u/Substantial_Look_787

Hi everyone!

I'm currently putting together a budget-conscious PC build from a mix of used and new parts. I'd love to get some feedback from producers on whether this setup makes sense for my specific workflow.

My Use Case:

• Music Production: Primarily amateur music production and mixing. I am currently using Ableton Live but I'm planning to switch over to Studio One for recording and mixing vocals and small rock band projects (typically under 30 tracks). My plugin chain heavily involves resource-heavy tools like iZotope Ozone, Nectar, and Waves.
• My Gear: Focusrite Scarlett Solo Gen 3 + Shure SM7B + Cloudlifter preamp.
• Key Audio Requirements: Low latency during recording is highly important, as well as quiet operation, since I will be recording vocals with a microphone in the same room.
• Gaming: I mainly play Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, and Chivalry. Gaming isn't the highest priority, but I'd like to achieve a stable 120–140 FPS at 1080p.

The Proposed Specs:

• CPU (Used): Intel Core i7-12700 or i7-12700F
• Motherboard (Used): MSI MAG B760 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR4 or Gigabyte B760 AORUS ELITE AX DDR4
• RAM (New): 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 3200MHz CL16 (DDR4 prices are quite high locally right now, so I chose 3200MHz over 3600MHz to save money. Is the performance loss significant for DAW use?)
• GPU (Used): NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB (Looking at ASUS Dual or MSI Gaming X for quieter fan curves)
• CPU Cooler (New): Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
• Case (New): Corsair 3000D Airflow or be quiet! Pure Base 501
• PSU (New): be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 650W or Corsair RM650e

My Main Questions:

1. Studio One Performance & Intel E-Cores: How well does Studio One handle Intel’s hybrid architecture (P-cores and E-cores) on Windows 11? Does the audio engine schedule low-latency ASIO buffering correctly without dropouts?
2. Acoustics: Will the Thermalright Peerless Assassin be quiet enough under a moderate plugin load so that fan noise won't bleed into my vocal mic?
3. RAM Speed: Will dropping from 3600MHz to 3200MHz CL16 cause any noticeable performance hit in either Studio One or CS2?
4. Are there any known latency issues with the built-in Wi-Fi/Bluetooth on these specific B760 boards when using a Scarlett Solo?

Any advice, tweaks, or warnings before I start buying the parts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hello guys!

New build or upgrade?
New build.

Existing parts/monitors to reuse? (List with models/links)

• Kingston FURY Renegade with Heatsink 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (keeping this drive)
• WD Green SATA 250Gb
• WD green HDD 500 Gb
• 1080p 120 Hz monitor

PC purpose? (Gaming, editing, etc. List apps/games)
Primarily for amateur music production and mixing. I use Studio One for recording and mixing vocals and rock band projects, typically no more than a couple dozen tracks with plugins such as iZotope Ozone, Nectar, and Waves. Low latency during recording and quiet operation are important since I'll be recording vocals with a microphone.

For gaming, I mainly play Counter-Strike 2 and other FPS games. Gaming isn't the highest priority, but I'd like to achieve around 120–140 FPS at 1080p.

Purchase country? Near Micro Center?
Hungary. No Micro Center.

Monitors needed? (Number, size, resolution, refresh rate)
None. I'll be using my existing 1080p 120 Hz monitor.

Budget range? (Include tax considerations)
Around 800$ (VAT included). I'm open to buying the CPU, GPU, and RAM used (from the local second-hand market), but I'd prefer to buy the motherboard, PSU, CPU cooler, and case new.

WiFi or wired connection?
Wired Ethernet is fine. WiFi is not required.

Size/noise constraints?
Low noise is important because of microphone recordings. No particular size constraints.

Color/lighting preferences?
No RGB or fancy aesthetics needed. I'd rather spend the budget on performance and reliability.

Any other specific needs?
I'm planning to stay on a DDR4 platform because of current memory prices (2×16 GB). I've been considering the Intel Core i5-12500, i5-13500, i7-12700, and AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, along with an RTX 4060 8 GB because of its low power consumption. However, I'm having trouble deciding on the best overall build. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Hello guys!

New build or upgrade?
New build.

Existing parts/monitors to reuse? (List with models/links)

• Kingston FURY Renegade with Heatsink 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (keeping this drive)
• WD Green SATA 250Gb
• WD green HDD 500 Gb
• 1080p 120 Hz monitor

PC purpose? (Gaming, editing, etc. List apps/games)
Primarily for amateur music production and mixing. I use Studio One for recording and mixing vocals and rock band projects, typically no more than a couple dozen tracks with plugins such as iZotope Ozone, Nectar, and Waves. Low latency during recording and quiet operation are important since I'll be recording vocals with a microphone.

For gaming, I mainly play Counter-Strike 2 and other FPS games. Gaming isn't the highest priority, but I'd like to achieve around 120–140 FPS at 1080p.

Purchase country? Near Micro Center?
Hungary. No Micro Center.

Monitors needed? (Number, size, resolution, refresh rate)
None. I'll be using my existing 1080p 120 Hz monitor.

Budget range? (Include tax considerations)
Around 800$ (VAT included). I'm open to buying the CPU, GPU, and RAM used (from the local second-hand market), but I'd prefer to buy the motherboard, PSU, CPU cooler, and case new.

WiFi or wired connection?
Wired Ethernet is fine. WiFi is not required.

Size/noise constraints?
Low noise is important because of microphone recordings. No particular size constraints.

Color/lighting preferences?
No RGB or fancy aesthetics needed. I'd rather spend the budget on performance and reliability.

Any other specific needs?
I'm planning to stay on a DDR4 platform because of current memory prices (2×16 GB). I've been considering the Intel Core i5-12500, i5-13500, i7-12700, and AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, along with an RTX 4060 8 GB because of its low power consumption. However, I'm having trouble deciding on the best overall build. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.