First Build - Step 1: Choosing Parts fo DAW

[jplanet]

Hi, first post here and very happy to find this forum!

I am setting out to build my first PC. The goal is to have something well-cooled and quiet based on Pentium D. Here is what I've come up with so far as my first list of parts:

CPU: Intel Pentium D 950 Presler 800MHz FSB LGA 775
MOBO: Gigabyte GA-G1975X Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 975X ATX Intel Motherboard
RAM: Patriot 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit
Video: MSI RX800-TD128E Radeon X800 128MB DDR PCI Express x16
CASE/PSU: ASPIRE X-Superalien ATXA6SW-BL/500 Blue Aluminum Server Computer Case ATX aluminum 500W see-through power supply
Cooling: ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro CPU Cooler
Floppy: SAMSUNG Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive Windows 98SE/ ME/ 2000/ XP
HD 1 (OS/Programs): Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3808110AS 80GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
HD 2 & 3 (Audio recording/Sample Storage): Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s

I'd love to hear any feedback on this setup. Some of the goals I had in mind when choosing parts:

- Future upgradeability of CPU
- Well-ventilated and cooled to deal with Pentium D's tendency to run hot
- Roomy case to work in (more forgiving for first-time DYI!)
- Floppy necessary to install Windows XP on SATA drive
- Unsure of RAM compatibility with MOBO
- Need PCI slots to run pro audio cards, must be able to run on seperate IRQ's
- Extra power supply wattage to handle possible additional DSP cards
- I have a few CD/DVD drives lying around from old computers that I can use

[Cricket]

I'd love to hear any feedback on this setup. Some of the goals I had in mind when choosing parts:

- Well-ventilated and cooled to deal with Pentium D's tendency to run hotThe case itself may be fine but Aspire power supplies are rubbish and should be replaced with something much better.- Roomy case to work in (more forgiving for first-time DYI!)I've never used an Aspire case before (they feel flimsy to me) so I can't help you there. Have you looked at the Antec or Thermaltake cases?- Floppy necessary to install Windows XP on SATA driveNo, most current motherboards have chipsets with native SATA support and you won't need to install 3rd party drivers.- Unsure of RAM compatibility with MOBOYou can check at either the motherboard maker's or the RAM maker's web site for a compatibility list.- Need PCI slots to run pro audio cards, must be able to run on seperate IRQ's Can't help you there.- Extra power supply wattage to handle possible additional DSP cardsAgain, you'll want a good quality power supply to power your rig. I prefer Fortron Source and Sparkle Power power supplies.

:) Cricket

[glc]

The Antec Sonata II case is well-cooled and quiet - and comes with a high quality power supply. It's conservative looking and solidly constructed, it's not all flash like Aspire cases. The 950 is a bit of a waste - I'd buy a processor at the sweet cost spot - which is the 930 or 940 now - and I'd use the stock cooler. The 9xx runs a lot cooler than the 8xx. I also don't see the need for a 975X based board - unless you want Core 2 Duo support, and if that's the case, I'd get the latest Intel Bad Axe board.

[jplanet]

Great, thanks for the good (and fast!) advice...

As for the case, I thought it would be fun to have something with a little bit of flash, but of course I don't want to sacrifice functionality, roominess, etc. I know that the Sonatan II is popular, and with good reason, although I've been advised that I will need more than a 450W power supply for using it as an audio workstation (I will need to be able to add DSP cards later that draw a lot of power). I found some Thermaltake cases which look quite nice...what do you think of these?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=ENE&N=2010090007+50001379+1054808289+1055508421&Subcategory=7&description=&srchInDesc=&minPrice=&maxPrice=

Probably no need to go with a Bad Axe at this point, they are so expensive. If I need that upgrade in a few years, those boards will be less expensive then...So what Mobo would you recommend to go with the Pentium D 940?

[flanzig1]

On the Thermaltake cases, pick one that you like, then read the product discription. Thermaltake has been using plastic front doors on some models.

I'll let glc handle the mobo question.

[glc]

If you get a Thermaltake case, get one without a power supply - and then get something like an Antec TPII-550 power supply.

I'd probably look at an Asus P5LD2 or P5WD2 board to keep the cost down and still have a high quality stable board - only possible hassle is the bios version that it ships with.

[jplanet]

Ok, I found a Thermaltake case that reviewers like for the quality door (not plastic), and good airflow...and I had no problem finding the Antec TPII-550, which also appears well-liked.

reading the reviews on the recommended ASUS mobos sounded a little scary. Lot sof reviewers at Newegg report issues with SATA, which of course I'll be completely dependent upon...Perhaps there are some features on these boards to trade off for ease of use for a first-timer?

[jplanet]

The more research I do on motherboards, the more that I am surprised that they each seem to be burdened with one issue or another.

I suppose my main criteria would be -

- Forget upgradability
- at least 2-3 PCI, 2 PCIe X1, and 1 PCIe X16
- Firewire not necessary
- I'd rather the processor keep cool and stable for recording audio, so I am not really looking for massive overclocking capabilities
- Since it's my first build, a nicely-written manual would be very helpful

Does such an animal exist?

[Mr.Ferrari]

On the cases, pick one that suits your needs, thermaltake's cases are known to be very tough and easy to work in, along with quiet a bit of bling.

But watch out, most of their cases are steel, and once again this is all up to you, but if you want something lightish then take the aluminum versions.

It all depends on what your budget is though.

As glc stated, P5LD2 is a great choice for something great quality and budget.
Also it has 3 pci, 3 pcie x1, and a pciex16. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131538

[glc]

If you want stability and don't care about being able to overclock:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813121288

[Mr.Ferrari]

Better price too..

[jplanet]

If you want stability and don't care about being able to overclock:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813121288

Ah, this one looks promising. I had read the reviews at Newegg and noticed that it lacked any consistent complaints, whereas the reviews of the other boards, many of them agreed on many of the same issues.

This one may be perfect -- I have no need for onboard video, so that saves me the hassle of disabling it...nice number of PCI and PCIe slots...I like!

[glc]

The ONLY downside other than no overclocking is it only has one IDE controller - so you are limited to 2 IDE drives - which I'm assuming would be opticals. You will want to stick with SATA hard drives.

[jplanet]

Thanks for the head's up on the IDE...One IDE controller should be ok for me for CD/DVD...

Based on the recommendations above, this is the revised list:

CPU: Intel Pentium D 940 Presler 800MHz FSB LGA 775 Dual Core, EM64T Processor Model BX80553940
MOBO: Intel BOXD945PSNLK Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 945P ATX
RAM: Patriot 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit
Video: MSI RX800-TD128E Radeon X800 128MB DDR PCI Express x16
CASE: Thermaltake SHARK VA7000SWA Silver 1.0 mm All aluminum ATX Full Tower aluminum PSU: Antec TRUEPOWERII TPII-550 ATX12V PSU: 550W Power Supply
-or-
PSU: Rosewill RV400S-2 ATX 2.01 400W
Floppy: SAMSUNG Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive Windows 98SE/ ME/ 2000/ XP
HD 1 (OS/Programs): Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3808110AS 80GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
HD 2 & 3 (Audio recording/Sample Storage): Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s

When I sit back and think about the setup now, I wonder about two things:

- Power Supply: Might be overkill...I need to consider if I am going to be using a DSP card to expand audio processing capabilities, but now it seems wiser to use external devices for this purpose. Will 400W be enough?

- Lastly, I wonder about the cooling...Case is well-ventilated, RAM sticks have heatshields, stock heatsink/fan seems good...

[jayb1234]

Stick with the Antec psu, much better quality than rosewill with twice the power available on the 12V rails. The specs on the rosewill look like they mickey moused an old ATX to try to meet ATX 2.0 specs, I wouldn't trust it. As far as a good motherboard manual, you wont find any better than Intel's. Don"t forget to order an OS. As far as the floppy, download the manuals for the parts you decide on and check whether you will need it during setup. Some of the newer boards still need them for one thing or another. It is a good idea to have one anyway, they can be pretty usefull for troubleshooting.

[glc]

If you don't want to spend the money on the Antec, get the 450 watt XClio.

[jplanet]

First, thanks again for all this fantastic advice. It's hard to believe that it's free!

Question about the power supply...I have three SATA drives in my configuration, and I see that the XClio has two SATA connectors. Can I still connect three or more drives to it? I'm not sure if it is ike IDE, where there are several connectors on a single cable...

[glc]

Sure - all you need is a molex to SATA adapter - or drives that have legacy molex connectors. Drives that have both connectors are available - and you use one or the other - but not BOTH.

[jplanet]

ok, I'm about to confirm my Newegg order! (Very Excited)...is there anything else I need to get, such as drive cables, or any other accessories I would need to build?

[glc]

The motherboard comes with one floppy cable, one IDE cable, and two SATA data cables. You will need one more SATA data cable.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812104150

[jplanet]

The motherboard comes with one floppy cable, one IDE cable, and two SATA data cables. You will need one more SATA data cable.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812104150

Thanks! I can't imagine how I could have done this without this forum!

[jplanet]

OK, all parts have arrived and I've begun my first build...a couple of things have come up that are puzzling me:

- I cannot get the pcie card to line up properly so that I can lock down the case's clamp (It's a Thermaltake Shark case). It appears that I have to put an unusual amount of pressure on the case and the card to get it to line up, but then it is (or seems) impossible to put the clamp down.. The pcie card appears to want to sit about 1/4" higher than it should.

The mobo appears to be installed absolutely correctly, everything lines up perfectly with the i/o shield...