Help understanding computer cores

[ghostwhistler]

I'm thinking of buying a new laptop. The one I'm looking at is AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (6 Core), 1.4 GHz

Now what I currently have is 2 cores and 2.5ghtz (i5 3210m). This is all greek to me. I want to run the latest cs80 emulation from Arturia which has minimum specs= 4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost)

Now, does having more cores make a difference? I have a demo of this on my current 2 core machine and it seems to work fine. I can't obviously run it full tilt because it's a demo, so I don't know how it would be with 10 tracks of intense synth action.

Can someone advise? The question is broad, I'm using the above AMD model as an example, it's also what I can afford, which helps.

Thanks

[chk071]

I'm thinking of buying a new laptop. The one I'm looking at is AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (6 Core), 1.4 GHz

AMD state that that CPU has a base frequency of 2.3 GHz. Is that a passively cooled laptop?

What is your budget, and would a desktop PC come into question? You get a LOT more bang for the buck when you buy a desktop PC. The CPU you mentioned is a typical laptop CPU, i.e. it won't be very performant, especially when it's passively cooled.

[ghostwhistler]

I'm thinking of buying a new laptop. The one I'm looking at is AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (6 Core), 1.4 GHz

AMD state that that CPU has a base frequency of 2.3 GHz. Is that a passively cooled laptop?

What is your budget, and would a desktop PC come into question? You get a LOT more bang for the buck when you buy a desktop PC. The CPU you mentioned is a typical laptop CPU, i.e. it won't be very performant, especially when it's passively cooled.

I don't know how it's cooled, the listing doesn't say.

My budget is, at most, £400.

I don't have any objection to a desktop pc but I've not seen anything I'm aware of being significantly better. Plus i don't have a monitor and probably not a keyboard either so those will cost extra

[chk071]

I don't have any objection to a desktop pc but I've not seen anything I'm aware of being significantly better. Plus i don't have a monitor and probably not a keyboard either so those will cost extra

Ok. Note that 400 pounds won't get you much in terms of performance though, especially when you opt for a laptop. Maybe look for something used on Ebay. Although used prices are completely messed up as well...

[ghostwhistler]

I don't have any objection to a desktop pc but I've not seen anything I'm aware of being significantly better. Plus i don't have a monitor and probably not a keyboard either so those will cost extra

Ok. Note that 400 pounds won't get you much in terms of performance though, especially when you opt for a laptop. Maybe look for something used on Ebay. Although used prices are completely messed up as well...

What I have is a good benchmark, so logically it doesn't need to be the best thing on the market. Which I obviously can't afford.

I am looking at refurbished stuff. Brand new would obviously be too expensive

[DJ Warmonger]

cs80 emulation from Arturia which has minimum specs= 4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost)

This info is often the weakest system configuration developers had at their disposal when running tests. It doesn't say anything about actual CPU usage.

In reality you'll want to run multiple instances of instruments in your project and that's where the number of cores becomes a bottleneck.

[ghostwhistler]

That's why i render stuff

[jamcat]

The more cores you have, the more the OS can distribute simultaneous parallel processing threads. Most VSTs are single-threaded, since they are processing a single stream of sequential audio samples, so they have to run on a single core (though graphics processing and such can be handled by a different core, if they're coded for that.). So having more cores is really more about processing multiple instruments or tracks at once, plus everything else your OS is doing in the background. One thing to keep in mind with the x64 architecture, though, is that as CPU cores increase, processing efficiency per core decreases. That apparently is not the case with Apple Silicon architecture.

[BONES]

This looks like a solid upgrade over your existing system. In this review it outperforms a 10th Gen Intel Core i7, which is pretty impressive. It's probably the best you'll get for your budget. I'd go for it.

[ON BEATS]

That's why i render stuff

I do exactly the same, even with an M1 Processor. CPU drops from 10-15% load down to 1-2% once i've mixed and and rendered the tracks

[askoan]

Regarding the costs of buying monitor, keyboard, mouse, you will save a lot buying them on your local second hand shop. Plus, sometimes they might have not too bad desktop computers.

[ghostwhistler]

I bought an HP laptop. So far it's pretty fast compared to my old laptop which, purely coincedentally I'm sure, just died. The power socket, I think. I'd like to get it repaired, but money....