Mac 1,1 x5160 upgrade with respect to Logic Pro's single core spikes

[luke p]

Hi,

I'm new to gearslutz, so first of all a big thanks to everyone who's been posting here. I found tons of helpful info on these pages.

After reading and re-reading the abundance of stuff posted here and elsewhere on upgrading first generation mac pros, I am still debating whether I should up-grade my 3.0 ghz, 4 core, xeon 5160 machine. I am a Logic 8 (will either upgrade soon or wait for 10) user and have 8GB RAM. I have done orchestral film stuff as well as pop/electronic type of music for commercials, so my needs range from mid to heavy lifting.

What brings me to thinking about upgrading is Logic's issue with single core spikes especially when playing and recording VIs such as Kontakt 4/5 instruments (like Alicia's Keys for instnace) or certain Omnisphere patches. This has hindered my work flow considerably (changing buffer size creates latency which prevents playing the music into the score reliably - a major disadvantage).

It seems that upgrading to an 8 core machine should have been a no-brainer. However, from what I've been reading, Logic is still spiking single cores, even now, in 9.1.6 under Lion. What I am worried about is spending a few hundred $$, doing the upgrade work and finding out that my cause for upgrade hasn't improved in the slightest.

I have two questions then:

1. Will upgrading from 5160 to an eight core (2 x5355 or 2 x5356) have an impact on the single core spike issues?
2. Is the x5160 (4 core 3.0 ghz) better or worse than 2 x5355's (= 8 core 2.66 ghz) handling the single core spike problem?

Thanks so much for reading and for posting!

[kstackm]

Originally Posted by luke p

Hi,

I'm new to gearslutz, so first of all a big thanks to everyone who's been posting here. I found tons of helpful info on these pages.

After reading and re-reading the abundance of stuff posted here and elsewhere on upgrading first generation mac pros, I am still debating whether I should up-grade my 3.0 ghz, 4 core, xeon 5160 machine. I am a Logic 8 (will either upgrade soon or wait for 10) user and have 8GB RAM. I have done orchestral film stuff as well as pop/electronic type of music for commercials, so my needs range from mid to heavy lifting.

What brings me to thinking about upgrading is Logic's issue with single core spikes especially when playing and recording VIs such as Kontakt 4/5 instruments (like Alicia's Keys for instnace) or certain Omnisphere patches. This has hindered my work flow considerably (changing buffer size creates latency which prevents playing the music into the score reliably - a major disadvantage).

It seems that upgrading to an 8 core machine should have been a no-brainer. However, from what I've been reading, Logic is still spiking single cores, even now, in 9.1.6 under Lion. What I am worried about is spending a few hundred $$, doing the upgrade work and finding out that my cause for upgrade hasn't improved in the slightest.

I have two questions then:

1. Will upgrading from 5160 to an eight core (2 x5355 or 2 x5356) have an impact on the single core spike issues?
2. Is the x5160 (4 core 3.0 ghz) better or worse than 2 x5355's (= 8 core 2.66 ghz) handling the single core spike problem?

Thanks so much for reading and for posting!

For relatively 'No-Hassles' try and get the fastest clock speed you can get on whatever computer you use, especially if you are working at higher sample rates and bit depths.

The 8-Core 2.93GHz 2009 Mac Pro is an excellent choice and the 6-Core 3.33GHz is a good one as well.

The coding in Logic is very good, but not perfect. Occasionally even with the 'snappiest' computer, you may get an occasional spike, but very few.

Last but not least, try and get the fastest hard drives you can afford and a healthy amount of RAM (No less than 8GB especially if you are using Logic in 64 Bit) and as a general rule you should be good to go.

The Xeon 5160's are not going to get you very far if you are trying to expand the amount of CPU oriented tasks in your music production, although I'm sure it would make a good server.

[luke p]

Thanks kstackm for your reply.

I can't afford to get another mac pro right now. A 2009 8 core MP would have been nice!

It seems that the upgrade from 2 x5160 to 2 x5355 is the cheapest way, but my big question is will it bring a decrease in single core performance?

Going for x5356 (obviously a stronger processor) is going to be expensive and I prefer to avoid it if the 5355s can bring some relief in the "single core spike" aspect, compare to my 5160s (I have no doubt they will be better for most multi-core action, but that's not my main concern). Thanks again.

[valis]

While there is a performance difference between an x5355 & x5356, it's not a night and day difference by any means. Also I'd suggest finding e5355's if you can, they'll run cooler.

[luke p]

Thanks.
There are so many variables to this stuff, it's very confusing! Yesterday I read somewhere that memory bandwidth is actually going to be a major factor in single core tasks (like playing/recording a cpu hungry VI). This type of data makes me wonder even more about the 5160s and 53xx, which have the same bandwidth...

I think, if I end up upgrading, I will probably get the 5355. Just hoping there's someone out there, preferably using Logic, that has gone from mac pro 1,1 4-core 3.0ghz 5160s to 8-core 2.66ghz 5355 and can share some insight!

[Xill]

Originally Posted by luke p

Hi,

I'm new to gearslutz, so first of all a big thanks to everyone who's been posting here. I found tons of helpful info on these pages.

After reading and re-reading the abundance of stuff posted here and elsewhere on upgrading first generation mac pros, I am still debating whether I should up-grade my 3.0 ghz, 4 core, xeon 5160 machine. I am a Logic 8 (will either upgrade soon or wait for 10) user and have 8GB RAM. I have done orchestral film stuff as well as pop/electronic type of music for commercials, so my needs range from mid to heavy lifting.

What brings me to thinking about upgrading is Logic's issue with single core spikes especially when playing and recording VIs such as Kontakt 4/5 instruments (like Alicia's Keys for instnace) or certain Omnisphere patches. This has hindered my work flow considerably (changing buffer size creates latency which prevents playing the music into the score reliably - a major disadvantage).

It seems that upgrading to an 8 core machine should have been a no-brainer. However, from what I've been reading, Logic is still spiking single cores, even now, in 9.1.6 under Lion. What I am worried about is spending a few hundred $$, doing the upgrade work and finding out that my cause for upgrade hasn't improved in the slightest.

I have two questions then:

1. Will upgrading from 5160 to an eight core (2 x5355 or 2 x5356) have an impact on the single core spike issues?
2. Is the x5160 (4 core 3.0 ghz) better or worse than 2 x5355's (= 8 core 2.66 ghz) handling the single core spike problem?

Thanks so much for reading and for posting!

The best you can do right now is get the fastest cpu you can afford. Every track on input monitoring is processed by only one core (and when a certain amount of tracks are on input monitoring even those not monitored go on the same core).

Being limited like this in 2012 is pathetic.

But I guess the important thing is the result;
I add most plugins after my tracks are completed and recorded from the sampler (which I run in standalone to optimize cpu usage). I use my synths externally (also standalone when possible) so that they can use all the cores and rout the audio back to logic. Since I write everything in a notation program I can load the synth back in Logic and send the midi there when I'm ready to record them. When I'm finally ready to mix (like 1% of the actual work) the 8 cores are working.

Lot's or workaround considering I have a iMac i7 beast with 16 gigs of ram, but the end result is the same.

Programs like NI Guitar Rig are basically impossible to use simultaneously with the other track on input monitoring and a few HQ effects and synths.

It's the same problem with protools and cubase, daws, they hire kids who do simple music for testing and the result is a software not intended for power users who rout 128 channels of orchestral VI and add another 128 tracks of audio on top while syncing multiple applications. They've even removed the midi clock input in Logic 8, as if it was no big deal or MTC was the same.

Anyway sorry for all my complaining, I got on a rant.