deswind
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6 core processor worth it (intel 860) or overkill
First - will Sonar 8.5.2 work better with 6 cores over 4 cores (assuming each with hyperthreading). Especially when using 40 tracks or so, multiple plugins and software synths/samples.
Or is the difference virtually unnoticable?
Would going to SSD drives be a more dramatic improvement?
And - assuming money is not an issue - is the smartest thing to just get both - the 6 core and SSDS?
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John
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Re:6 core processor worth it (intel 860) or overkill
2010/03/19 11:53:13
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You can never have too many cores. The more cores the better. Many here have the i7 920.
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windsurfer25x
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Re:6 core processor worth it (intel 860) or overkill
2010/03/19 11:54:09
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One SSD for the OS would be worth it. For all the other hard drives 7200 rpm HDDs would be better.
i7 930, or 960 would be fine... you're not to notice a big difference with any more... I'd spend that extra money on other things like mics or pre's or some nice plugins
Sonar X1 Expanded PE 64 bit
Intel i7 2600k oc'd, 16Gb DDR3 RAM, intel 320 SSD OS drive, 7200RPM HDDx2, Windows 7 Pro 64 bit VS 100, Tascam US-2000, UAD2 - Izotope, Fabfilter, NI Komplete 7/Kore2 & +, Spectrasonics+ http://www.maskensmobilestudio.com
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CJaysMusic
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Re:6 core processor worth it (intel 860) or overkill
2010/03/19 13:43:01
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Theres no such word as overkill when it comes to pc power. You get the best you can get..
Cj
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strikinglyhandsome1
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Re:6 core processor worth it (intel 860) or overkill
2010/03/19 14:07:00
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I'd buy anything that said mega, huge or whopper when it comes to the PC. Unfortunately, I had to settle for average but if I had the funds, I'd buy ginormous 50 core i23 970000000
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Jim Roseberry
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Re:6 core processor worth it (intel 860) or overkill
2010/03/19 14:31:54
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First - will Sonar 8.5.2 work better with 6 cores over 4 cores (assuming each with hyperthreading). Especially when using 40 tracks or so, multiple plugins and software synths/samples. Or is the difference virtually unnoticable? Would going to SSD drives be a more dramatic improvement? And - assuming money is not an issue - is the smartest thing to just get both - the 6 core and SSDS? With a fast quad core i7, you can already run very substantial loads at low latency. Having two more cores would allow you to run even heavier loads... but it won't allow you to achieve lower latency. With the initial price tag well over $1k, most users won't find it necessary or worth the cost difference. That said, if money is no object... it certainly won't hurt.  BTW, The six core CPUs are currently listed... but not actually in stock. SSD would make the OS more snappy as read speeds are very fast. Keep in mind that write speeds can be a bit slow. In that case, recording to SSD will actually slow you down. With conventional $95 1TB HDs that sustain 136+MB/Sec (write and read speed), SSD is more of a niche' solution (IMO). For the cost of a single (larger/faster) SSD; you can have ~7GB of conventional HD space (7 drives) where each sustains well over 130MB/Sec on writes/reads... (as opposed to a single 256GB SSD which sustains ~220MB/Sec) If money is no object, SSD is a good choice for the boot HD... or for scenarios where you want to stream huge amounts of polyphony from Kontakt 4 or other disk-streaming sample libraries.
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philz
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Re:6 core processor worth it (intel 860) or overkill
2010/03/19 14:50:21
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CJaysMusic
Theres no such word as overkill when it comes to pc power. You get the best you can get..
Cj
Yeah, I'm out of that school myself, but (seeing as there's a limit as to how often many of us want to rebuild) this and some other pc threads I've read raises a question for me. I see lots members running LG775 socket Quads (a Q9550 with 4 gigs of DDR2-8500 for me), and no one seems to be complaining about it. I just finished my first project in Sonar. It had about 18 tracks (1 SD2 track, and the rest all audio) and several FX plugs, some automation on several tracks, and I never saw my CPU go over maybe 9%. I can see where I'll probably have bigger, more demanding projects as I improve my Sonar chops, but it seems like I've got a ways to go with what I've got before I need to rebuild. Am I missing something, or are you guys just doing way more demanding stuff? Thanks, phil
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Sickvision 
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Re:6 core processor worth it (intel 860) or overkill
2010/03/19 15:46:38
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i have a AMD phenom 2x4 and it can run anything iv thrown at it , the i7 is 2x the money as a AMD system, for the little bit of power id reconcider. easyly can do 60 - 80- tracks loaded and as said, you latincy wont chaing much for the extra 500$ 1000 bucks
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grega60438
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Re:6 core processor worth it (intel 860) or overkill
2011/05/11 22:55:36
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Did the Cakewalk software engineers write the software code to access all 6 cores in the X7 chip? Sonar X1 can monitor up to 32 cores, but that does not mean that the software software engineers wrote the software code to access all 6 cores in the X7 chip. So that is the big question. Those two extra cores may be like the balls hanging off the hitch of a pickup truck. They may look cool, to some, but do not do much. But hey if you got money to throw down I would get the running lights and gun rack too.  I may have to call Cakewalk and ask them.
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grega60438
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Re:6 core processor worth it (intel 860) or overkill
2011/05/12 10:42:46
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I just called Cakewalk and asked. X1 will access as many cores as you have. Wow! they did good!
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