I need help answering some questions

[melorock]

Hello there

Here's the downlow. I'm trying to build a computer for around $1,500, cheaper yet still outstanding performance if possible!

Purpose:
1. DAW (digital audio workstation) - home recording studio basically
2. Home theather/media center
3. some Gaming
4. tinker with Photoshop
5. tinker with Video editing, but no movie making.

Questions and Aims:
1. Build a quiet and cool PC? (for recording music)
a.) Zalman's heatsink and/or fan? - anyone heard of?
b.) Maxtor which is a software app adjusts hard disk's noise/performance to system requirements - anyone heard of?
c.) Focus on reviews of PSU's and Hard drive's right? http://silentpcreview.com/
d.) Maybe underclock to achieve silence and cool?


2. Connect computer to my HDTV as the monitor.
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Viera-TH-42PZ85U-42-Inch-Plasma/dp/tech-data/B00142JKRW/ref=de_a_smtd - TV technical information
a.) How can I do that and get 1080p?
b.) What's a good video card?
c.) What's a TV tuner card and do I need it?


3. Good soundcard, Good Audio reciever, or both? - Just trying to get the best sound out of watching tv, watching online videos, watching movies, playing games, listening to MP3's and listening to recording samples. All under one format.


4. Blu-Ray player or Blu-Ray Drive?

Sounds like I need:
8 GB's of RAM
excellent processor
1 TB
500 power watts... or 1000?
good processer
going with Intel
good outputs/inputs so that external soundboards and other hardware can connect to the DAW.


Please elaborate, critique, advice, etc.

Well that's all I can think of. I tryed to simplify this thread so I hope it's easier to read. Thank you all for any help.

Seth

 

[Helloworld_98]

Q9550 cpu, the 'S' version if you can afford it.

an akasa 967 nero cooler, currently the best low noise cooler on the market, cheap too.

you'll want a WD or seagate .10 or .12 HDD, most reliable and fastest hdd's out there.

a good 500w should suffice that and you'll want a Blu-ray reader, and 99% of the time you don't need a sound card unless your a serious Audiophile.

 

[xthekidx]

Antec P182 Case
Asus P6T MB and i7 920 CPU
6gb G Skill DDR3 1600mhz
Noctua NH-U12P Cooler
Corsair 650TX PSU
WD1001FALS WD 1TB Caviar Black HDD (x2?)
LG DVD Combo Drive
SAPPHIRE Vapor-X Radeon HD 4870 2GB
Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit (maybe ultimate, compare editions to see if you need the extra features)

That is how I would build, based on your stated needs. The Cooler is the quietest around and very high performance. The GPU has built in HDMI so you can use your TV, and a very quiet cooling design, and should give admirable gaming performance for you as well. The Case has foam padding to dampen sound to make for a quiet workstation. The total is around $1370 with shipping, which leaves you room to get a decent sound/audio capture card, look at the Omega HT Striker.

 

[Proximon]

Both ideas are solid I think.

Alternate case:
CM Cosmos

Because you won't typically be under load, I would say that this PSU might be a bit quieter:
ENERMAX MODU82+ EMD625AWT 625W

 

[hundredislandsboy]

Quad core or 17 920 since the programs and work you mentioned are "core hungry"meaning the more cores you throw at them the more they'll want to fill up on.

Video, photo editing, music rendering.. these just about reduce your waiting times to half when you from dual to quad core.