What is the best computer processor for music production?

Question

I want to use Cubase and other music software to create music tracks. I am looking to build a PC for this and I don't know what the best processor would be. I have been looking on the following site to compare pentium D versus pentium 4: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/cpu/charts

I notice that for video editing tasks the pentium D tends to win, however for photo editing tasks, the pentium 4 comes out on top. What will be best for Cubase and other music production software?

P.S. Core 2 Duo is outwith my budget!

I would in particular like to know how Cubase and other similar software performs on different processors, intel or AMD.

Can video-editing tasks be split, hence making them quicker on a dual processor? And if so, what is the case for music production software?

Answer 1

I would have said a Core 2 Duo (it is the best) but we'll have to settle for second best. Your choices are:

Pentium D 945 for $168
the whole list, http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=ENE&N=50001157+2010340343+1050716915&Subcategory=343&description=&srchInDesc=&minPrice=&maxPrice=

Athlon 64x2 4200+ for $187 (available in both Socket 939 and AM2 configurations), http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Order=PRICE&Page=1&N=2010340343+1050717007&Submit=ENE&Nty=1&Subcategory=343

These processors are in my opinion the best values on the market. If you mean can video tasks from the same program be split, the answer is no, unless the program is multithreaded (meaning it can run on both cores at once but most are not). Now, it is up to Windows how the processes are split between the cores and you cannot set how it works. It is up to the scheduler to balance tasks between the cores and they will be. Meaning you could technically run two or more video tasks at once but I wouldn't recommend doing anything else at the time.

As far as how the processors stack up against each other, Tomshardware is the FINAL authority on all things hardware, http://www.tomshardware.com/

Oh, I just noticed that you had already checked Toms Hardware. Well, I'd say go for the Athlon 64x2 4200+, yes the 3800+ is cheaper and you may not even notice a difference but it doesn't hurt to one up a bit since the price difference is marginal.

Answer 2

Best Processor For Music Production

Answer 3

Well if Core 2 Duo is out of your budget (I think the cheapest one is around $215) then AMD Athlon64 X2 is the best way to go. Pentium Ds are inferior. They just don't match up well and have overheating issues.

The cheapest X2 on the market now is the X2 3800 for about $145. As mentioned above you can get it for a socket AM2 or Socket 939 AMD motherboard. Intel processors are much pickier about motherboard compatibility.

Answer 4

Well, the Pentium D isn't a great chip- if you want dual-core power for doing multiple tasks at once but aren't looking at Core 2 Duo, consider an AMD Athlon X2.

Prior to the recent release of Core 2 Duos, AMD chips were king of the hill in terms of bang for your buck, not Intel.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

why always go on intel???? try AMD 64 or AMD FX. its a bit cheaper but better.