X3S rackDAW Help

[enjoi_baggy]

First of all, hello everybody. Hope you are all having a lovely day.

Secondly, I have been looking into the rackDAWs as I am after a powerful, stable, yet quiet machine that will aide me in both studio AND live environments.

I just have a few questions regarding my prospectful configuration;

-4U Rack Case
-Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650, 3.00 GHz
-Silverstone NT06-E x5 Copper Heatpipe Bare heatsink
-4GB (2X2GB) Corsair (x2)
-512MB Gainward 9400 GT
-500 GB Samsung (System)
-1000 GB Samsung (Project)
-Akasa Multi Memory Card Reader
-LG GGW-H20L - Super Multi Blu-Ray Writer & Blu-Ray + HD-ROM Reader
-M-Audio Profire 2626 (Firewire Audio Interface)
-120mm Noctua 800 RPM Quiet Case Fan (Front)
-80mm Noctua NF-R8 Quiet Case Fan (Rear)
-AcoustiPack ULTIMATE Multi-Layered Material Kit
-Microsoft Windows XP Professional 32bit SP2b
-120mm Noctua NF-P12 Vortex-Control Quiet Case Fan (CPU)

So, here are my Qs;

-Are there any immediate hardware compatability issues?
-Will there be any spacial issues?
-Is the Intel Core i7 available in this configuration?
---And if so, would there be any considerable advantages over the Core 2 Quad for my needs?
-How many USB and Firewire ports does this machine have?

I apologise for the list, but I hope you can appreciate my need for guidance and assurance prior to purchase.


And lastly... I have been searching the depths of the internet to find a company who could configure a computer with a rack case to my desired specifications for literally months now. So then I stumble upon SCAN, who had somehow been lost in the thick fog of my subconscious, to find that they are pretty much on the money! (And soon to be IN the money when I purchase!)


So thank you in advance!

Phill

[PeteG@Scan]

First of all, hello everybody. Hope you are all having a lovely day.

Hello Phil

Secondly, I have been looking into the rackDAWs as I am after a powerful, stable, yet quiet machine that will aide me in both studio AND live environments.

I just have a few questions regarding my prospectful configuration;

Shoot

-4U Rack Case
-Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650, 3.00 GHz
-Silverstone NT06-E x5 Copper Heatpipe Bare heatsink
-4GB (2X2GB) Corsair (x2)
-512MB Gainward 9400 GT
-500 GB Samsung (System)
-1000 GB Samsung (Project)
-Akasa Multi Memory Card Reader
-LG GGW-H20L - Super Multi Blu-Ray Writer & Blu-Ray + HD-ROM Reader
-M-Audio Profire 2626 (Firewire Audio Interface)
-120mm Noctua 800 RPM Quiet Case Fan (Front)
-80mm Noctua NF-R8 Quiet Case Fan (Rear)
-AcoustiPack ULTIMATE Multi-Layered Material Kit
-Microsoft Windows XP Professional 32bit SP2b
-120mm Noctua NF-P12 Vortex-Control Quiet Case Fan (CPU)

I confess I need to get the rack editions of these machines up and running, but i've been stuck testing i5 rigs for the last week or two.

So, here are my Qs;

-Are there any immediate hardware compatability issues?
-Will there be any spacial issues?
-Is the Intel Core i7 available in this configuration?
---And if so, would there be any considerable advantages over the Core 2 Quad for my needs?
-How many USB and Firewire ports does this machine have?

I apologise for the list, but I hope you can appreciate my need for guidance and assurance prior to purchase.

And lastly... I have been searching the depths of the internet to find a company who could configure a computer with a rack case to my desired specifications for literally months now. So then I stumble upon SCAN, who had somehow been lost in the thick fog of my subconscious, to find that they are pretty much on the money! (And soon to be IN the money when I purchase!)

Right here's how it stands over here with that spec.

When i7 came out to get the machines running quiet enough to be in a studio configuration they need a tower cooler fitting which are about 3.5U's high. This means they are pretty much unusable in a standard 4u rack case.

For months I had our buyers hunting for a 5u rack case that was suitable acoustically for a i7 system. We found one about a month ago, but the cooling wasn't upto scratch. Another couple of weeks pass and I've managed to obtain a low noise venting solution from another supplier I can mod into the case. Then I've kinda got caught up testing the new i5 range and i've not had chance to test the case out properly (and until I do a build in one and test it properly i'm not prepared to let one on the website spec).

The socket 775 one's on there are being phased out. The's a lack of suitable motherboards and for a few hundred more you can get an i5 which is 30% or 40% more powerful so it's a bit pointless you going for the older one.

So this is what I'll propose. You need a system and I need to build one to test. If you go through the the i7 and i5 desk top systems and configure one close to what you want I'll build it and test for you and If it's not suitable then I'll work with you until we have the perfect machine for your needs and then I can develop a few set specs as well based on the testing.

How's that sound?

[enjoi_baggy]

Thank you very much for replying so swiftly!

My primary requirements are;

-Rack Case
-Minimum of 6Gb RAM
-Graphics card with HDMI output (I'm a purist, so via a DVI adapter is a no no)
-XP Pro 32bit
-BluRay Writer
-Firewire ports
-Sound treatment where possible

It has to cope with multi track audio/multi VSTi's and be as quiet as possible.

To be honest, I am happy with my initial proposed configuration. I just wondered if it would all fit in the rack case. Upgrading to an i7 is not really a priority as I was previously working on an AMD Dualcore with 2Gb of RAM. It would struggle, but I got things done! But it's dead now anyway!

If there are no issues regarding my initial configuration, then I will be happy to proceed to sorting out the finance.


Thanks,

Phill

[PeteG@Scan]

Hi Phil,

The spec does indeed fit your requirement so if you wish to go with that config it'll work. The one exception here is the is the xp 32bit.

You've specified 6Gb of memory but a 32bit operating system can only access a maximum of around 3.8Gb of memory i'm afraid. You would have to goto a 64bit OS if you require more out of it i'm afraid. I'd advise Vista 64 or win 7 over the poorly supported Xp 64 as well if you need to go that route.

For the price difference between the older socket 775 your looking at and the i5 based solutions we offer I'd still surgest having a look at the newer chipset. The's a good 30% to 40% jump in performance between the 775 and i5 chips which means the system will last you that much longer and for the extra 100 quid it's certainly worth considering.

Pete.

[enjoi_baggy]

So, there wouldn't be any cooling issues with the i5? If that is indeed the case, then the investment of money in power and longevity is definitely appealing.

Kind of a silly moment on my part with the 32bit OS! Slipped my mind for a moment there!

After a bit of research into the audio interface and DAW I will be buying, I have determined that Vista 64bit is my only viable option in terms of RAM and stable driver compatibility. I have literally just made this decision after months of saying "I will never use Vista as my DAW OS!", purely because when I first purchased Vista almost 3 years ago, driver support for the audio community hadn't even begun to surface. I feel educated now.

Could you give a ball-park figure with the i5 and Vista 64bit (inc. 6Gb RAM) included? And also, would the motherboard need to be upgraded to accomodate the i5?


I appreciate your patience!

Phill

[PeteG@Scan]

Morning Phil,

Cooling wise it should all be workable as the i5's are running quite cool from the testing i've done. I know where your coming from with the vista thing, but after SP1 Vista got the bugs and flaws of the inital release under control so I think you'll do all right with it.

The motherboard will indeed need changing. I'll get you something map'd out system wise this afternoon so you can see what sort of cost we'll be looking at.

[PeteG@Scan]

Hi Phil

Right it looks like it'll work out about £1550 inc everything.

I have this so far based around the p55 spec

* LN26609 4 x 120mm Sharkoon "Golf Ball" Silent Eagle SE fan Quiet Case Fan inc 4x Speed Cable Set
* LN20978 1TB Samsung HD103UJ Spinpoint F1, SATA 3Gb/s, 7200rpm, 32MB Cache, 8.9 ms, NCQ
* LN27738 4GB (2x2GB) Corsair TwinX XMS3, DDR3 PC3-10666 (1333) 240 Pin, Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 9-9-9-24
* LN22642 500 GB Samsung HD502IJ - NOW End Of Life - New F3 Version LN28751
* LN28556 512MB Gainward 9400 GT Passive Cooled , 700MHz GDDR2, GPU 550 MHz, 16 Cores, HDMI Out
* LN21950 625W Enermax MODU82+ EMD625AWT Modular Quad PCI-E Rail, ATX12v 2.3 , 88% Eff, AirGuard, SafeGuard
* LN25188 Acronis True Image Home 2009 HDD Backup & Restore Software - A Must! *Best Seller*
* LN23694 Akasa 3.5" AK-ICR-01EB Black Internal Multi Memory Card reader, USB 2.0 Port (SDHC Compatible)
* LN25976 Coolermaster Sileo 500 Black Mid Tower Case - Silent - w/o PSU
* LN28448 CyberLink PowerDVD 9 inc H.264 & 2 Chan Audio - Movie/Audio Player & Decoder Software OEM
* LN28562 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD3, Intel P55 Express, S1156, PCI-E 2.0(x16), DDR3 2200, SATA 3Gb/s, SATA RAID, ATX
* LN28595 Intel Core i7 860, S 1156, Lynnfield, Quad Core, 2.80GHz, DMI 2.5 GT/s, 8MB Cache, 95W, Retail
* LN20096 Lycom PE-101 2 Port Firewire 1394a (400) PCI-E Controller Low/Hi Profile - TI Chipset
* LN24944 M-Audio Profire 2626 - 26 In / 26 Out Firewire Audio Interface With Octane Preamp Technology
* LN27801 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit English 1pk OEM + Windows 7 Offer Form
* LN28040 Prolima Megahalems Super 6 Heatpipe Tower Cooler for 775/1366 (Fanless)
* LN1272 Scan 3XS System - 1year Onsite Warranty (Mainland UK)
* LN176 Scan System Configuration
* LN27320 Sony AD-7240S-0B 24x DVD±R, 12xDVD±DL, DVD+RW x8/-RWx6 ,12xRAM SATA, Black, OEM



Net Total

Carriage

VAT

£1,233.69

£12.68

£186.96
Total
£1,433.33


So that includes the rather hefty sound card you listed.

The case on there will be swapped for the rack I mentioned before. I don't have a price on this yet as I only have a few samples but it's looking at about £180. Deducting the £60 quid for the other case and adding in 20 quid for sound proofing it leaves us about £1470 all in. Allowing for something that i've proberly missed we're looking at £1550/£1600 all in, but almost £400 of that is the sound card specified.

This is just a quick estimate through. I'm not sales so I don't have access to all the pricing they do. Shouldn't be far off through.

Pete.

[enjoi_baggy]

Hey,

Thanks for the estimate. Much appreciated.

Couple of things I would change are swapping the Sony drive for a BluRay writer (future proofing, I hope!) and discarding the Profire 2626 audio interface. Otherwise, it seems like a solid machine.

Do you know how this would work via the finance option? Or could you possibly enquire about the process with the sales department?


Thanks once again!

Phill

[PeteG@Scan]

Hi Phil,

Sorry, i've been a bit tied up today. I've been testing the rack out i've got in mind and it's looking very viable indeed. I'm playing round with a few cooling solutions so hopefully i'll have it nailed down tomorrow.

I've asked Paul M on sales to give you some finance info and i've asked him to pop in here when he get's a moment. As far as i'm aware it'll all work under our standard terms, so if the's anything you need to know specificly let us know.

[Mossy]

We have a few finance options buy now pay later or a classic credit agreement both require a 10% deposit. If you require further information please feel free to call Sales and ask for me .
Regards

[PeteG@Scan]

Hi Phil,

The update is the's no update!

I've tested the tower coolers in there (prolima and thermalright) but due to design a top down cooler with an extractor may work better on the cpu for cooling. I've got some on order from the other warehouse as we're out of stock here, but it's not arrived yet. Well the first one did, and then I realised it was for a 775 and the was no conversion bracket </facepalm>

The newer one with the converter should be here tomorrow morning, so futher update tomorrow.

[PeteG@Scan]

Hi Phil,

Right I've finished testing a set up here in that rack case. It's all good now and I've added a set of clips to your order below and lost a fan as it's not needed. Below is the list you gave me before with a couple of essential adjustments to enable the build. You mentioned before you needed a blue ray so if you want to pick the one you need, and just double check the parts to ensure it's right we can then have Paul speak to you about ordering and building the system.

3 X * LN26609 120mm Sharkoon "Golf Ball" Silent Eagle SE fan Quiet Case Fan inc 4x Speed Cable Set
LN22642 Samsung harddrive F3 500Gb
* LN27738 4GB (2x2GB) Corsair TwinX XMS3, DDR3 PC3-10666 (1333) 240 Pin, Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 9-9-9-24
LN28751 1 TB F3 Samsung harddrive
* LN28556 512MB Gainward 9400 GT Passive Cooled , 700MHz GDDR2, GPU 550 MHz, 16 Cores, HDMI Out
* LN21950 625W Enermax MODU82+ EMD625AWT Modular Quad PCI-E Rail, ATX12v 2.3 , 88% Eff, AirGuard, SafeGuard
* LN25188 Acronis True Image Home 2009 HDD Backup & Restore Software - A Must! *Best Seller*
* LN23694 Akasa 3.5" AK-ICR-01EB Black Internal Multi Memory Card reader, USB 2.0 Port (SDHC Compatible)
* LN28562 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD3, Intel P55 Express, S1156, PCI-E 2.0(x16), DDR3 2200, SATA 3Gb/s, SATA RAID, ATX
* LN28595 Intel Core i7 860, S 1156, Lynnfield, Quad Core, 2.80GHz, DMI 2.5 GT/s, 8MB Cache, 95W, Retail
* LN20096 Lycom PE-101 2 Port Firewire 1394a (400) PCI-E Controller Low/Hi Profile - TI Chipset
* LN27801 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit English 1pk OEM + Windows 7 Offer Form
* LN28040 Prolima Megahalems Super 6 Heatpipe Tower Cooler for 775/1366 (Fanless)
LN28617 Prolima spare set of clips to enable use of second heatsink fan
* LN1272 Scan 3XS System - 1year Onsite Warranty (Mainland UK)
* LN176 Scan System Configuration

You can drop Paul a pm or give scan a call to sort out a final quotation and ask any other questions but that's spec looking good to go

[enjoi_baggy]

Hey, Sorry I haven't replied or contacted you guys yet. Been rather busy!

I will probably give Paul a call tomorrow about purchasing.

Thanks again guys.


Phill