snydercr :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA5YV1XU6189
My questions are...
1.) Will the Xeon Quad-Core W3565 3.2GHz be able to handle everything I throw it? I'd never even heard of Xeon until today.
2.) Is it possible to upgrade that desktop to use USB3
3.) Any suggestions on a comparable desktop for about the same buck?
What I'm running right now isn't cutting it.... Intel core 2 duo T9900 3.06GH with 4 GBs Ram
The most intensive thing I do is produce music using Cubase 7.
The minimum system requirements for that...
Windows 7 / Windows 8
Intel or AMD Dual core
2 GB Ram
ASIO compatible audio hardware
I almost exclusively use Native Instruments plugins with system requirements of...
Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10
Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD AthlonTM 64 X2
4 GB RAM (6 GB recommended)
snydercr,
The HP z400 should make a very good basis for an audio computer- well made, with good performance, and quiet. It uses LGA1366 series W3500, X5500, W5600, X5600 4 and 6-core CPU. The fastest 4- core is the X5687 @ 3.6 / 3.83GHz and the fastest 6-core is the W3690 and X5690 @ 3.47 / 3.73GHz. The W-series were to be used in a one-CPU system and the the X would have been found in a dual CPU system. The HP z400 uses a single and the z600 and Z600 could use two X-series Xeons. The W3565 has a good specification of 3.2 /3.46GHz and supports 800 and 1066MHz RAM. RAM is 24GB of DDR3 -1066 and 1333 in triple channel meaning the best performance is to have the RAM in sets of three of the same module. Most z400's will have ECC error-correcting RAM so if you buy check the type carefully- you can't mix ECC and non-ECC.
Xeons are Intel CPU's that are selected and configured for reliability when running continuously over a long period as in visualization workstations and are almost universal in servers that run all the time, sometimes for years and have models that may be used in dual systems. They are typically run at slightly lower speeds to understress them and most have locked multipliers so they can not be overclocked and risk unreliability. There are motherboards that will boost the voltage for higher speeds, but the z400 and other systems such as Dell Precisions don't have that feature. Today there are Xeon E7's for 4 and 8 CPU systems- usually very power servers. They can be very expensive, a, W3690 6-core new cost $1,660 but a Xeon E7 can cost over $7,000 each.
The top--rated HP z400 using a W3565 on Passmark:
Rating:3041
CPU: 5210
2D: 533 (Radeon HD 6950)
3D:3039 (The highest 3D score is 7950 from a GTX 970)
Memory: 1832 (24GB)
Disk: 2691 (Samsung 850 Evo 250GB)
The system listed above has the highest score for the Disk rating. The disk system for audio good. The controller on a z400 is SATA II 3GB/s but you can add a 6GB/s PCIe controller, but a good SSD should be adequate.
The z400 as mentioned should be a very good basis for your audio workstation. You can add USB3 and Firewire by means of a PCIe card that adds 2 to 7 Ports. these are not expensive- $20-$50. Some of these have an internal USB port and you can run a cable to a front panel that fits in the spare drive bay and have USB 3 ports on the front. That would be a convenient if you are using a USB audio interface.
If you are using quite large files, multi-tracking, you can consider changing the CPU to something like an X5677 4-core @ 3.47 /3.73GHz- about $70 these days and that one can use 1333 speed RAM also, but the W3565 is going to run well above the minimum recommended and that system can run ASIO, DAW, Pro Tools interfaces. The fastest Core2 Duo on Passmark of 33,765 systems tested is an E8400 3.0GHz boosted to
4.8GHz (!) and with a CPU score of 4067. The highest CPU score for a T9900 is 2816. The highest CPU score in a z400 is with a W3690 6-core (3.47 /3.73GHz) and that is 9679 @ 3.47GHz. That's a good score even for a modern Xeon E5 4-core.
You might watch the CPU temperature from time to time if you are working it hard over a long period. If the temperature goes much over 65C under stress and if you change to more powerful CPU, it's a good idea to buy the uprated CPU cooler. You's is likely to have the all Aluminum but there is an Steel one with Copper pipes that is much more efficient. These are not expensive- I bought one for $10.
Cheers,
BambiBoom
1. HP z420 (2015) > Xeon E5-1660 v2 (6-core @ 3.7 / 4.0GHz) > 32GB DDR3 1866 ECC RAM > Quadro K4200 (4GB) > Intel 730 480GB (9SSDSC2BP480G4R5) > Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > 600W PSU> > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit > Logitech z2300 speakers > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H (2560 X 1440)>
[ Passmark Rating = 5064 > CPU= 13989 / 2D= 819 / 3D= 4596 / Mem= 2772 / Disk= 4555] [Cinebench R15 > CPU = 1014 OpenGL= 126.59 FPS] 7.8.15
2. Dell Precision T5500 (2011) > 2X Xeon X5680 (6 -core @ 3.33 / 3.6GHz), 48GB DDR3 1333 ECC Reg. > Quadro K2200 (4GB ) > PERC H310 / Samsung 840 250GB / WD RE4 Enterprise 1TB > M-Audio 192 sound card > 875W PSU > Windows 7 Professional 64> HP 2711x (27", 1920 X 1080)
[ Passmark system rating = 3844 / CPU = 15047 / 2D= 662 / 3D= 3500 / Mem= 1785 / Disk= 2649] (12.30.15)
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