Hello everyone. In view of buying a new PC for my studio (on windows system).
I am very confused about what to choose, I do not understand the differences between the various i9 CPUs, for example if there is a substantial difference in the audio field on the CPU acronyms (14900K or KF)…
Can someone give me a guide to orient me?
Thanks for your help
For Intel acronyms mean:
K - Unlocked. This means that you can overclock the CPU, but these days you can’t overclock that much as the CPUs are already pushed to the stable maximum out of the box basically. This also means that K CPU “won” the silicon lottery in the production phase, and can hit better frequencies = it’s a slightly better performing chip from the silicon wafer.
F - Without integrated GPU. If you don’t intend to buy dedicated GPU from Nvidia or AMD for example, you can’t skip the integrated graphics. Personally I wouldn’t choose CPU without iGPU because it can be a lifesaver fallback if dedicated GPU fails.
T - Low power. These CPUs lost the silicon lottery and they hit lower frequencies.
Personally I wouldn’t choose anything lower than I5 with K, as I found that anything lower have somewhat different feature set (at least that was the case in 13/14 gen)
I can recommend you i7 and i9 even without K letter. You can probably get pretty good deals on models without any letter at the end of name.
What is your budget?
Apart from the CPU, what other components do you want/need - GPU? Audio interface? Massive storage?
And what’s your budget?
As @PMB_Sound says, go for a “K” CPU, the best you can afford.
Don’t forget, a cutting-edge system today will be a ho-hum system in two years time.
Is that a STUDIO, with paying customers, or a studio like mine - a desk in a tiny corner of the house?
So many horror stories of folks spending big $$$ on a DAW computer only to find that as powerful as it is, it has components that don’t play well together, and barely if at all can do the job decently.
I recommend what I’ve done for 20 years - pay a little extra to one of the companies that specialize in putting together parts to make an awesomely functional DAW computer. I didn’t trust myself to get every single step right in an alternate process, like researching: the best chips; best motherboards; are there any incompatibilities between the two; what about power supply; oh and cooling …
Every DAW-oriented pre-built system I’ve had has been absolutely awesome.
My two cents!
Where are you located? Folks can make recommendations for one of those DAW-computer building companies based on that …
thanks to all.
this is my personal studio, I have no external clients. my current pc purchased 8/9 years ago is a fourth generation intel i7, 64 gb of ram, 3 hard disks, an Nvidia video card (I don’t remember the model) that allows me to use three monitors.
I use a lot of virtual instruments like omnisphere, trilian, ivory, about forty audio tracks with various plugins,
I have a UAD pci card, and my current configuration basically holds everything, sometimes it struggles a bit, but it allows you to work. I would like something “faster” especially regarding the loading of some omnisphere sounds, and to have a less stressed system. my budget is around €1500 so I was thinking of an i9 with 128 gb of Ram, a video card with 3 outputs for monitors and the usual 3 hd ssd (one for the operating system and programs, one for the sample libraries and one for audio).
the audio card I have is fine for my needs, I use a presonus studiolive III 24 ch
I am absolutely not able to assemble a PC myself, and my knowledge is stuck in years ago… so any advice is welcome!!
As @alexis says, find an audio pc specialist. For instance, in the UK, Scan.com are excellent. And they can advise you as to whether your chosen components work together.
Going by your moniker, are you in Italy? Google “pc audio specialists”.
Also, video cards, these days, are bloody expensive, and add a huge amount to the cost. Unless you’re a hard core gamer, go for an AMD card. The software that come with it is top notch.
yes, I’m Italian! and I’m not a gamer 
the pc is only for music
There have been some problems reported with some UAD cards and AMD/Ryzen, as you can see from the links not an automatic deal-killer, but worth looking into if you’re thinking of getting an AMD/Ryzen chip and holding on to your UAD card.
Thanks,
I also read some time ago on the forum that Nvidia video cards should also be avoided as they can cause problems with Cubase
I wonder if that is still true though … following closely!
Yes. There might be DPC problems associated with NV cards, and it not only affects Cubase but also other DAWs as long as you are dealing with realtime work (–>google ISR / DPC latency). Caused by NV driver or DirectX kernel driver request too much interruption time.
As I understand, there are DPC Latency issues with Nvidia only when they break it themselves. This means if things are stable, it won’t magically change - unless you update Nvidia drivers and you will lose on this “lottery” 
I believe that chances to lose are pretty slim, as Nvidia provides
a) game drivers,
b) studio drivers.
Studio drivers are more tested and stable, with creative workflows in mind - by using these, I would say there is no risk of major issues.
The major factor in deciding between Nvidia and AMD dedicated GPU is a support of UI GPU acceleration inside plugins - As I remember, for example Melda Audio plugins had some issues with accelerated user interface on Radeon graphics cards (but not on Nvidia), so AMD gpu’s had to fallback on software rendering (calculated on CPU, so it’s less optimal).
I would say that looking for differences can almost look like splitting a hair, so I wouldn’t worry that much about that 
I seriously wonder why a plugin GUI needs the power of a GPU in the first place. But that’s OT.
I’ve had less problems in recent times with my NVIDIA … forgotten the model name lol. Some tasks might require an external GPU if you also do video editing. What I’d recommend is definitely a system with iGPU as a failsafe and if an ext. is required, DO NOT get the best. Get an average mid level one, and an older model that already had its bugs ironed out. High power GPUs will suck CPU and kill any power advantages.
Hi there.
I recently bought and built a new Intel system from scratch, it works insanely well, but it wasn’t cheap.
Before this I used an AMD system for almost 5 years.
I can testify that the parts that I’ve chosen works together without any hiccups whatsoever.
I’ll post my setup here and provide some tips.
I went for the newest CPU generation, this in part because of finally being able to use Thunderbolt 4/3 audio interfaces on windows without any potential problems.
On the motherboard I chose the Thunderbolt controller is already integrated, no extra pci card required.
So my setup:
Motherboard: MSI PRO Z890-P WIFI
SSD: Kingston FURY Renegade PCIe M.2 NVME SSD 2TB (four of these)
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU
CPU cooler: be quiet! Light Loop 360
RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5 8200mhz 48GB RGB (sort)
PSU: Corsair RMx Series RM850x PSU
Tower: NZXT H6 Flow Case Dual Chamber Mid Tower RGB
Graphic card: MSI GeForce RTX 4070 VENTUS 2X E OC
Audio interface: Presonus Quantum 2626 Thunderbolt 3
Link:Quantum 2626 – PreSonus
I have never experienced anything like this on a PC.
It is totally up there with Mac Pros costing two to three times more. Silky smooth is how I’d describe it.
The synergy of all these components makes it extremely powerful even at 32 samples latency.
And YES: Thunderbolt works flawlessly!
A tip for truly harnessing the raw power of this (or really any pc) setup.
This tip is PURE GOLD, it is the best pc tweaking tip I’ve ever seen, trust me on this one.
Search for this video on youtube: “4 Hidden PC Settings that Boost DAW and OBS Performance” by content creator askdrtk
Follow the steps in the video closely, then get the pro version of Process Lasso
All the best, Kim Christiansen.
Thanks for your post!
I’m a little skeptical / hesitant to download an app to do Windows tweaks (Process Lasso, in the link you have)
Hi,
I’m an old hand on using DAWs for many many years. Started with ATARI 1024 ST and Steinberg Pro 24 in '86/87. Then switched to PC around '97. A big move/chance. I’ve build all the DAWs myself. I liked doing so. And it’s quite economic ofcource. My last build was some 5 years ago. I7 intel CPU, 64 GB ram, 6 SSD’s. NVIDIA RTX 3060. OS is Windows 10. Nice DAW all together Lots of Vienna Symphonic Libraries instruments. VEP 7. I’m a big fan of neo classical/cinematic music. Now I see a lot of adverts and videoclips of this Mac Mini M4. And it looks GREAT! So for the first time in more than 35 years of PC usage I seriously consider to make a switch to an Apple Mac computer! That’s a big step for a 73 years old musician. Believe me. Can I get some advice, support of you wise guys? Thanks in advance. Sorry for the long story.
Best regards,
Willem
Since this is a topic about PCs, I’d suggest making this a separate topic. Loads of Apple users here with good advice.
I see what you mean but Process Lasso really does help.
The things this app does should have been included in windows really.
The ability to assign cores to apps alone is worth it.
Example: Cubase is not allowed to access cores one and two (the cores that windows makes the most use of). This alone makes for a smoother ride.
The ability to set priorities to applications and memory access plus a lot of other stuff WILL boost performance A LOT if performed correctly.
Watch the video everything is explained in detail there..
Kim
Can confirm this absolutely.
Just made a new build - very similar to yours. I have an ASUS Prime Z890-P motherboard and 128 GB DDR5 memory. RME Raydat Audio Card, Matrox mutli-Display GPU, etc…
I bought a Fractal Design BIg Tower Case - which was not cheap but is increadibly roomy and flexible.