Please Check My (Budget) Build for Audio and Video Creation.

BAM_7n2mg5bv

Honorable
May 17, 2015
8
0
10,510
Hi,

I would be very grateful for some more experienced builders to look over my parts list. This is my first build, so I just want to make sure I'm not looking over any obvious problems.

Here's my rough plan for this puppy:

-Dual boot Linux (AVLinux?) and Windows 7 using the two SSDs.
-Pro Tools 10, Gimp, Blender and some light gaming on Windows 7.
-Ardour, Blender, Gimp, other audio/visual/media tools on Linux.
-Blender will be used for video editing, though I may decide to get into some 3D rendering type stuff in the future (I'm assuming the 8 core processor will handle this well?).
-I will be using an external usb sound card for audio work (probably a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8).

I don't want to go much more expensive than this, which is why I've gone with AMD cpu. This is all for hobby (don't rely on it for money), although I'm pretty serious with the audio stuff and would like good results. I'm thinking the 8 cores will be good for Blender and should be fine for the audio production and non-serious gaming. The mobo/CPU price is a deal from buying them both from Microcenter.

I have found one comment online where someone is successfully using this CPU with Pro Tools, so I'm crossing my fingers on that (Avid recommends Intel i5/i7).

See any obvious mistakes? Any Linux experts know of any potential hardware problems? Media creation people have any opinions?

Thank you so much for your help! Here's the list:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/x7Qzbv
 

HonkyKong97

Reputable
Feb 7, 2016
256
0
4,960
Yup, those 8 cores should be good for Blender and rendering. Plenty of people use AMD CPUs with Protools. It doesn't seem to be on the compatibility list, but those lists are typically pretty crap. I changed the HDD (Seagate is junk), added a CPU cooler, and changed the WiFi card.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($140.00)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($18.80 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock 970M PRO3 Micro ATX AM3+/AM3 Motherboard ($25.00)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($61.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($38.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($38.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Hitachi 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 950 2GB Superclocked Video Card ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $688.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-13 12:13 EDT-0400



 
Seriously Seagate are fine, most hard drive components are made by the same companies/factories anyway so you get comparable build quality in WD, Seagate, Toshiba and Hitachi drives. I'd just go for whichever is cheapest or has the best warranty. I can understand people preferring one brand over another due to experience but 'Seagate is junk' is a bit of a sweeping statement.

That build looks decent, my only suggestion would be to change the SSD's for a single 250GB drive. Larger SSD's are faster and you can just partition it so it shows as 2 drives in Windows.
 

BAM_7n2mg5bv

Honorable
May 17, 2015
8
0
10,510


Thanks for the advice HonkyKong! I'm not super familiar with cpu coolers, specifically, when they're necessary. Do I really need it if I'm not overclocking (which I don't plan to do)? Is it just insurance to be sure it doesn't overheat when it's consistently working (e.g., rendering video)? Should I be overclocking it (i.e., am I paying for the ability to overclock?)?

Thanks again!
 

BAM_7n2mg5bv

Honorable
May 17, 2015
8
0
10,510


Awesome. Thanks for the feedback. I guess I thought for some reason that the OSes being on two different SSDs would be better, but I can't really think of why that might be. I've yet to own a SSD (haven't purchased a new computer in a while!). They're able to partition the same way has a HDD? I can just use GParted or something similar to do it?

Also, thanks for the advice on HDD brands. I have no experience purchasing/using certain brands, so I will indeed probably just go with the cheapest I can find with not-horrible reviews. I'll be backing up to externals so if it fails, it fails.

Thanks again!

 
Yeah you can just partition it like you would a mechanical drive.

Regarding aftermarket CPU coolers: most CPU's come with a cooler that is designed to keep the CPU cool in a typical situation like in a standard mid tower case. It won't be super cool or quiet but it should do the job. If you are even thinking about overclocking or quietness particularly with that CPU, I'd go for an aftermarket cooler. AMD stock coolers are notoriously noisy and that CPU runs very hot anyway so I imagine that little cooler will be screaming under load. The TX3 is a good cheap cooler for quietness or minor overclocking. If you're thinking about moderate overclocking, I'd get a bigger case and a bigger cooler.
 

BAM_7n2mg5bv

Honorable
May 17, 2015
8
0
10,510


Makes sense. For only $18, I guess I might as well get it if only for the quietness. Thanks for all your help. I think I'm ready to buy!