I'm not sure this post belongs here. If I need to repost it elsewhere, please let me know.

My computer seems to be on its last legs. I am thinking of buying something new for recording and keeping a lesser machine for e-mails, etc. I plan to use RealBand, Reaper and a few plug-ins. I am also thinking of purchasing a virtual synth (such as Garritan) to do some of my own arrangements

I have two questions for you experienced users:

1) Is 8GB RAM enough or should I buy a machine that I can add RAM?

2) Do I need processing speed above 3.0 ghz?

Any other suggestions will be welcomed.

Thanks.

2b

Because computers advance so quickly, I always find that getting the best that's possible for the money I'm prepared to spend is the best way to go. I usually get a new computer every 3 - 4 years and the advances during that time are always significant.

The last computer I bought at the beginning of 2016 was..

• i7, 3.4 GHz, quad core
• 64 bit
• Windows 7
• 16 GB RAM
• American Megatrends Inc. BIOS
• Gigabyte motherboard

Because I use Reaper 64 bit, it flies along on this machine and makes use of all 16 GB of RAM. 8 GB would still do the job very well, though.

BIAB and Realband also travel very fast. Because they are 32-bit applications, though, they only use slightly less than 4 GB of RAM. That being said, I imagine that BIAB/RB will not always be 32 bits.

Hope this helps,
Noel

Just as important is what is on the machine, software wise.
If it's a big box store machine, there is likely lots of bloatware that should be removed.

This is why I still go through the trouble of building my own machines.
Well that, and so far, for many years, I always seem to have a Windows license available.
I obtained a W7 license that was good for 3 machines and have rotated it through 5 or 6 of them over the years. I also got a W8 license from work (we're MS partners so get special deals/considerations).
Even if I buy a laptop from a Big Box store (or online), I'll likely wipe it and re-install a clean OS without all the junk that came with it.

Noel and rharv,

Thanks for the replies. This helps.

I am going to look into building my own. It sounds like everything is modular, no soldering iron required. If I don't think I can do that, then buying off the shelf. I will also know to look for more speed and RAM.

You veterans make things much easier. Thanks again.

2b

Building your own should not require any soldering .. unless you are doing it wrong.

Everything plugs together. Just make sure you have the right piece to plug into the available slots.
In other words; get a motherboard with the features you need.

I usually get a motherboard/cpu combination (make sure it fits the available case).
Make sure it has available PCI, PCIe, or whatever, to fit any of your needs.
Lots of USB connections is always good.
If it comes with a good amount of RAM, even better.
Hard drives are not expensive.

The way I look at it is
I have an acceptable case (save $$)
I can re-use existing hard drive if needed (may have to re-activate Windows due to new machine key) or clone it to new drive and use the existing one as an 'extra' for temp files, development/testing or whatever. Not relied on for anything critical because it's old, but usable none the less. Also could just be a backup copy of the OS at a given point in time. (save $$)
The above has value, plus, like I said above, no bloatware to deal with.

Just make sure everything fits and will play nice. If you have a DVD drive you want to re-purpose make sure you can accommodate it.
A good case can last many years; I lucked into one due to my job, and grew to appreciate it over time. It can fit many size motherboards, multiple hard drives (8), different size power supplies, and has the space for extra standard size physical add-on devices (DVD, card reader,etc).
If you don't have a good case to work with, it is worth investing in a good one in my humble opinion.

Guess what I'm saying is, it takes planning, but shouldn't require any soldering ..
All I was implying in earlier post, really, was that if you buy off the shelf, just clean all the junk off the system first thing. I prefer to do that before creating any Restore or Repair or Image Backup disks .. so I don't ever have to do it again.

Thanks, rharv. This is reassuring. I will let you know how it goes.

hi 2 solo,
I got a laptop not as good for music production but I dont like sitting at a desk!
The type of processor is important and it comes down to Intel or AMD and usually Intel wins hands down according to my research.Also not all Intel i7 processors have 8 strands so check out how many strands they have as well .So check out the exact i7 processor you are getting as they are not all the same.urs Hugh

If I can build one.... anyone should be able to do it.

No soldering required but some hand tools... screwdrivers, nut drivers, pliers, hammer for those parts that don't fit right, etc....

As far as buying one, or buying the parts to build one, buy the most advanced one you can.

I'm running BB & Sonar flawlessly on an i5 quad core 4GB 32 bit XP Pro machine. It's probably close to 10 years old now.... and still runs everything like a champ.

When you buy a big box machine, there is a great free program called PC-Decrapifier, which will uninstall the bloatware found on new machines. They continually update their database when manufacturers release new configurations. I've used it a bunch of times.

As always, you guys are great. Thanks so much for all the info.