Are these hardware components compatible?

[patrick2010]

Hello SPCR

I’d like to make my DAW faster and quieter.

I’ve spent a few days reading online to improve my limited understanding of computer components. I’ve decided to take the SPCR editors recommendations about kit as positive reviews here correlate with those elsewhere on the web.

I have compiled a configuration I believe is compatible, but would like to check with some more experienced PC builders. Is somebody willing to cast a quick glance over the proposed specs to ensure there are no compatibility problems?

I’ve linked the spec sheet pages for each product to save you searching for them.

Parts I’ll reuse from my existing setup:

Motherboard: ASRock ConRoe945G-DVI LGA775 socket / mATX form factor
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 3.2
Memory: 1GB DDR2-667 (x4)
HDD: Maxtor 6v200e0 (200Gb) SATA

Parts I plan to purchase:

Case: Antec P183 ATX
Case fan: Nexus d12sl-12
PSU: Nexus Value 430 ATX
Heatsink: Scythe Mugen-2 supports LGA775
HDD: Samsung F1 750GB HD753LJ (750Gb) SATA II

I will use the Maxtor drive serving the OS & programs + the Samsung for storage. The Antec case and Scythe leave some scope for buying a new motherboard/CPU later.

Specific questions:

Is the power supply enough for the setup?

Will the heat sink have enough clearance in the width of the case?

To improve read & write times, I’d like to run a RAID array of Samsung HDs. Are there any software solutions to overcome my motherboards lack of support for RAID?
Have I overlooked something here? (I've never done more than replace RAM and graphics cards before. This will truely be the most tinkering I've done inside a PC...)


Many thanks in advance!

Patrick

[fumino]

looks good from here. psu should be more than enough, and the heatsink will fit.

as for the raid... no luck there really. you'd probably have to get a new motherboard or a raid card.

good luck :3

[bonestonne]

I've never been a fan of using mATX motherboards in ATX cases, it's just unnecessary space used.

I would suggest the new case, but maybe a P18x Mini?

The Nexus Value 430 is a good choice, and so is the Mugen CPU cooler.

The Samsung F1 drives are all good, however I'm wondering if a 1TB would be more cost effective per gb, however it's all in what you want.

I'm not a fan of Maxtor drives personally, but if it's working fine for you, go for it.

I'm wondering what kind of DAW software you use with that setup, it looks like a real good budget build, a RAM upgrade would probably feel nice with that as well. 4gb is steady, but for a tough working DAW, it might bog down after a few plugins.

[patrick2010]

Thanks for the replies.

I've been using my current setup for several years, first with Reason, then Cubendo, now Reaper.

The plugins I use tend to be freeware, although I have bought a few commercial plugs too. I don't record much anymore due to time constraints and the hoover sound emanating from my case fans.

I've actually decided to sell the PC as part of a plan for raising capital for one of my business projects. As I already have a soundcard (EMU 1616m), studio monitors (Alesis M1 Active 520s), midi keyboard (oxygen8) & mic (SM57), it makes sense to advertise the setup as a complete DAW.

Due to the deafening oem case & fans, I would be doing a diservice to the new owner if I didn't resolve that issue. From a marketing perspective, I can also use the silent nature of the new spec as USP.

Regarding a mATX motherboard in a ATX case, I believe extensibility is a good thing in this context. If the new owner decides to make upgrades, there will be ample room to play with. If the bundle doesn't sell, I'll be able to use it for my own upgrade visions (12GB ram, RAID 10 with Tb drives, SSD boot drive etc).

For the HD, I took the recommendations from the SPCR HD lists. As my current HD works, I thought it would be useful to include just as a boot disk for the OS & programs. I was going to buy 4 drives and make a proper array along with the Maxtor just as the boot disk, but then discovered that the motherboard doesn't support RAID.

I was also looking at the Western Digital Black/Blue/Green drives and have read some decent feedback. If you believe the 1TB Samsung runs as quietly as the 750GB, I may consider it.

Anyway, silent operation is the primary concern, as storage is cheap enough for a new owner to buy if they decide too.

Patrick

[Mats]

Motherboard: ASRock ConRoe945G-DVI LGA775 socket / mATX form factor
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 3.2

The CPU you linked to was released this summer. I bet you've got this 2.66 GHz CPU: http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=27 ... L9U2,SL9ZF
Yeah, it's confusing. Not that it makes much difference anyway..

Depending on how large amounts of data you're working with, a SSD may be an alternative, and it's also something you can reuse together with a future board.
But if you need hundreds of GB moving faster it would cost too much.

[lm]

I doubt that you will actually make more money in total this way than just selling the parts you have as is.

[Mats]

I doubt that you will actually make more money in total this way than just selling the parts you have as is.

+1
Either upgrade your system like you first suggested, or, sell everything and then build a new one. NOT BOTH. You will lose money on that.
(Didn't read your second post before.)

Do you have to keep the computer that close if you're working with audio and noise is a concern? USB can be 4 m without any extra equipment, but you can double it with cheap powered hubs, HDMI is over 10 m.
Just something to think about when planning a new build.

[patrick2010]

tbh, I don't know the exact model of the CPU chip as I haven't taken off the fan. The invoice for the PC says intel core 2 duo 3.2, so I assumed it was the same one?

I'm not looking at making more money from the sale by adding components, I just want to make the sale more attractive. As mentioned, the stock case and fans are very loud, and that needs resolving whether I sell or not.

By offering some decent kit along with the older stuff components, a buyer knows they can upgrade easily from a good shell.

If I can't sell, at least I'm left with some kit I'd actually want to use as the basis for a better system (case, fans, psu etc).

[Mats]

tbh, I don't know the exact model of the CPU chip as I haven't taken off the fan. The invoice for the PC says intel core 2 duo 3.2, so I assumed it was the same one?

That's a bit confusing, but I think we should sort it out since it affects how easy it is to keep cool. If you're running Windows, hold down the Windows key while you press the Pause key, or go to System in Control Panel. What model does it say? It should be Exxxx.

I'm not looking at making more money from the sale by adding components, I just want to make the sale more attractive. As mentioned, the stock case and fans are very loud, and that needs resolving whether I sell or not.By offering some decent kit along with the older stuff components, a buyer knows they can upgrade easily from a good shell.

I see your point but I don't think you're expecting to make money, I'm saying you'll lose money. Adding a £110 case to 3 year old parts won't raise the price with £110 since it's considered used, just like the other parts. It may raise the price with £70 if you're lucky, but then you have lost £40.

From a buyers point of view it doesn't make sense to buy a premium ATX case for full price with old µATX parts and having the intention to keep it that way (which should be the only reason for buying it in the first place). If someone wants a new £110 case, why would they buy an used one from you for £110?

Just sell the parts as they are and save yourself some work and money.

[OddSilence]

Although I don't know much about it, my opinion is similar to Mats', I think you'll most probably spend more money on the new hardware than the money you'd "receive" for adding the new stuff... So if the idea was to sell the system to generate money for a business project, This way, I wouldn't count on much money.
At most maybe you could just change the case fan?

If you really need money, here is an idea:
I think you should try to sell the old stuff as-is, and if you couldn't find anyone interested, you could just sell individually whichever components(from the ones you have) that have more value / are less prone to become obsolete (though, probably those are the ones you'd rather keep, but as I said, this idea is for a "need money" situation).

Patrick wrote:

If I can't sell, at least I'm left with some kit I'd actually want to use as the basis for a better system (case, fans, psu etc).

The question is, if you need money right now, would you spend the money on improving your system at this moment if you weren't thinking of selling?
I might be totally wrong, and I'm sorry for saying this, but I feel that in your subconscious, you're using the "selling" as an excuse for making an update/purchase in a time you shouldn't.

[patrick2010]

I appreciate your input and I see your point.

Case fans could help to lower the noise without costing too much, meaning I won't really be out of pocket up front.

Checking the system properties device manager, all I get is Intel Pentium D CPU 3.20Ghz? The properties tabs aren't telling me anything more either...? Sad

Patrick

[Mats]

Checking the system properties device manager, all I get is Intel Pentium D CPU 3.20Ghz?

Ouch!
That's really bad news if true. Use this Intel program just to double check and to see exactly which model number it is, like 840, 935 or 940 or something.

Pentium D 800 series was one of the least popular CPU's made during the last decade, and if you thought you got a Core 2 Duo then I guess somebody fooled you. The 900 series was better, but I don't think anyone would pay more than £5 for any of them today. You can't make it more attractive with a nice case, that's for sure. Sad but true.

This could also be the explanation for the noise, they are inefficient and use lots of power even in idle.

[patrick2010]

It appears I've a Pentium D 940.

An issue with the current case is that the fan ports are more obstructive than anything. There are two extra fan slots at the front, one in the side and one at the back. Except for the side fan, all the slots are obstructed by the design of the stamped metal.

You've correctly observed that I've wanted an excuse to start planning my next setup. Trying to sell my old PC is the perfect excuse to start looking at new gear.

Extra cash would be far more useful than a second PC (I have two). To me it makes sense to offload the unused kit and use the asset more fruitfully.

To answer the questions, I wouldn't spend the money on at this point. Not really being certain of the value of the current setup, I presumed that pimping it would help make it easier to sell, especially as it is old kit.

Patrick

[patrick2010]

I have two goals, one which can help with the other.

The first is to lower the overall noise made by the computer. For the computers current application (recording music), it is far to loud.

The second goal is to sell the computer. As the computer works sufficiently to run any music software currently available, it is still worth something. Lowering the overall noise profile should be sufficient in promoting it on music forums as a cheap complete DAW for sale.

Perhaps the solution here is to add four Nexus case fans and the Mugen?

Patrick

[bonestonne]

I've got a Pentium D 940 lying around. It's not terribly hot, but it's not cut out for audio work (as I did audio work with it, and upgraded twice to get the power I needed).

For a good DAW, LGA775 systems definitely get the job done if you don't have the cash for an i7 build. I run a Q9400, and I use Pro Tools M-Powered 8.0.4, Adobe Audition 3, and Reaper x64, and as long as the right hardware is running (Pro Tools wont run with both of my Delta 1010's enabled) the machine is a monster.

RAM is probably the most important part, with #2 being the hard drives. Audio is pretty flexible, and doesn't need dual i7's like HD video editing does, but you need some power to get it running.

Part the rig out and use what you want for the next machine. You wont really get a lot of money for a 3 year old system that isn't even a Core 2 Duo platform.

[patrick2010]

I've never truly pushed the PC for recording audio. For producing EDM, it's always been great.

I don't really want to keep anything from the setup. Making music has always been a hobby. As mentioned, I've had other things to occupy my time.

Looks like I'll just need to push as hard as possible to sell everything to someone looking for an entry level production setup.

[OddSilence]

Looks like I'll just need to push as hard as possible to sell everything to someone looking for an entry level production setup.

The problem seems to me to be in your will to keep the computer and audio-equipment in a package;
Consider separating it in 2 packages:
1 - the computer
2 - the audio-gear

This way:
- you wouldn't have worries with pushing a noisy computer to someone that would be using it to record audio, and thus no need to quiet it down.
- you could sell the computer to anyone
- you could sell the audio-gear as a "all you need to be coupled with a computer to have a complete DAW system"

[patrick2010]

I understand.

Thank you all for your time and advice.

Patrick