Which is best?

[nervousbreakdance]

Hi there.

I don't know terribly much about computers, and as such, I've not had much luck with them. My problem is:

I have two VERY OLD PCs that have been reconstructed by computer-savvy friends. One I am using at the moment, the other is sitting around with its hard drive removed. On this one, I am running EVERYTHING (Windows XP) and it runs slower than the human brain can comprehend.

Would it be better for me to move all my recording stuff (Cubase, Several dozen VSTis, Drivers for Tascam US22L etc etc etc.) on to the other one, having wiped the hard drive?

In basic terms, what I am asking is this: Is it better to run two seperate computers: One for recording, another for everything else? Would an OLD OLD OLD PC run just as slow with considerably less on its hard drive?

Or am I better off buying a new one?

[Renegade Studios]

I would say buy a new one... The benefits of putting a new harddrive in a old computer is like putting a bmw engine in a ford...

Newer hardware is faster, lighter and capable of doing things that those other 2 computers can dream about...

Step ur game up you owe it to yourself and your music...

[Audio~Geek]

I had to use the computer at the copy shop today, it was beyond slow. I've never used a computer slower than that and I grew up with a Commodore 64. The same place also thought it was fair to charge me $1.21 for a single page print.

As a musician, or any kind of creative person you need a computer that can keep up with your flow of energy.
For me, Quad core with 4GB of RAM is about as fast as I can think.

1- computers ARE cheap these days $400 gets you a decent system, $1000 gets you a hotrod
2- the savings in time and wasted energy are priceless
3- it's an investment in your music career

[tacman7]

Ah the c 64.

You get a real insight into how computers work from a beginning in Commodore.

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

New computer +1

newegg.com is the best for building your own.

[Renegade Studios]

I loved the c64... I had the chance to play with that in Jr. High... Oh do I miss computer class.. it was soo much fun... lol (Basics ROCKS!)

[Oscat01]

Without your specs it's hard to say. But a PC soley for Cubase will run better than a PC used for everything. More headroom for memory, harddrive etc.
But I agree with prevailing view -- Upgrade your PC, especially if your still using a singlecore processor.

[TonyB]

Originally Posted by Renegade Studios

I loved the c64... I had the chance to play with that in Jr. High... Oh do I miss computer class.. it was soo much fun... lol (Basics ROCKS!)

I didn't get the Commodore 64 because I didn't think I needed all that memory.... 64K! So instead I got the TI-99/4A with 16K!

Not kidding! I thought I would never need 64K of memory so I didn't pay the extra $200 to $300 for the C64.

[TonyB]

I bought a Rain Recording PC in 2005. It was a PIV with 700MHz and 1GB RAM.

I've since upgraded it many times to where it is now a completely different computer (only the chassis case is the original).

Since 2005, it's on a third motherboard and third CPU (PC IV to Dual Core to now a Quad Core). I saw noticeable improvement on each major upgrade (don't count RAM upgrade as a significant upgrade moneywise, but improvement-wise, yes).

Did I save money? Possibly, but it was easier on the wallet to make smaller upgrades here and there.

It seems like a significant hardware upgrade is needed every 2 to 3 years to keep up with the expanding requirements of audio software.

Now if anyone can help me keep up with the ever expanding demands for more hard drive space. I'm constantly eating up 200GB - 320GB external USB drives archiving my audio data.

[fmw]

Not enough information. How old? What processor and operating system. I might be able to give you some upgrade advice with some more information.

[Gabriel_S]

Personally I would definitely get a new computer. With that said I would STAY AWAY from off the shelf computers eg. Best Buy etc. You want a computer with as few background apps as possible, absolutely no junk programs like Works, AOL demos and all the other junk you get with off the shelf comps. Also you want not just a fast CPU but at the minimum of 2 HDs with 32 mbs cache per HD (Audio is very much cache reliant), one for your OS and programs and the other for your Audio files. Also off the shelf computers normally have intigrated soundcards and video cards. These are HUGE CPU and memory hogs. If I was in your shoes I would go to Rain Audio or PC Labs, find a nice sytem, get their specs and have a pro build one for you. Will save you a ton of cash and you'll have a comp that will last you years since you'll always be able to upgrade it as the need arises

Gabriel