Contribute
Register

Music production dream build advice? (9900K)

Status
Not open for further replies.

pli

Joined
Dec 2, 2012
Messages
7
Motherboard
Asus Prime Z390-A
CPU
i9-9900K
Graphics
GTX 1080
Hi,

So I've done a lot of research for this build, but I'm by no means sure if it would work. I'm trying to make the perfect production machine in this price range, after a lifetime of working with inferior technology I finally have the finances to go all in on a build. My current computer is a MacBook Pro Mid-2012, which is always lagging and it's just killing my productivity. I use it mostly with Ableton 10 and Cubase 9.5. I'm trying to keep in mind that single core power is a big thing for music production computers, therefore the only processors I've considered are 8086K and 9900K.

I understand that the CPU and MOBO aren't even officially out yet, but how does the rest of this look? I've googled myself senseless, but maybe there's something I missed regarding these components?

That said I'm fairly sure the 9900k is the CPU I want, seems like it should work.

I'm a bit unsure if to use Z390-A vs Z370-A. I read someone tested a board from the Asus Z390 line here and that it has a shutdown / restart problem, which sounds like a biggie. Also I think there was some issue regarding audio, but that doesn't concern me since I've an external audio interface. I read that the VRM is better on the newer one, but I'm unsure of how that would affect me practically?

Could anyone tell me if that MSI GPU and the Lycom PE-107 firewire card are a good idea? I'd like to use the firewire card with an RME UCX btw. I'm using the RME for drivers and a Prism Sound Lyra 2 for the converters & clock.

Also is the 850W PSU enough for all this? And is it all properly cooled using these parts? I'm trying to go as silent as possible, while still being able to play a few games.

I won't be using bluetooth or wi-fi and I probably won't be overclocking either. I'm guessing the silent build with no water cooling wouldn't be a good idea for overclocking?

Anyway, here's the build:

CPU - Intel Core i9 9900K
MOBO - Asus Prime Z390-A
Case - Fractal Design Define R6 USB-C
Case Fans - Be Quiet! SilentWings 3 (x3)
CPU Fan - Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4
GPU - MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Gaming X
Optical Drive - LG Blu-Ray DVDRW
PSU - Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 850W
RAM - Corsair Vengeance 64GB DDR4 2666MHz
SSD OS - Samsung 970 EVO 500GB M.2
SSD OS - Samsung 970 EVO 2TB M.2
SSD Audio - Samsung 860 EVO 2TB SATA (x2)
FireWire - Lycom PE-107 Firewire
Thunderbolt - Asus ThunderboltEX 3
Display - Dell 34" U3417W
 
Last edited:
you can check my thread which is kind of similar
Motherboard for a music production workstation ?

I use Logic and Ableton but mostly Logic as Ableton handle big sessions really poorly i think, Logic has much better optimization.

I'm a noob too, but from what i've gathered (correct me if i'm wrong)

- a 500w bronze PSU is more than enough for most builds
- Even with big sessions 16 gb of RAM seems to be enough for me from what i've tested. 32 why not but 64 seems overkill.
- I've had a RME UCX, why would you want to use firewire ? USB is much better from the tests i've seen. I've always used it in USB, excellent latency.
- Overclocking really doesn't seem like being worth the hassle
 
keep in mind that if you take a 9th gen CPU and a z370 motherboard, your motherboard will need the latest BIOS Version to run with the new CPU. There are certain motherboards that support a direct bios flash with a USB Stick and no CPU installed and others that need the CPU installed (8th ten CPU for a z370 board). So check that before and verify with the vendor which version it gets shipped with or if the vendor can update it for you directly.
 
I am going to build with i9 9900k. It is true, you won't need a massive PSU to make it run. BUT, if you are making music, you will want it to run quiet. That is why I will be using a Corsair RM850x, which will not even start the fan under about 300w. Silence is golden; hardware wise :)
 
Thanks for the replies!
you can check my thread which is kind of similar
Motherboard for a music production workstation ?

I use Logic and Ableton but mostly Logic as Ableton handle big sessions really poorly i think, Logic has much better optimization.

I'm a noob too, but from what i've gathered (correct me if i'm wrong)

- a 500w bronze PSU is more than enough for most builds
- Even with big sessions 16 gb of RAM seems to be enough for me from what i've tested. 32 why not but 64 seems overkill.
- I've had a RME UCX, why would you want to use firewire ? USB is much better from the tests i've seen. I've always used it in USB, excellent latency.
- Overclocking really doesn't seem like being worth the hassle

500W I think might not be enough for this kind of a build? I did a detailed PSU calculator test with all the parts and it suggested 750W, so I thought I'd be safe and take the 850W. The price difference between the wattages isn't too much so I didn't really give it much thought though.

I have 16 GB RAM right now and with Kontakt I can max it out quite easily. Big piano and orchestral libraries etc. 32 GB seems like the standard right now so I just wanted to one up to future proof.

RME UCX and firewire work nicely for me, no latency problems. That way I'll save all the USB bandwith for everything else I figured? The firewire card costs about €30, so it's not a big expense if I change my mind either way.
keep in mind that if you take a 9th gen CPU and a z370 motherboard, your motherboard will need the latest BIOS Version to run with the new CPU. There are certain motherboards that support a direct bios flash with a USB Stick and no CPU installed and others that need the CPU installed (8th ten CPU for a z370 board). So check that before and verify with the vendor which version it gets shipped with or if the vendor can update it for you directly.

Ah yes, I know. There's a Asus Prime Z370-A II out now though, which should have the latest BIOS already on it, correct?
I am going to build with i9 9900k. It is true, you won't need a massive PSU to make it run. BUT, if you are making music, you will want it to run quiet. That is why I will be using a Corsair RM850x, which will not even start the fan under about 300w. Silence is golden; hardware wise :)

Hmm, wouldn't the PSU always use more than 300W with my build? But I agree silence is golden. From what I read the Be Quiet PSU is one of the best choices for that, it's not semi-passive but should be pretty quiet.
 
Nice selection of parts. It will be indeed very silent. Noiseless. As I opted only for a 1050 GPU my Be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 550W is running stably at optimum range. No on-off fan noises or differences in speed aka frequency.
 
Thanks! I was considering the 1050 at first, but then read that some of the 1080's are very quiet too. Plus I might wanna try mining crypto with it for fun.

Nice selection of parts. It will be indeed very silent. Noiseless. As I opted only for a 1050 GPU my Be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 550W is running stably at optimum range. No on-off fan noises or differences in speed aka frequency.
 
Looks like a solid potential build. I'm currently using an ASUS Maximus X Hero with a 9700-k, which runs great, but I had to send my motherboard in for repair last week (hardware issue, unrelated to build compatibility). In the meantime, I'm thinking of scooping up a Prime Z390-A motherboard too, to see how compatible it is in comparison to what I already have.

For your GPU choice, unless you plan on staying on High Sierra, it may make your life easier if you use an AMD option instead, as Mojave hasn't been playing nice with NVIDIA GPUs. Something about NVIDIA not having any web drivers for Mojave or something? There may be a fix somewhere that I don't know about yet, but to my knowledge, AMDs are functioning well on Mojave in comparison to NVIDIAs.
 
Most of the newer Intel 6+ core CPUs run really hot. The i9s were supposed to go back to the soldered heat sink at some point and that will help. I don't know if the CPU model you are looking at has that improvement or not.

For cooling, I would look at a 280mm CLC like,

Corsair Hydro Series H110i 280mm CW-9060026-WW
NZXT Kraken X62 RL-KRX62-02 280mm
Thermaltake Floe AIO Riing RGB 280 TT CL-W167-PL14SW-A

There may be some new models since I last looked. I would look for a cooler roundup using the CPU you are interested in. Make sure it is a roundup that actually posts testing methods and results and is not just a list of features and prices. The Corsair only costs about $25 more than the air cooler you posted. The dual 140mm fans will move tons of air with less noise than comparable 120mm fans. A 120mm fan has to spin at nearly twice the RPM to move the same amount of air. The larger size makes the pitch a bit lower as well.

If you get a CLC, just make sure that it has the correct mounting bracket for the motherboard socket you are using. Most are universal but you should check. Also, make sure that your case will accommodate a 280mm radiator and 2x 1400mm fans, probably as top exhaust.

Big dual fan air coolers like the dark rock take up allot of space and can make it impossible to use all of the RAM slots. If you stay with that cooler, check the maximum allowed height for a RAM stick in the first couple of slots. Ram in at least the first two slots has to fit under one of the fans on the cooler. You don't want RAM with a tall heat sink if you use that cooler.

The fans on the dark rock only move 50 CFM. They are quiet but for a rig like this I would have 2-4 140mm high speed Yate Loons that move 140 CFM each. I am guessing that the H100i with 2x 140mm yate loon high speed fans (25% more air flow than the stock fans) would give you load temps about 10C-12C lower than the dark rock but would put out about 10dBA more noise (yate loon high speeds put out 48dBA each at max RPM).

If noise is the most important factor, you may have to choose between noise and temps.

LMHmedchem
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top