It’s new computer time and I want to make sure I am getting enough power. Any help is appreciated. I have been told I7 minimum, also 8th generation. I am a little frustrated.
I always suggest looking at the specs of the computers made by folks who specialize in building DAWs for sale. They will generally be up to date on what’s currently best to use.
Thanks for the tip. I am getting a lot of gaming builds but yet to really find the expert in audio production. I’ll keep checking though.
8th gen?! No pal, latest Intel chips are 14th gen, ignore anything before 12th gen. Certainly i9 or i7 would be the way to go, also AMD 7950X would be good, I have the last gen AMD 5950X with 64GB RAM, 40+ tracks of various VST instruments and audio, (Diva, Spire, Kontakt) with various plugins, barely hit 30%!
Whichever CPU you go for, I’d recommend a minimum of 32GB RAM if you can afford it, 64GB even better, an NVME drive for your OS and DAW along with VST’s (1TB minimum), secondary NVME drive for sample libraries if you use them, 2TB minimum if you have lots of libraries. It will make a massive difference in loading times. You can save some money if you put it together yourself, lots of YouTube videos showing you the process.
All depends on your budget, personally, I spend a bit more but then I keep the computer for a good 8-10 years, so best to future proof it best you can.
Scan.co.uk do Pro Audio systems, you can have a look there, but much better value for money if you do it yourself.
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Sounds great! That’s what I needed…I’m not a computer guy. Just need to keep this running smooth no matter the amount of tracks. I don’t anticipate 40+ but it’s good to know it can happen. Thanks man!!!
I always say buy the most powerful you can afford, especially if you plan to keep it for a few years. Todays bleeding edge is next years meh. Plan for the future. 8 years ago I rarely used sample libraries, now it’s virtually all I use. But I had the machine to handle that change in use.
Also, unless you want a gaming machine, avoid NVidia gpus, and go for AMD. Less hassle in the long run (and better software!).
I also second @SoundOf Scan recommendation as that’s where I bought my last 2 machines. They stress test their machines before sending them out for delivery to make sure they work.