Whats In A Computer?

I have set up the Maschine using my pretty old HP laptop, and I figured out pretty quickly that having a computer that isn’t capable of handling the Maschine software properly really limits what can & cant be done. Rather than go out and buy a new computer I think It’d be a better option to just rebuild one of the old towers I have sitting in the basement (its probably cheaper and a lot more fun). I know I need a good sound card, processor & a good cooling system… but what else would you guys suggest I include in this Frankenstein system? What are some features I should look for in the different components I choose ie. sound card & processor? If you could build your dream computer what would you like to have?

 

It all depends on what your budget is...

ew

 

I'd say the latest processor you can afford whether you're a fan of Intel or AMD. The main concern would be your RAM! Make sure you have enough! Are looking to include other software on this unit or will Maschine be the sole program on it? Dual HD's not to mention capacity, graphics cards, man it's so much you can do! Like Ew said, it's about what YOU can afford!

 

lets say you had $600 you wanted to spend... what would you say would be the primary components you would buy.. obviously you wouldn't go for a super video card right from the gate as video isn't the primary objective here you know? eventually i would make all the upgrades i possibly could, i just wanna get the essentials covered first

 

I dont know how old the towers in your basement are but starting with outdated hardware will limit you as to what upgrades are available. It would be unlikely that you could purchase a recent cpu and fit it in your board. There are often "barebones" deals that include a motherboard, processor and sometimes bundled with ram. I found these to be good value for the price. Maybe try to salvage the Dvd drives, hdds, and possibly the power supply?

http://www.pricewatch.com/barebones_computers/

 

ehh they're not incredibly old. 3 years old tops, but in technology years thats an eternity. but these barebones machines look like a pretty good idea. thanks for the tip.

 

Not quite true. There's always a price point at where you spend lots more money for miniscule gain. Even if you can afford what's state of the art now, it will be totally outclassed six months down the road.

Finding the sweet spot between price and performance is key. I plan on replacing my systems every couple of years, so keeping that step or two down saves me tons in the long run.

That's dependent on what OS you're using. Sticking more than 2 GB (most XP configs) or 4GB (Vista/W7) in a 32 bit system does nothing. With a 64 bit system, stick in as much as you can afford. Be sure that the RAM's on the quailfied vendor's list for your mainboard.

The thing most overlooked? A good power supply.

ew

 

ew knows his stuff, madhatter. he basically stated all the obvious things I would have mentioned. just scour newegg and cnet reviews to make sure anything you get is rated well by a swath of owners.

 

No doubt brother, I agree! You don't have to blow yourself out in that area & still be fine! An Intel core Duo, AMD 3 core processor, Intel's i3 & i5, no doubt do what's in the budget! All those & others can get the job done! Good points on the RAM too! And like you said also, alot peeps always nelgect a great power supply, that Ew is one of the most valuable points you made when dealing with ANYTHING computer related period! Heck anything that uses electricity for that matter, lol! Great stuff!

 

get a board capable of ddr3 ram