SONAR has taken advantage of multiple cores since 2003 so any multicore system with 2 or more cores would see major advantages :) Every track, bus or synth gets scheduled to as many threads as there are cores.
Whats new now is we're taking it to yet another level and multiprocessing effects bins as well.

Download "Park Control Free" to see if your CPU cores are all available and unparked.  The software has profiles that can boost CPU performance by ensuring that all of you CPU cores are available to running applications.
https://bitsum.com/parkcontrol/
 
This in addition to what "muzdol" mentioned above, worked for me.  
 
Glad to hear about the upcoming plugin load balancing feature.   Sounds very cool.

Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]
Thanks. I'm obviously biased so you can take my opinion for what its worth but I think the approach we've taken is quite groundbreaking compared to what others DAW's do in this area.
Most other attempts use lookahead processing to try and solve this, which introduces other problems like latency or induces delay when changing parameters in realtime. Our approach doesn't introduce any latency or side effects like that.

This is so cool. It might result in my getting a bit more time out of my computer before feeling like I need to build a new one (I'm hoping).
 
Thanks for doing this!
 
I do have a question on this, however. Right now, my threads are being used pretty evenly. The first thread is a bit higher, but not a huge difference, really. Is what the meters show reflective of Sonar use (alone) or the computer's use load generally?
 
Thanks for a wonderful program!

Thank you Noel and team.   I have a good processor now,  and your ideas and inventions will add far more to it.     

outland144k
 
This is so cool. It might result in my getting a bit more time out of my computer before feeling like I need to build a new one (I'm hoping).
 
Thanks for doing this!
 
I do have a question on this, however. Right now, my threads are being used pretty evenly. The first thread is a bit higher, but not a huge difference, really. Is what the meters show reflective of Sonar use (alone) or the computer's use load generally?
 
Thanks for a wonderful program!

The benefits you see really depend on the workload in the project so gains are not always one size fits all. If your project load is already fairly balanced across tracks and buses you will see less benefit from it.
Where the most benefit is seen is in projects where you might have a stack of high CPU effects on one track or bus (or an fxchain or prochannel for that matter). In those cases this can even out the load by making use of multiple cores. Basically a divide and conquer approach to allow the load to be processed in parallel.
 
The meters currently show just SONAR's audio processing load. There is an additional feature with new CPU metering modes that show overall system load also coming up :)

My first core used to carry the brunt of the load. I've noticed a big improvement with the latest update. All my cores are pretty much even now.

Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]

outland144k
 
This is so cool. It might result in my getting a bit more time out of my computer before feeling like I need to build a new one (I'm hoping).
 
Thanks for doing this!
 
I do have a question on this, however. Right now, my threads are being used pretty evenly. The first thread is a bit higher, but not a huge difference, really. Is what the meters show reflective of Sonar use (alone) or the computer's use load generally?
 
Thanks for a wonderful program!

The benefits you see really depend on the workload in the project so gains are not always one size fits all. If your project load is already fairly balanced across tracks and buses you will see less benefit from it.
Where the most benefit is seen is in projects where you might have a stack of high CPU effects on one track or bus (or an fxchain or prochannel for that matter). In those cases this can even out the load by making use of multiple cores. Basically a divide and conquer approach to allow the load to be processed in parallel.
 
The meters currently show just SONAR's audio processing load. There is an additional feature with new CPU metering modes that show overall system load also coming up :)

Thanks for the answer. I'm really looking forward to seeing this. I've got an old i7-2600K oc'ed to 4.5 gHz and it still seems pretty fast in many ways, but in about ten months, give or take, I'm intending an upgrade to a new system. The combined load metering, however, should give me an objective way of ascertaining if an upgrade is a necessity or not. It's really hard to know how much of a performance boost (if any) I'd get from an oct core i7 as opposed to my oc'ed quad core. Like you've said, with the what I'm currently seeing, maybe an upgrade isn't really necessary. Sometimes it seems I'd get enough of a boost from a RAM increase to 32 GB from 16 GB and maybe an SSD system drive (if my mobo is up to that). It's just probably going to be that much easier to check with combined load metering.

Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]
 
There is an additional feature with new CPU metering modes that show overall system load also coming up :)

This just keeps getting better and better...

Is the "Plugin Load Balancing" implemented? I can't find it where it's supposed to be (Edit > Preferences > Audio - Playback and Recording and select Plug-In Load Balancing.)
My sonar platinum should be completely up to date as far as I know...

PS, Thanks to you for a good hint, Davec69. Parkcontrol made wonders with my project. Lots off effects, lots of Omnisphere synt in a previously kneeling project is running smooth as a dream. (I got i7, 8 cores)