New HP Computer! AWESOME - Sharing my experience in case anyone else looking to upgrade

 
To you cakewalk forum members.   I submitted this review to HP.  I just bought a new machine,  HP Pavilion HPE h8-1360t (running Win 7 64bit) Desktop PC,  for just under 800 bucks and it is AWESOME!    I am thrilled!  It sounds like and advertisement but its not.  I'm just excited like a kid in a candy store!    I haven't worked this smoothly in a LONG time!  Similar machines (although not this one) can even be purchased at Walmart!  For most of us home recording people. you don't need to spend thousands! I recommend this machine but there are similar at HP or Walmart :) running windows 8.   I run tons of plug-ins on projects running  40 - 50 tracks.   Plug-ins are mainly UAD, WAVEs,  and Soundtoys.   
--------------------------->  I run a recording studio and have always pushed my computers to the absolute limits in terms of both processing and add-ons such as PCIe / PCI cards and additional hard drives as well as both Firewire 800 and 400 connections running simultaneously. I was currently running a Lenovo T500 Dual Core 3.06 on Windows 7 on a multi-dock allowing for PCIe card addition. I also had a Desktop Think Centre M70 (or so) with similar specs that I would interchange hard drives to handle various production jobs. I also run up to the equivilent of 5 UAD (Universal Audio) DSP cards and many many audio plug-ins. I also have a powered Star Tech PCIe expansion chassis as well to handle some of the peripherals so I am constantly pushing the machine to it's upper HEW and SW performance limits. For those who understand music production, I run SONAR X2 fully loaded. Often on my previous machines, I would constantly run out of resources which would lead to crashes, freezes and I always had to bounce or freeze tracks in large projects even when I really wasn't ready to do so yet just to get the project to play. Also, I had numerous Hardware issues on both Lenovo machines regarding support of the UAD cards and the Startech box. Finally I just felt I need to upgrade but did not wish to spend thousands on computers supposedly built just for music., I am very knowledgeable in computers as I have been working in the IT field for 30+ years so I just started doing research. I concluded that I would purchase this model with the 3.4 Quad core processor and the upgraded to the middle option power supply (430?) and graphics (which may have already been part of the initial specs). I also did not want to upgrade to Windows 8 yet and I was pleased to find HP still selling a high performing machine standard with Windows 7! I received the machine earlier than expected and I just went straight ahead and loaded a ton of software and hooked up all the hardware including te UAD cards and the Startech box which in itself holds more UAD cards, FW 400 interface and other cards. I also have FW 800 adapter in one of the PCIe slots n the HP. This is A LOT of stuff and I doubted that it would work right away and I would be in for days of troubleshooting. This machine booted EVERYTHING up fast and without any problems the very first time!! I couldn't believe it. Surely something won't work! The true test came when I loading n a project that either one of my previous machines could handle and that prompted my to get a new computer in the first place. This computer absolutely sailed through it and worked beautifully! Honestly, I couldn't be happier! All this for half the cost of my laptop (around 800 bucks!)

Just for the record, the Dell Vostro line (aimed at business users) come with pretty much nothing on them but the O/S and a few Dell diagnostic and maintenance apps.

I've used the same DELL for 3 years and never had a single problem with it, they too are awesome computers if you don't want to break the bank. I never understood why they got such a bad rap. Mind you, the first thing I did was to reformat the C drive and put my own copy of Windows on there. Gotta get rid of all that junk.

Good for the OP that his HP is working fine.
 
I wanted to chime in on the notion that there have been "so many" issues with custom built DAWs.  
We all know what I do for a living (and obviously I'm biased).
That said, a custom DAW is as good as the person building it.
The whole reason to go with a custom machine is that you have total control over what goes in... and how it's configured.  If you make good choices, you wind up with a great DAW.
An experienced computer tech can choose individual components that are part-for-part superior to any pre-configured computer (Mac or PC).
 
I like Walmart as much as the next guy.  Low prices are great...
First Act guitars work... but would you recommend them instead of Fender, Gibson, MusicMan, Rickenbacker, etc?   
 
 

Congrats! I have to agree... I've always thought very highly of HP Computers and owned quite a few myself. These days I have a custom built PC that my son-in-law put together for me but before that I ran a modest HP store-bought machine from WalMart. Albeit a single core, running Vista no less with 4 gigs of ram. Earlier versions of Sonar ran pretty flawlessly.
 
Happy recording... :)

All is fine if you are not into the DIY computer build. Grab an off the shelf and it just might serve you well for a few years. I'm not totaly against off the self, I have a 2002 HP P4 in my office, it does need replacing  but it still runs. But for the same money you can  usually build with better components. Starting with the power supply on up. Everybody looks at the same specs, the size of the hard drive, the RAM and the CPU speed and figures that is all there is to know. Thanks to the gaming world, there are many better hardware components at competitive prices. And for some of us, it's a hobby and we like to build or own. Bet that HP has a 250 watt Power supply! 

Nice comments.   To answer a few questions. it did NOT come loaded with much junk at all.   Probably as clean as you're going to get from an off the shelf (essentially) machine.    I ordered the 430 Power supply and didn't really think I needed the 650 version.  I am powering a few extra drives and a UAD duo card directly in the machine and I have the expansion box that is self powered for others plus a Satellite that is also self powered so I mainly needed to make sure it handled the drives and the higher end NVidia 2 GB graphics card.    Its been about 2 weeks now and still running great.   I installed Norton but only enable it when I need to connect to the internet, otherwise I keep it off.  Again, only 800 bucks and if I were truely an expert, there are likely ways to tune it even better.   I imagine time will tell but I don't expect any major issues.  I tend to run it with the side panel off so cooling hasn't been an issue anyway.  I could always blow a small fan on the whole thing.  I'm happy!

I would also like to commend Jim Roseberry  - I have reviewed his build specs, and have seen many many posts of his - all are spot on, and I cannot recall a complaint of his work.
 
I build computers for folks, when asked, as I have been a programmer for my whole career, and I have seen good techs and bad techs - same as any profession, really.  (Jim is a good one).
 
The pre-loaded off the shelf ones can be OK, but most times most or all of the software should be removed before even bothering to install Sonar.  Most things are trials, and then there are usually a bunch of vendor-specific 'helpful' apps, like remote access for their techs, and easy-tune this or that.
 
A couple of other observations on the pre-built ones are: power supplies are often marginal, and if additional drives or liquid cooling added or that sort of thing, the included power supplies may not be robust enough to cut it.  Also, check out the brand of components included, as these are often older clunky on their last legs versions of things.
 
If you know what you are doing, or take the time to do the research, you can also build a good one from scratch.  You will not have a system-level warranty in that case, unless you by all the parts at the same time and the store offers a warranty that covers it all - some stores, like Micro Center do have things like that.  Make sure you get a decent power supply - figure out the component needs for what you are putting in the case.  You also do not need gaming-level video cards.  Sonar does not need that.  You want to maximize memory, storage, and CPU. 
 
Anyways - all that aside - congrats on your HP delivering the goods for you!  Really nice to hear.  I had a Dell laptop that I gigged with, that handled Sonar quite nicely, and I got the on-site next day 3-year warranty.  THAT was a good thing, because they ended up replacing parts throughout that period, but it did its job.
 
Bob Bone
 
 
 

I looked at off the shelf (e.g. Dell, HP, etc) before I built my last PC for recording.  Nothing they had fit what I wanted.  I was looking at top line consumer models, such as the Dell XPS 8700.  I also considered commercial (business) systems but they too didn't have the expansion capability I wanted, although the commercial systems tended to have better components.
 
My DAW system build was about the same price as the top model (with options) Dell XPS8700 but I got more with my own build such as a better case (quiet and more cooling), a Liquid CPU cooler, more USB ports, etc.
 
However, if the off the shelf will do what you want I'm not going to argue.  My start in computer recording was with a Dell Dimension E510 that had a D925 CPU and 4GB RAM (max it would hold) and Vista 32 bit. 

My son has always built his own going back 15 years now. I get his toss outs and use them for another 5 or more years.
The big difference I see is the case. Flexible, easy access, quite and solid. 
Big power supplies, Lots of drive bays. 
So easy to swap out a drive or add another DVD drive. 
Best of all is using a full version of the OS without bloatware. 
 
But then sometimes I think we obsess over that stuff which in the past was a pain, but now? Does it really get in the way?  
 
Last week I was was visiting and so downloaded and installed X3 studio on my In Laws brand New Hp desktop. HP H8-1212c  i7-2600 @ 3.40 Ghz  10 G RAM 64 bit W7 home premium. 
 
First thing I did was download and run the DPCLAT meter. Not bad, it was at around 120ms ( steady in the green) and there was 89 processes running. Nobody had optimized this machine yet. I did have to disable the on board card to get my Scarlett to stay put in sonar. But other than that. no problems. I think it's a crap shoot from machine to machine. But a modern computer is certainly up to it. 
 

Jim Roseberry
Good for the OP that his HP is working fine.
 
I wanted to chime in on the notion that there have been "so many" issues with custom built DAWs.  
We all know what I do for a living (and obviously I'm biased).
That said, a custom DAW is as good as the person building it.
The whole reason to go with a custom machine is that you have total control over what goes in... and how it's configured.  If you make good choices, you wind up with a great DAW.
An experienced computer tech can choose individual components that are part-for-part superior to any pre-configured computer (Mac or PC).
 
I like Walmart as much as the next guy.  Low prices are great...
First Act guitars work... but would you recommend them instead of Fender, Gibson, MusicMan, Rickenbacker, etc?   
 
 

I totally agree, we are both builders.
you build a lot of high end stuff and I build middle of the road stuff but I totally
agree that your system is as good as the person setting it up for you and the parts you put in to it.
we've all had that budget guitar sound great once in a blue moon. but those are chances.
chances are not something that leaves you with a sense of security.

I think nowadays the power of the layperson machine is enough that it's no longer the bottleneck unless there's config issues. It's totally a viable argument now to just buy off-the-shelf and replace it more often. 
 
I think with a custom machine you can upgrade piecemeal and also futureproof better (the thing'll last longer for sure), but when it only costs $500-$800 to just get another machine when the other starts to act weird why not?
 

HP makes a very solid machine, their attention to quality control is obsessive. I think you get a bit better hardware cuz they screw their employees pretty hard. I was a temp there, knocking out specialty upgrades, then killing time waiting for QC checks, when I happened to notice a slide presentation in the boardroom, thru a window onto the factory floor. Plan was to replace long time workers w cheaper temps, trained by long timers during the transition, then fire the long timers, and directly hire the now trained temps, saving roughly a third in labor costs.
 
They noticed me noticing their slideshow, closed the drapes abruptly, and 30 minutes later I was hustled off property by security w instructions never to return.
 
It was one day before my two week notice was up, 12 hour shifts were doing a number on my feet, and I still chuckle over it. The regulars, unable (and scared) to smack management around, hated on us temps unmercifully, so I wasn't about to clue em, I got out of there a day early, and no record of being fired, since I still worked for the temp agency.
 
I still buy HPs when they fit my needs, cuz I know they slam QC so hard. If they step on labor, and labor isn't smart enough to push back in effective directions, well, F em all.
 
:-)

+1 for HP, I've used a middle of the road Pavilion for a number of years and never had any real dramas, just upgraded to a beasty HP envy laptop, with touch screen. I'm loving the touch screen, haven't finished setting it up yet for audio but am confident with an i7 quad core and 8 gig of ram should not have too much trouble.  Although I've never had a 64 bit system, so touch wood.
 
Ben