Interested in getting into an Audio PC but unsure where to start? Here is your answer. I have built and tested this system to be a lean, silent Audio PC platform. I will list specifics below, but here is the most important information:
Tons of Power - This PC has a 2.4 GHz Pentium 4 processor with 533 MHz Front Side Bus and a 1MB Level 2 Cache! With 1 GB of Dual Channel DDR PC 3200 RAM, and an Radeon 9600 Atlantis Video Card with 256 MB of DDR memory and monitor and DVI output, and an incredible ASUS motherboard that supports all the latest interfaces including SATA, RAID, AGP 8x, etc., you will never lack for speed or power. You can run all the options you want in Foobar including upsampling, room correction, etc. Sound good, it gets even better. All of these components run without fans! With upsampling turned on, the processor barely breaks a sweat using only 2% of the CPU.
Silence - This PC is as quiet as it gets. With only 3 fans in the entire enclosure (all for case ventilation) that are rated at 9db!! a piece and are all separated from the case by silicone vibration absorbers, and the spectacular Lian Li Silent tower case, nothing is audible from a foot away. Cooling for the processor is achieved with a Scythe heat sink that is over 6 inches tall and provides excellent fanless cooling, installed with Artic Silver heat compound. The silence would only be possible with the Silverstone Fanless power supply, which provides 300 Watts of power from a completely fanless supply, which is also mounted to a silicone vibration absorber. Also included are two drive silencers, which allow you to mount a 3.5 inch hard drive within a rubber suspended array to completely silence the hard drive noise.
Audio – I am also offering for sale the top of the line Lynx TWO sound card. This card provides 2 channels of input and 6 channels of output with ASIO support. You can use Foobar or any other audio player using the ASIO for state of the art two channel operation, and concurrently use WDM for breathtaking 6 channel output directly to your power amps and take advantage of Windows Hi-Def DVD in its full glory. The DVI output of the Radeon graphics card supports full HDTV resolution.
If you would like to use any other sound card, simply purchase without the Lynx TWO card and insert the sound card of your choice. The motherboard also supports high-quality digital out, so if you are using a DAC in your system, you can skip a sound card altogether, and output the audio directly to your DAC.
How can I control it? – The spectacular Viewsonic Airpanel allows you to control your system anywhere you have Wi-fi coverage. It is a 10.4” wireless display that has a touch screen and stylus, and additional USB ports to connect a keyboard and any mouse if you prefer that over the stylus and touch screen. Since it is a remote display, you can also surf the web, and do anything else you could do from a computer. You can even set it up to connect to any other computer on your network, so you can start up your audio PC, and then connect to a different computer to work directly on that computer from the comfort of your listening chair. This system also includes the docking station for the Airpanel that charges it while not in use.
What do I need to add? – The system comes complete with everything you need except hard drives and an Operating System. Why? Well, most people choose hard drives based on their needs for their own music library. I suggest two hard drives, one for the operating system and software, and then a dedicated drive for your music library. However, the motherboard supports RAID so you can set up your hard drive system however you would like. Also required is an operating system. To use the Airpanel, you will need at least Windows XP Professional.
So that’s it? – Yup, just put in your hard drives of choice, and run your Windows XP Professional setup and it will configure all your devices for you. Included are all boxes for the individual components, as well as warranty cards and software.
Well, why are you selling it? - I am selling this configuration to start testing a new one, using less powerful components. Honestly, this machine is just much better than I need it to be. I am trying to assemble a new one with lesser components to see how inexpensive I can make one to determine its market viability.
Specifications and Cost - Listed below are the components and costs. As you'll see from the sale price, I am letting it go at a SUBSTANTIAL discount. You can find the parts for less if you search hard, but not much less, and shipping will increase your costs from seperate vendors. Also, assembly is not easy, so you get the benefit of a fully assembled and tested system!
Lian Li – PC-6070B __ $190
Intel Pentium 4 – 2.40A GHz, 533 MHz FSB, 1 MB L2 Cache __ $200
Asus P4P800 SE __ $120
Scythe NCU-2000 Heat Sink __ $65
Sapphire Radeon 9600 Atlantis – 256 MB DDR Memory – Fanless __ $150
Silverstone ST30NS Fanless 300W power supply __ $180
Samsung SH-W08 DVD+-R/RW DVD burner __ $100
Geil Dual Channel 1GB PC3200 RAM (2 x 512MB for true dual channel operation, with heat spreaders) __ $200
2 Drive Silencers __ $40
3 SilenX 80mm 9dba fans – Quietest on the market!! __ $75
Viewsonic AirPanel V110P Remote Display __ $1000
Neutrik XLR to RCA adaptors __ $50
TOTAL = $2370
Lynx TWO – B (two inputs, six outputs) __ $1000
I will sell the entire PC without the Lynx sound card for $1300! The Lynx TWO is for sale at $750. If both are purchased, the sound card will be installed.
The system components are all guaranteed to work perfectly. All software is included (except of course the Operating System, Windows XP Pro recommended). This price is for the parts listed above, I am unable to provide technical support, but all the components are supported by their manufacturers, all parts are less than 3 months old.
PICTURES:
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