Quad core vs dual core in X1

I would imagine that 4 cores are always better than 2 cores running the same speed.

Depending on what you are recording (audio vs. VSTi's) I'd say you most certainly would see an improvement.  As stated more cores will help.  I'm not sure about the differences between those two architectures.  If they are similar and you are using the same amount of RAM (with similar speeds), then I would say go with the quad core.

I used to use a QX6780 quad-core and it worked out very well for me (pre-X1).  I've since upgraded to an i7 920 and have been using that for over a year now.

Tom

Thanks for the replies!

@ Jind

You're using 8G of RAM and a 64bit system, how much RAM do you actually see being used? (In Task Manger for example.)

Up until now I've been using 32bit XP Pro and 2 x 1G OCZ with the 5600+ ( 2.9GHz dual core) and I usually see about 1.3/1.4G's used - that's with 2 or 3 vocs, a couple of trumpets and not more that 6 VST's.

EDIT - sorry, when I said 6 vst's that means 6 tracks of midi instruments, there are about 25 or more associated effects and the effects for the vocs and trumpet.

Hi Tyako

Same Q: How much Ram where you using with the QX6780?

Beagle


how much RAM each of them use is not going to be dependant only on the processor while using sonar....

I agree, but I can't afford to buy extra RAM as well as X1 and Win 7 if it means that a quad is going to use more; and that also means thinking about going 64bit - as I'm sure you know that 2G is about optimal for a 32bit system.

Beagle


  I ran my 32bit system with 4G (only 3.25G was available of course).

....but how much of it was used?

EDIT: If you run the performance tab in task manager at the same time as running any number of applications, it will give you a reasonable idea of what your system is using.

Beagle


I used pretty much all of the installed RAM at different times...

What CPU were you using?

edjay said...

How much Ram where you using with the QX6780?

I too had 4 gigs in my QX6870 machine when I used it.  I even upgraded it to 8 gigs when I added a dual boot of Vista 64-bit at the time.  I did that because we had one project that required more that the 4 gig limit we had with XP.  XP (of course) only saw 4 gigs of the RAM.

Tom

My system has 4Gb of RAM running with a Q6700 in Win XP/32, and I have run out of memory on larger, complex projects.

Twigman


My system runs Q9550 W7x64 X1x64 and regularly have over 6Gb of my 8Gb RAM in use....I put that down to the complex Kontakt sample libraries being used rather than the quad core processor.

It's amazing how projects expand to fill the RAM available!!

exactly!

tyacko

we had one project that required more that the 4 gig limit we had with XP.

We know that a 32 bit system will not use 4G of RAM. So how did you know that you were going over the 4G limit?

Beagle


Q6600

I think I'm going to have to build up another system and test this 6700 and see what happens.

edjay

Bristol_Jonesey


My system has 4Gb of RAM running with a Q6700 in Win XP/32, and I have run out of memory on larger, complex projects.

Are you sure it's the RAM you're running out of? How did you check this?

Ar you sure it wasn't the CPU bottoming out?

Er, from the "Out of Memory" message that Sonar produces.

Perhaps that's a manifestation of the inherent capabiltites of a Quad core over a Dual core?

Just throwing the idea out there.......

Bristol_Jonesey


Just throwing the idea out there.......

If you're not really interested in the thread Jonsey mate, don't feel obliged, it's not a mandatory requirement of making an initial comment in a thread. It's a big thing for me, I've got to figure out RAM consumption and/or the 64 bit thing from the point of how much I can't afford to buy; on top of the X1 and Win 7 that I couldn't afford and the piano module I've been researching for two weeks that I can't afford either - if you see what I mean.

Things are tight and I have a genuine interest in the subject matter. No offense.