Hardware for a Linux DAW prefered running 64studio

03-28-2008, 07:00 AM

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I have no idea what this costs wherever you are, but in my neck of the
woods you can get 2 GB of DDR2 + AMD 4200+ (dual core) + Asus M2N-VM for
~$199 CDN brand new. I am wary of older power supplies and so I tend to
buy them new as well, but you may have better luck.

The older 939 pin AMD64s are pretty solid, you may be able to pick up
one of these systems used. This is what my DAW is currently running
btw. Of course regular DDR RAM is more expensive so it may be cheaper
to buy new, as counterintuitive as that seems.

Hth,

Ralf Mardorf wrote:
> Hi

>
> I'll upgrade my computer (hwinfo --cpu Model: 6.4.2 "AMD Athlon(tm)
> Processor", Clock: 900 MHz, hwinfo --memory Memory Size: 1 GB + 256 MB).
> Maybe you'll be so kind and write something about the CPUs and mobos in
> the links.
>
> Because Intel is to expensive I think I should buy AMD hardware. My
> computer has to work for net, office, gimp, cinelerra, 2D animation with
> KDE and it should be able to be a DAW running Rosegarden as MIDI
> sequencer and HD recorder, Fluidsynth Plugs and many FX Plugs plus JAMin
> with Ion. The hardware should be able to run with most Linux distros,
> there is no need to be fine with any other OS. Maybe I'll change from
> Rosegarden to Ardour3 because there are indications that the MIDI
> sequencer perhaps will fit better to my needs.
>
> I can spend something around 150,- EUR.
>
> The new hardware has to fit to the old case and power supply what
> perhaps shouldn't be a problem. I need AGP or a new gfxcard. I have no
> problem with on-board cards if they will be fine with most Linux because
> I don't need 3D support.
>
> 64studio:/home/spinymouse# hwinfo --gfxcard
> PCI(AGP)
> Model: "nVidia GeForce4 MX 440"
> Revision: 0xa3
>
> This gfxcard is fine with Suse but not with 64studio. 64studio is unable
> to set the vertical refresh rate for my monitor, for Suse this never has
> been a problem, so a new card will be better.
>
> 64studio:/home/spinymouse# hwinfo --sound
> PCI
> Model: "TERRATEC EWX 24/96"
> Vendor: pci 0x1412 "VIA Technologies Inc."
> Device: pci 0x1712 "ICE1712 [Envy24] PCI Multi-Channel I/O Controller"
>
> I have no choice, this sound card has to work with Linux and the rest of
> the hardware. Without an rational explanation 64studio VERSION 2.1rc1
> seems to be the only Linux where the quality of the sound is ok. I don't
> need on-board sound but I would like to have MIDI for the gameport.
>
> 64studio:/home/spinymouse# hwinfo --cdrom
> IDE
> Model: "HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4040B"
> Revision: "A304"
> Features: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVDRAM
>
> 64studio:/home/spinymouse# hwinfo --disk
> IDE
> Model: "Maxtor 6L080P0"
> Revision: "BAJ41G20"
>
> If I understand it right I need 1 ATA for 2 IDE devices, that will be ok
> because I think I won't get repaired my second IDE HD, so I can use the
> Maxtor 80GB as primary and the LG DVDRAM as secondary.
>
> The latest socket standard seems to be AM2, so I will prefer this.
>
> I just have taken a look at my dealer of confidence for semiconductors
> and haven't made any comparisons until now.
>
> Let's say the mobo should be around 50,- EUR, the CPU plus fan also and
> for RAM there should be again something around 50,- EUR. What mobo and
> CPU would you prefer, see this links (they are in German but I think in
> this case it doesn't matter):
>
> AMD CPUs
>
> http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=2;LA=2;GROUPID=641;SID=32PnXRnKwQASAAAGdE lwo3e123f92e7e67474e1630a215ef3a46a
>
> AM2 mobos
>
> http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=2;LA=2;GROUPID=2859;SID=32PnXRnKwQASAAAGd Elwo3e123f92e7e67474e1630a215ef3a46a
>
> Cheers,
> Ralf
>
> _______________________________________________
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> 64studio-users@64studio.com
> http://lists.64studio.com/mailman/listinfo/64studio-users
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03-28-2008, 08:51 AM

Hi Ralf,

> The latest socket standard seems to be AM2, so I will prefer this.

On such a low budget, I would also consider socket 939 CPUs and boards,
maybe secondhand (as long as you can return any faulty component).

The Athlon 64 X2 3800+ EE (energy efficient) CPUs are very cheap and
don't require aggressive cooling, which makes your DAW quieter.

Cheers!

Daniel

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03-28-2008, 02:18 PM

Daniel James wrote:
> Hi Ralf,
>
>> The latest socket standard seems to be AM2, so I will prefer this.
>
> On such a low budget, I would also consider socket 939 CPUs and
> boards, maybe secondhand (as long as you can return any faulty
> component).
>
> The Athlon 64 X2 3800+ EE (energy efficient) CPUs are very cheap and
> don't require aggressive cooling, which makes your DAW quieter.
>
> Cheers!
>
> Daniel

Thank you Daniel

I'm thinking of a socket AM2 because I always have less money but having
this socket maybe will be better for upgrades step by step. If I now
will buy a cheep board or a cheep CPU I can change it in some month,
resp. I'm thinking to get a relative good board now because in the
future the AM2 boards maybe won't have ATA any more.

But one very good argument are silent fans because all the stuff is in
one small room, it's a music only room but not a studio, anyway, the
noise by the fans is less evil than the problem that my guitar has got
single coils and I'm using a monitor. If I turn the coils away from the
monitor I will turn them into the field of some power supplies.

Noise absolutely is a big problem for homerecording and my computer case
seems to be extra worse. I'll think about the argument with the cooling,
even if I prefer a solution with AM2.

Cheers,
Ralf

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03-30-2008, 04:29 PM

Hi

I've got some verified informations.

The problem with the power supply is that there is needed a newer
connector that you hardly can get apart, resp. you can't get it and
because new hardware needs less voltage the needed current is higher. I
will order an new power supply too. I think 20A at +5V and +3.3V should
be ok, maybe +5V needs less than 20A with modern mobos.

I will order 2 * 1GB DDR2 6400 RAMs. They are not expensive.

The board will be an M2A-VM with or without HDMI, the boards are
identical. I guess I'll buy the HDMI-Version, so it may be easy to use
a monitor and display together. A friend says that this is a good mobo
(not sure if it's good for Linux but I haven't heard something that
will speak against the use with Linux).

I will buy some ATA-SATA adapters too because this friend has said it
shouldn't be good to use the old ATA hard disk and the DVDRAM at one
ATA as primary and secondary. He don't know if HD recording is possible
doing this.

At the moment I'm looking for this adapters and I'm still searching for
the CPU.

My dealer of confidence has those CPUs within my budget:

*** AMD Sempron 64 AM2 LE-1150 2.0GHz*** 33.95 EUR

*** AMD Athlon 64 AM2 LE-1600 2.2GHz*** CHEAPERADVICE 37,20 EUR

*** AMD Sempron 64 AM2 LE-1200 2.1GHz*** 39.50 EUR

*** AMD Sempron 64 AM2 LE-1250 2.2GHz*** 45.50 EUR

*** AMD Sempron 64 AM2 LE-1300 2.3GHz*** 58.65 EUR

*** AMD Athlon X2 BE-2300 1.9GHz, AM2*** 66.90 EUR

*** AMD Athlon X2 BE-2350 2.1GHz, AM2*** 69.95 EUR

I won't buy the dual core because they aren't 64bit versions and I
won't compile all applications optimized for those 32bit CPUs myself.
If I will buy the CPU at my dealer of confidence, it looks like I'm
buying all the other hardware there, I have to choose between this 5
64bit single core CPUs. Perhaps I'll order from another dealer, I'll
google.

What choice would be the best? For example the Athlon 2.2GHz has got
1MB cache and a load of 45W while the Sempron 2.2GHz and 2.3GHz have
the same loads but only 256KB cache but I'm not sure if the Sempron has
any functions the Athlon don't has.

At the moment it seems to be that I will buy the following hardware:

Mobo

if I'll have not enough money

ASUS M2A-VM
Mainboard AM2, ASUS M2A-VM
*46.50 EUR

if I'll have enough money

ASUS M2A-VM HDMI
Mainboard AM2, ASUS M2A-VM/HDMI
54.90 EUR

Power supply

all electric currents are ok but the fan looks small

PC-NETZT ATX 350
350 Watt ATX Standard PC-Netzteil
16.50 EUR

the fan looks fine but there are no data about the electric currents

CP4-420
420 WATT ATX PC-Netzteil
17.95 EUR

RAM 2 * 1GB

they are the cheapest I could find until now

DDR2-INF800 1 GB
Infineon/Qimonda/Aeneon PC6400, 1GB
15.95 EUR

CPU

I haven't look for other CPUs at different dealers until now

AMD ADH 1600DH
AMD Athlon 64 AM2 LE-1600 2,2GHz
37.20 EUR

ATA-SATA adapter

I haven't found one until now but there are some.

The budget is at around 150.00 EUR and at the moment I'm at

54.90 EUR mobo

17.95 EUR power supply

15.95 EUR 1GB RAM

15.95 EUR 1GB RAM

37.20 EUR CPU

??.?? EUR ATA-SATA adapter

----------------------------------------------------------------------

141.95 EUR

without something less over 5.60 EUR delivery charges plus cover costs
and if it will be 180.00 EUR it will be hard for me but also ok.

141.95 EUR are

222.68 CHF

112.42 GBP

228.84 CAD

224.13 USD

I will look for hardware and order it before noon at Monday March
31.2008 German time, so that I'll get the new hardware at Tuesday and I
will be thankful for last statements.

Cheers,

Ralf

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03-30-2008, 06:46 PM

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All of those CPUs are 64 bit and will run 64Studio in 64 bit. I would
also strongly recommend a dual core processor if the budget allows for
it. I have been an SMP fan for a long time. In my case (and it sounds
like yours as well) when using soft synths then the extra core will
certainly come in handy and allow you/me to leverage the rest of your/my
system.

Of course this is merely my opinion.

Hope this helps,

Ralf Mardorf wrote:
| Hi

|
| I've got some verified informations.
|
| The problem with the power supply is that there is needed a newer
| connector that you hardly can get apart, resp. you can't get it and
| because new hardware needs less voltage the needed current is higher. I
| will order an new power supply too. I think 20A at +5V and +3.3V should
| be ok, maybe +5V needs less than 20A with modern mobos.
|
| I will order 2 * 1GB DDR2 6400 RAMs. They are not expensive.
| The board will be an M2A-VM with or without HDMI, the boards are
| identical. I guess I'll buy the HDMI-Version, so it may be easy to use a
| monitor and display together. A friend says that this is a good mobo
| (not sure if it's good for Linux but I haven't heard something that will
| speak against the use with Linux).
|
| I will buy some ATA-SATA adapters too because this friend has said it
| shouldn't be good to use the old ATA hard disk and the DVDRAM at one ATA
| as primary and secondary. He don't know if HD recording is possible
| doing this.
|
| At the moment I'm looking for this adapters and I'm still searching for
| the CPU.
|
| My dealer of confidence has those CPUs within my budget:
|
| ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ AMD Sempron 64 AM2 LE-1150 2.0GHzï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ 33.95 EUR
| ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ AMD Athlon 64 AM2 LE-1600 2.2GHzï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ CHEAPERADVICE 37,20 EUR
| ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ AMD Sempron 64 AM2 LE-1200 2.1GHzï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ 39.50 EUR
| ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ AMD Sempron 64 AM2 LE-1250 2.2GHzï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ 45.50 EUR
| ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ AMD Sempron 64 AM2 LE-1300 2.3GHzï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ 58.65 EUR
| ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ AMD Athlon X2 BE-2300 1.9GHz, AM2ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ 66.90 EUR
| ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ AMD Athlon X2 BE-2350 2.1GHz, AM2ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ 69.95 EUR
|
| I won't buy the dual core because they aren't 64bit versions and I won't
| compile all applications optimized for those 32bit CPUs myself. If I
| will buy the CPU at my dealer of confidence, it looks like I'm buying
| all the other hardware there, I have to choose between this 5 64bit
| single core CPUs. Perhaps I'll order from another dealer, I'll google.
|
| What choice would be the best? For example the Athlon 2.2GHz has got 1MB
| cache and a load of 45W while the Sempron 2.2GHz and 2.3GHz have the
| same loads but only 256KB cache but I'm not sure if the Sempron has any
| functions the Athlon don't has.
|
| At the moment it seems to be that I will buy the following hardware:
|
| Mobo
| if I'll have not enough money
|
| ASUS M2A-VM
|
<http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=2;GROUP=E29;GROUPID=2859;ARTICLE=757 76;START=0;SORT=preis;OFFSET=1000;SID=27Cdy7MKwQAR sAAFDAHpAfb9cf11c48b8c2067c91ef02952afd9a>

| Mainboard AM2, ASUS M2A-VM
|
<http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=2;GROUP=E29;GROUPID=2859;ARTICLE=757 76;START=0;SORT=preis;OFFSET=1000;SID=27Cdy7MKwQAR sAAFDAHpAfb9cf11c48b8c2067c91ef02952afd9a>

| ï¿½46.50 EUR
|
|
| if I'll have enough money
|
| ASUS M2A-VM HDMI
|
<http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=2;GROUP=E29;GROUPID=2859;ARTICLE=757 80;START=0;SORT=preis;OFFSET=1000;SID=27Cdy7MKwQAR sAAFDAHpAfb9cf11c48b8c2067c91ef02952afd9a>

| Mainboard AM2, ASUS M2A-VM/HDMI
|
<http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=2;GROUP=E29;GROUPID=2859;ARTICLE=757 80;START=0;SORT=preis;OFFSET=1000;SID=27Cdy7MKwQAR sAAFDAHpAfb9cf11c48b8c2067c91ef02952afd9a>

| 54.90 EUR
|
|
| Power supply
| all electric currents are ok but the fan looks small
|
| PC-NETZT ATX 350
|
<http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=2;GROUP=EA6;GROUPID=752;ARTICLE=4709 3;START=0;SORT=preis;OFFSET=1000;SID=27Cdy7MKwQARs AAFDAHpAfb9cf11c48b8c2067c91ef02952afd9a>

| 350 Watt ATX Standard PC-Netzteil
|
<http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=2;GROUP=EA6;GROUPID=752;ARTICLE=4709 3;START=0;SORT=preis;OFFSET=1000;SID=27Cdy7MKwQARs AAFDAHpAfb9cf11c48b8c2067c91ef02952afd9a>

| 16.50 EUR
|
|
| the fan looks fine but there are no data about the electric currents
|
| CP4-420
|
<http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=2;GROUP=EA6;GROUPID=752;ARTICLE=7090 8;START=0;SORT=preis;OFFSET=1000;SID=27Cdy7MKwQARs AAFDAHpAfb9cf11c48b8c2067c91ef02952afd9a>

| 420 WATT ATX PC-Netzteil
|
<http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=2;GROUP=EA6;GROUPID=752;ARTICLE=7090 8;START=0;SORT=preis;OFFSET=1000;SID=27Cdy7MKwQARs AAFDAHpAfb9cf11c48b8c2067c91ef02952afd9a>

| 17.95 EUR
|
|
| RAM 2 * 1GB
| they are the cheapest I could find until now
|
| DDR2-INF800 1 GB
|
<http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=2;GROUP=E1353;GROUPID=2845;ARTICLE=7 2872;START=0;SORT=preis;OFFSET=1000;SID=27Cdy7MKwQ ARsAAFDAHpAfb9cf11c48b8c2067c91ef02952afd9a>

| Infineon/Qimonda/Aeneon PC6400, 1GB
|
<http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=2;GROUP=E1353;GROUPID=2845;ARTICLE=7 2872;START=0;SORT=preis;OFFSET=1000;SID=27Cdy7MKwQ ARsAAFDAHpAfb9cf11c48b8c2067c91ef02952afd9a>

| 15.95 EUR
|
|
|
| CPU
| I haven't look for other CPUs at different dealers until now
|
| AMD ADH 1600DH
|
<http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=2;GROUP=E11;GROUPID=641;ARTICLE=7842 7;START=0;SORT=preis;OFFSET=1000;SID=27Cdy7MKwQARs AAFDAHpAfb9cf11c48b8c2067c91ef02952afd9a>

| AMD Athlon 64 AM2 LE-1600 2,2GHz
|
<http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=2;GROUP=E11;GROUPID=641;ARTICLE=7842 7;START=0;SORT=preis;OFFSET=1000;SID=27Cdy7MKwQARs AAFDAHpAfb9cf11c48b8c2067c91ef02952afd9a>

| 37.20 EUR
|
|
| ATA-SATA adapter
| I haven't found one until now but there are some.
|
| The budget is at around 150.00 EUR and at the moment I'm at
|
| 54.90 EUR mobo
| 17.95 EUR power supply
| 15.95 EUR 1GB RAM
| 15.95 EUR 1GB RAM
| 37.20 EUR CPU
| ??.?? EUR ATA-SATA adapter
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------
| 141.95 EUR
|
| without something less over 5.60 EUR delivery charges plus cover costs
| and if it will be 180.00 EUR it will be hard for me but also ok.
|
| 141.95 EUR are
| 222.68 CHF
| 112.42 GBP
| 228.84 CAD
| 224.13 USD
|
| I will look for hardware and order it before noon at Monday March
| 31.2008 German time, so that I'll get the new hardware at Tuesday and I
| will be thankful for last statements.
|
| Cheers,
| Ralf
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03-30-2008, 07:22 PM

Gustin Johnson wrote:
> All of those CPUs are 64 bit and will run 64Studio in 64 bit. I would
> also strongly recommend a dual core processor if the budget allows for
> it. I have been an SMP fan for a long time. In my case (and it sounds
> like yours as well) when using soft synths then the extra core will
> certainly come in handy and allow you/me to leverage the rest of your/my
> system.
>
> Of course this is merely my opinion.
>
> Hope this helps,

Thank you

I didn't notice that also those cheaper dual cores are 64bit but a link
to another dealer confirms what you've written: 'Typ / Formfaktor: AMD
Athlon X2 BE-2350, Multi-Core-Technologie: Dual-Core, 64-Bit-Computing:
Ja (Yes)'
(http://shop.myby.com/Produkt/d_msFFZ7Id8AAAEWn74LK6gv-detail.html).

You preserved me for making an mistake.

This CPU is barley within the budget but I'm still searching. I have
found no data sheet for the CP4 420 power supply and no ATA-SATA
adapters until now but I wasn't busy and I will go on now.

Cheers,
Ralf

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