XXHighEnd

Apart from the messy inside, this is what I'm using now for a couple of months, and I must say :veryhappy:.

This is my Vista playback machine with 4TB of music on-line, all with SATAII-speed. 2 spare connections (and spaces) left, so with a theoretical 6TB on-line (for current disk sizes) the configuration is this :

1 x ATA (IDE) boot disk (the left most shown). No music on that one.

The next 4 are 1 TB disks, containing music data. They are just separate volumes (hence the most decent - / less complex type of volumes), XXHighEnd making one logical volume of it anyway (Galery function).

The additional (6th) one in the drive bays is an on-line backup disk. Say it has the most economical size (which currently is 750GB), unrelated to the source disk's sizes. It serves as a backup disk for newly ripped albums, and it is replaced with a fresh one when the current one is full. They are bought when they are needed, and at the most economical size as occurs at that time.

The disk laying on top consumes the ad-hoc connection, and that connection serves as a connection for (manually) (re)backing up data from one of the source volumes, or it serves as an input connection for restoring data or wherever a source to copy comes from, like a disk from another PC.

According to the latter too, all is about speed. Please note the importance of this when the volume of data becomes really large, and your total amount of data can be copied in 10 hours (doable) with SATAII to 300 hours with 100Mbit Ethernet (totally unacceptable) with the various connection types hence speeds in between. In sequence of speed : 10Mbit Ethernet, WiFi 11MBit, USB 1.1, ATA (IDE), WiFi 54MBit, 100Mbit Ethernet, USB 2.0, Firewire400, Firewire800, SATA, SATAII (there are some more like Ultra ATA, SCSI, but they are out of date or not for home PC useage).

Important : The speed can be increased a little by some types of RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks). Note the "Independent" ...  :smirk: not true !! :smirk:. RAID configurations, except for RAID1 are DEpendent; they are dependent on the configuration itself, might it be hardware or software; Can't you copy that in a new or other system when needed, all is lost. The moral : keep it simple ! Just single volumes, and as said, XXHighEnd is disigned for it (it makes one large volume out of an umlimited amount without any spur of danger).

The number of disks you see in below picture, are kind of outrageous for a more or less normal PC. As said, the one on top is an ad-hoc backup connection/disk, as well as one on-line in the bays. The disks outside are backup disks too. When do I need those ? well, I *did* need them at making a backup to them which was only once, and I will need them when something bad happens (it did once, see Spanned Windows Volumes ... maybe not (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=302.0)).
Do not use any RAID configuration again to maintain your so called backups. Thus, e.g. before mentioned RAID1 configuration is safe by itself according to the arguments mentioned before, but like e.g. RAID5 it just copies YOUR behaviour. When your behaviour is exidentally deleting some bunch of data, it's immediately deleted from your RAID "backup" disks as well. So, RAID only protects against hardware failures, and it does not protect against you.

The outrageous number of disks directly connected, does not harm the PSU (useage) at all. Why ? well, the main reason is because -like me- you could use Galeries to access all, and my Galeries are on the boot disk (with   backup of that elsewhere, but never mind that). Now, assuming that the boot disk is always spinning, it just as well can spin to serve access to the Galeries; When I choose an Album to play, only then one (and only one) of the other disks start spinning for a couple of minutes.
Important :Only the SATA(II) connection guarantees that idle disks will spin down. With other connections (like USB/Firewire) it depends largely on the intelligence built in the (obviously) external box, with a 90% chance of Not.
Concluded : I will use 2 disks at the same time only, or 3 when a backup disk is involved.

Any disadvantages ? Yes !

Firstly, you have to adopt the idea of hen deleting Albums, you don't delete them from the backup disks. Too much hustle ! But, when you need a restore, you'll have them back !

Then, as often happens, you upgrade CoverArt. Go and find the disk where the according backup is on ? :nea: So you better find a method of saving your latest changes (could be a re-rip as well), that backup means to be restored over (!) an initial Restore when applicable.

Next, you'll need a decent administration. In the literal case as how I presented it, because of two reasons :
1. At a restore you 'll need to know where the (backup) sources are to restore to what;
2. Your backup disks are not 1:1 to the source disks because the backup disks consist of more volumes than the sources (this is because of smaller disks are always more economical, hence cheaper, than large (newest technology) disks.

Lastly, obviously it takes you more time and attention to perform a restore. I say : so what. You'd need to intervent a couple of time (switch backup disks) and you thouroughly need to follow the administration. :bored: No big deal. After a few days throughput time (you being at your work or sleeping, the system working hard), all is done.


... But with all due respect ... making a regular full backup of everything is out of the question, and by the time it's half way you'd want another. Think of this carefully, because this follows from the amount of data (and no SATA(II) connections left, hence sloooww connections).

Peter

Hello P
Look at this beauty!:
http://www.drobo.com/
I plan to implement this beaty within a couple of months.
Eliminates need for RAID and maintenance.Supervices itself!
Need more than 2,7TB.......add another.Is seen by the pc as a virtual single hd.
Best
Leif

Oh yes Leif, this is a beautiful and handy "machine". But of course when you take the GB Ethernet as the transport medium, there's a whole world of solutions, like in my case mounting all the backup disks in other PC's. Or just the data itself. But please keep in mind that any copy that takes e.g. 4 hours with the internal disks, takes 12 hours then minimum *if* you have a real throughput of 1Gb/s (which it most often is not).

But I'm a nitwit.  :) Similar is that I want the disks to spin down.

Hello P
Nice to see you´re awake :)
They also have another device called Droboshare that takes care of sharing the contents on a LAN
Best
Leif

Nice Peter.  That goes firewire out to your fireface?  Is it in the same room as you?  Not too loud?
My backup is all manual and I like it like that.  After a rip I send a copy to my main music HD and a copy stays on an internal drive until I put it on a backup HDD that is only in the machine long enough to take the backups. I basically never have the main or the backup running when the other is up and running.

Yes - Yes - No.

Even with all disks spinning you can't hear them. Well, I can't. :old:

The box is there open for I think a year now, and the slow spinning fans aren't really audible either. Btw, since this photo was taken with 1/60, maybe you can calculate the speed of the fans, since they look like standing still, which they were not.
Ok, the massege is that cooling the drives is not necessary at all at the ambient room temperature, and once the box is out of sight (should go to the basement right under it in my case) I don't see a reason not to leave it like this forever.
I'm thinking of experimenting with a SATA 4 x multiplexer, which is IMO fully legit for speed, since the speed (better : capacity) is always needed between two disks only, so it only takes the good strategy to what to multiplex (there are 8 SATAII connections on that mobo).

Btw, the display, keyboard and mouse are all cable connected, though 12 meters (36' or so) away.

36' is a good distance, what do you use to connect them?  I'm a bit worried to be running wireless stuff and audio stuff on the same computer...doh

Me too. It can only - and will often - disturb playback; very many interrupts it creates.

Keyboard and mouse are connected by rather normal PS/2 cable, and the display by means of a 15m/45' very decent shielded VGA cable with gold plated connectors. Works flawlessly.

This is what I'm hoping to do this summer.  Build a box (computer)  that stays in a closet (opposite wall of music room), drill a hole in the wall and run ps/2 cable for keyboard and mouse/hdmi or vga for video (any reason why I'd want to run vga over using hdmi?).  The external firewire HDDs will be in the closet with the box.  Now I just need to figure out the best way now to get a spdif signal to the Stello....

Careful there, because SPDIF really *can* get too long (grey sound). Your best option would be to have an external FireWire soundcard, but my 10 meters (33 ft) I used at sometime degraded sound as well (less snappy, and again more greyish -> highly dependent on the FireWrire output of the PC as far as I can tell).

What about moving the speakers and all to the toilet ? :heat:

Hehe

anyway
Ya, getting the digital signal outta the box ... easier said than done.  Putting the box in the closet means I have to run between 9 ft of something (somewhat inconvenient) to 15 feet max (very convenient) to the Stello DAC.  I know I've heard differences in just different spdif coax wire ... :/   So having a long run is prolly not going to sound good... So, ya, I'd like to also break away from usb (cables/ usb ports/ interrupts make a difference yikes); which leaves firewire (which you've heard differences with...) but ya, firewire,,,,
I'd really like to do something this summer with the computer...(not the dac), so I'm hoping it's an ok time ... at least last a year haha.

edit
also, once I do convert to spdif I'd like to have short enough of a run that I can use coax... which I used to prefer over optical. (wish I hadn't given away that fantastic coax dig cable I had :/... will have to buy another now)... but what are people doing now?; using optical? to break the electrical tween the computer and dac? Maybe that's better now.

edit 2
I opened my mind a bit and remembered that since I'll be able to do volume mostly from XXHE, that I could put not only the computer/HDDs in this big closet (separated by a wall from music room), but also my Stello DAC and my Pass Labs xover/pre-amp ... I run long lengths of transparent ref interconnect anyway, so these would pass through small holes in the wall to reach the music room/amplifiers.
So now...
I have the DAC next to the computer..... external firewire something (oh I don't know...like this http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_fireface_800.php) , or an internal soundcard like ....RME 9632  http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_hdsp_9632.php

hmm the 9632 only has optical dig out the 800 has coax...
edit
is the above statement correct, or does this card offer coax out too. anyone know?
edit
i found it
1 Breakout cable for coaxial SPDIF*
so this card does send coax rca out to... hmmm

This is what I would do : http://www.acceed.com/pdf_catalog/adlink/PCES-8581-13S_Datasheet_4.pdf
Up to 21ft ...

This site is a good reference : http://www.acceed.com/group.phtml?g=44000 and note that interfaces with PCCards (for the laptop) exist as well. You don't need PCI express at all, but then you have to find a normal PCI interface. I came up with this one, because IMHO it is a good brand (AdLink).

So ... to proceed on this one :
Buy a good Firewire interface, stuff it in that box, connect a Fireface400 (or 800 if you like) to that, and coax-up to the DAC with 2.5-3ft.

:blob8:

{{{[[[ Final Revision later in Thread ]]]}}}

Here's what I'm considering right now for a front end... but I'll edit this page until I finally order.  Feel free to critique.

Vista 64 bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488

@ least 8GB ram

"soundcard" will be Fireface 800
http://www.amazon.com/RME-Fireface-800-Recording-Interface/dp/B0006UGF7G/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1218077615&sr=8-1]Amazon.com: RME Fireface 800 FireWire Computer Recording Interface: Musical Instruments
or, the Juli@ soundcard from ESI (If I was on a budget at all, this is the card I'd choose without thought)
http://www.esi-audio.com/products/julia/
,and a Stello DAC I have that will take in a coax digital signal and output two analog rca signals.  http://www.hifi500.com/product/da100.htm
[I just picked up an RME-Fireface 800 from a local dealer, better than I can find on the net.... just thought it was my safest bet,,, although the juli@ prolly would have been the conservative alright way to go, I can afford the FF 800]

CPU should be dual core only for this program.

Here's where I've started but I'll update as I change my mind.

motherboard
ASUS P5Q LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131295

cpu

Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036



Solid State HD for OS and gallery function of XXHE
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227345]Newegg.com - OCZ Core Series OCZSSD2-1C128G 2.5" 128GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - Solid State Disks
there's reasons I need this speed and no moving parts ...really.  It's been hard figuring out what's good in this department.  Something about SLC vs MLC memory... not sure what the OCZ core HD uses... decent specs and new!!  Except this is a scary read about vista and SSD
http://www.betanews.com/article/SanDisk_wont_specify_Vista_SSD_problems_but_is_working_with_Microsoft/1216851132

Memory
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231166

Power Supply
ABS Tagan BZ Series BZ800 800W ATX12V
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817814014
I like the moduality of the cables... can't find one like it with lower wattage....so

Case... gotta be a much better one than this ....
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119077]Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-WW Black/Silver Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases

Will use a firewire card rather than take it from the MB.  Both of these have Texas Ins. chips.

SYBA PCI-Express 1394b FireWire Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124050
or
SYBA PCI 32-bit Firewire 1394b Controller Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124026

Welp, that's it for now.

Looks all good to me Dave.

The Sandisk story ... I don't know. I see these kind of stories for a year or so, and it merely looks like they (Sandisk) just can't do it ? I wanted to by Sandisk (just for the reputation) but couldn't find a good one.
Btw, don't expect a SSD to be faster than a HDD for bulk operations, they are just not. But, you should gain on access times (3 ms for a half ful HDD vs. 0.1 ms for a full (just doesn't matter how full) SSD. That's why it's good for the OS IMO.

About the 8GB of RAM ... The Shut off Virtual Memory (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=549.0) topic fairly shows that more than 2GB for one process can't be used. I can't check it myself, but I sure believe it. This means that XX won't be able to use it, apart from sneaky processes which may start as a separate job in the pre-processing area. But, right now I wouldn't know the what or how nor the why (ok, to quadrupule 60 minute tracks :scratching:). And with the upcoming hires stuff, yes.
But if I were you I'd start with 4GB, and see how to deploy that, to start with.

A last remark, but that is very theoretical, is about the CPU and it's second level cache of 2 x 512KB. This doesn't seem much to me, and I'd say 2 x 2MB comes first. And that *does* matter for speed, with the remark of that being rather important at the preprocessing jobs (where some 700MB is processed a couple of times in memory = pure cpu processes).

Peter

Changed out the cpu for
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103773
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor 3.0GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM2 125W Dual-Core Processor

Is an equivalent Intel worth considering? or should I stick with amd?

Peter,
I hope you ment 2 X 1MB L2 ... I couldn't find a 2 X 2MB hehe thanks

About the 2 GB of Ram limit ... :/ ... but youi're going to find a way around that,,, right?

Indeed I've always been Intel oriented, probably in order to avoid compatibility issues (don't shoot me, but in the past that certainly could be the case). Here's a small Intel list (I didn't check for the actuality) : http://www.sydneyhomecomputers.com/id14.html
Focus on the Core 2 Duo chips (which certainly is different from dual core) and you see that the L2 cache is 4MB from off the E6600 (which I have in the audio PC for over 1.5 years now).

And when you're looking into these things anyway, don't underestimate the importance of the speed of the FSB (Front Side Bus).

Be careful to choose a CPU which fits the socket and FSB speed of the mobo and of course choose the proper memory for all. Ah, you knew that.

Maybe this can help you somehow : Everybody, I think without exception, complained and complains about the sluggyness of Vista opposed to XP; My XP machines here have 3GHz hyperthreading processors, while the E6600 is (2 x) 2.4 GHz. My Vista shows no such thing as sluggyness, and the opposite, what just can't work under the hyperthreading processors (XP), works like a charm with the E6600 (Vista). I'm mainly talking about the Visual Studio environment, which is all but lean, and where it has become impossible to develop XXHighEnd further, because it has become too large to get any responses from the OS during editing.
So, I can only advise this CPU, which I btw use with an Asus P5B-E Plus mobo (AT size, and I think as loaded with options as your choice shows).

Ok, tomorrow I'll look into building something around this processor and possibly this MB.
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036
&
ASUS P5Q LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131295

I should get a pci or pci-express firewire card? Which of these types should I look for?
SYBA PCI-Express 1394b FireWire Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124050
or
SYBA PCI 32-bit Firewire 1394b Controller Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124026

Tomorrow ? when you wake up it must be day after tomorrow ! :)

But ehh, djeezz, that sure looks serious. If you do it right, you do it right eh !?

I would grab a normal PCI Firewire; that saves you a PCI-e slot (although there are two in that mobo, so for that matter ... estimate your chances on what you'd need the most later).
Furthermore, grab one with a Texas Instruments chipset (since I never heard that you can do wrong on that).

And oh, don't forget to get a video card if you don't have one (and no, don't ask me which, I'm way behind on that).

Peter,

I have a dedicated PC similar to your suggestions:
*Intel Core Duo 2.16G T7400 4MB
*2GB DDR2 PC6400
*Kontron MB 986LCD-M/mITX
*Mtron SSD 32GB 100MB/s read/write for OS
*4x 750GB 7200 HD over Sata II
*Twinn aluminium 19" 2U chassis with passive cooling (heatsinks). No fans.

-Because Vista is installed on a SSD HD, the computer is up and running within few seconds from push-on, and it is dead silent.
-On the negative side, my Core Duo is outdated compared to your Core 2 Duo.

---------

I still get a few ticks (aproximately 10 seconds duration) at the end of each song. Probably because the system is prepairing for next song.

Do you think I shold upgrade my Core Duo to Core 2 Duo?

Best regards
Pedal

Hi Pedal,

Since I have my SSD lying around for a week (but couldn't find the time to test with it so far) I will test it myself. But, if you followed 0.9u-12 --> Hiccups and Clicks (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=479.0) this is to be expected if you have the music files on the SSD. But please hop over to that topic, because here it's really too offtopic I think).

The Core 2 Duo sure is better, but I can't tell whether it helps for this.
When I tested my SSD I will let know what came from it (in that other topic :)).

Peter

Well things are coming along.  Check my list out I made earlier in this thread to see where I am on building this box.
I just picked up the Fireface 800 tonight and thought of a question/concern.  I have my music on external harddrives that are FW 800 capable.  The new computer I'm building will come with one FW 400 input.  I'm buying a card  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124050 that has 3 FW 800 ports.
My question is: should I use this card for both the FF800 and my HDDs of music; should I use this card for the FF800 and use the 400 port built into the motherboard for the HDDs of music; should I get two FW 800 cards and use one for the FF800 and one for the HDDs (this last overkill way is the way I would probably go - hehe)

The mobo port for the HDDs and the card for the FF.

The reviews for that card are not the best ... (just on that page you linked to).

I know... I just saw that.  I picked it blindly late the other night on the basis of the chip.  I think they're saying the pci-e slot/WindowsXP? isn't up for FW900...guesses... So maybe it will work with Vista or in regular pci slot... I'll read the reviews on other cards.

edit
Well I see that RME has faith their product sounds just fine when using their 4 m of FF400 cable....

i think I'll find a slightly shorter cable...

Finally found a cheap video coax cable that will have to do for the digital signal.  What digital cable are you all using to get to your dac?


HAHAHA I think this is the first time I'm doing a tweak where the only thing I care about is not going back in SQ... If I stay at the SQ I have, but am able to add XXHighEnd volume control to my setup I'll be stoked.  Right now I have to adjust 4 vol knobs (xover as preamp) to change the volume. ugh

edit 8/10

Playing with family last couple days and finally felt I had time to hook up the FF800 today.  It's working.  I'm having to use a cheap yellow-plug video cable for the coax dig cable for now...I haven't figured much out in the settings... I did a "DAC TEST" in XXHE and it supports everything except 24 bit stuff ... even 384?  I set it at 384 and it played back a 16/44.1. I think I remember a comment explaining how the RME isn't .... oh wellz for now I put "DAC IS" 32/96 ... because with coax in, that's what I think the Stello is... but why it plays with higher? So when I do "DAC TEST" ... I'm not seeing the Stello any more... I'm seeing RME FF800... ok.
I played a 24/96 wav file...could it be converting to 16/44.1 inside the FF800 before the Stello, or is the Stello truly reading a 24/96 signal.  (just thinking out loud)

I think,
Take a finale (or close to finale I hope) look everyone.

OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227289
(ok, I have to admit, I bought 2 of these for a total of 8 GB of ram... maybe someday Peter will use all of it? heh prolly not)

LITE-ON Black 20X DVD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106265

GIGABYTE GZ-FA2CA-AJS Silver Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811233025

ASUS P5Q LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131295

ZOTAC ZT-88TES3P-FCP GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500006
(whatever... it shuts off after a minute and sounds better when it does... either that or I just like listening in a dark room)

ABS Tagan BZ Series BZ800 800W ATX12V / EPS12V Patent Piperock Modular Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817814014
doh or now prolly this
Silencer 750 Quad (Blue)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703019
EDIT 10/31/08
I built my daughter basically the same machine as mine for her room (gaming/music... ect), so in the interest of experimentation I bought the ABS Tagan BZ for her machine, and swapped out the Silencer 750 in my music machine.  sigh, I could hear no difference, but this is not an easy back and forth swap. I had both outside the case and just switched inner cables 5 times over 2 evenings.  I ended up putting the ABS in the music machine... reasoning? It is a modular design and has less cables running around in the case when put in the computer... dunno if there is a difference really, because too hard to do long term back and forth.  I can switch back later to the Silencer if need be. !!! The silencer is more quiet than the ABS fan wise, if that makes a difference to you, but my computer is in a closet outside the music room !!!

Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036

edit
Cooljag OAK-H Active PWM Fan CPU Cooler
http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/cooljag-oak-h-active-pwm-fan-cpu-cooler.html
and arctic5
Had to go with the Cooljag instead of the Zalman, the Zalman didn't fit the Asus board.
Zalman CNPS9500A LED CPU Cooler
http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/zalman-cnps9500a-led-cpu-cooler.html

OCZ Core Series OCZSSD2-1C128G 2.5" 128GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227345
&
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811993005
to mount

Koutech 3-Port FireWire/1394b PCI/PCI-X Host Controller Model
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815201021

Unibrain Firewire Cable 1m 9pin to 9pin
http://www.unibrain.com/products/p1394/cables_b.htm

Remarks :

Watchout for this mobo, which seems to have one IDE connection only.

Yeah, the 8800 is a complete overkill. Unnecessary hot too ($$).

Nah, we don't need floppy's. And see the IDE remark, thinking of the combination with the DVD drive (which is IDE ?).

So you linked to a FireWire card without reviews, right ? hahaha. But this one seems to have 800 ports only ... they do NOT connect to 400 ports without a conversion cable. -> not advised.
Maybe never mind the reviews. They are not about SQ anyway. If it's about lacking speed : not important ... you'll have enough of it (as long as you don't connect the hdd's to it.

I don't think I'll even be using the one IDE.  The DVD drive is sata (are IDE drives better for ripping? My old Plextor was IDE... it was a good drive I think), and I'll forgo the floppy.

Do you think I'll have any firewire conflicts if I hook up the FF800 to a FW800 pci card, And hook up the HDDs of music to a FW400 port on the MB?  or will just have to see... hope I don't have to use usb for the HDDs.

I don't think it's a problem. Or wouldn't know why anyway.
Note though there's some kind of gadget in that the FF can be controlled from two PC's at the one time. Both should connect to the 400 ports then (is what I heard).

Slowly opening boxes and reading.  I installed the PowerSupply in this huge aluminum case I bought (stuffed a couple pieces of sorbathan where metal meets)... best case I've ever gotten.  I like how it will be easy to work in; aluminum makes it light.... looks nice with the brushed finish (but it's going in the closet so...).

The case is cool, but I can tell it's out of date in that it has no provision (prolly none do?) for 2.5" drives.  Have you thought of a cool way to mount your 2.5" SSD in a 3.5" bay?  I'm kinda thinking thick rubber bands to suspend it... but I'm still thinking.  Maybe zip-ties and sorbathan (the duck tape of the audio world).  I would think though, that there would be some type of bay I could buy that fits into a 3.5 bay and gives support to a 2.5" drive ... hmm

I have always thought the latter. Never saw it in a standard case ... was never looking for it either. Oh well, you've seen my pic in the beginning of this topic ... :swoon:

ok I found this.  I think I'm going to do it this way.
Ok this is what I'm going to do about the 2.5 going into a 3.5
http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11674 (http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11674)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018N0D9G/ref=cm_sp_item

Hello SeVeRed,

with the new Y4 I will now build a serious PC to run it on. And only that. As you told us about your dedicated PC and you have been running it for while , still making happy noices over the SQ, i would like to know whether you would buil it the same way again or have you found areas where it might be improved even further ?

Thanks for your time (away from listening XX :)

regards,

Leo

ps
others with more know how on this than me (almost everybody reading this I guess) are of course more than welcome to  add their experience and insights.

Hi Leo,

Remember, all of my front end (computer too) are in a large closet just off the music room (drilled holes in the wall between the rooms).  The case is big (but keeps things apart) and the 3 fans and my processor fan is noisy (I would not want them in the room with me,,,).  But it sure does the trick of keeping thing cool. If it was in my room I'd either go for a different case or would have tried different case fans that were quieter. 

I think I've made a lot of good choices as far as the building of the computer.  The motherboard has been a stable one and the bios is easy to work with and gives lots of choices to tweak/shut stuff off.

Peter
will have to address again whether it is better to go with a Dual-Core Processor like I did still, or whether it would now be better to go Quad core... I like that mine is somewhat low wattage... probably good if you want to use a quieter fan. 

Could have gone for a lower cost lower NRG using video card...?  but who knows,,, maybe the power it uses balances right for the power supply hehe ... and the album pictures are probably shinier .... j/k  My video/display is set to go off after only a minute of non use... for some reason, I think the music 'relaxes'/sounds better when it goes off... but it just could be me liking a dark room at night time listening.

Here's an expensive neat trick for holding the hard drive...
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/7851/noi-15/NoiseMagic_NoVibes_25_Silent_Hard_Drive_Mounting_System.html?tl=g7c113
... but I hope you're getting a solid state drive for your main HD.  hehe I laugh everytime I look into my huge case with lots of HD bins,,, and all there is is a tiny 2.5" SSD.  Anyway, like I've said, things are well spread apart in my case, don't know if that makes a difference.

I'd get a bluray drive now rather than just a dvd drive for ripping ... there have been claims made about this LG being good for ripping.  After setting up the music computer, I've taken the drive out though... no need for it there.  I rip on another machine.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136162

gl and ask any questions you'd like here.
dave

Quad core is only better for conversion speed, but afaik not for sound quality. Dual Core *is* important for the latter, and Quad Core doesn't work out differently. It is just that quad cores can't be controlled for the better. Only when the music playing itself could be spread over two cores, it could benefit (after adjustments on my side). But it doesn't (spread over two cores), nor that I see how it could benefit if it would (like left and right channel each on its core).