Johnbee58
Max Output Level: -72 dBFS
- Total Posts : 946
- Joined: 2014/06/21 10:45:53
- Location: Reading PA
- Status: offline
PC Location
As some of you know, I have a small room for my projects and a dedicated computer (see my sig for details). I have a small concern. The computer is located in my DAW desk against the short wall (5' X 12'). The unit itself is on the lower right shelf, underneath the desk. I have 4 computers in my house running on my network and even though the music PC is the closest to the modem (approx 8 feet away with only one wall in between) it has the most trouble staying connected to the network. My Network modem is in a closet directly outside of the studio. My bedroom PC (newer Windows 10 less than a year old), on the opposite side of the house with 3 walls in between, brings the network in no trouble as does my laptop in my living room. The recording room is so small I really can't have the PC anyplace else (there are also connection issues too). My biggest worry is that about 2 or 3 times a year I open my PCs to blow the dust out. My house gathers dust kind of fast. There is usually a good amount of dust in my bedroom PC. My studio doesn't take long to get dusty either. I have to dust off the keyboard, cabinet, monitor and speakers fairly often if I want to keep up with the dust. However, when I open the music PC to blow it out I find there's practically no dust in it, ever! I'm concerned that it's location might be the reason why it's staying so dust free, but it might just also result in the PC not getting enough air to keep the processor and other vital parts of the machine cool enough. It's been working 3 years like this (knock on wood) with no trouble so far. But I am a bit worried that it's not getting enough air judging by the lack of dust. Your thoughts? Thanks  John B.
Lenovo Core i5 4460 Desktop PC (Windows 8 64 bit), Focusrite Scarlett 6i6, Nektar LX61 Keyboard MIDI Controller, Avantone Pro CV-12 tube condenser microphone, JBL LSR308 8" active monitor speakers. Cakewalk by Bandlab, Reason 7, NI Session Strings Pro, NI Strummed Acoustic Guitar, Miroslav Philharmonic, Auturia DX7 V, Garritan JABB 3, EZ Keys, EZ Drummer. "I will create music the way I want to whether a million people are listening or no one is listening." Dan Fogelberg, Singer/Songwriter-1951-2007
|
gswitz
Max Output Level: -18.5 dBFS
- Total Posts : 5694
- Joined: 2007/06/16 07:17:14
- Location: Richmond Virginia USA
- Status: offline
Re: PC Location
2018/11/02 23:42:44
(permalink)
If it is not working the fans hard, you are fine. You would hear a problem, i think.
StudioCat > I use Windows 10 and Sonar Platinum. I have a touch screen. I make some videos. This one shows how to do a physical loopback on the RME UCX to get many more equalizer nodes.
|
Johnbee58
Max Output Level: -72 dBFS
- Total Posts : 946
- Joined: 2014/06/21 10:45:53
- Location: Reading PA
- Status: offline
Re: PC Location
2018/11/03 00:19:50
(permalink)
gswitz
If it is not working the fans hard, you are fine. You would hear a problem, i think.
No. The fans seem to run consistently. In fact, the PC is very quiet. I never get any indications that anything is in trouble, even when my sessions go into several hours at a time. Runs very smoothly.
Lenovo Core i5 4460 Desktop PC (Windows 8 64 bit), Focusrite Scarlett 6i6, Nektar LX61 Keyboard MIDI Controller, Avantone Pro CV-12 tube condenser microphone, JBL LSR308 8" active monitor speakers. Cakewalk by Bandlab, Reason 7, NI Session Strings Pro, NI Strummed Acoustic Guitar, Miroslav Philharmonic, Auturia DX7 V, Garritan JABB 3, EZ Keys, EZ Drummer. "I will create music the way I want to whether a million people are listening or no one is listening." Dan Fogelberg, Singer/Songwriter-1951-2007
|
stratman70
Max Output Level: -45 dBFS
- Total Posts : 3044
- Joined: 2006/09/12 20:34:12
- Location: Earth
- Status: offline
Re: PC Location
2018/11/03 02:21:09
(permalink)
It does sound like your OK John. My PC is right next to me at my daw desk. So close I hit with my knee sometimes... Your right though, normally the fans shouldn't run all the time. especially the CPU fan. There are plenty of free apps that would give you an indication of the temps. I use Asus boards and they have their own. But there are many free ones. Might try one of those. Make sure btw you read whats going on-remember that app you said you didn't know how it got their? Bytomething. Well some free apps do that. Normally their is an option to un-check. https://softlay.net/how-t...s-cpu-temperature.html I use this one in addition to the asus apps. HWMonitor Very informative little app.
|
msmcleod
Max Output Level: -72 dBFS
- Total Posts : 920
- Joined: 2004/01/27 07:15:30
- Location: Scotland
- Status: offline
Re: PC Location
2018/11/03 03:19:27
(permalink)
My PC is in a CoolerMaster Silencio 300 case, which has internal sound proofing. This no doubt increases the heat inside the case, so the fans run pretty much constantly.
The fans are however variable speed, and most of the time they're at a low to medium speed.
The only times I've seen it go to a high speed is when I'm doing a huge batch of SoundForge processing.
I'd have thought most fans run constantly, even if at a low speed. Stopping/starting them all the time would no doubt reduce the life of the fans considerably.
Mark McLeod Cakewalk by BL | ASUS P8B75-V, Intel I5 3570 16GB RAM Win 10 64 + Win 7 64/32 SSD HD's, Scarlett 18i20 / 6i6 | ASUS ROG GL552VW 16GB RAM Win 10 64 SSD HD's, Scarlett 2i2 | Behringer Truth B2030A / Edirol MA-5A | Mackie MCU + C4 + XT | 2 x BCF2000, Korg NanoKontrol Studio
|
Johnbee58
Max Output Level: -72 dBFS
- Total Posts : 946
- Joined: 2014/06/21 10:45:53
- Location: Reading PA
- Status: offline
Re: PC Location
2018/11/03 09:49:07
(permalink)
stratman-Your link doesn't work. Goes to a 404. My fans sound like they're constantly running too, but I've never heard them vary in speed. There's a processor fan, case fan and power supply fan but they're all so quiet that they're never picked up on my vocal tracks. The app I removed was Bytefence, but I don't think it was an app. I tried to find a control for it (to enable/disable) but could find nothing. All I found was a file in the Programs section of Control Panel that allowed for deletion. From what I've researched, it's something that can be more of a problem that a benefit. Oh, Stratman-What you said about hitting your knees on the PC. I had to laugh. Happens to me all the time.  JB
Lenovo Core i5 4460 Desktop PC (Windows 8 64 bit), Focusrite Scarlett 6i6, Nektar LX61 Keyboard MIDI Controller, Avantone Pro CV-12 tube condenser microphone, JBL LSR308 8" active monitor speakers. Cakewalk by Bandlab, Reason 7, NI Session Strings Pro, NI Strummed Acoustic Guitar, Miroslav Philharmonic, Auturia DX7 V, Garritan JABB 3, EZ Keys, EZ Drummer. "I will create music the way I want to whether a million people are listening or no one is listening." Dan Fogelberg, Singer/Songwriter-1951-2007
|
stratman70
Max Output Level: -45 dBFS
- Total Posts : 3044
- Joined: 2006/09/12 20:34:12
- Location: Earth
- Status: offline
Re: PC Location
2018/11/03 14:54:36
(permalink)
|
Kev999
Max Output Level: -36 dBFS
- Total Posts : 3922
- Joined: 2007/05/01 14:22:54
- Location: Victoria, Australia
- Status: offline
Re: PC Location
2018/11/04 00:37:43
(permalink)
Johnbee58
...even though the music PC is the closest to the modem (approx 8 feet away with only one wall in between) it has the most trouble staying connected to the network...The recording room is so small I really can't have the PC anyplace else...
My studio room has poor wifi reception too. When I first tested it out with a phone and various tablets I got frequent dropouts, so initially I gave up the idea of connecting my DAW PC to the wifi. But recently I purchased a USB receiver that has powerful reception and can be positioned away from the computer: https://www.amazon.com/Br...IEU7UZ0?tag=gadgetj-20It works great and I never get any dropouts.
SonarPlatinum∞(22.11.0.111)|Mixbus32C(4.3.19)|DigitalPerformer(9.5.1)|Reaper(5.77)FractalDesign:DefineR5|i7-6850k@4.1GHz|16GB@2666MHz-DDR4|MSI:GamingProCarbonX99a|Matrox:M9148(x2)|UAD2solo(6.5.2)|W7Ult-x64-SP1
Audient:iD22+ASP800|KRK:VXT6|+various-outboard-gear|+guitars&basses, etc.
Having fun at work lately
|
Johnbee58
Max Output Level: -72 dBFS
- Total Posts : 946
- Joined: 2014/06/21 10:45:53
- Location: Reading PA
- Status: offline
Re: PC Location
2018/11/05 20:00:28
(permalink)
Kev999
Johnbee58
...even though the music PC is the closest to the modem (approx 8 feet away with only one wall in between) it has the most trouble staying connected to the network...The recording room is so small I really can't have the PC anyplace else...
My studio room has poor wifi reception too. When I first tested it out with a phone and various tablets I got frequent dropouts, so initially I gave up the idea of connecting my DAW PC to the wifi. But recently I purchased a USB receiver that has powerful reception and can be positioned away from the computer:
https://www.amazon.com/Br...IEU7UZ0?tag=gadgetj-20
It works great and I never get any dropouts.
I wonder if I could use something like this. I get Comcast and they provide the hardware (modem & router) which controls not only the internet but my phone too. JB
Lenovo Core i5 4460 Desktop PC (Windows 8 64 bit), Focusrite Scarlett 6i6, Nektar LX61 Keyboard MIDI Controller, Avantone Pro CV-12 tube condenser microphone, JBL LSR308 8" active monitor speakers. Cakewalk by Bandlab, Reason 7, NI Session Strings Pro, NI Strummed Acoustic Guitar, Miroslav Philharmonic, Auturia DX7 V, Garritan JABB 3, EZ Keys, EZ Drummer. "I will create music the way I want to whether a million people are listening or no one is listening." Dan Fogelberg, Singer/Songwriter-1951-2007
|
Jim Roseberry
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 9871
- Joined: 2004/03/23 11:34:51
- Location: Ohio
- Status: offline
Re: PC Location
2018/11/05 20:40:36
(permalink)
Johnbee58
My biggest worry is that about 2 or 3 times a year I open my PCs to blow the dust out. My house gathers dust kind of fast. There is usually a good amount of dust in my bedroom PC. My studio doesn't take long to get dusty either. I have to dust off the keyboard, cabinet, monitor and speakers fairly often if I want to keep up with the dust. However, when I open the music PC to blow it out I find there's practically no dust in it, ever! I'm concerned that it's location might be the reason why it's staying so dust free, but it might just also result in the PC not getting enough air to keep the processor and other vital parts of the machine cool enough.
It's been working 3 years like this (knock on wood) with no trouble so far. But I am a bit worried that it's not getting enough air judging by the lack of dust.
The WiFi adapter can be easily swapped out... so that's not reason for concern. Check the dust filters on the case. If those aren't getting much dust, I'd be surprised. My guess is that they're trapping most of it... and that's their job. If CPU temps were an issue, as has been mentioned, I'd expect you'd hear fan RPMs ramping up. You can download a free applet that'll allow you to see the individual CPU core temps.
|