Question Music Production Build/Setup $5000 Budget

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basinabas

Prominent
Apr 26, 2020
16
1
525
I have a $5000 budget for a PC that I am going to be using primarily for music production, but I will also be gaming on this machine.

The setup here includes not only a PC, but decent keyboard and mouse, three monitors plus stand, and a webcam. I already have most of my audio equipment that I use for production on my current 5-year-old Dell Precision laptop.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 3.5 GHz 16-Core Processor ($749.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus ProArt B550-CREATOR ATX AM4 Motherboard ($299.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory ($375.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Crucial P2 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($190.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Black 4 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Black 4 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Black 4 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Black 4 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce RTX 3070 8 GB TUF GAMING OC Video Card ($749.99 @ B&H)
Case: Cooler Master HAF XB EVO ATX Desktop Case ($119.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: NZXT C 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: EDUP EP-9636GS-BL PCIe x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi Adapter ($31.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Thermaltake Pure 129.63 CFM 200 mm Fan ($13.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: be quiet! Silent Wings 3 50.5 CFM 120 mm Fan ($21.90 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: be quiet! Pure Wings 2 26.3 CFM 80 mm Fan ($9.90 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: be quiet! Pure Wings 2 26.3 CFM 80 mm Fan ($9.90 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: be quiet! SHADOW WINGS 2 85 CFM 140 mm Fan ($19.98 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: be quiet! SHADOW WINGS 2 85 CFM 140 mm Fan ($19.98 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Asus ProArt Display PA278QV 27.0" 2560x1440 75 Hz Monitor ($299.00 @ ASUS)
Monitor: Asus ProArt Display PA278QV 27.0" 2560x1440 75 Hz Monitor ($299.00 @ ASUS)
Monitor: Asus ProArt Display PA278QV 27.0" 2560x1440 75 Hz Monitor ($299.00 @ ASUS)
Mouse: Cooler Master MM710 Glossy Black Wired Optical Mouse ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Webcam: Logitech C922 Pro Stream HD Webcam ($99.99 @ B&H)
Custom: ECHOGEAR Triple Monitor Desk Mount Stand For Screens Up To 24 Inches - Height-Adjustable For Comfortable Gaming & Work - Works With 3 Vertical Or Horizontal Monitors - Perfect For Array-Style Gaming ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Custom: Logitech K845 Mechanical Illuminated Keyboard, Mechanical Switches, Strong Adjustable Tilt Legs, Full Size, Aluminum Top Case, 104 Keys, USB Corded, Windows (TTC Brown Switches) ($58.05 @ Amazon)
Total: $4649.53
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-05-07 21:19 EDT-0400


In terms of the main use of this PC, I make music using Pro Tools Ultimate, Adobe Audition, Mixcraft and Audacity. I have no question about this computer's ability to handle that kind of work load - if my current "setup" can handle it, I'm sure this would blow it out of the water - but I want to see how I can maximize my budget here. Am I buying the right things? I am a little iffy about my storage choice, but mass-storage (at least, what the HAF XB EVO can manage) is a must for me, as Pro Tools session files get reeeeeeeeal big real quick.

I know that the GPU market and CPU market, particularly for the new Ryzen chips, is absolutely ballistic right now - I am doing my best to account for that. I was lucky enough to find that 3070 for $749.99 at B&H, but I don't expect that to last long. I am going with a 3950X instead of my original intention of going with a 5800X - my logic there being that the more cores, especially for my workload, the better. Once the 5950X becomes available, I will have no issues with upgrading to that.

Any advice anyone has would be much appreciated!

Thanks,
BinaB
 
If you just randomly have it connected all the time, or if you reconnect it without first fixing the actual malware problem...then yes, your backup might also get screwed up.

Don't do that.

My nightly imaging to the NAS might be affected.
The weekly backup internally in the NAS won't. The PCs know nothing about it.
Only accessible if logged on to the actual NAS.
98%+ time such kind of Malware goes undetected and unnoticed. It may have effected and corrupted the files which you are not using currently so one wouldn't even know that there is a Malware in that package and would copy it to the external storage.

The weekly backup will also be affected.

Seriously if a Malware is able to avoid being detected by Anti Virus Software then what chance does a person stand on checking or tracking it. Because all the instantaneous triggering or noticeable malware can easily be avoided by Anti Virus Software like Kaspersky or Bit-fender. In that case again the Storage being Internal vs External or being backed up daily or once a weak won't matter much.
 
Last edited:

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
98%+ time such kind of Malware goes undetected and unnoticed. It may have effected and corrupted the files which you are not using currently so one wouldn't even know that there is a Malware in that package and would copy it to the external storage.

The weekly backup will also be affected.
Well..if you allow something that serious to go on for a month, then nothing will save you.
Something like a ransomware is pretty much immediately evident.

However, I defy anything to jump the 8 miles to the hard drive stashed in my desk drawer at work, containing various critical files.
 
Well..if you allow something that serious to go on for a month, then nothing will save you.
Something like a ransomware is pretty much immediately evident.

However, I defy anything to jump the 8 miles to the hard drive stashed in my desk drawer at work, containing various critical files.
Yeah I added a bit to my post just little before you quoted it.

But yeah I have my main storage server(RAID 1) protected and backed up to second storage sever(RAID 1) and a lot spent into it.

Don't expect all to go to my lengths but for a regular consumer RAID 1 is enough backup security as if he is careless with the way manages his data or how careless one is with the level of security he has on his PC it mostly is not worth the extra expenditure of External Storage Backup. But if one has his work dependent on the Storage then yeah I recommend External backup in addition to Internal storage while running both in RAID 1. Lets say that is like Insurance upon Insurance.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Again, and finally...

Physical drive redundancy and data redundancy.
RAID 1 only protects for one of those.


Now that we've taken the OP's parts request very far off topic...lets agree to disagree.

And I sincerely hope that no one reads this and arrives at the conclusion that a RAID array is a good 'backup' method to protect their data.
 
Again, and finally...

Physical drive redundancy and data redundancy.
RAID 1 only protects for one of those.


Now that we've taken the OP's parts request very far off topic...lets agree to disagree.

And I sincerely hope that no one reads this and arrives at the conclusion that a RAID array is a good 'backup' method to protect their data.
Nothing besides burning important data to M-Disc and storing in a safe case is to be considered as good 'backup'. Everything else is decent and enough.

Yeah we can stop this discussion here.