System Build Again- comments please Music PC I/O

[999tigger]

Thanks to StaffsMike for his input am more or less there on a system build.
I have to get all the parts from Scan.

It is for a music/recording pc and not a games machine.

The rough build is
Antec P182 case
Intel Q6600 Quad core
Scythe Ninja HSF
Asus P5k Premium Motherboard- Is Staff Mikes going to tell me to get the IP35 Pro?
4GB of Corsair TwinX 5-5-5-12 PC 6400

Graphics will be an 8600GT either 256mb Gainward SilentFX or a 512MB Gigabyte Silent Pipe. It is the silence that is needed and the person does not need a games machine. It does need to be able to drive a 22" monitor.

2 x 500 GB Samsung HD501LJ Spinpoint T166 in RAID. As requested.
2x Samsung 20x DVD writers as requested
1x Akasa media card reader

Corsair HX620 PSU
Monitor Samsung 2232BW 22"
It will be running Windows XP

Any general comments or tweaks welcome.

Does anyone have any good idea or preferred choices on the following.

1. Good keyboards i.e it doesnt have to be a gaming keyboard, but a good typing one. Cordless, but wired will do.

2. Favoured Mice over and above the Logitech MX1000. A general purpose one? Is there an update to the MX 1000?

3. Any suggestions on TV cards/PVR?

Music PC specific questions

For any posters who use the PC for recording.

For the above pc the user will connect an EMU0202 interface.For anyone who knows about these things does the EMU0202 need to interact with the computers soundcard, because at the moment I only have the motherboards onboard sound and no dedicated soundcard.



I assume if it doesnt use the soundcard, then there will be no reason to fit a dedicated one.

If it does sue the souncard then any suggestions, will an X_FI gamer do or would I need to go Auzentech?


Connected to the EMU0202 will be a pair of Tapco S5 powered monitors.

Thanks for your input.

[staffsMike]

staffsMike is going to tell you to get the IP-35pro £88 scan today only in the supersavers ..nowt wrong with the Asus though.

Save a bit of money and get the 520W HX.

I have the 8500GT silentFX and love it. Looks good and keeps nice and cool. Can't speak for the 8600 but I'm sure it will be good. Gainward are fast becomming my favoured gfx brand.

Can't make many keyboard recommendations. I use the Saitek eclipse II which has nice quiet keys and is back lit. I like it but it is wired.

Not tried the Spinpoints myself but they come highly recommended of course. I prefer western digital AAKS which is what is in my silent PC and they are silent.

[999tigger]

Thanks Staffs. The person concerned isnt paying so can afford the Asus and the HX620. I am not worried but know where you are coming from.

The graphics card has meant I have gone for the best silent one out there, but the person doesnt play games. I'd rather have a bit more power for playing dvds and driving the 22" monitor. There is comment about the 8800 sparke passive with temps at 111 degrees c.

I use the spinpoints and they are near silent if not silent. I have four and pleased with them.

Do I need any extra fans?

If it's not as quiet as you suggest, then I am coming to look for you.
Thanks again for your advice. I worry more when its for another person than I do for my own builds.

[staffsMike]

Well assuming the spinpoints are as quiet as the AAKS it will be as silent as mine..

I'd try and record it booting up for you but I don't have anything sensitive enough to pick up the sound

Fans wise, if you want to cool the hard drives you will need to stick a fan in front on the top hard drive cage as you cant fit one behind the bottom cage as it doesn't fit a standard size fan ( a rather annoying quirk but it can be modified). That said there is a fan sucking hot air away from the bottom hard drives so it's swings and round abouts as to where you fit them.

If the graphics card requires a bit of air over it the end of the top hard drive cage can have a fan mounted to it which blows directly onto the graphics card but I doubt you will need it

EDIT for PIC


So the red arrows show where the graphics card cooling fans will go (on at the front one on the end of the cage)

The blue shows the fan which extracts air from the HDDs and give the PSU some air.

The green shows the space that cannot take a standard size 120mm fan due to the depth of it.

[toolsong]

The EMU 0202 is USB and stand alone.

I'd actually disable the onboard sound in the mobo's BIOS

[999tigger]

Ahhh thanks toolsong.
My concern is will it act as a soundcard if the person wants to play a dvd? It wont always be used for music.

I was suggesting your choice, but the person had already bought this,so am having to work it in.

[toolsong]

Yes it will be fine as a normal soundcard, my last two cards were an Emu 1212m and now a RME HDSP 9632.

No hardware acceleration for games, DVD software will downmix 5.1 to 2.0 but you get killer sound quality