Ryzen DAW build

equalsql

I stuck this up on gearslutz but am also posting it here as it might help if any of you folks on here are considering building a music production PC using an AMD solution.

This is a Ryzen build for someone contructing a DAW PC on a modest budget.
The system is rock-solid with Reaper and currently not breaking a sweat with my latest project which is a 24 track midi VI and audio combination.
No services suspended and wifi and bluetooth active on motherboard.
No glitches, farts etc at 44.1Kz with ASIO setting of 128 (update) or at 96k at 128 or 64 samples.

Running 1 instance of Superior Drummer 2
2 instances of EZ Drummer
3 Omnisphere instances
1 Kontakt Player with Vintage Organs
1 Addictive Keys Grand Piano
1 Lounge Lizard EP
2 instances of Amplitube 4 with multi-pedal configs
1 instance of S-Gear
24 Console 1 instances
1 instance Waves Abbey Road Chambers


Build is:

Windows 10 Pro
Ryzen 2600x (not overclocked) with stock cooler
MSI B450 Gaming Carbon Pro AC Motherboard
Corsair CMK16GX4M2B3000C15 Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4 3000 @ 15.17.17.36
Samsung (MZ-V6E500BW) 500GB EVO PCI Express 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD (C drive)
Crucial MX500 CT1000MX500SSD1(Z) 1 TB Internal SSD (D Drive)
Zotac ZT-71302-20L NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 PCI Express 2.0 2 GB Graphics Card at 2560 x 1080 into LG Ultrawide monitor.
Corsair CC-9011023-WW Carbide Series 200R Compact ATX case.
Old Coolermaster 700W PSU.

Interace is a Roland Octa-capture with v1.51 firmware.

Build notes:
Required the latest Windows 10 image (obtained using Microsoft's media creation tool) for a stable build. An earlier version I had caused many BSDs.

Octa-capture drivers would not install until I temporarily turned off the MS antivirus and firewall services in Windows Defender.

digitalscream

Interesting...there's been noise about glitching with AMD chipsets. Then again...44.1kHz/128 samples isn't going to stress it too much. How does it do when tracking guitar at 96kHz/128 samples and 96kHz/64 samples?

equalsql

digitalscream said:

Interesting...there's been noise about glitching with AMD chipsets. Then again...44.1kHz/128 samples isn't going to stress it too much. How does it do when tracking guitar at 96kHz/128 samples and 96kHz/64 samples?

Yep, I'd heard that too but it seems it might be a problem with earlier generation Ryzens.

I'll have go at those settiings though and report back.

equalsql

Ok, just ran up some large sessions and tracked some rhythm plus leads guitar parts through Bias 2. Both sessions were at 96k with the first at 128 sample and the next 64. No glitching at all no matter what I threw at it. 

digitalscream

equalsql said:

Ok, just ran up some large sessions and tracked some rhythm plus leads guitar parts through Bias 2. Both sessions were at 96k with the first at 128 sample and the next 64. No glitching at all no matter what I threw at it. 

Interesting...I'm likely to go for a Ryzen-based rig for my next one (probably next year) because I need more cores for work stuff, but I was squicky about the DAW issue.

Thanks for taking the risk on my behalf

mixolyd

Intel has better performance at lower latency but these chips are so powerful that you have to throw oodles of tracks and VST’s at them to make a real world difference.  There are benches on this subject somewhere.

Also word from CES is that the new Zen 2 Ryzens due out later this year are pin compatible with the current boards and are expected to be both lower latency and a big whack more powerful - so the upgrade path looks good.

equalsql

No worries
The 2600x was the best bang for the buck being £100 cheaper than the 2700x. It also runs at considerably lower power than the 2700x so is kinder to motherboard's vrms. The motherboard has a certain level of future proofing too as it has an additional 12v power connector which will help it cope with the next generation of AMD AM4 processors (well that's the theory anyway).

paulmapp8306

Looking at a music/general purpose build later this year.  My old - as in 1st Gen i5, laptop with 6GB DDR3 RAM is still going strong, and Im only just starting to see problems with my music (Im not hard on it as its a hobby).

I was thinking an i7 based board, 16GB DDR4 3000, but less SS space.  Thinking 3 drives, a 250GB SSD for the OS, a 500GB SSD for music, and a 1TB standard HD fro everything else (and archiving).  Cost will be bumped up,m as Ill stick a half decent Graphics card in for the odd game as well.  Probably a GForce 1050ti, or 1060.

Thing is, with those specs and the graphics card, its a little more than I was hoping for.  Coming in at around £1400. 

Any advice of getting the cost down, or streamlining the build (those SSDs arnt cheap either).

Jalapeno

Intel i7/i9 chips are producing n-way cores with seemingly more cores added every day - any views on those (by way of comparison)

equalsql

Intel pricing does appear to be excessive at the moment. By comparison the current Ryzen processors are very good value for money. You could build an equivalent AMD system with more SSD storage for possibly £300 less.
An 8 core Ryzen 2700x and B450 chipset motherboard would cost you aroun £400 and that is a monster combo.

joeyowen

Did gearslutz just laugh at you because they are great at everything? 

Some amazing wisdom on there, but a mess too

digitalscream

Jalapeno said:

Intel i7/i9 chips are producing n-way cores with seemingly more cores added every day - any views on those (by way of comparison)

Up to the i7 level, Ryzen CPUs offer twice the cores for the same price. Above that, at i9-level, AMD don't have anything...

My concern is biggest bang-for-buck, and I need threads. Ergo...Intel aren't likely to figure into my thinking.

equalsql

joeyowen said:

Did gearslutz just laugh at you because they are great at everything? 

Some amazing wisdom on there, but a mess too

Yep  Lol!

You must be psychic.

There's always someone who on there who needs to let you know how 'skilled' they are.

paulmapp8306

Just did an AMD build on PCSpecialist.  Came in at the same price as the i7 system BUT, I spec'd 1 x 500MB SSD, 1 x 250MB SSD and 1 x 2TB standard drive - that was against one SSD and a 1 TB standard drive in the i7 build.  AND I spec'd 32GB RAM v 16 on th i7 build.

It was also specking the 2700x top speed processor.  Dont know much about mother boards though - no idea what works and what doesnt, went for a B450 Elite.  

As I say - same price but more SSD space and more RAM.