Personal computing discussed
Moderators: renee, JustAnEngineer
BIF wrote:LGA2011 is going to be more expensive than LGA1155. You can save $20 on the processor with promo code "EMCNBJN26" or you can buy the processor and motherboard together to save $35.Opinions thus far?
BIF wrote:It looks like about $520 for 8x8 GiB of PC3-14900 (DDR3-1866, CAS 9, 1.5 V) memory. It'd be $440 if you went with the PC3-12800 kit that I used in my last build or $320 if you went with some PC3-10600 (DDR3-1333).I need help choosing memory. I want 64 GB of RAM; reasonably fast. I see Newegg has prices ranging from $350 upwards to $929. I'd like to keep the memory cost around $350-$400 if possible.
BIF wrote:I haven't seen any current-generation AMD graphics cards that support fewer than three monitors. You'll get one dual-link DVI, one HDMI/single-link DVI and two or three Mini-DisplayPort outputs on most of them. Note that monitors 3, 4 and up must use DisplayPort.The graphics card should be able to support 3 monitors minimum, more is better.
BIF wrote:You've got that backwards. You should hate the monitors that don't support the current standard. Fortunately, the best monitors will include DisplayPort inputs. MiniDisplayPort-to-DVI active adapters are easy to find if you really need to connect an older monitor that lacks DisplayPort input. These two support single-link DVI: StarTech MDP2DVIS or Sapphire 100925. Single-Link DVI is good for up to 1920x1200 @60 Hz.I hate the DisplayPort protocol because it limits my monitor choices.
cheerful hamster wrote:Here is a page full of DAW benchmarks, so you can decide if the 2011 socket is right for you:
http://www.adkproaudio.com/benchmarks.cfm
Second chart from the top. It hasn't been updated for Ivy Bridge, but they're a little faster than the Sandy.
Do you plan to add DSP cards (e.g. UAD-2)? Have you picked out your audio interface yet?
Compton wrote:I actually built a very similar system recently... with a 3930K and Asus P9X79 WS....
BIF wrote:Yes, I already have one UAD-2 and may add another one sometime in the next 24 months. No rush on that, but if I add one, it'll probably happen before I do another hardware build...so yes, I'll need a couple of PCIe slots to support UAD2, plus one for the graphic card.
BIF wrote:maybe the UAD-2 Apollo with the Thunderbird option.
BIF wrote:maybe the UAD-2 Apollo with the Thunderbird option.
cheerful hamster wrote:I think you mean Thunderbolt, unless you plan on getting drunk. The Apollo rocks, I got one for one of the studios where I work (it's Mac only right now as you probably know, and Apple products don't enter my house), we're all waiting for PC drivers and the TB card.
cheerful hamster wrote:Here is a page full of DAW benchmarks, so you can decide if the 2011 socket is right for you:
http://www.adkproaudio.com/benchmarks.cfm
Second chart from the top. It hasn't been updated for Ivy Bridge, but they're a little faster than the Sandy.
BIF wrote:Between systems, I don't keep track of CPU model numbers or chipsets.
cheerful hamster wrote:...Taken as a rough guide, a 3930 should be about 5x as powerful as your current system. If you need low latency, clock speed is still king. We're lucky because our application is massively parallel, so when you need FX we can use every last bit of any cores present, so the more cores the better too.
The Sandy Bridge-E platform has four memory channels, which is an advantage if you are a heavy sample user, which you appear to be. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any of the those motherboards being Thunderbolt compatible, that feature debuted with Ivy Bridge, and it's looking doubtful that there will ever be a TB PCIe adapter card. The Ivy platform might suit you better if you're looking seriously at the Apollo. It only has two memory channels though. The top end Ivy would be a little faster than the 2600K on the chart, so it's roughly 4x as powerful as your current system if you don't plan to overclock.
If you're looking more for an opinion, I would advise you to get the system you proposed. It will last you the longest without feeling ridiculously old when it comes time to upgrade again. By then, if you're still interested in the Apollo, I would guess there will be more variants of it available (different channel configs, etc) and the stability will be top notch. The current iteration has some routing quirks, and the TB expansion card is now being listed at $499 (yikes!). Any issues will take a bit of time to shake out.