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Motherboard suggestions for audio production workstation//Pre-build review
Hey all!
First build in 10 years and I am sweating it. Thanks in advance to anyone that has the time/desire to look this over. I have already made decisions on all my parts. Just looking for a little last minute guidance.
| CPU | Intel i9-12900K |
|---|---|
| MOTHERBOARD | Asus ProArt Z690-Creator WIFI |
| PSU | SeaSonic PRIME PX 1300W 80+ Pl |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Owned) |
| RAM | Corsair - Vengeance 32GB 5600MHz DDR5 |
| STORAGE | Samsung 980 Pro M.2 - 2TB |
| Samsung 870 EVO SSD (Owned) + a smaller Samsung SSD/Several misc HDDs | |
| CPU COOLER | Noctua NH-D15 |
| CASE | Fractal Design Define 7 |
~$2300 US
Will be running Windows 10 but might upgrade when Windows 11 sounds better than it does atm. Transferring my old storage and gpu. I want to replace all of my old storage w/ M.2 drives in the future, and I will also likely double the ram when DDR5 is cheaper. I will also replace my GPU when the current newer cards have come down in price - hence the unnecessary psu wattage. May replace case around this time because I am assuming the one I picked will run a little hot.
I am stuck on my mobo. I was also looking at the Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Hero. I'm not a huge fan of spending the extra $150 without fully comprehending what it will get me. Thunderbolt ports are a necessity for my ext. audio interface. I have read that anything other than integrated is asking for trouble, and that severely limits my options. I would like to stay away from MSI. And the current LGA 1700 boards that offer thunderbolt seem limited to my choice and the Maximus Hero.
If there are any serious general build issues please let me know, other than that I'm just really iffy about pulling the trigger on this mobo. Price isn't an issue but it's still a lot of money and I don't want to be foolish. Thanks guys!
Top 1% Commenter
I think the list you've got is good. Here are my thoughts:
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CPU - $50 for integrated graphics on the 12900K isn't worth it.
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Cooler - good pick, not the best value but very reliable.
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Mobo - I like the ProArt pick here. The only cheaper option with Thunderbolt headers I know is the ASRock Z690 Taichi, which is also a great pick. It's $40 cheaper but the onboard LAN isn't as fast.
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RAM - not sure what latency you picked, so this is a good kit.
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SSD - upgraded to the fastest seq. SSD on the market.
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Case - good pick. One of the quietest cases on the market, and super premium build quality.
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PSU - no need for a 1300W PSU. If you don't plan on upgrading the GPU for a while, an 850W unit is perfect, even for quiet operation. The Corsair RMx is known for its quiet operation.
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Fans - the case comes with 3 140mm fans. They're quiet but don't move much air so I replaced them with the Scythe Kaze Flex Square. They have the best airflow-to-noise ratio on the market and can move a lot of air at low noise levels. I'd install 3 as front intake and 1 as rear exhaust for a positive pressure configuration, which reduces dust buildup. I didn't want to add any fans on the top so you can use the solid top for maximum silence.
Let me know what you think :)
Happy to hear you approve of the case and motherboard. And especially like verification that the case is at least somewhat quiet. Excellent suggestion on those fans though. And not too expensive.
As for the ssd, I’ve actually had trouble with seagates in the past. It’s turned me off to them a bit. So I’m hesitant to go back into them for a $300 drive when I’ve had such good luck with Samsung.
And that power supply is great but I wanted a smaller wattage ax because of the seasonic build but they are all either out of stock or selling way over market for the wattage I wanted. Also, my last Corsair has somehow held up over 10 years, so the higher wattage was to hopefully future proof any massive powersuck components that might come out. Plus it didn’t feel like that much of a price jump but I’ll definitely think about lowering it. 1300 did feel a little dirty lol.
Thanks for the in depth response. Much appreciated