downvote
P

PhilipMusic

Reputable
Nov 1, 2015
4
0
4,510


Thanks a lot for the reply once more! . I can understand from your responses that you clearly have a high level of expertise in this area, and having read your reply would like to upgrade/build a pc as suggested as I realise this could potentially save me a lot of money :)

However, the only problem is , I'm a bit unsure of how to start building/upgrading one , and am not sure whether I'm really "good" enough to build/upgrade a pc - even with the countless number of tutorials on YouTube ;) In your opinion , do you believe I should opt for a pre-built PC instead?

One of the main problems would be that I'm not sure how to find the parts - apart from the ones you have kindly listed - and would be worried to buy the wrong ones , or for the wrong price ? (is there any thing specifically I should be looking for at certain prices ?)

Alternatively, if the risks involved in building a pc would be too big for me, I have also thought about buying a pre built PC , or using a service that builds one for you such as PCSpecialist (from which I could select the parts). Do you think if I was to go down the route of using an online service such as PC Specialist I would actually be saving money? (as compared to buying a pre-built computer)

If I was however to take the safest route and opt for a pre-built PC - I know there may be some black Friday deals coming up - are there any models I should be keeping an eye on ?

Thanks so, so , so , so much for your time , and your replies !




EDIT: Having looked online at pc building services - I managed to create this pc build :

- Black ATX Tower Case
•- Standard Fans Included With Case
•- AMD FX 8320 (8 x 3.5 GHZ - Turbo 8 x 4.0 GHZ)
•- Cooler Master Hyper 103
•- Standard CPU Compound Supplied With Heatsink
•- 16 GB Corsair Vengeance 1600 MHz (2x8GB) - Lifetime Warranty (DDR3)
•- Built & Tested CP
•- AMD Radeon R7 240 - 2 GB - (XFX) - Silent - (PCI-E)
•- 450W PSU
•- ASUS M5A97 R2 (AMD 970) - 2xUSB3/6xUSB2
•- Motherboard Integrated Ethernet Lan (Broadband Ready)
•- Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 (PCI)
•- 1TB (1000 GB) Western Digital WD10EZRX Green - SATA-III - IntelliPower - 64MB Cache - 8ms
•- Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 BIT (Genuine DVD & COA Included)
•- FREE - 16 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive
•- 1 x 1.8 Metre UK Mains Power Cable

I have left out monitor and peripherals as these would be cheaper somewhere else (I presume) .
If I was to opt fpr a site like this, I was just wondering if this build - or a similar build would be appropriate , and if any items could be bought separately for cheaper and added, (or indeed if I have chosen any parts which have cheaper and better alternatives) . For instance - would the fx 6350 suffice , or would I be better leaving out the soundcard and opting for the m-audio 192 which you suggested? Also - would you recommend AMD fx or Intel Xeon processors - and why?

ps. if this is important , one of my typical FL projects had about 20 plugins running , plus at least 10 samples , and around 15 channels of automation ? - on my current laptop it is at this stage it becomes too distorted to listen to.


 
Upvote 0 Downvote
bambiboom

bambiboom

Splendid
Apr 7, 2012
2,462
5
21,965
PhilipMusic,

I'm a very reluctant computeristician - geek. I always worked on my cars and besides liking to save money, find it somewhat satisfying. But it's an effort. With computers I feel it necessary to know them quite well as they go wrong or need configuration so often. When you have a fairly technical use- like CAD, video editing,o or music production you can't wait and pay technicians. A friend of mine in CH had a virus on her laptop twice and it cost almost $2,000 to recover the data and reload everything. She works for a record company in Paris and had to have it done instantly. So, I think there are some good reasons to learn the stuff.

It's possible that a local shop could give you a good system- the cost for assembly is not usually very much. But, you need to be careful about the parts and don't let them use a $32 builder's PSU and $16 case- specify everything. This is useful as they can take care of all the 432 little settings and you can make a deal as to some technical support and the guarantee.

It's also possible that a prebuilt system could be fine- there are some good i7 systems for $1000-1200. Then you take it out of the box, plug it in, and there's a warranty.

I still return to the idea though of buying a used workstation but focus on one that is good enough to use as is, at first, or perhaps only needs one thing- a drive or the OS. I almost bought a Precision T3500 yesterday that went for $48.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Precision-T3500-One-Intel-Xeon-W3520-2-67GHz-4GB-RAM-/381463752769?hash=item58d102f041%3Ag%3A2CEAAOSw14xWQmDQ&nma=true&si=6LC6tShr%252F1%252F701u2KSFy5un7h%252Fs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

It was dirty and scratched, but it started at only $9.99 and I could've used it for my backup system as is and added new parts gradually- and paint the faceplate satin black. In the end I didn't press the bid as the shipping was $33 and the COA was Vista, which means it would cost $48 + $33 + about $65 (for a good deal on Win 7 Pro) = $146. and for that :

Dell Precision T3500 - Xeon Quad Core W3550 3.0 GHz 160GB 4GB DVDRW WIN 7 PRO 64 > sold for $145 / free shipping

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Precision-T3500-Xeon-Quad-Core-W3550-3-0-GHz-160GB-4GB-DVDRW-WIN-7-PRO-64-/381449310068?hash=item58d0268f74%3Ag%3A7IgAAOSw5ZBWLlx%7E&nma=true&si=6LC6tShr%252F1%252F701u2KSFy5un7h%252Fs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

> and except for the dog's dinner GPU, is very good cosmetically, a 3.06/ 3.33 instead of 2.6 /2.93 and has Win 7 already. So this is a lot easier- and better-looking. I might be able to use as is for months and gradually add RAM, an SSD, and if necessary a faster CPU, but a 3.33 is probably fine. I have a dedicated music system running Cakewalk and with an EMU 0404 PCIe MIDI sound card and that runs happily on a Core2 quad Q6600 2.4GHz.

You have to be comfortable, and when on a budget, if you're not inclined to fuss with learning building or complicated upgrades, I think a used workstation is the way to go- you just need to shop patiently, research the parts, learn installation of fairly straightforward plug-in parts, and understand the real, total cost in $ and time.

Cheers,

BambiBoom


 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom