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128Gb Ram - Xeon or i7

Buying or building computers for Hauptwerk, recommendations, troubleshooting computer hardware issues.
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montyjnc

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128Gb Ram - Xeon or i7

PostMon Aug 08, 2016 12:15 pm

Hello again,

Recently, I have been working at various options of a hauptwerk computer build. My goal is to "future-proof" the system by at least having the compatibility for 128gb of ram (though perhaps starting with quite a bit less ~32gb, as budgeting permits). While I have found several instances of people (experts...) finding ways to use 128gb of ram on an i7 processor, all of Intel's technical specifications list that the i7 can only handle up to 64gb of ram. While I am not a complete novice as far as computers go, I do not want to have to use some kinda of Beta BIOS/ serious work to get the system running.

Thanks to an employee discount at lenovo, I have been looking at the P410 workstation with a Xeon e5-1630 v4 processor. However, another model (p310) can be fitted with an i7-6700k. Are there serious advantages of one processor over another? Another thread disuaded the author from purchasing an Xeon, as several members all favored the i7-6700k.
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MrNhanduc

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Re: 128Gb Ram - Xeon or i7

PostWed Aug 10, 2016 3:01 am

hi,

you can use the i7-5820K with an X99 motherboard. Despite Intel's specs, it works fine with 128 GB of RAM. I tested it myself (and others have too, see youtube). It's a great processor and it won't limit your Hauptwerk setup for many many years. In my opinion, no need to go for Xeons, since they have a relatively low clock speed (you want high clock speed for Hauptwerk, especially when loading sample cache).

The i7-6700K also is a great processor, but of course is limited to 64 GB of RAM.

Good luck!
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montyjnc

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Re: 128Gb Ram - Xeon or i7

PostWed Aug 10, 2016 8:04 am

Do you have any idea of how much it cost you to build your system using the i7-5820K/X99 Motherboard? The reason I was asking, is I do have quite a substantial discount at Lenovo, and it may be simpler for me to just buy the workstation, built to my specifications. Currently, no systems I could find are offered with the i7-5820K right now on the Lenovo website.

Also, in terms of polyphony, wouldnt the xeon perform better?
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MrNhanduc

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Re: 128Gb Ram - Xeon or i7

PostThu Aug 11, 2016 2:16 am

I live in Europe, so can't help you with prices. I build the computers myself.

I know nobody who hits the limits in polyphony with the i7-5820K. It's so fast. Also for polyphony, clock speed matters. Using a consumer grade processor might also save you on RAM costs.

Since computers suitable for Hauptwerk (and without any unnecessary costly graphic cards etc.) are hard to find, that's the reason I founded my website, so yes, it is usually complicated to find a good 5820K prebuild.
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hptschupp

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Re: 128Gb Ram - Xeon or i7

PostWed Aug 31, 2016 11:25 pm

Adomant is a Company that sells through E-Bay. I will buy this month a Desktop with 128 GB RAM and a i7-6850, looking at about $ 2500.00. I selected the cheapest graphic card available and will update later with a Quadro M4000 since I'm using the computer not only for Hauptwerk but also for Video Editing and After Effects. The link to my build is here: It is for 64 GB RAM but you can change it to 128 GB in the option DDR3/4 Memory entry field.

The good thing is that they offer a RAM option for 64GB with 4x16GB. This means you can upgrade later by just adding 4 more 4x16GB RAM modules.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/311679677470?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
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MrNhanduc

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Re: 128Gb Ram - Xeon or i7

PostThu Sep 01, 2016 2:15 am

It's a neat system, but wow, that's an oversized power supply. 450W is more than enough. I cannot understand why they would use an Intel stock cooler. I would recommend to upgrade to some decent cooling. You don't want your high end processor to be cooled as a Pentium...
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evertjan

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Re: 128Gb Ram - Xeon or i7

PostThu Sep 01, 2016 2:36 pm

The power supply in this system has that size because the ATI Radeon R7 240 Video Card.
This video card is oversized for Hauptwerk.
If you use a silent video card (no fan) like MSI GeForce GT 610, a 450/500 W power supply is enough.
This card is suitable for Hauptwerk
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hptschupp

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Re: 128Gb Ram - Xeon or i7

PostFri Sep 02, 2016 9:09 pm

The selected video card ATI Radeon R7 240 Video is a minimum option and only needs 30 Watts. I selected this to keep to cost down for the PC and then replace it with Quadro M4000 or M5000 which draws 120 watts/ 150 Watts. Both video cards I can get for about half of the price as if I would include it through Adomant.

The 850 Watts power supply gives me some reserve for adding additional hard drives, optical drives and cooling options. CPU cooling definitely has to be changed to Hydro Water Cooling.

This build is certainly an overkill for Hauptwerk but since it will be for dual purpose use, Hauptwerk and Video Editing, it is adequate. I use Premiere Pro CC for 4K video editing and After Effects for special effects which is very RAM hungry. The video card plays a crucial role for rendering and transcoding and works in conjunction with the CPU. It is called the Adobe Mercury Engine.

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