Professional Ultra-Quiet Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) – Custom Studio PC

This is a professionally built, high-performance Digital Audio Workstation originally custom configured by SilentPC in 2023 at a cost of approximately $3,600. It was specifically designed for professional and serious home recording environments where processing power, reliability, storage capacity, and—most importantly—extremely quiet operation matter.

Unlike a typical gaming or office PC, this system was designed from the beginning for use around microphones, studio monitors, audio interfaces, and other sensitive recording equipment. Careful component selection, premium Noctua cooling, solid-state storage, and a high-quality Corsair Platinum power supply help keep mechanical noise exceptionally low. There are no conventional spinning hard drives in the system.

At the heart of the workstation is an Intel Core i9-11900 processor with 8 cores / 16 threads and speeds up to 5.2 GHz, providing substantial processing capability for multitrack recording, mixing, plug-ins, virtual instruments, audio editing, video work, and other demanding creative applications.

The system is equipped with an unusually generous 64 GB of Kingston DDR4 memory, making it particularly well suited to large DAW projects, sample libraries, multiple virtual instruments, extensive plug-in chains, and heavy multitasking. Storage consists of two Samsung 870 EVO SATA SSDs for a total of 3 TB of solid-state storage. One drive is 1TB, the second drive is 2TB, providing plenty of room for applications, sessions, samples, project files, and media without the noise of mechanical drives.

Graphics are handled by an ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3050 8 GB, providing considerably more graphics capability than a typical audio workstation requires while also offering excellent flexibility for multi-monitor studio setups. Outputs include 2 HDMI and 3 DisplayPort connections, making the system ideal for large displays or multiple screens displaying your DAW mixer, timeline, plug-ins, meters, video, and other production tools.

The computer is housed in a substantial Chenbro RM42300 4U rackmount chassis, allowing it to integrate naturally into a professional studio rack while also functioning perfectly well as a standalone workstation. Power comes from a premium Corsair HX1200 1200W 80+ Platinum fully modular power supply, and CPU cooling is handled by a Noctua NH-L9i low-profile cooler—components selected with reliability and low acoustic output in mind.

Connectivity is excellent, with numerous USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet, optical S/PDIF audio output, analog audio connections, HDMI and DisplayPort graphics outputs. An LG optical drive is also installed.

Condition is excellent. This workstation has lived exclusively in my smoke-free home recording studio, has been treated carefully, and has never been subjected to the abuse that portable or touring studio equipment can experience. All functions and features operate properly, and the computer has been exceptionally well cared for.

If you're simply looking for the least expensive used desktop computer, there are plenty of ordinary PCs available. This machine is something different. It was purpose-built as a serious Digital Audio Workstation for musicians, recording engineers, producers, composers, voice-over artists, podcasters, content creators, and other users who appreciate having substantial computing power in the same room as sensitive audio equipment without adding unnecessary computer noise to the environment.

Key configuration: Intel Core i9-11900 • 8 Cores / 16 Threads • Up to 5.2 GHz • 64 GB DDR4 RAM • 3 TB Samsung SSD Storage • ASUS ROG Strix RTX 3050 8 GB • 2 HDMI + 3 DisplayPort • Corsair HX1200 Platinum PSU • Noctua Low-Noise CPU Cooling • 4U Rackmount Chassis • Optical S/PDIF • Gigabit Ethernet • Multiple USB Ports

Original custom-build cost: approximately $3,600.

A rare opportunity to pick up a carefully maintained, purpose-built studio workstation for substantially less than its original cost.