Getting started... Help me build a computer!

[cliaru]

Hello,

I am trying to build my first computer ever and I would love some help. The budget for this computer is $1500 and the sole purpose of this computer is home recording. I do not know much about computers so I think it might take a while to get things started. I have not decided on which recording software to use, but it'll be either Sonar or Cubase. Anyway, here's what I'm looking for:

- Processor: Processing power is my top priority along with RAM, and I'm trying to cram as much as I can in this machine
- RAM: As I said, I want a lot of memory, probably 8 gigs
- I want it to make little noise. I don't know what components make noise (cases? hard drives? power supplies?) but if I can pay more to make it produce less noise, I will
- Video Card: I'm not looking for anything fancy, but I will be using two monitors at once
- Motherboard: I don't know what makes one better than another... may need a little help
- Case: I haven't really decided what goes into my computer but I know I will use at least two hard drives (three would be best) and I will probably expand the machine when I get better sound cards and such (it would be a big plus if it would be easy to put together...)
- Hard Drive: I am trying to put just the basic stuff in one hard drive like the recording software (the master drive? I don't know what it's called...) and I would like to store my recorded files in a separate hard drive (500 gigs minimum) and, if possible, a back up hard drive (I don't know anything about the RAID settings and stuff)
- Sound Card: I'm not sure what home recordists use so I'm gonna have to do some research, but if you have any suggestions it'd be awesome (this won't be included in the $1500)
- Power Supply & Fan: I suspect these will make some noise... so the less noise the better
- OS: I will use a Windows Vista 64 bit... right?

If anyone will be kind enough to suggest some parts for me it would be great. Sorry for the long post and thanks for your advice in advance!

[fmw]

I could write a book since I do this sort of thing as part of my living. I'll just make a couple of comments. You have a big budget so go start with a quiet case. Use the Antec P182. it is the quietest case around that is readily available. Big and heavy but quiet. For video don't buy a gaming card, just buy a fanless card that supports both VGA and DVI. That will get you two monitors. There are mainboards, by the way with this capability built in. They are designed for use in home theater and CAD PC's and would do the the job quite well. Two drives is important, not for backup but for isolating your recording files from your operating system. Of course, backup is also imporant - well critical really. Most sound cards we use are really external digital recording interfaces. This site has plenty of resources to help you find one. Finally, use a 32 bit version of the operating system. 64 bit Operating systems aren't well supported by the pro audio industry.

[cliaru]

Won't 32 bit systems hold up to only 4 gigs of RAM? I was thinking more like 8 gigs.

Thanks for the advice!

[jdbunda]

The trouble with going to a 64-bit OS (which you would need to utilize more than 4G) is drivers. A lot of the interfaces/software/equipment available are behind the power curve with 64-bit Vista/XP, so you should check that the recording gear and software you plan to use is good with that. You might want to get first-hand testimonials, because they might SAY they have drivers, but some have been buggy. This will change over time, for sure, but if you can't use a 64-bit OS, you're wasting your money going above 4G.

[cliaru]

Thanks for your help!