As some Scaler user know, I use just one PC that is not dedicated to make music, but is used for my job and for my hobbies
With my old PC (weaker than the current one), I realized that it lacked the RAM needed for sample-based plugins, so I preferred modeled ones
With my current PC that has more RAM and more CPU power, I started to use some sample-based like e.g. UJAMs and I got I was able to use them, as far as they are no more than 2-3
But, I also realized that many modern modeled plugins are strong CPU-suckers, YUK!
So, even if my current system is stronger in RAM & CPU, I must use all my plugins frugally, included modeled plugins that are CPU-suckers
A day or another, I must set a dedicated system, and I am starting to reason about it
Do you think that my old PC, a Dell OptiPlex 780 SFF Dual Core with 10 GB RAM (I can go up to 16), with all non-music software removed, can perform better than my current one?
As an alternative, I can also do the opposite: using the old one for Office jobs, and clean the new one to make music only…
This really needs a techie person to answer this question but as I understand it you are correct in your statement that
and that sample based plugins need more RAM. However I would add that sample based plugins work better with fast disk read times.
You don’t give the spec of your new pc but in your position I would use the old one for Office jobs, and clean the new one to make music only, as you suggest.
Yes, this seems a sound move
The only issue is that installing the stuff I need for my job in the old PC, possibly reinstalling the OS entirely, requires much spare time, and I have a big book to translate in about 2 months
So, the advantage to use the old PC for the music, is that I can set it without jeopardizing my job…
Well, I think I’ll do the bad move first: I am curious to understand how can perform an old and weak PC if I install the OS only, and very few pieces of musical software
That CPU is a decade old (gen 3) and the video card came out in 2017. With that config, you probably can’t run any browser at the same time as a DAW without recording glitches/dropouts. You might need to beef up your specs a bit…
Thanks to all guys
Here and there, a crazy idea jumps out of my brain
It must be the hot weather, LOL
Anyway, my current system can cope with all my plugins, as far as I use a few of them in the song, and I also have the option to freeze the tracks, an option that I used scarcely so far, but I’ll use more in the future
As you see in the picture, freezing tracks reduces the CPU use a lot
I think a lot of the answer will depend on the eternal question of budget? How much are you able to spend on building a computer that will perform as you wish?
I run a four/five year old spec - intel i3 based system. It has 24gB of ram. Runs my daw and multiple instances of the NI Kontakt sampler - which if you’ve used it you will realise is probably one of the most resource-intensive plugins going (that I’ve come across).
But there’s always trade-offs. For example, the intel chip I have is discontinued already, as is the socket type on my mainboard!! Yes, this is absolutely what is called “built-in obsolescence”. It is a deliberate tactic that is supposed to encourage us to keep buying new hardware. But, most modern chips will give you what you need, and they can often be found on secondhand sites (not Ebay necessarily) but again with the mild risk that if something breaks, you can no longer get a replacement.
And for guidance, should it interest you, my entire PC - built from scratch and including case, PSU, chip, mainboard etc. cost under 400 euros. You could probably do it for half that if you’re careful about component selection
And, another thing I got, is that a better video-card is almost useless because I believed that a video card could have drained less RAM from my system, but I found that the most demanding of my workflows, that is editing big shoots, sucks less than 1 GB of RAM
So I suspect that putting an internal audio-card could have been a better move, but who knows?
The way the OS manages the available RAM remains quite a mystery to me
Another thing that I found is that using the Profile feature of my anti-malware tool matters: I set Ableton like a sort-of video-game, so now the anti-malware slows down its activity when I make music, and the CPU is less used
Stopping anti-malware tools while doing music as suggested by somebody is just crazy, so not an option to me
I think I’d go with the second option and keep the newer PC for music. CPU performance is usually going to matter just as much as RAM with modern plugins, and the older dual-core OptiPlex is probably going to hit its limits pretty quickly once you start stacking instruments and effects.
Having a dedicated music system doesn’t necessarily mean the hardware has to be completely stripped down, either. Removing unnecessary background apps and startup services can help, but I’d rather have the stronger CPU and extra RAM available for the DAW and plugins.
You could also test both systems with the same project and a few of your heaviest plugins. That would give you a much better answer than the specs alone, especially since plugin performance can vary quite a bit.
This is exactly what I did
And I also increased the RAM to 32 GB, even if Dell states that the max RAM allowable is 16 GB
Unfortunately, I found that the CPU is also a clog, but I started making music mostly using my 2 guitars, so using less plugins than before, and I also started to bounce track quickly, so I can survive
