Hello,
I'm looking at putting together a new PC. Two CPU I'm looking at in a similar price range are the i5 9400 and an AMD Ryzen 2700. They are close in cpu speed but the Ryzen has much higher multi core speed.
A typical project for me would include 8 or 10 virtual instruments and another doze virtual effects. Would I be better served with one type of cpu over the other?
thanks
Multi Core CPUs and Mutools
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 690 posts since 31 May, 2002 from chez moi
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- KVRAF
- 7134 posts since 8 Feb, 2003 from London, UK
How much CPU are you currently using according to (a) Windows performance monitor and (b) MuLab's CPU usage monitor? (That is, whether you're currently experiencing CPU issues with the kind of project you describe is a more accurate measure than the number of instruments and effects.)
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 690 posts since 31 May, 2002 from chez moi
That's a tough one. I have a 9 year old Lenovo notebook that over the past year has developed an audio glitch. I think the windows drivers don't really match the hardware so great anymore. I believe this computer originally shipped with Windows Vista! I used latencymon and found that a few different drivers are interrupting the audio. In other words, I don't think my current computer is a good benchmark.
I'm pretty confident that either cpu will be amazing for me.
cheers
I'm pretty confident that either cpu will be amazing for me.
cheers
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- KVRian
- 1441 posts since 4 Oct, 2012 from Utah
Hello,
I'm running a Ryzen 2700x on my machine, works great with Mulab. However, my projects tend to include 20-40 tracks, so I make heavy use of multi-core processing. I also have an external audio interface with yet another headphone amp. If you're looking for more professional results then you'll have to account for other hardware in the cost of things.
Because of your lower track count, I'd pay more attention to your other potential hobbies. E.g gaming, video editing, programming, etc. (Not saying you do these, they are just examples). For my part I do a lot of programming which can take a HUGE benefit from multi-core setups. That being said, when running heavy hitting VSTs I do consume single core performance faster, meaning (at my admittedly very low buffer size [less than 1ms]) I tend to see my cpu meter go up. However, having a dozen instances doesn't create the same amount of a spike as creating a single instance.
One thing to note with Ryzen CPUs, don't overclock the chip itself unless you need to. Instead, seek faster memory. Infinity Fabric scales better with RAM speeds than it does with clock speeds. The catch though is that not all RAM modules have XMP profiles that work well with Ryzen, so keep an eye out for compatibility.
I've attached a photo of my computer's parts, feel free to ask questions about it.
I'm running a Ryzen 2700x on my machine, works great with Mulab. However, my projects tend to include 20-40 tracks, so I make heavy use of multi-core processing. I also have an external audio interface with yet another headphone amp. If you're looking for more professional results then you'll have to account for other hardware in the cost of things.
Because of your lower track count, I'd pay more attention to your other potential hobbies. E.g gaming, video editing, programming, etc. (Not saying you do these, they are just examples). For my part I do a lot of programming which can take a HUGE benefit from multi-core setups. That being said, when running heavy hitting VSTs I do consume single core performance faster, meaning (at my admittedly very low buffer size [less than 1ms]) I tend to see my cpu meter go up. However, having a dozen instances doesn't create the same amount of a spike as creating a single instance.
One thing to note with Ryzen CPUs, don't overclock the chip itself unless you need to. Instead, seek faster memory. Infinity Fabric scales better with RAM speeds than it does with clock speeds. The catch though is that not all RAM modules have XMP profiles that work well with Ryzen, so keep an eye out for compatibility.
I've attached a photo of my computer's parts, feel free to ask questions about it.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 690 posts since 31 May, 2002 from chez moi
I don't really game, so having a good gpu isn't high on my list. I do some programming with python and django but I don't know if I need lots of multi-core support for that. I also use photoshop for touching up photos and I do a little bit of video editing for screencasts. I think I can re-use the harddrive I have in my notebook, which I upgraded to a couple of years ago. It's a 250gb ssd, I just need to double check the compatibility.
I can see myself getting up to 25 tracks and 20 different virtual instruments and effects. Some of my instruments are known to use high amounts of cpu.
I can see myself getting up to 25 tracks and 20 different virtual instruments and effects. Some of my instruments are known to use high amounts of cpu.
