Game Audio Production & General Gaming Rig - Feedback Please!

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domsea

Member
Hey folks,

Looking to build an audio production rig for around £1000-1200, the one below clocks in at just over £1200. So, I'm looking to be using large instrument libraries such as Spitfire through Kontact. Total tracks will likely sit between 25-50 (not all using Kontact) for compositional work. Moderate use of audio processing through plugins too.

I'll also be using audio middleware programs such as FMOD & Wwise and doing light work in game engines like Unity (audio focused).

It would be nice if it could also run some games too, but in all honestly I'm happier with mid to high graphics, 1080p, stable 60 fps. My steam library mostly consists of older Total War titles like Attila, Shogun 2. Would be lovely if this could handle some newer titles on lower settlings but it's not a deal breaker.

How does this rig hold up for those tasks? To reiterate, I don't want this to be blowing socks off graphically or handling 100 piece orchestras. Hoping to land a mid-entry machine. Or perhaps there are some parts I could probably downgrade a little and save some £££? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Case
PCS SPECTRUM G ARGB MID TOWER CASE (PWM)

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700F (Up to 4.9GHz) 25MB Cache

Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B760M-PLUS WIFI (mATX, LGA1700, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6)

Memory (RAM)
32GB PCS PRO DDR5 4800MHz (2 x 16GB)

Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3050 - HDMI, DP, LHR

1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (3500 MB/R, 3100 MB/W)

Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W CX SERIES™ CX-650 POWER SUPPLY

Processor Cooling
DeepCool AK400 Performance CPU Cooler ZERO DARK

Thanks all!

Monitor
IIYAMA G-MASTER GB2470HSU-B5 24", 1920 x 1080, 165Hz
 
D

domsea

Member
Hey folks, apologies for displaying the incorrect format in the OG post. Amended now below.

Audio
Looking to build an audio production rig for around £1000-1200. I'm looking to be running a standard DAW, probably Reaper, in which I'll be using large instrument libraries such as Spitfire through Kontact. Total tracks in any given project will likely not go beyond 50 (not all using Kontact). I'll be using moderate amounts of processing through plugins too, editing audio files and building a sound library (though I can house that externally on a HDD).

I'll also be using audio middleware programs such as FMOD & Wwise and doing light work in game engines like Unity. The purpose here would be to work within simplistic game environments to program my audio.

Gaming
It would be nice if it could also run some games too, but in all honestly I'm happier with stable 1080p, 60fps mid to high graphics rather than ultra. My steam library mostly consists of titles like;

- TW: Attila,
- TW: Three Kingdoms
- TW: Warhammer 2
- EVE Online
- WoW
- Cities Skylines 1

Would be lovely if this could handle some newer titles like Cities Skylines 2 & Helldivers 2 on lower settlings but it's not a deal breaker, I'd rather it run my existing library well above all else. I can always upgrade the GPU in a couple years.

How does this rig hold up for those tasks? To reiterate, I don't want this to be blowing socks off graphically or handling 100 piece orchestras in my audio work. Hoping to land a mid-entry machine. Thanks everyone!

Case
FRACTAL POP SILENT CASE TG (BLACK)
Promotional Item
Get a discount code for 20% off select peripherals at Corsair.com
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700F (Up to 4.9GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B760M-A WIFI (mATX, LGA1700, DDR5, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3050 - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (3500 MB/R, 3100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W CX SERIES™ CX-650 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
DeepCool AK400 Performance CPU Cooler ZERO DARK
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
NONE OR ONBOARD Wi-Fi (MOTHERBOARD DEPENDENT)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
Norton 360 inc. Game Optimizer - Free 90 Day License
Browser
Microsoft® Edge
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (6 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £1,070.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z790-ddr5-pc/exzYCna42d/
 
Scott

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
I don't think your wants and needs are properly aligned to a realistic budget in honesty. You are absolutely on the ball with your requirements, but I'm not sure you have looked into what sort of hardware best fits those requirements (if that makes sense).

@SpyderTracks is a hobbyist audio production dabbler and will be far more familiar with your softwares, but as I understand it the big/little configuration from Intel processors should be avoided as if a low duty process is detected the load will shift to the little cores, causing very slight delays during the transition. This is the worst thing that can ever happen as latency is always the key with audio work.

There are other selections that you have made that don't fall in line with understanding this importance, such as slower speed RAM (again, this will impact latency).

There are low end selections throughout the build (Storage, GPU, PSU, Cooler) that all make my teeth itch in honesty. I get that you are looking to stick with a budget but the choices really aren't wise at all.

I put a collaboration of links below. I would take some time to go through them. Specifically the Desktop Building Guide and the "Why more than one storage drive" thread. This will hopefully give you some insight into why I don't think it's realistic.

Please read before posting:- Collaboration of Helpful Hints

NB: These forums are not an official support channel. None of us work for PCS, we're all either customers or techies who just like to help out where possible. For any official support, you need to contact PCS directly either through your PCS account, or via the contact details on the main...
www.pcspecialist.co.uk www.pcspecialist.co.uk

Below would be my starting point for a build. There are some expensive parts in there, but they are chosen for very specific reasons.

The 7700 will be very low power utilisation and requires little cooling. The larger cooler on there will provide silence while in use. It still has 8 strong cores with excellent performance. For audio utilisation I can't see you needing much more (and certainly not at this budget level). You have the option to upgrade at any point though, including a future generation CPU as AMD have another generation or 2 in the socket. If you want to spend more right now then the 7900 would get you more parallel processing, but I'm not sure that's required. What I absolutely would not do is compromise any of the rest of the build to shoehorn a better CPU into the build.

The STRIX motherboards are known to have excellent latency properties.

Fast RAM for latency.

Considered storage for your uses, library & games separate from OS & Programs (far more sensible).

GPU on the lower end but not completely useless

PSU - Far better level of unit that will work in silence for most of your uses. Far less interference and better shielding with premium components. Honestly a no brainer for audio work.

OS as you had it and silver warranty as it's a no brainer for £5.

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7700 Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-5.3GHz/40MB CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB AMD RADEON™ RX 6600 - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB CORSAIR CORE XT MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 5000 MB/R, 4400 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
DeepCool AK620 ZERO DARK High-Performance Dual Tower CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £1,462.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/wZTYAgV3b5/
 
D

domsea

Member
Thank for this in-depth response. You’ve hit the nail on the head, I don’t understand the actual gear requirements for tasks I need unfortunately! I built a gaming PC 10 years ago for literally just that, but little thought went into it.

As an adult I’m obviously more financially aware and have actual work requirements for the rig, I just don’t know enough so thank you for your help. I’m currently in work but I will go over your suggestion today and re-evaluate budget.
 
D

domsea

Member
Okay so apologies for the delayed response. I've been giving it all some further thought. I read the articles you linked to me and found the one regarding storage incredibly insightful- thank you! I'm happy with how you've justified each component and how this similarly justifies the increased cost. The only questions I've got really are;

1) How many years do you gauge the CPU holding up for before feeling pressure to upgrade?
2) I've included a 1080p monitor in the build, ASUS TUF GAMING VG279Q1A 27", does this pair nicely with the 6600 GPU?
3) As you didn't provide a comment on the case you chose, I figured changing it wouldn't be too detrimental to the build. I swapped it to a FRACTAL POP SILENT CASE TG (BLACK), similar size, closed front to further minimise any sound leak. Would this be suitable still?

Thank you so much for taking time to help thus far!
 
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