New build for Music production & light video

[Arron]

I personally use an AIC and I have no issues with it. Everything I have that is T3 works perfectly thought I am not doing audio production I do not see why it would not work. However onboard and AIC both will require some kind of configuration with varying degrees of functionally. CaseySJ totally explains everything about both cards and generally is very helpful for all things TB3.

I am torn between the GA Z490 Vision G, and the Asus ProArt Z490 Creator (or Prime Z490A). I see good build guides to follow here including a nice looking one from Stork. https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...tor-thunderbolt-3-i5-10400-amd-rx-580.305775/

I don't use any TB3 devices right now, but I'd like to be able to and it would be nice to not use up a slot with an AIC. More importantly though, is that my build is stable and has a trouble free install.

 

[Stork]

I am torn between the GA Z490 Vision G, and the Asus ProArt Z490 Creator (or Prime Z490A). I see good build guides to follow here including a nice looking one from Stork. https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...tor-thunderbolt-3-i5-10400-amd-rx-580.305775/

I don't use any TB3 devices right now, but I'd like to be able to and it would be nice to not use up a slot with an AIC. More importantly though, is that my build is stable and has a trouble free install.

TB4 is now out. So, since you don't have any TB peripherals, you may want to get a TB4 motherboard. @CaseySJ will probably have a TB4 motherboard based system in several weeks. I'd recommend waiting for him to write up a build description for it. Newer TB peripherals will be TB4 in the near future.

 

[Arron]

TB4 is now out. So, since you don't have any TB peripherals, you may want to get a TB4 motherboard. @CaseySJ will probably have a TB4 motherboard based system in several weeks. I'd recommend waiting for him to write up a build description for it. Newer TB peripherals will be TB4 in the near future.

Thanks for the input! I’ve never been an early adopter so I think I’d be fine with TB3. I usually buy my Audio gear used anyways. Heck I am still using a Motu 828 MKII (black lion mod) that I’ve had since 2005

 

[Arron]

Due to the price and availability of graphics cards, am I correct in assuming I can proceed with either of those builds without a dGPU and add one later?

 

[NorthAmTransAm]

I've been using my build for Pro Audio for a few years now. Feel free to check it out.

It's affordable, effortless, supported (via my Golden Build), and offers either 1 Thunderbolt Extended Bus Port with the EX3, or 2 ports in ICM Mode with EX4.

[Success] ASUS Prime Z370-A+i9-9900k Pro Audio Build

NorthAmTransAm’s Pro Tools Machine: ASUS Prime Z370-A | i9-9900K | RX 580 Note 1: Please do not simply grab the EFI and carry on. You need to read through all of this first. Get an understanding and set yourself up for success. Note 2: I've saved us from repetition here. Please visit Dortania...

www.tonymacx86.com

 

[CaseySJ]

Thanks for the input! I’ve never been an early adopter so I think I’d be fine with TB3. I usually buy my Audio gear used anyways. Heck I am still using a Motu 828 MKII (black lion mod) that I’ve had since 2005

A Z390 or Z490 system with on-board Thunderbolt 3 is still a wonderful choice, and it's a tested and highly compatible choice. @Stork's Asus Z490 ProArt Creator or my Gigabyte Z490 Vision D/G are still my recommendations over the new Z590 systems. Alas, Z590 with Rocket Lake has been a bit of a disappointment.

• Rocket Lake iGPU is not compatible with macOS
• Rocket Lake CPUs are too power hungry
• Z590 motherboards with Thunderbolt 4 do have functioning hot plug capability, but only with Asus and MSI boards so far
  • Gigabyte's Z590 boards with on-board Thunderbolt 4 do not have functioning hot plug capability in macOS

 

[Arron]

A Z390 or Z490 system with on-board Thunderbolt 3 is still a wonderful choice, and it's a tested and highly compatible choice. @Stork's Asus Z490 ProArt Creator or my Gigabyte Z490 Vision D/G are still my recommendations over the new Z590 systems. Alas, Z590 with Rocket Lake has been a bit of a disappointment.

• Rocket Lake iGPU is not compatible with macOS
• Rocket Lake CPUs are too power hungry
• Z590 motherboards with Thunderbolt 4 do have functioning hot plug capability, but only with Asus and MSI boards so far
  • Gigabyte's Z590 boards with on-board Thunderbolt 4 do not have functioning hot plug capability in macOS

It looks like the Asus Z390 boards are cheap and easy to get. I don’t mind going this route at all. Are there any downsides or limitations going forward to using a 300 series board?

 

[Arron]

I've been using my build for Pro Audio for a few years now. Feel free to check it out.

It's affordable, effortless, supported (via my Golden Build), and offers either 1 Thunderbolt Extended Bus Port with the EX3, or 2 ports in ICM Mode with EX4.

[Success] ASUS Prime Z370-A+i9-9900k Pro Audio Build

NorthAmTransAm’s Pro Tools Machine: ASUS Prime Z370-A | i9-9900K | RX 580 Note 1: Please do not simply grab the EFI and carry on. You need to read through all of this first. Get an understanding and set yourself up for success. Note 2: I've saved us from repetition here. Please visit Dortania...

www.tonymacx86.com

Thank you! What I have any issues if I followed your build using an Asus Prime Z390 or should I do the same 370?

 

[etorix]

My criteria are: Simple, reliable, affordable, quiet, can use NVME drives and a firewire device.

You require Firewire but mostly discuss boards with Thunderbolt. Do you want/need Thunderbolt in itself, or is it only a way to attach a Firewire-to-Thunderbolt adapter?
In the latter case, all you actually need is a free PCIe x1 slot (can be wider of course), and a Firewire card based on a TI chipset: These work out of the box with OS X—and you don't have to care about Thunderbolt, which makes for an easier setup and widely expand your choice of possible boards.

 

[CaseySJ]

It looks like the Asus Z390 boards are cheap and easy to get. I don’t mind going this route at all. Are there any downsides or limitations going forward to using a 300 series board?

Z390 boards support Coffee Lake and Coffee Lake Refresh processors. The i9-9900K is the top choice with 8 cores and 16 threads. On Z490, however, the top choice offers 10 cores and 20 threads.

Both Z390 and Z490 are excellent choices because there are near-equivalent Mac models.

• Z390 --> closest Mac model is iMac19,1
• Z490 --> closest Mac model is iMac20,2
• Z590 --> NO MAC MODEL (at this time or ever)