Hi all. I'd like to build/purchase a computer for several tasks, including music production, games (not a priority), multiple-tab web browsing, photo editing, etc.

One of the major uses will be music production. I have purchased a Casio PX-575R USB keyboard. (I would have liked a better one, but I was limited on my keyboard budget. I hope to upgrade sometime in the future to something at least 2.5x the price.) I also plan (in the near future) to purchase Sonar Home Studio and Synthogy Ivory (with the Italian Grand expansion pack) in the near future. (system requirements basically are 1.3GHz, 1GB RAM, 40+GB (fast) HD space, but they recommend somewhat better, like 2GHz, 2GB, 7200+RPM/RAID, etc.

Also, I want to do some photo editing, video capture and multi-simultaneous-stream audio capture (willing to sacrifice especially if I go with minimum spec'd system on minimum budget)

My budget is somewhat unknown right now. I'm guessing I'll want to try to budget at least $650-750 (but if I can, I'd like to go higher, like $1200 - 1600). It depends on how much $ I earn at my job (I tune pianos for a piano store, and earn a set price per piano. I've been able to do a piano in 45 minutes if I'm lucky, but usually it takes much longer due to difficulties with some pianos (the 45-minute one or two that I've done were a good quality brand; also with no distractions (customers trying pianos, for example)), and customers sometimes coming in (it's not nice to tune while people are trying out pianos.))
I'd like to have this computer, if at all possible, by the afternoon / evening of December 21 (probably including using pay up through that day to purchase the computer), or early enough on December 22 that I can take my computer with me from El Cajon, CA, to Tulare, CA, by car, and preferably (although it depends on my parents (I most likely will be making the trip with them)) arrive by about 3 to 4 pm (I'll be there through the following Monday afternoon). (Because of how close I think I'll be cutting the timing of getting a paycheck, getting the computer, setting it up (getting things installed / working), and making the aforementioned trip (possibly in under 24 hours), I'd prefer to buy locally in San Diego, CA.)

I am looking for a desktop computer (those occasions where I take it places like described above I am thinking will be rare - maybe a few times a year), because I know I can get better specs for the price in a desktop, and there are some things I need that a laptop probably won't support (also I'm worried, based on how rough I treat small electronic objects, about the longevity of a laptop hard drive).

I'm open to suggestions - in fact, where I don't specify anything, feel free to blow my eardrums to shreds. Here, though, are what I'm thinking for minimum specs [with preferred / if I have the $ in brackets like this - depending on budget I may go for the minimum, preferred, or something in between]:

Case: don't need anything fancy, but would like plenty of space for adding hard drives & optical drives in the future. Also, front USB and sound ports would be really nice. (I prefer not to have a door covering the external drive bays, unless it slides / is removable)
Board: open to suggestions.
(note that I would like at least 4 or more maximum speed USB ports (6-8+ would be great)
CPU speed: 1.8GHz [2.6+GHz]
CPU platform: flexible (except not Celeron/equivalent)
RAM: 1GB [2+GB]
HD: 160GB 7200rpm [120GB OS HD + 2x250GB Raid0 SATA]
please note (in case the mobo's on-board controller isn't sufficient for what I want to do) that I already have a 80GB and 250GB HD that are somewhat full. The HDs I get with this system will be in addition to those, and I plan to plug them in to the new system. (I'd be willing to consider a good removable hard drive solution that's compatible with internal drives)
Backup: suggestions welcome -- but I'd like to be able to do periodic mirrors of all hard drives, and frequent incremental backups, including program & system folders & files.
Video Card: something with at least 64MB of RAM on-board [video capture (from VCR, etc) would be nice, as well as 256+MB on-board RAM and decent support for many recent games like Half-Life 2, for example]
Display: 17" LCD with at least 1000 lines, with good image quality, and good for playing video & games, and relatively wide viewing angle. (am thinking if I go for the low end, $150-180 would be the budget for the display) [19-20", 2048x1536, etc] (a CRT is too deep, although it'd be nice to be able to change resolutions (1280x960, 1400x1050, 1600x1200, 2048x1536, etc) without any loss in image quality)
Sound: a friend of mine has said on-board sound may be sufficient [but a decent card with at least 4 to 8 or more channels of inputs would be nice]
Optical Drive: DVD+/-R/RW DL [+RAM, Lightscribe / next-gen (Blu-Ray+HD / Holographic) ; multiple (2-4+ drives, supporting buring different data to each drive at the same time]
OS: Windows XP Professional (someone I know has a cracked installer CD that I could use, but I'd prefer to get the legit/genuine version, and am willing 2 pay 4 it) [Vista Ultimate when it becomes available ; would like to be able to dual-boot.]
Keyboard+Mouse: Optical scroll mouse, standard keyboard [multi-button multi-scroll optical mouse, multimedia+internet keyboard]

Any and all suggestions are welcome. I know I can find the minimum specs in my price range (I may need to up the minimum budget a bit - if that's the case, I'll wait to buy the computer until I can afford it, especially if I'm not able to earn sufficient $ before the 22nd.) but I'm looking for suggestions on if it's probably enough for what I'll be doing, and if I was to upgrade, what should I get. Suggestions for specific brands/models of components would be especially welcomed (I can look up their specs online if needed.)

GIGABYTE GA-965P-S3 Socket T (LGA 775) $6.13 $115.99
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 Conroe 1.86GHz $180.00
pqi TURBO 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 $4.99 $94.99
RAIDMAX xB ATX-528B Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $19.99 $19.99
RAIDMAX AURORA RX-580F ATX 580Watts Power Supply $44.99
HITACHI Deskstar T7K250 HDT722525DLA380 (0A31636) 250GB $5.94 $74.99
eVGA 256-P2-N550 -T2 GeForce 7600GT 256MB $5.64 $119.99 - $20 = $99.99
NEC 3550A Dual 16x DVD+RW/-RW/CD-RW (48x/32x/48x),16x DVD $29.99
___________________________________
$722.63 total with s/h
$702.63 w/ rebates

I am about to build this soon, make the necessary adjustments.

Another quick question that I'll append to this topic. My dad has 256MB of DDR266 RAM on his K6T266(?) board, a 1.4G AMD CPU, and Windows 2000. I'd like to suggest adding more ram (like an extra 512MB at least) to his computer (although he would rather wait till he buys a new computer, and I have no idea when that will be). What happens when you install different speed DDR RAM? (for example you put 400 on a 266 board or vice versa?)

One thing real quick... shipping would be an option if I am able to earn the $ to buy this computer fairly quickly, but there is the possibility (unless I decide at the last minute to wait or just don't have the $ for even the basic system by 12-22) that there may be less than 18 hours between when I receive a paycheck that will put me over the top for being able to afford the system to when I actually take posession of said system. I want to pay for the system in full at the time of purchase.
So, I prefer to buy locally if I can. I appreciate (so far) the suggestions on what parts to get in this PC.

I would go with the highest speed Core 2 Duo you can afford such as the E6400 or E6600 and as much RAM as you can cram into the box. Music production is extremely heavy on multitasking. As you add virtual instruments, effects, etc., the dual cores and extra speed will really pay off. I would NOT OC. Gamers can live with a certain amount of system instability but music production software generally can't...stevenpchurch

You can save some on your dream system by scaling back on the HDDs. You'll be able to do a lot with a 500 gig drive and then add on as your storage needs expand. Being "in the business", you'll probably get an employee's discount on the controller and software but you could still save by choosing an M-Audio keyboard over a CME, etc. If you wait, you'll be able to get a less expensive Quad by June but the Core 2 Duo is an excellent alternative right now. Forget about VISTA for about a year. The hardware to run it is expensive, there's no software written specifically for it and it's just eye-candy anyway....stevenpchurch

k I've decided for sure I'm not getting anything before x-mas.
I have a few approximate dates I'd like to target, though -- early 2nd week of March '07, or around the 3rd weekend of May '07. As far as the budget goes, I won't know for sure until closer to the time I want to try to buy one. I think early estimates may range anywhere from $1.8k to $5.5k, but I really have no way of knowing just yet. I also am considering buying other things, for example, a car (not a new one ; but now that I'm working and have at least some income, I'm thinking (am still doing research, though) that I can now afford to buy a car (not a new one) and insurance (my parents won't pay for it, and it's required where I live, so that's why I haven't been licensed yet, even though I'm 25, although I've had a permit off and on for several years (I think it may be expired right now)) in that time period.
Seeing how fast threads get bumped off the front page on these forumz, I'm thinking I'll keep an eye on this thread for the next few days, but I may decide to let it lapse a while. What's the chance that, when it comes close to time (March or May 2007) that I will be able to search for this thread (most likely by my username) and find it? (I'll probably post a new thread then, rather than resurrect this one, though.)
Also, in the meantime, what are some good online configurators to try to price a computer with? I know about ibuypower.com, cyberpowerpc.com, technologydepot.com (a local retailer in San Diego, CA), and a couple others, but what are some you guyz (and cute galz) recommend? (I may be willing to buy from an online retailer and have it shipped, but would really prefer to buy locally & pick it up in person.)

ok, since you're not on a budget anymore, I could advise you to buy a G5 or a mac pro. But I don´t know what software you want to use and what kind of quality.
Keep in mind that you may need a pair of monitor speakers and a good hi-fi one, a good mic, maybe any kind of compressor/gate, an mbox etc...

If you are the producer, you´ll need these above, and you'll pass your money range if you go with a G5.

For money, hardware/software matters:

non producer- G5 (digidesign has most hard/soft for mac and digital performer only mac)

producer- good budget pc and the expensive production hardware