Building My First Computer: For Music Production & Gaming

[Th3Professor]

Hello world!

Before I get into the list of computer guts I've researched so far I thought I'd introduce the idea of what I'm looking for. I'll split this post up into 3 different sections for quick reference.

1. What I've done so far.

My budget is flexible though I'm consider maxing out at around $1,500 or $1,600 if it is possible (for the goodies that I'm looking for). The current components/parts that I've been looking at have totals ranging from $1,300 to $1,600 before taxes (mostly from newegg.com). I'm not really sure where to go to get the best deals. I asked someone at a local computer shop about newegg and they said they probably can't beat or match newegg's prices.

I've been doing research and I will continue to do research. So far it has included mostly online digging.

I've also been doing price comparisons on all the "guts" of the computer and will keep comparing prices as I modify my list.

I've been asking around, online and in person, though these forums look like an excellent place to get gobs of great advice.

Once I decide on the parts/components that I'll purchase I'll go ahead and get them, though I will also continue reading several "how to build a computer" websites. Though, I have yet to find the absolutely perfect "howto" guide for building, they all seem to be missing something or out of date.

This is really an exciting thing, my new computer is going to be another one of my babies. I look forward to the whole experience and of course I hope to goodness I don't make a boo-boo and end up melting, bending, breaking, etc. anything before/during/after the build process. (Crossing my fingers.)

I won't deny it: I am a little worried about matching parts correctly, making sure all of the hardware is compatible (as well as high quality). That also includes wanting to make sure I have matching chipsets or similar parts that seem to be specific to the motherboard, from CPU to RAM to anything (everything) else.

2. The purpose in my new computer.

As you can see from the subject, the purpose in my new baby will be for gaming and music. It will also have some minor additional multimedia purposes.

The primary purpose of the new computer:
Music & Gaming.

The secondary purpose:
TV/movies/multimedia.

Regarding gaming:
I was invited to privately test a game that is in alpha/beta/etc. stages of production and it requires more computer muscle than what I currently have. I'm not much of a computer gamer, though this one is the exception, it's a must have/must play (at least for me, personally). I will definitely be wanting to get some very awesome gaming gear for this particular MMO game.

Regarding music:
I am a professional musician and require the ability to record out of my music lesson studio. Any functions that would benefit my music instruction would be great, too. I teach guitar, bass guitar, drumset, and percussion. I will also be composing music on this new computer.

The tv, movies, and other multimedia functions should be pretty easy, though I might need a few hardware components with special features if I want to ever hook the computer up to a tv (or perhaps hdtv) in the future. Some nice DVD rip/burn functions would be nice, though that can probably work fine with the appropriate software. Those are only a couple aspects of that purpose in the computer, otherwise I can simply watch the tv shows and movies on my computer as I do now.

For gaming, I am looking into a few obvious things - nice graphics/video card for example, perhaps a "gaming pad" so I don't stress my normal keyboard out. I've heard NVIDIA is "more" crossplatform than ATI (I run Windows and multiple *nix set-ups). Plus, the game I'm testing/playing has known issues with ATI. It works perfectly under NVIDIA.

For music, I am looking into similar - nice audio/sound card for example, perhaps an external sound module to bridge the sound card to any additional external components (boards or instruments). I've heard more bad than good regarding Sound Blaster, and am unfamiliar with other options.

For tv/etc., I'm guessing I'll need s-video capability, though am not sure what else.

The game will be running on Windows Vista, everything else will be Linux/Unix (specifically Ubuntu Studio, OpenBSD, Solaris, and a "floating" extra *nix (partition reserved for testing different Linux distros and Unix flavors).

I am considering running 64studio in addition to or in place of Ubuntu Studio. However, if there is a 64-bit version of Ubuntu Studio, I will use that.

The short-term goal is to have a computer immediately ready for gaming that also includes the basic components for producing music.

The long-term goal is to maintain the gaming component requirements but mostly to add to the music producing aspect of the computer. I hope to eventually have a true home studio for use with teaching music lessons, composing music, and especially recording music.

A few juicy requirements for my first build are: 64-bit, quad core, at least 1 TB hard drive, at least 4 GB RAM, graphics/video card that can handle a game that won't be released until mid to late 2009 (testing now), sound/audio card that can handle hardcore music production (composing and recording).

Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations on computer components?
Stick with what I'm listing below or get something else?
Am I mismatching components?
Are any of the parts listed already outdated (meaning I'd be better off spending a few more bucks for a more recent version)?

3. The Guts, version 2.0 (the current list of components/parts I'm looking at).

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CPU:

"AMD Phenom 9950 2.6GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 2MB L3 Cache Socket AM2+ 140W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor - OEM"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103285
($169.00)

or

"AMD Phenom 9950 2.6GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103291
($184.99)

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Motherboard:

"ASUS M3A78-T AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131331
($149.99)
("Unleash 140W Phenom Performance, DDR3 1333 Sideport Memory")

or

"ASUS M3A79-T Deluxe AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...A79-T%20Deluxe
($188.99)
("AMD 790FX/SB750, Quad PCIe x16, Ideal OC platform")

NOTE: I believe these are Crossfire/ATI. I am getting NVIDIA. Is there an equivalent to these AMD boards, perhaps even asus, that's has the nvidia chipset?

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RAM:

"Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820104043
($78.99)

or

"Kingston 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820134641
($60.49)

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Hard Drives:

"Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148274
($129.99)
~~~~~ ...in addition to... ~~~~~
"Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148274
($129.99)

or

"Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148274
($129.99)
~~~~~ ...in addition to... ~~~~~
"Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...20500gb%20SATA
($69.99)

or

"Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148274
($129.99)
~~~~~ ...in addition to... ~~~~~
"Western Digital Caviar GP WD5000AACS 500GB 5400 to 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136149
($64.99)
~~~~~ ...in addition to... ~~~~~
"Western Digital Caviar GP WD5000AACS 500GB 5400 to 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136149
($64.99)

or

Another arrangement of 2, 3, or more hard drives ranging from 1.5 TB to 2+ TB costing hopefully no more (hopefully less) than $260 (2TB) or $195 (1.5TB).

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Case:

I have absolutely no idea.
Looking for: full tower (ATX), something clear and glowy, with good air circulation, is solid/stable, functions well.
A non-clear option: Someone had mentioned Antec 900 is very quiet, I like that (especially for music), though I'd still love to have a clear.
($ price range, not sure atm.)

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PSU:

"CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...=corsair%20750
($119.99)
(Price goes up by 10% after 10/22.)

or

"PC Power & Cooling S75QB 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI NVIDIA SLI Certified (Dual 8800 GTX and below) CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817703009
($144.99)

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GPU:

"EVGA 512-P3-N873-AR GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130376
($189.99)
($159.99 after $30.00 Mail-In Rebate, available up to 11/5, with special savings on AMD CPU combo, ends 11/5)

or

"XFX PVT98FYDBU GeForce 9800 GTX Black Edition 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150297
($189.99)
(Black Edition overclocked at 760MHz)

or

"EVGA 512-P3-N871-AR GeForce 9800 GTX(G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130339
($159.99)

or

"XFX PVT98GYDLU GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150316
($129.99)
($109.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)
(Free Call of Duty 4 included, while supplies last.)

or

"MSI N260GTX-T2D896 OC GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127361
($239.99)
(Free Rainbow 6 Vegas2 game w/ purchase, limited offer.)
(A GTX260 might be out of my current price range; it depends on what other components I get.)

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Audio:

Internal:

"ASUS Xonar D2 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Ultra Fidelity Sound Card with Complete Dolby/DTS Sound Technologies - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...s%20Xonar%20D2
($179.99)
($149.99 after $30.00 Mail-In Rebate)

or

Something totally different, effective for gaming purposes only.
($ price range, not sure atm.)

~~~~~ ...in addition to internal for gaming, getting external for music production... ~~~~~

External:

Something from M-Audio, Emu, RME, or similar (not sure).
I'd like to get something like that Yamaha mixer that doubles as sound card, though am not sure model #.

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DVD:

All of the DVD burners seem to be right around $25 or $26, I don't know if it really matters which one to get? I won't be getting bluray just yet.

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LCD Monitor:

I really don't know about this yet... I'm still working on the "guts" inside the computer case. I am interested in at least 22" (or 24") and of course as inexpensive (but good quality) as possible. I would also like to have wide screen with at least 1680x1050 resolution.

Maybe...

SAMSUNG 2253BW Black 22".
$269.99 (newegg.com)
...or...
Acer X223Wbd Black 22".
$189.99 (newegg.com)
$179.99 (A179-2240, tigerdirect.com)
...or...
Acer P244Wbii Glossy Black 24".
$329.99 (newegg.com)
...or...
Something else?

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Keyboard:

"RAZER Lycosa RZ03-00180100 Black 104 Normal Keys 7 Function Keys USB Standard Gaming Keyboard - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...ing%20Keyboard
($84.99)
(That's odd, it was only $79.99 the other day.)

or

Another keyboard if someone knows of a good one (without the attached gaming pad).

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Music Keyboard:

Probably something (only 1 or 2 octaves) by M-Audio.

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Gaming Pad:

"BELKIN F8GFPC200 N52TE Tournament Edition - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...ment%20Edition.
($69.99)

or

Another one, similar to it, if a better deal is available.
(I do like that it is separate from the keyboard.)

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Mouse:

"RAZER RZ01-00020200 Red 7 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Optical 1600 dpi Diamondback Precision Gaming Salamander Mouse - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826153029
($39.99)

or

Another one if better deal. (There appear to be multiple possibilities by Razer.)

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Speakers:
"Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speaker - Retail"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...itech%20Z-5500
($252.99)
($212.99 after $40.00 Mail-In Rebate)
(Combo savings with Viewsonic [19"] monitor, ends 10/31.)

or

Logitech X-540 Surround Sound Speakers.
$78.99 (newegg.com)

or

Something more affordable for gaming purposes. I won't be using these with music production. I'll have an entirely dedicated set of speakers and gear for that.

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Mic:

Labtec Verse 333 PC Microphone.
$9.99 (tigerdirect.com)
(I think I'll hold off on something like this until I know if I'm getting a monitor with built-in cam+mic.)

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Headset:

"TRITTON TRI-AI712 4 x 3.5mm Circumaural AX 51 - Gaming Headset"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...TRITTON%20AX51
$69.99

or

"Creative FATAL1TY 3.5mm gold-plated Circumaural Gaming Headset"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826158051
($49.99)
(Special savings, ends 10/31.)

or

"TekNmotion TM-PSX100A 3.5mm/ USB Circumaural Pulsewave / Pulsar SX PC Gaming Headphone"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826289001
($54.99)

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UPS:

I have no idea.

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LAN:

I'm guessing it's completely okay to use the one integrated into the motherboard. I doubt it's really necessary to get a special "gaming network card".

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WLAN:

I really don't know about this yet. It does need to be compatible with Unix and Linux.

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Wireless Router:

I might put this on hold and stick with the old wireless router, for now at least. I'll probably get a really nice Linksys when I get a new one.

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Cable Modem:

I really don't know about this yet... I'm still working on the "guts" inside the computer case.

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Coolers:

Ditto, I really don't know about this yet... and I should probably figure this out soon, since coolers are some of the most important parts of the "guts" inside a computer case. RAM coolers, CPU cooler, lots of fans, thermal paste (like AS5), who knows what else. I certainly don't know what exactly I need, and this is important to know, I know that, if that makes sense. You know? I'm guessing that in addition to cooling, I can also look into "silencing" the computer.


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Computer Desk Chair:

I think I'll just go ahead and get one at the local furniture store at a decent price (for now).

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Computer Desk:

Ditto, I'll probably pick up a desk/table locally. I don't know what to get though, yet I'd really like either a very basic computer desk or a pretty fancy computer "table".

I'll probably get a laptop stand with it, like the "Allsop Metal Art" brand "corner monitor/notebook stand".

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Here are some comments for some components:

CPU:
I'm not sure what the difference is in prices with "OEM" and "Retail". As I said before, I honestly like both Intel and AMD, though I want AMD with my first computer. I'll get something from the i7 series in the future, if they're not phasing it out by that point in time. Though, by that point in time the new AMD will most likely look pretty tasty. The game I'm testing requires a minimum 2 GHz dual core. The music I'll produce, I'm not sure yet.

RAM:
The game I'm testing requires, I believe, either 2 GB or 3 GB minimum.

Case:
I removed my original option from the list because it had too many negative reviews. I'd love to have an all-clear case with some pretty glowing lights. If there is a similar case that has more clear parts to it than just one side panel, that could be pretty neat too.

PSU:
I'm still a little unfamiliar with power supplies, though have gained a slightly better understanding this past week. With the current rig I'm assuming 750W is enough, and that having a little breathing room is good. I know having too little power is very bad, though don't know if it's possible to have too much.

Audio:
The sound card (or audio devices in general) is a very important part of the computer for me. I am willing to go higher in price as long as I will be able to fully utilize what I'm paying for. I'm not really familiar with the possibilities in quality sound cards/audio devices (internal or external) for professional musicians (for composing and especially recording).

UPS:
This is vital. I have one word to explain why I need this: Illinois. Okay, two words: Illinois Power.

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Here are some questions that hopefully some people can help with:

Motherboard:
There are 13 (or more?) motherboards that might work with my CPU. Here's a sample list:
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showpo...postcount=4544
I'd like to be able to upgrade components later, for example, AMD's Agena after it has been out for a while.
How do I select the right motherboard?

RAM:
Should I get the HyperX or the normal?
Should I go ECC or non-ECC?

Hard Drive:
Is there a difference in compatibility with motherboard between a SATA and SATA-II hard drive?

Case:
What could I consider getting?
(Trying to find something "mostly clear", some "glowy stuff", good air circulation, solid/stable, and functions well.)

GPU:
How do I know if the GPU has at least "Shader Model 3.0 capable Video card, Direct X 9c, 256 MB RAM"? (Some of the requirements for the game I'm testing.)
How many GPUs do I need so I can use 3 LCD monitors at once?
(Only using 1 monitor this year, will have 3 next year.)

Audio:
What could I get away with as an affordable internal sound card for gaming?
What could I use for an external music production audio device/interface that would perhaps be similar to that Yamaha mixer "plus external soundcard" that was posted earlier in this thread?
Any ideas what the model is on that Yamaha?

Speakers:
I'll have a dedicated set of speakers/gear for music production. What is a good set of 5.1 speakers for gaming that isn't as expensive as the Z-5500 ($250) speakers?

UPS:
I don't know... but this is important. Illinois power is so horrible that it has damaged my rather expensive power amp to my stereo system. I won't be using it again until I replace the fuse, which won't be until I get a couple surge protectors and UPS-type items.

I'll use a UPS on the computer set-up, though probably only a protector on the entertainment system.

What could I get for both?

"Bonus" questions:
What are some AMD-based motherboards (supporting Phenom) that has the nvidia chipset?
For 1 year from now, how could one use 3 monitors with an AMD motherboard and nvidia?
Top brands for various kinds of coolers?
Regarding monitors, is 8000:1 and 4000:1 stuff basically the quality of the contrast between brights and darks?
Silly question... UPS... the U = uninterrupted, right? (I used to think it was "universal.")
Do 5.1 headphones/headsets literally (physically) exist? (Bizarre!)
Are 120mm fans less noisy and/or more effective than 80mm fans?
What's the difference (or is one better) between (ASUS) 790FX and 790GX?

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I'm gradually narrowing things down.

If anybody could chime in I'd be grateful.

Thank you everybody very much!

[protohuman]

Thanks for posting this, I'm getting a set-up ready as well, and you had some nice items that I swapped out from my wishlist on newegg.

If you havent decided on a case I'm purchasing this one:

COOLER MASTER COSMOS 1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP Black/ Silver Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail

edit,

for a harddrive i'm also thinking of getting this:
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

[pwc]

Just did a quick read of your post, nice job. Built my first computer couple of years ago and put about $1000 into it. I'm happy with it, but would like to do another soon, they get outdated quickly. I didn't plan mine out as thorough as you seem to have and made few small mistakes(like picking 450W psu - should of been bigger). Next time I'll do better. My recommendations to you are:

1. I like the case protohuman picked and plan to get it for my next one. I like the bars(handles) design and I like quiet. Reviews on this one very positive and price not bad. Roomy and easy to work on - very important!

2. I'd recommend a 24" monitor, especially if you are planning on watching any 1080p HDTV. The 22" monitors are 1680x1050 and 1080p is 1950x1080. That's 270 pixals on side and 30 pixals on top missing, probably not noticeable most of time, but for picky, picky, people like me, and I suspect like you, its not acceptable. I like the Samsung TofC 24" monitor(I forget model number), but it cost about $450. Don't know if I can choke that down.

3. Bigger fans better - move more air and operate quieter, did I say I like quiet?

That's all for now, will read this again later when I have more time.

[protohuman]

Going to pop back in with another recommendation, I've been researching what parts to get most of this weekend and noticed ATI Crossfirex™. The ASUS M3A79-T motherboard is crossfire compatible which means that you can run multiple ATI Radeon HD gpus on it. I grabbed the HD 4870 and 4850 for ~450.00 on newegg.

Still haven't purchased anything yet but I'm under my budget.

[Th3Professor]

Hi! I bought the parts and assembled the computer.

I haven't purchased recording gear yet, I opted to build the computer first and see what I can work with first, plus I'm still doing a little research on the audio equipment that is ideal for my purposes.

Here's a basic rundown on what I have as far as the new computer goes:

CPU:
AMD Phenom 9950 (64-bit) quad-core 2.6+GHz (125W & black edition (unlocked))

Motherboard:
ASUS M3N-HT Deluxe/HDMI with SLI and lots of other stuff

RAM:
Corsair Dominator 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 1066MHz dual channel

Hard Drives:
Seagate Barracuda 2TB (4x500GB) 7200RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s (w/ RAID5)

Case:
NZXT Tempest (mid-tower with plenty of space for GPUs and fans/cooling, and it has some pretty glowy blue lights along with a side window)

PSU:
Thermaltake 750W (was going to be another but this came with a great "combo")

GPU:
EVGA nVidia GeForce GTX 260 (w/ stock clock (atm))

Sound Card:
On hold... the high-end audio cards for gaming do not have the necessary I/Os for use with a recording studio... might get something like the M-Audio Delta 1010lt to start out on. Though, all the audio-specific equipment will come later...

DVD:
Samsung cd/dvd burner (without lightscribe (I don't really like lightscribe, lol))

LCD Monitor:
Acer 24" 1080p 2ms etc. lots of really good stuff...

Keyboard:
Razer Lycosa (blue glowy keys)

Gamepad:
Belkin (Razer-powered) N52TE (with more pretty blue glowyness)

Mouse:
Razer Lachesis (more pretty glowy blue)

Speakers:
On hold for now... will get 2 studio monitor speakers (and maybe +sub) for use with recording music (not yet though)...

Didn't get a mic or cam... though did get...

Headset:
Koss SB/45 (headphones with microphone) (pretty basic, good brand, good price)

UPS:
Tripp Lite 100000000000VA something or other

LAN:
Going with mainboard LAN

WLAN:
On hold for now...

Wireless Router:
Ditto, will use my old one if/when I get a wireless card/USB/etc. for the computer...

Cable Modem:
Not yet (though a new one would be nice)

Coolers:
Stock fans (case has 6 huge fans, using stock CPU cooler for now, will upgrade to a better "heatsink & fan" for the CPU later)

Computer desk chair:
A basic $100 one from a local store

Computer desk:
Same kinda thing, though it's nice for the price, L-shaped glass desk (great for computer on 1/2 and mixer/soundboard on other 1/2)...

[Th3Professor]

...making progress... haven't bought music/audio recording gear yet, wanting to make sure I'm solid with the system/set-up first... at the moment I'm working on the 4 hard drives, with #1 as main for OS set-ups and #s 2,3,4 with RAID5+LVM.