• joeyx
  • New member
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  • Registered: 2024-11-05
  • Posts: 3

Topic: New PC Build - Looking for advice

Greetings all,

I am wondering if anyone can offer any suggestions here.  I need to build a new audio production machine as my current machine (built in early 2017) is:

- Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6850K CPU @ 3.60GHz   3.60 GHz
- 64GB RAM
- ~24TB storage (half SSD, half HDD)
- Windows 10 Pro 22H2

I have a Fireface 802, a Babyface Pro, and ARC USB - all of which are rock solid and I love dearly.  90% of the work I do is in-the-box production working with various kontakt libraries, soft synths, and vst plugins.  I have no outboard or vintage gear and do not plan on getting any for the work I do.  I do record various guitars, but that's about the only "live" work I do when composing and producing.

The newest available CPUs and Windows 11 have me a bit doubtful in terms of performance/stability/reliability for audio production.

I spec'd out a couple new machines, one i9 14900k and one core ultra 285k.  Here are those links:

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/joeyxsamu … iew=yzXKhM
https://pcpartpicker.com/user/joeyxsamu … iew=FwbXnQ

I have enough money to build either of these machines, but need to be wise in my choice as I'll have to hit the ground running with production work in 2025.

I have never built or worked professionally on an AMD-based machine and it seems like that is not the way to go for audio production.  I also have an i9 Macbook Pro (terrible machine!), but really dislike the closed ecosystem of Apple along with the exorbitant pricing - although maybe I will get a 24-core Macbook Pro when it's released in the next few years, if it can perform similarly with the PC I'm currently trying to build.

This all seems to leave me with Intel CPU and Windows 10.  I've never tried building a dual-xeon workstation before, but that sounds like an interesting possibility too.

Given the above, does anyone have any recommendations for building a new machine that will be:

- powerful enough for the next 5-10 years
- solid and ready for work without Microsoft software/driver compatibility issues
- budget between $4000-$6000
- will be able to use my current RME gear without issue (or an RME PCIe audio card, RayDat maybe better latency than FF802)

Thank you and happy holidays,

joeyx

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,807

Re: New PC Build - Looking for advice

Do you actually manage to run into performance limitations with your current setup that would be caused by insufficient CPU capabilities?
If you don't trust the 13th/14th gen Intels, but want to stay with the platform, build something around a 12900 perhaps, should hardly be much slower.

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Kubrak
  • DAW Mastermind
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  • Registered: 2023-08-03
  • Posts: 606

Re: New PC Build - Looking for advice

@joeyx
I would not go for 13th or 14th gen of Intel, especially K. They are reported to fail or be unstable pretty much. Google it, if you are not aware about it, yet.

I do not think AMD CPUs have problems. Ryzen 9 9950X3D should come in few months. Huge cache might be helpfull for certain tasks.

FF UCX II, Digiface USB, Babyface Pro FS
  • Registered: 2024-12-16
  • Posts: 1

Re: New PC Build - Looking for advice

Intel tried to fix the CPU bending, but still not...
The true fix https://www.thermal-grizzly.com/cpu-con … f-i1851-v1

Better not get the Samsung 990 Pro, I prefer the WD Black SN850X.
https://youtu.be/ileagS3-520

Before get a PSU or a CPU cooler, check https://hwbusters.com/best-picks/

  • Registered: 2023-06-30
  • Posts: 214

Re: New PC Build - Looking for advice

Pictus wrote:

Intel tried to fix the CPU bending, but still not...
The true fix https://www.thermal-grizzly.com/cpu-con … f-i1851-v1

Better not get the Samsung 990 Pro, I prefer the WD Black SN850X.
https://youtu.be/ileagS3-520

Before get a PSU or a CPU cooler, check https://hwbusters.com/best-picks/

I have been using Samsung SSDs since 2014, never had an issue, be it a 850 Pro (that is still doing well after ten years as a boot drive in the system I gave away to my parents), two 850 Evo in two different laptops, one is 9 years old, the other is 7 years old), a 970 Pro that I had for five years as my main boot drive, another 970 Pro that is being used in my OMV NAS for write caching, another pair of 970 Pro that I use as a striped volume for hot data, and, finally, a 2TB 990 Pro that replaced my 970 Pro as my boot drive this year.

Yes, shortly after release (about two years ago) a bug was reported in the 990 Pro FW that could lead to a failure, but it was quickly fixed and the problem was gone.

Why should we believe this random guy with messy hair on YT who doesn't even know the difference between SFF (2.5") and LFF (3.5") drive form factors and talking nonsense with dramatic intonations and aggressive gesticulation?

And why should we believe a guy who posts affiliate links to get a commission for the product he advertises?

Fireface UCX II + ARC USB > ADI-2 Pro FS R BE > Neumann KH 750 DSP + MA 1 > KH 120 A
  • Registered: 2007-05-09
  • Posts: 649

Re: New PC Build - Looking for advice

Kubrak wrote:

@joeyx
I would not go for 13th or 14th gen of Intel, especially K. They are reported to fail or be unstable pretty much. Google it, if you are not aware about it, yet.

This was fixed by BIOS (microcode) updates.

  • Registered: 2007-05-09
  • Posts: 649

Re: New PC Build - Looking for advice

Pictus wrote:

Better not get the Samsung 990 Pro, I prefer the WD Black SN850X.

I have seen this crash twice on my machine too - bluescreen and then drive is not found anymore. Power off + power on = drive works again. In event log there are entries pointing to the intel network card (onboard ASUS Pro WS W680-ACE). So for now I've disabled "allow the computer to turn off this device" for the network card. So far no BSODs anymore. Fingers crossed.