New Computer

[marcblack30]

I'm looking to purchase a new computer and i have decided to stick with pc. basically i'm looking to spend between 1K-$1200 I am interested in Dells XPS 420 system, it's their gaming system, it seems to have plenty of the things i need to run my DAW and audio software. It does only come with Vista, I'm not too excited about that. Has anyone ran into any problems with vista and their audio programs?Also, please feel free to recommend your favorite computer.thanks,marc

[ciskokidd]

Hi Marc,Vista is a mixed bag. with the biggest issue being support for sound cards. It's been a while now so that may have changed, but I would stick with Windows XP Pro if you can. I know Dell will still configure machines with the XP OS so take a look around the site or call Dell and ask them about that.Also you can do what I did and Dual Boot your PC with Windows XP. I was able to find a good guide to it online. Just type "how to dual boot XP and Vista" into Google and you can find it. That way you can install only your musical apps on the XP boot and keep all the other stuff on Vista.Best of luck,Cisco

[hummingbird]

Quote:I'm looking to purchase a new computer and i have decided to stick with pc. basically i'm looking to spend between 1K-$1200 I am interested in Dells XPS 420 system, it's their gaming system, it seems to have plenty of the things i need to run my DAW and audio software. It does only come with Vista, I'm not too excited about that. Has anyone ran into any problems with vista and their audio programs?Also, please feel free to recommend your favorite computer.thanks,marcBefore you buy anything with Vista on it, check that any audio software you own will work with it. I've heard of problems with Vista in general, and in relation to audio. I *think* you could buy it with Vista and then install Windows XP home... that would probably be better.For the price you mention, you could likely get a custom built audio computer. When I looked at buying a computer from Future Shop & then replacing Vista with XP Home, and compared it with getting the functionality of a custom build... I went for the custom... it cost me a couple hundred more, but came with a 3-year warranty on parts & labour from a respected local firm to whom goodwill & good service is important.I posted here with the specs of the Future Shop computer, got the nod from the experts, took the specs, and had the custom build done. JMHOcheersHummin'bird

[slideboardouts]

Reiterating what hummingbird said, I would opt for a custom build. Audio work calls for some specific stuff and if you are going to spend that much I would make sure it is EXACTLY what you want/need (including the OS). A custom built machine really isn't much more expensive and it will most likely work better, last longer, and not come with any of the crapware that a standard store bought PC will.Also, I would strongly suggest you stay far away from any Dell product. In my experience, they tend to be over priced and provide shoddy products. The office I work in had a dell and everything from the power supply to the hard drive went bad within 1-2 years. A client of ours had the same problems but he had an entire office full of Dells (about 15-20) that were going bad after about 2 years. -Steve

[marcblack30]

Thanks for the comments. After talking to a few people i got that impression about Dell so i will go no further in that direction.I checked out some HP and you can customize build on their site.can you recommend places that that custom build pc's?

[ragani]

Hi Marc,I see you're in Chicago, so I'm not sure how far you would want to travel... We always have our custom built computers done at Computer Gallery here in Milwaukee (they built our last 3 computers). They are fabulous, and of course, it's a tone cheaper than getting them retail off the shelves. Plus, you get all the newest features (many times before they are actually on the shelves), and you get the manufacturer's warranty, something retailers don't automatically give to you-- they turn around and try to SELL it to you when it's automatically included from the manufacturer! Grrrr!!! So if you want to get more info, you can always pm me (I can also give you our full name as a reference for them, if you'd like). And if you'd like to contact them directly, Computer Gallery is located at 4606 North Wilson Drive, Shorewood, WI, 414/963-6336. I think their email is info@cgallery.com. And no, I don't work for them or get referral fees. I wish I did!! They are really great!! Good luck to you! Raags

[nickbatzdorf]

VisionDAW.comTalk to Mark Nagata. They really know what they're doing, and their machines are tested with and optimized for specific music applications (Kontakt, Giga, sequencing, etc.) - in other words they put them together differently for different things. Plus they're really quiet and overbuilt. I've had one of their machines for about four years, and it's still fab.But I haven't tried custom PCs from other people, so I'm not un-endorsing anyone else.

[marcblack30]

I ended up customizing a pc from www.pcsforeveryone.comI was able to put together a really fast and powerful machine for a reasonable amount, compared to other custom builds places. nice intuitive website too!details:1 x Intel 2100 Series Dual-Core Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E6750 2.66GHz 1333FSB 4MB CacheIntel® DP35DP - ATX - Intel® P35 Express Chipset4 x 1GB PC6400 800MHz DDR2Antec Sonata III - ATX Mid Tower - 500 Watt PS - Black - Silent Design160GB Serial ATA 7200 RPM - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10400GB Serial ATA 7200 RPM - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10Sony 20x DVD+/-RW Dual LayerMSI nVidia GeForce 8400GS 256MB DDR2 PCI Express (1xDVI 1xVGA) Linksys Wireless-G PCI AdapterMicrosoft Windows XP Home (32-bit)Assembly and Testing Fee (Desktop)Extended Three Year Warrantyanyway, if anyone is looking to build a new pc, check them out.i just hope they deliver quality. i'll let you know in a couple of weeks!peace,marc

[ephlat66]

Quick question for you marc:sounds like a very nice system - mind letting me know roughly what it cost? don't mean to pry, but i would like to know if this is even in the realm of possibility for me.Thanks!

[marcblack30]

sure, the total with shipping was $1021. i tried putting the same config together at tigerdirect.com and it was a few hundred more.www.pcsforeveryone.com check it out