Designing a system under $2000

[acetone]

Hello;
I'm sort of a newbie...I'm finally calling it quits on my Roland VS1680 workstation and assorted hardware...I'm going to join the rest of you and finally convert to computer and software...I need all the elements...PC,Soundcards,software,mixer,etc...I have a limited understanding of the components involved, but I'm doing my best...would love to hear various opinions of what is currently available for under $2000 total...So far, for a PC, I'm looking at: Dell 8300 2.6, or Sony VAIO 2.66, or Pavilion a350n minitower 2.8...that's as far as I've gotten...thank you all in advance for any and all of your advice...

[Ender]

Well I don't know about OEM computers like Dells and Sony, or HP, but if you know a thing or two about systems, or have a friend who does, then you could build a great system for that amount of money or less. You can get the basic parts from webistes online and build it from there. I start at www.pricewatch.com and move from there finding the parts I need, and the best prices.

A few things if you do this,

1. buy lots of RAM, and NOT THE CHEAP STUFF. Buy name brand like Crucial, Corsair and such. (I use Crucial and have heard great things about Corsair)
2. Intel or AMD, its your choice. I prefer AMD, but then I've been running one since my 133mhz days so its a matter what I know. Both will work.
3. Make sure you get a good motherboard with a solid chipset. I am currently running an nForce2 AMD chipset from ASUS (A7N8X deluxe for those who know)
4. The case and powersupply are important. I have an aluminum case with a 450watt psp. I'd say 350 watt is your lowest bet with wattage, but that will vary between chipset, and CPU manufactuerer. 400 watt should be safe. I've heard that there is quite alot of inconsistency between the what the manufactuerer says, and what the psp's are actually putting out so you may want to research a good brand name. (I don't know any off the top sorry)
5. COOLING!!! I have four case fans that are LOUD AS HELL, but they keep it nice and cool in there. I'd like to get a liquid cool, or some other quieter cool. As it is I can't really mix with the volume it is at, but I don't have a choice at the moment. :(
6. I'd get a video card supports dual monitors. They are extremely handy, and even if you can't afford two just yet, it is good to plan for the future. Nothing beats having your sequencer, or mixer on one monitor and your softsynths on the other!
7. Sound cards...This is a big one since you're into audio! I like M-Audio cards since they fit my budget. I've been drooling over a Delta 1010 system for a while, but there are better opinions out there than mine right now. (Anyone else? Come on now! Help me out here!)
8. Hard drive(s) I'd go with at least a 60 gig that spins at 7200rpms. No less. I have two Western Digital drives. One at 60 gig, and one at 40. I ran out of room quick with 40 gig, and so I bought the 60. I have my audio files on one, and my OS, and programs on the other. That's the way I'm told
9. Lat but not least connectivity. You'll want several USB 2.0 ports as well as Fire Wire! Fire Wire is a must in my opinion since it leaves a whole huge space open for firewire based recorders like the ones from MOTU and the like.

I'm sure I missed stuff in there. There is a good bit of quality info on building systems at www.extremetech.com. They have an article on DAWs there too, as well as an article on cooling, and silencing a PC.

Oh yeah, and try to find a site that sells a mother board with a CPU already seated. It's a touchy process that I, unfortunately, screwed up the first time I tried it. I ended up with a busted CPU. (if you do attempt it use Artic Silver 3 under the heat sink/fan!)

I'm not the biggest authority on this stuff so feel free to correct me guys.

Also if you can't or won't build one I apologize for the monumental waste of space, Acetone.

[monkeypants?]

I use a 2 gig HP at work (I've got a G4 at home) and every time I drag a window across the screen, or do anything that causes the display to do some work, I can hear a rumbling coming through my speakers. As a matter of fact, pretty much ANY task this computer ends up doing produces a sound like a distant earthquake. I don't know if its my sound card or what, but it sure doesn't happen on my mac! Just a word of warning... If you've got $2000, you could get a 1 gig G4 and an 828 mk2, PreSonus Firestation, or any of a number of firewire interfaces. I know you think a 2 gig PC is better than a 1 gig mac, but I wouldn't be so sure...

[bacchanal]

Ender made good points about building a computer yourself or getting someone you know to do it for you...however this requires a fair amount of research and some knowhow...and as with any homebuilt pc, there is always a chance that you may run into some compatibility issues. In otherwords, you may not get it right the first time, and you may have to swap some parts to get things running smoothly.

That being said, if you're looking at buying an a complete computer from a company like dell of hp, keep all of Ender's points in mind.

Ender made a good point about noise. You won't get water cooling for your budget, and if you build a computer yourself and use air cooling it's probably going to be loud as hell (unless you go passive with a Zalman heatsink or something). It is worth noting that Dell uses some great passive cooling solutions that are whisper quiet. Sony would also be a good brand to consider. If you're set on buying a major brand, I can recommend Dell if you aren't interested in learning all about computers just to own a decent one. I bought one 4 years ago and I still use it. They build good computers and have decent customer service. Now I build my own computers for much less than I paid for my Dell...but then again I spent a year or so on computer forums before I got good at it. Maybe you could build you own next time :)

I would suggest that you do not buy an HP or Compaq as their service and their products (in my experience) really aren't the best. In other words, when my relatives ask me to come over and fix their HP, I do not look forward to it.

Also, i'm sure that this will piss a lot of people off, but those who know computers, do not buy Apple. If you're planning using your computer only for A/V, then apple may not be a bad choice, but this probably isn't/will not be the case. Also Macs have their problems too, just like windows machines...especially if you want to try to upgrade one (or have them upgrade it for you). There is something to the fact that top Apple execs have admitted to having a flawed and backwards business model.

Your best bet might be to go down to the local computer store, tell them what you want to do with your machine and ask them to give you an estimate on a custom built machine. Just keep in mind that if you don't get your machine custom built (customizing a Dell is not a custom built pc), you're probably going to find yourself wanting to upgrade one or more of the components. Optical drives and video/sound cards range from cheap to damn expensive and are relatively easy to upgrade if you need to.