best motherboard and processor for home recording

[the_kiddy]

Hi people - just wondered if anyone has any suggestions concerning which motherboard and processor to use when I build my new pc next week. Is the P5B deluxe a good option? I need a board with firewire and as many USB 2 ports at possible. Thanks.

[Patriote]

Looks like a great MoBo for a DAW to me, since noise is a major issue...

I went for AMD Opterons 275 (dual CPU) and the Mobo is Tyan S2895. Popular DAW setup, but big bucks too !

Good luck

[brandondrury]

Before selecting a motherboard or CPU, I'd recommend choosing your audio interface. Some chipsets wreak havok with certain audio interfaces. Once you have this figured out, you can narrow your motherboard selection down to a specific chipset.

Brandon

[the_kiddy]

do you know any chipsets that work well with the presonus firepod?

Looks like a great MoBo for a DAW to me, since noise is a major issue

but if you're using an external interface onboard noise won't cause a problem, will it?

[brandondrury]

Nope. You'll need to look that up. I don't own a Firepod.

but if you're using an external interface onboard noise won't cause a problem, will it?

I'm not sure what you mean by "onboard noise", but the computer makes noise in the room. This means mics can pick it up. This means while mixing your ears will be hearing this noise as well.

Brandon

[the_kiddy]

I'm not sure what you mean by "onboard noise", but the computer makes noise in the room. This means mics can pick it up

ok - I see what you're saying. I'd never considered the mics picking up the noise my computer makes....is there a simple way around this problem?

[Patriote]

Not to many solutions:

- Ultra quiet PC (ie no fans and very quiet hard disks)
- Put the PC in another room when your tracking or permanently (some people put them on wheels !)
- Build or buy an ISO box for it, but I guess it could overheat easily

I went for the quietest PC I could build, and after spending almost $3000 on that machine, it's still making a bit of noise: the hard disks. But it's quite acceptable for my needs anyway.

[the_kiddy]

is it true that nexus and seasonic make the quietest power supplies? Do I need to buy a power supply if I'm building my own PC - or will that come with it? Can you give me a quick briefing concerning power supplies and how important they are in terms of audio recording? Also - should I invest in a heatsink instead of using a fan to keep the noise down?

[Patriote]

All the answers to your questions are there:

http://www.amptone.com/silencingpcnoise.htm
http://www.endpcnoise.com/

Buy the PSU appart so you can choose a quiet one. And I suggest buying a powerfull one (550 watts and above).

[brandondrury]

Out of curiosity, why so big on the power supply? Wouldn't a huge power supply make more heat and therefor need more in the way of cooling? Just curious.

Brandon