Need advice/Help: Possible new computer system

FwrX_HJ wrote on 5/29/2010, 11:50 PM
Hello, would you mind if I asked for some advice/info in regard to a possible new AMD system purchase I'm about to make? I work a lot with audio (Vegas and Pro Tools 8 mainly, in WinXP Pro) but also do some video work as well.

I'm looking for advice on any pitfalls and possible problems as it relates to my audio hardware and driver (which I want and need to keep intact).

My current system:

AMD athlon 64 X2 4400+
Gigibyte GA-K8NS Ultra-939 mobo (Nforce 3, fwire is TI chipset)
4 gigs of PC3200 ram

3 modified Delta 1010s (not 1010 "LT") audiio interfaces (PCI audio - I will not go Fwire audio).

1 dvd burner, 2 IDE HDDs
4 Sata HDDS

Nvidia 7600 GS (no gaming here btw)

2 panasonic GS500 cams for personal video, but I've worked with other SD and HD before.

Looking to upgrade for:
faster processing, handle more RTAS/VST instruments and plugins, and rendering.

This current system is still working as is....but as I'm sure you know an upgrade should help at this point.

*I will be keeping this system as a 2nd system and I am curious about any possible overclocking (really moreso, a more "safe overclocking settings", on air that is).

if anyone in the know might be able to help in providing safe and sane OC settings for the above I'd sure love the help.

** The above system has never been run OC'd and the new system will likely not be run OC'd as well. Just curious about a little OC boost as it will be a 2nd system


PROPOSED NEW SYSTEM:
(yes, I've decided I'm going to stay with AMD, not that Intel isn't better/bad but cost is a factor right now. Plus I've been happy with this current AMD):

AMD Phenom II X6 1055T 2.8GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor ($199)

GIGABYTE GA-880GA-UD3H ATX AMD Motherboard ($105)
Has onboard video (a first for me btw): ATI Radeon HD 4250
*again - no gaming here, no need or desire.

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory ($109.00)

CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply ($79.00)

**more on the motherboard is below. Feel free to snip anything in replies of course**



QUESTIONS:

Can you tell me how much of a performance jump I'm making with the new sys vs old (just a rough estimate)?

Will I be able to take advantage of all six cores in vegas, Pro Tools 8, Adobe CS3, and more?

WINXP PRO AND THIS NEW SYSTEM:
I really think, unfortunately, that I will have to remain with WinXP pro and this is due to my PCI audio cards which I still need and want to utilize (modded delta 1010s)...and....because my delta driver of choice is a rather dated but full featured version which offers the best overall usage for my needs (Pro Tools, Vegas, and other apps).

So, will there be any loss of performance, beside a possible ram limitaion :( with WinXP pro with the new system?

*I'd love to go Win7 but Pro Tools 8 (vegas kills pro tools imo...but you know the drill, the client wants the PT choice, etc.), but...Pro Tools still has some issues (hardware limitations and more) with Win7...and...I don't believe I can install my deltas with the old driver (which has become a MUST in my weird case).

Maybe one day, hopefully sooner than later...but it's WinXP Pro for now.

I just want to know if you might forsee any issues with a newer system like this and installing Win XP with it all (driver issues, performance loss, etc.).

How about the hardware I've chosen....you forsee any red flags or issues with these?
I chose the mobo because I like Gigiabyte, i NEED at least 3 "regular" PCI slots, and the Fwire, I believe, is once again T.I. chipset based. It only has 1 IDE port (most new mobo do) but that's ok, I'll be moving to all SATA anyway.

I just want a painless install, get things up and running, be able to use my deltas and old driver of choice (all of which is working great on my current sys btw)....but with the gain in the processing and I/O upgrade.

Thanks so much for any advice!
Howard




MORE ON MOBO:
Model
Brand GIGABYTE
Model GA-880GA-UD3H
Supported CPU
CPU Socket Type AM3
CPU Type Phenom II / Athlon II / Sempron 100 Series
FSB 2600MHz Hyper Transport (5200 MT/s)
Chipsets
North Bridge AMD 880G
South Bridge AMD SB850
Memory
Number of Memory Slots 4×240pin
Memory Standard DDR3 1866(OC)/1333/1066
Maximum Memory Supported 16GB
Channel Supported Dual Channel
Expansion Slots
PCI Express 2.0 x16 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot, running at x16 (PCIEX16)
1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot, running at x4 (PCIEX4)
PCI Express x1 2 x PCI Express x1 slot (The PCIEX1_2 slot shares bandwidth with the PCIEX4 slot.)

(Note) The PCIEX1_2 slot shares bandwidth with the PCIEX4 slot. When the PCIEX4 slot is populated with a x4 card, the PCIEX1_2 slot becomes unavailable.
PCI Slots 3
Storage Devices
PATA 1 x ATA133 2 Dev. Max
SATA 3Gb/s 2
SATA 6Gb/s 6 x SATA 6Gb/s
SATA RAID SATA 6Gb/s: RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, and JBOD
SATA 3Gb/s: RAID 0, RAID 1, and JBOD
Onboard Video
Onboard Video Chipset ATI Radeon HD 4250
Onboard Audio
Audio Chipset Realtek ALC892
Audio Channels 8 Channels
Onboard LAN
LAN Chipset Realtek 8111D
Max LAN Speed 10/100/1000Mbps
Rear Panel Ports
PS/2 1
Video Ports D-Sub + DVI
HDMI 1 x HDMI
USB 1.1/2.0 4 x USB 2.0
USB 3.0 2 x USB 3.0
IEEE 1394 1 x IEEE 1394a
S/PDIF Out 1 x Optical
Audio Ports 6 Ports
Onboard USB
Onboard USB 8 x USB 2.0
Onboard 1394
Onboard 1394 2 x 1394a
Physical Spec
Form Factor ATX
Dimensions 12.0" x 9.6"
Power Pin 24 Pin
Features
Features Supports new generation of AMD Phenom II X6 processors

Supports newest NEC SuperSpeed USB 3.0 with superfast transfer rates of up to 5 Gbps

3X USB power delivery for greater compatibility and extra power for USB devices

Exclusive Auto Unlock technology provides hardware-based solution for unleash CPU performance

Ultra Durable 3 Classic Technology with copper cooled quality for lower working temperature

2 PCI-E 2.0 x16 interface with ATI Hybrid CrossFireX support for ultimate graphics performance

Comments

FwrX_HJ wrote on 5/31/2010, 7:13 PM
anyone?
FwrX_HJ wrote on 6/1/2010, 4:18 PM
Please?
is there a reason no users here can/will advise? I'm not sure about moving to this system and could really use advice from users who have upgraded recently.
thx
ushere wrote on 6/1/2010, 4:43 PM
if you really want a 'vegas system' why not simply look at the systems sony have put together and either buy one of those, or, as i suspect many people will, simply put your own together using their specs?

i run an i7, i can't see any justification using amd other than price, and for a reliable (professional) editing system price should not be a limiting factor....

btw, running v9/64 on win7/64 is both reliable and fast....
Guy S. wrote on 6/1/2010, 5:59 PM
Since you haven't gotten a response to your question, I'll take a stab at it.

First, I would not hesitate to purchase the AMD/Gigabyte combo. I went with a Core i5/Gigabyte system (also $200), but the AMD ought to be just fine. Try Tom's Hardware for a review/comparison of the AMD vs. Intel in terms of speed. Ignore the generic CPU tests and pay particular attention to rendering and media encoding tests, as that's what you'll be doing.

Your issues will be with the OS, the version of Vegas you're running, and drivers for your sound card. As an audio guy I appreciate your desire to stay with the card that works for you, but I believe that making this a non-negotiable will seriously degrade your video editing experience.

Multi-processor support is far better in Vegas 9 than in Vegas 8. FAR better. You also the 64-bit version of Vegas for the best performance. And for the best speed and stability, you want Windows 7 64-bit. Win 7 has some powerful compatibility features for legacy devices, but in the end you may not be able to use your audio interface with Win 7.

So the real question is this: are you willing to find another audio solution? If you are, then your proposed Phenom system will be an order of magnitude better than what you're using. If you're not willing to give up your audio interface, could you use your current system for audio and your new system for video, using MIDI to have your audio system chase-lock to your video system? I did this years ago on my Amiga system via SMPTE chase lock and it worked well. I haven't set this up with MIDI, but in theory it should work.

Good luck,

Guy
kkolbo wrote on 6/1/2010, 6:22 PM

The folks here are mostly software operators rather than system builders. You are dealing with a very specific set of unusual perimeters. Three Delta 1010's is not a standard video rig. Few motherboards have that many legacy PCI slots. The other thing is that for multi-threaded applications like Vegas, the Intel Core i7's have shown such strong performance per dollar that few folks are not thinking much about them. For games that are poorly multi-threaded, AMD's are considered a strong alternative.

Audio does not put the load on the system that video does. I am also not familiar with running Pro-tools on a PC. You may want to check the specs of the Pro Tools qualified systems on the M-Audio website. I see that you are limited to Win XP or Vista 32. Vegas is very forgiving on the system that it will run. You may want to discuss specifics on the Pro Tools boards. It sounds like you will have to cater to Pro Tools more than Vegas.

I am sorry that we are not much help. It is just not an area that we are that strong in.

KK
FwrX_HJ wrote on 6/1/2010, 6:34 PM
No, no...the replies were great. Thanks.

I do work with recording live music/tracks moreso, but I do work with video (mainly CS3 at the moment)...but the tip of vegas 9 being a better vers for multi-core is exactly what I wanted to know and hear.
Likely will be getting that as well.

I do know that the intel i7 will offer a bit more umph, but at 6 cores I've also heard the difference isn't very vast (and I like the price per perfomance).

The reason i have to stay with WinXP (yes, it does suck) has more to do with PT 8 (and "maybe" the delta driver of choice...although I'm hearing the driver (written for WinXP) might still work and install fine. How? I dunno yet...I don't know Win7 in regard).

I've tried most of the Fwire audio cards and really...for my audio needs, it's unacceptable in many ways (compared to these modded deltas). I'll take PCI hands down over any newer fwire audio interfaces..but that's a preference only based on my usage and needs really. Nothing more.

WinXP limits limits my ram of course (max 3-4 gigs, correct?) and holds back 64-bit Win7 features...but, once all the apps come together I can still upgrade the os accordingly.

thanks
24Peter wrote on 6/1/2010, 7:05 PM
May be of interest when comparing processors (obviously many other factors influence actual performance)
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup.php?cpu=AMD+Phenom+II+X6+1055T
MSK wrote on 6/2/2010, 6:46 AM
I've been using AMD for years and love their processors. They're cheap and their comparable to Intel in terms of spec and stability. My current system is a few years older using AMD Phenom 9950 (the last x4 processor before the Phenom II came out). The 6 core version will allow you to do more heavy lifting than an x4 assuming you have sufficient RAM and there are no other bottlenecks along the way.

I prefer Asus motherboards and have had one or two gigabytes bite it.

I've run Vegas and other apps on the latest Intels and AMD's and from my testing the difference seems negligible.

The systems that are offered here look really good too.

FwrX_HJ wrote on 6/2/2010, 7:15 AM
Well, I guess I'm not out to win benchmarking scores, just a nice processing upgrade to help speed things up a bit more (actually this X2 4400+ is still filling the bill in a sense). Problem for me will be WinXP limitations with ram (but again, I'll live).

I've heard today from a user who just got his 6 core and he digs it, the mobo I have fits the rather strict hardware reqs as well.

Thanks for the replies