Advice

[TheDarkSide10]

I have a newish laptop with 4GB RAM and the i3 -470 M processor but integrated graphics (which despite one site telling me this is better than a Pentium Dual core E-5800 I think not at least on this aspect) I was looking at a desktop as they can run much higher speeds.

For the price range I found the Medion X11 which has the pentium dual core E-5800 which is 3.2GHz Vs 2.4 GHZ but unfortunately has no L3 cache Vs 3MB on my current processor. No stats on the FSB for the i3 available however diagnostic test told me it was 133MHZ vs 800MHZ although the multiplier was higher. As I like audio recording I was thinking that outright speed is more important than number of threads/cores and the only test site I could find listed the Pentium E-5800 as being 10 places higher so roughly comparable in performance.

As this desktop also is 64 Bit vista but has a 1GB dedicated graphics memory I was thinking that the processor and memory would be more free than in my current computer to process audio, Which of these processors performs more calculations per second, which is more suited for audio applications and would the graphics memory swing things decidely in favour of the desktop if the processors are in your opinion at more or less "dead heat".

 

[TheDarkSide10]

Forgot to mention though that the Pentium has 2MB l2 cache vs 512 KB on the i3 core yet another twist, although i3 has more overall cache (3MB + 512KB)

 

[Mike Connor]

Medion machines are OK for average users, although often with rather odd configurations, but if you want to tweak or modify things they can be a disaster, with restricted BIOS settings and no way to update, etc etc.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[TheDarkSide10]

Medion machines are OK for average users, although often with rather odd configurations, but if you want to tweak or modify things they can be a disaster, with restricted BIOS settings and no way to update, etc etc.

Regards....Mike Connor

Yes but this desktop processor in one test performed better than the i3, and the i3 I have relies on integrated graphics which is surely a negative? I would like to verify that this processor is better or equal to the i3-370M in terms of performance. Cant find any other comps with 4GB and fast processor or instead dedicated graphics.

 

[Mike Connor]

Yes but this desktop processor in one test performed better than the i3, and the i3 I have relies on integrated graphics which is surely a negative? I would like to verify that this processor is better or equal to the i3-370M in terms of performance. Cant find any other comps with 4GB and fast processor or instead dedicated graphics.

For audio recording it doesn't make a lot of difference what processor you use. The software, ancillary equipment, and setup, are more important.

Integrated graphics are only "negative" if you want to do something that they can't manage. For the most part they are considered to be "positive". All depends what you want and why.

Integrated graphics, or a separate card, and the capabilities thereof, are completely irrelevant as far as audio recording is concerned.

Various test comparisons of processors are a bit pointless except when related to specific uses.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[TheDarkSide10]

Yes but this desktop processor in one test performed better than the i3, and the i3 I have relies on integrated graphics which is surely a negative? I would like to verify that this processor is better or equal to the i3-370M in terms of performance. Cant find any other comps with 4GB and fast processor or instead dedicated graphics.

For audio recording it doesn't make a lot of difference what processor you use. The software, ancillary equipment, and setup, are more important.

Integrated graphics are only "negative" if you want to do something that they can't manage. For the most part they are considered to be "positive". All depends what you want and why.

Integrated graphics, or a separate card, and the capabilities thereof, are completely irrelevant as far as audio recording is concerned.

Various test comparisons of processors are a bit pointless except when related to specific uses.

Regards....Mike Connor

Soft Synths require a decent cpu

 

[Mike Connor]

Software synthesizers have nothing to do with audio recording, except for the fact that they can be used with it in various ways.

Most will also run on even old PC's using Linux or similar.

Do you want help and advice, or do you just want to contradict what people tell you?

If you know exactly what you need and want, then just go and buy it.

Otherwise, if you outline what you want to do, then I can try and give you some recommendations, and doubtless others will too. But comparing various machines or CPU's according to various tests you read somewhere is not the best way to go about it.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[TheDarkSide10]

Software synthesizers have nothing to do with audio recording, except for the fact that they can be used with it in various ways.

Most will also run on even old PC's using Linux or similar.

Do you want help and advice, or do you just want to contradict what people tell you?

If you know exactly what you need and want, then just go and buy it.

Otherwise, if you outline what you want to do, then I can try and give you some recommendations, and doubtless others will too. But comparing various machines or CPU's according to various tests you read somewhere is not the best way to go about it.

Regards....Mike Connor

One soft synth yes but not 10 or more. I am trying to ascertain if the higher speed is more important in this case than say the lower amount of l3 cache, you haven't said if you think the model I selected is better than an intel i3 2.4 GHZ 370 m processor in a sony vaio laptop with no dedicated graphics.

 

[Mike Connor]

Software synthesizers have nothing to do with audio recording, except for the fact that they can be used with it in various ways.

Most will also run on even old PC's using Linux or similar.

Do you want help and advice, or do you just want to contradict what people tell you?

If you know exactly what you need and want, then just go and buy it.

Otherwise, if you outline what you want to do, then I can try and give you some recommendations, and doubtless others will too. But comparing various machines or CPU's according to various tests you read somewhere is not the best way to go about it.

Regards....Mike Connor

One soft synth yes but not 10 or more. I am trying to ascertain if the higher speed is more important in this case than say the lower amount of l3 cache, you haven't said if you think the model I selected is better than an intel i3 2.4 GHZ 370 m processor in a sony vaio laptop with no dedicated graphics.

I can't say what model might be better for anything at all based solely on the processor specifications. It makes no sense to even try.

Most software developers will tell you the minimum requirements for using their software. If you exceed those requirements then that's fine, but it wont make any difference to the software. Some software might run faster on a faster processor, it depends on how it is programmed and what it actually does, you will be able to run more applications simultaneously with a powerful processor and the relevant RAM and other hardware.

One thing you will not be able to do, regardless of what you use, is make audio recording go faster, because you are recording a real time event, and it takes however long it takes. So whether you use a §150 netbook or a $50,000,000 mainframe makes no difference at all. The quality of the result is more dependent on the software and ancillary equipment than it is on the processing speed available.

If you keep introducing other variables into the mix, ten software synthesizers this time, then how am I or anyone else supposed to give you any sensible advice?

I am not a mind reader, or a magician. If you tell me what you want to do, then I will do my best to recommend something I think might be suitable. I am not prepared to engage in completely useless discussions on the merits of various hardware totally divorced from any practical application. Much less recommend any!

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[DreemWarrior]

Well said Mike

 

[TheDarkSide10]

Software synthesizers have nothing to do with audio recording, except for the fact that they can be used with it in various ways.

Most will also run on even old PC's using Linux or similar.

Do you want help and advice, or do you just want to contradict what people tell you?

If you know exactly what you need and want, then just go and buy it.

Otherwise, if you outline what you want to do, then I can try and give you some recommendations, and doubtless others will too. But comparing various machines or CPU's according to various tests you read somewhere is not the best way to go about it.

Regards....Mike Connor

One soft synth yes but not 10 or more. I am trying to ascertain if the higher speed is more important in this case than say the lower amount of l3 cache, you haven't said if you think the model I selected is better than an intel i3 2.4 GHZ 370 m processor in a sony vaio laptop with no dedicated graphics.

I can't say what model might be better for anything at all based solely on the processor specifications. It makes no sense to even try.

Most software developers will tell you the minimum requirements for using their software. If you exceed those requirements then that's fine, but it wont make any difference to the software. Some software might run faster on a faster processor, it depends on how it is programmed and what it actually does, you will be able to run more applications simultaneously with a powerful processor and the relevant RAM and other hardware.

One thing you will not be able to do, regardless of what you use, is make audio recording go faster, because you are recording a real time event, and it takes however long it takes. So whether you use a §150 netbook or a $50,000,000 mainframe makes no difference at all. The quality of the result is more dependent on the software and ancillary equipment than it is on the processing speed available.

If you keep introducing other variables into the mix, ten software synthesizers this time, then how am I or anyone else supposed to give you any sensible advice?

I am not a mind reader, or a magician. If you tell me what you want to do, then I will do my best to recommend something I think might be suitable. I am not prepared to engage in completely useless discussions on the merits of various hardware totally divorced from any practical application. Much less recommend any!

Regards....Mike Connor

I want my audio not to have pops in and have already done a lot of other stuff as the pops predominatly occurs when having many tracks and low ms of latency, perhaps indicating a slightly faster processor or one that is better able to concentrate on only programs and audio rather than having to run graphics too may be better but thats why I ask, I am not sure what the best thing is for me, lots of cache or lots of speed in the processor.

 

[Mike Connor]

Well, I use this for audio recording;

http://www.samsontech.com/products/productpage.cfm?prodID=2009

http://s3.amazonaws.com/samsontech/related_docs/R16_top.jpg

you can get it here;

Amazon.com: Studio Recording Package Zoom R16 Digital MultiTrack Recorder Blue Bluebird and Blueberry Cable: Electronics

( I just bought the standalone recorder without the add-ons shown there ).

Unfortunately I paid full price for it, it only costs half what I paid, now, if you shop around. The ancillary equipment, microphones, cables, stands, guitar and other instrument pickups etc. Cost about the same again.

I have no problems with it, an excellent piece of equipment. If I want to play around on the PC with tracks I have recorded I mainly use this;

Sony Creative Software - ACID Pro 7 - Introduction

These are the system requirements for that software, which happens to be one of the best available;

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/acidpro/sysreq

but I have a lot of other stuff as well. What I use depends on what I want to do, and sometimes I just play around with various stuff to see what it can do.

My audio doesn't have any "pops" in it that I haven't put there myself.

So, if you want a good setup, then go for it.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[Mike Connor]

If you want a pretty good DAW ( Digital Audio Workstation) for free, then you might like to try Dark Wave Studio;

ExperimentalScene > Software > DarkWave Studio 3.3.4

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[TheDarkSide10]

Thanks but the clicks come when playing back does an audio interface removes pops and clicks? I always disable nsdi wirless driver and the ACPI complient battery system and whilst dpc spikes are removed there are still some small dpc latencies that come of these drivers as well as afd.sys and DXGkernel. Haven touched afd just in case but safely disable DXG but like the others it still has some residual dpc and ISR counts. I know you say you have no problems but you probably have 16gb of ram and 4.0GHZ processor. I was just wondering if that desktop with the older but faster clock speed processor was superior to the i3 @2.4GHz and if not if deicated graphics would take load of the CPU.

 

[Mike Connor]

Unfortunately, it is just not possible to say what any particular system will do without actually trying it. There are a few tools which can help a lot with latency and drop-out problems.

DPC Latency Checker

ASIO4ALL - Universal ASIO Driver

There are also tools to filter pops and clicks. For this specialised stuff you need to be talking to other specialists. I am no expert, I merely play around a bit.

You might like to look here;

Computer Audiophile | High-End Audiophile Music Servers

Audiophile Journeys with a PC - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

Help Me Build My Audiophile PC!! | Stereophile.com

Turn Your Computer into an Audiophile Music Server - Audio & Video Equipment Forums

The Audiophile's Guide to Streaming Music - PCWorld

M-AUDIO - M-Audio Releases New Mac and PC Drivers for Audiophile USB

Build a PC for audiophile use? | TV, home cinema and hi-fi reviews, news and videos - whathifi.com

And there are a lot more if you search Google etc.

I don't think I can really be of much help to you.

Regards....Mike Connor