Updating ye old recording studio!

Steve Stallings · Post by **Steve Stallings** » 20 Mar 2006 11:41 am

err.. computer that is.

I'm really torn here. I'm using Sonar 5PE with a Presonus Firepod. My computer is a P4 2.4 with 2gb of Ram. I've got a 120g boot hd and a 250g Audio drive only.

I'm trying to decide if I just want to order a MB/CPU combo instead of a new system.
I can get a ASUS SLI Delux with a AMD64XP2 4200 for $540. Of course, I'll have to buy new memory too. A new system is easily gonna run $2k but then I could just give the kids this computer for games.
I'm also hearing that the new VISTA is the first serious rewrite for audio in ten years and that computer based DAWS will make a quantum leap in about six months.

Ideas?

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 20 Mar 2006 12:44 pm

Just out of curiosity, why are you upgrading? That system you have isn't exactly a "stone".

Gary Shepherd · Post by **Gary Shepherd** » 20 Mar 2006 3:28 pm

Go with one of the Athlon 64 Dual Core combos. I think you can get a Dual Core 3800+ with a motherboard for under $400 on eBay. The dual core will be a big jump from your single core CPU. And you'll need it in Sonar if you use many softsynths or FX.

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Gary Shepherd

Carter D-10

www.16tracks.com

Steve Stallings · Post by **Steve Stallings** » 31 Mar 2006 7:40 pm

The reason for upgrading is as Gary pointed out. Soft synths and effects are CPU/ran intensive.

Now... I've completed this upgrade.

System...
AMD x2 3800
4 gb of ram
3 250 gb harddrives
ATI PCI express 254mb DVI dual graphics card.

I am slightly overclocking which provides the same or better performance than the 4800 x2

As soon as the drivers for xp64 are available easily, this will become a true smoking machine.

When TC develops usb2 farm cards, I'll add one.

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God Bless,
Steve Stallings
D10 8x8 Rains
D10 8x10 Emmons (Black Beauty)

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 1 Apr 2006 3:03 am

If you are using Windows XP, it will only recognize and address 3 GB of RAM, according to several posts on the Dell users forum. Several there upgraded to 4 GB and found out only 3GB was recognized.

Steve Stallings · Post by **Steve Stallings** » 1 Apr 2006 4:13 am

Jack,
Currently xp, but Sonar5PE is designed to use xp64, as are the AMD dual core cpu's. XP64 will address up to 128gb of ram. My plan is to use XP64.

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God Bless,
Steve Stallings
D10 8x8 Rains
D10 8x10 Emmons (Black Beauty)

<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Steve Stallings on 01 April 2006 at 04:57 AM.]</p></FONT>