Is z87-k or h87-plus a good choice for irq shared ?

[guppy]

Now I just bought a i4470 cpu, I'd like to buy an asus z87k, but i'm a little traumatized with my good old asus p7p55d irq shared (among other things).
I'd like to avoid Asus, but as the Asus z87-k and h87-plus seem to be the only motherboards which has 3 pci and possibility to connect 2 screens to the graphic motherboard, it seems that I have not lots of choice....
If somebody own one of them, can you tell me please if the pci slots are shared with usb or graphic please ?
I found some informations here:
http://www.manualslib.com/manual/548779 ... =18#manual
But I'm not sure to understand how it's shared...
It would be cool if it's ok, because it got enough pci express slot for a future upgrade with xite
I'm hesitating with asus h87 plus (cheaper), which looks nearly the same as z87-k and seems to have the same irq shared...the difference is only 15€, so maybe the z87-k is a better one ?
Can you help me please to make the best choice ?

[garyb]

in ANY new motherboard, there will be shared irqs. you will need to disable at least one USB controller.

nobody has money to test every combination. i don't know of any H87 motherboards being used. they are probably ok, since the Z87 seems to work for everyone who tries it. anytime you use a motherboard that others have not tested, it's a little bit of a gamble.

[dawman]

FWIW, I disable all but one of my USB 3.0 ports, and all of the USB 2.0 ports on the Z77/i7 combo.
Disabling these ports has no effect on using them to power USB Controllers like we use for music, and it helps isolate any IRQs.
The Z77 is so stable I have the internal GPU/CPU on the same IRQ and yet I have incredibly fast MIDI and 1.2 msec. of ASIO Duplexxed @ 64 samples/48k.
When using Standalone I get .07 msec. / 64 samples / 48k.

I no longer use USB for MIDI, I went to an all hardware config as I hate stuck notes.
They are a pain in the ass when performing. Ever since I went to an all hardware MIDI set up I have never seen a single stuck note. Using 2 x hardware keyboards, 1 with 4 zones, and then the BCF 2000, I am in live heaven.
The single USB 3.0 port is for my fastflash RAM sticks, DVD Burners, etc.
Seems even the disabled USB 2.0 ports can still retain enough power after disabling them to run my mouse and QWERTY too.
My guess is they figured that a single USB port would go to a Hub so they jacked up the voltage to accomodate this.
Since devices still work after their ports are disabled, it's fine by me.

Intel chipsets, even their consumer versions like the Z series are just so damn audio friendly these days. I don't even bother with the DPC latency checker either. To me it's synthetic bench that means nothing in the real world.

[guppy]

My main goal is to avoid motherboards which share all the usb port or the graphical part with the pci slots, as it is with the asus p7p55d I got, which seems not to have been made for our use.
I manage to have this i7 4470 for a very low price, so I must look on the z87 or h87 side now
Thanks for all those precisions, i'm going to think about seriously !
I didn't know that 1155 z77 were good for our cards

[garyb]

they're not good for PCI cards. Jim has an XITE.

[dawman]

Correctamundo,
I was merely agknowledging how each new chipset and GPU upgrade like the HD5000 which is on the i7 4770, is another step forward for audio and HDMI enthusiats.
Nobody listened to Pro Audio demands at Intel or Microsoft until the CPU started becoming an all in one package.
That trend started with the Clarksdale. The Z77 was the next step, and now the H/Z87 series is another step in that direction.
I am so pleased with the Z series I will upgrade when the Broadwell Z97 (?) comes out in Summer 2014.

But you will definately have fun with the H/Z87s.
Wait until you see the resetting of colors option for your LCD using the HD5000 upgrade.
I actually can control my view of the LCD, which I stand above and look down at a 70 degree angle. I can make the angling just right like the old contrast parameters on hardware keyboard LEDs.

Life is good.

[hubird]

I can make the angling just right like the old contrast parameters on hardware keyboard LEDs.
Life is good.

nice!

[dawman]

FWIW The newest Broadwell CPU coming out in 2014 is still no faster than the Ivy Bridge CPUs.
Intel is focusing on die shrink, energy consumption and another GPU boost as we saw from the Ivy Bridge to the Haswell, this time 40% better.
But I did notice they spoke of new interuption request improvements.
The article is worth reading.

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/17 ... er-haswell

[Shamk]

Z87-K : http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA ... _Z87-K.pdf

H87-PLUS : http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA ... 7-PLUS.pdf



Time to play !

[garyb]

that's a waste of time.
whatever motherboard you choose, there WILL be irqs that are shared. it's not that difficult. most system devices are ok sharing an irq with the Scope card. the no-nos are USB and Firewire, as well as LAN that's being used while the Scope card is being used. it's a very simple matter to disable those devices in the device manager.

a Z87 or H87 motherboard should work.

[Bud Weiser]

FWIW The newest Broadwell CPU coming out in 2014 is still no faster than the Ivy Bridge CPUs.
Intel is focusing on die shrink, energy consumption and another GPU boost as we saw from the Ivy Bridge to the Haswell, this time 40% better.
But I did notice they spoke of new interuption request improvements.
The article is worth reading.

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/17 ... er-haswell

Seems they want to ditch LGA (socketed) and solder processors to the mainboard (BGA).
That´s the end of upgrade except you buy new combos.

Now, do we need that for audio ?
Faster GPUs ???

Why not Sandy Bridge E or Ivy Bridge E on socket 2011 mobos ?
The quad cores are under 300 bucks and fast (3.6 / 3.7 GHz) and offer large L3 cache ~10MB.
Much more data throughput on socket 2011 vs 1155/1150 mobos,- more lanes and quad channel ECC-RAM support.

For XITE-1 PCIe I´d use socket 2011 ...
Don´t know what that means for PCI cards,- but can be PCI slots work on 2011 boards.

Bud

[dawman]

I get plenty of juice from Ivys/Haswell/Broadwells.
But if I needed more bandwidth I would go with a 2011.
But just Kontakt and only Pianoteq and Silentway Suite, I barely see
the CPUs go beyond 25% on all cores.
It's all about using a 1U or laptop for me these days.
That's why the GPU thingy is fine as is, but they are intent on
Sucking gamers butt.
As long as it works for me I can hang.

[Bud Weiser]

I get plenty of juice from Ivys/Haswell/Broadwells.
But if I needed more bandwidth I would go with a 2011.
But just Kontakt and only Pianoteq and Silentway Suite, I barely see
the CPUs go beyond 25% on all cores.

Yes,- that´s why CPU speed is the same ...
But processor cache matters when it comes to polyphony / voice count across several VSTi plugins being in use simultaneously.
So, you´ll get more from a socket 2011 processor, more data thruput for the large sample libraries as well as more voices,- all in theory by nature.
The software must/should use the offered features.

It's all about using a 1U or laptop for me these days.
That's why the GPU thingy is fine as is, but they are intent on
Sucking gamers butt.
As long as it works for me I can hang.

I hear ya !

Actually I think of a split system.
In the home studio where I need more sonic potential, a 4HU rackmount w/ socket 2011 mobo and XITE-1 PCIe card inside would be the best solution w/ all the VST software I don´t trust in a live scenario,- then avoid VST for the live scenario and operate XITE-1/ SCOPE 5.1 from a cheapo Lenovo W500 (or such) laptop Core2Duo 2,8GHz, Win7 32Bit, 4GB RAM via PCIexpress cable and use hardware instruments and modules for the sounds SCOPE doesn´t deliver.
That laptop would still run Pianoteq and OPX Pro II p.ex.,- or Kontakt 4,- or Reason 6.5.
Who needs the latest for gigging ?

I have the Kurzweil PC3 which does good orchestral sounds and more.
An additional Roland Integra-7 would possibly complete the rig together w/ a good 88 weighted keys board (I already own),- isn´t it ?

I just only find the up-to-date powerful laptops too expensive and the 1HU rackmount solutions a bit risky and/or too loud because of the several small fans "jet type" spinning noise.

Bud

[dawman]

Ich Verstehe.
All totally valid and correct points.
Someday Native might bypass Scope and I can gig w/ a little laptop.
But I said that 5 years ago, and still I get that behind the speaker cone sound with Native.
Love to have a 48GB 2011 in a 1U.
You're right too, my little 1U sucks in so much air Scarface himself would be impressed.

[Bud Weiser]

Ich Verstehe.
All totally valid and correct points.

Danke !

Love to have a 48GB 2011 in a 1U.

TDP of socket 2011 processors is 130W.
So,- they want some serious cooling which might not work as easy as in your other 1HU projects.

Bud