new Intel® Core™ i7 processors

[henry miller]

http://www.microdirect.co.uk/(39202)Intel-CPU-Core-i7965-32GHz---LGA1366-8MB.aspx

any one running pc tried out this new processor yet???. Is it worth the hype its recieving in the uk.

http://www.microdirect.co.uk/(39165)Gigabyte-GAEX58EXTREME-i7----Intel-X58-LGA1366.aspx

above is the motherboard.

Would love to know if this processor will be making it into laptops
and will it battle with the new Apple Mac.

[RWC]

It is worth the hype. It is in many applications 30-50% faster at the same clock rate.

But, there is no reason a 2.4 GHz quad will let you down for audio IMO.

This is a great time to get the kentsfield cores on the cheap.

With reaper, I can have over 30 tracks, a couple of plugins on each track. I even tried putting a linear phase multiband on 32 tracks since they all had a 19 KHz spike caused by some issue from tracking, and I wasn't using more than 35% CPU.

[Nutmeg]

640K ought to be enough for anybody.

Here is the long version:

I have to say that in 1981, making those decisions, I felt like I was providing enough freedom for 10 years. That is, a move from 64k to 640k felt like something that would last a great deal of time. Well, it didn't - it took about only 6 years before people started to see that as a real problem.

1989 speech of Gill Bates on the history of the microcomputer industry.

[Nutmeg]

BTW why isn't a MacServer a Digi approved system?
I realy love the look of it and the size.
Of course the RIAD System ain't to bad either!

[meLoCo_go]

Nehalem core is too pricey today to bother. But the new low-wattage 9x50s look very interesting - same power but at 65W!:Thumbsup:

[Brendo]

BTW why isn't a MacServer a Digi approved system?
I realy love the look of it and the size.
Of course the RIAD System ain't to bad either!

thats the thing, digi dont support raid.

[Nutmeg]

thats the thing, digi dont support raid.
Only when it comes to software RIADs.
Hardware RAIDs look like one HDD to the OS and the DAW.

[Brendo]

for some reason i was under the impression that the xserve raid wasn't 100% done in hardware? or maybe its only when you go over a certain # of drives.

dont think digi support hardware raid either though, at least not officially. if you got onto their telephone support and told them you were using one, they would say they can't help you.

[Nutmeg]

for some reason i was under the impression that the xserve raid wasn't 100% done in hardware? or maybe its only when you go over a certain # of drives.

dont think digi support hardware raid either though, at least not officially. if you got onto their telephone support and told them you were using one, they would say they can't help you.
The HW RAID is a optional board for the xserver.

Like I said before PT would not be able to tell the difference between one drive and a HW-RAID.

Regarding the support hot line... :finger: :) :fingerlefty:
Just don't tell them you use a RAID.

If you run into problem turn off the RAID/use a external HDD, check if it is related to the RAID...

The main problem with the xserver is the lack of dual display support.
The PCI port is not long enough to hold a PT card but maybe long enough to hold a card for a PCI expansion chassis, but if you do that the size of the rack whould become double the size of a Mac Pro quickly. :Sad:

[CaptainHook]

1989 speech of Gill Bates on the history of the microcomputer industry.

I wonder what Jteve Sobs thought about that. :grin:

[Bob Olhsson]

Like I said before PT would not be able to tell the difference between one drive and a HW-RAIDDigi uses their own disk routines that don't use system calls so RAID actually slows down a Pro Tools system. The good news is that their routines virtually never lose any audio in a crash or a power outage which I suspect is why they never switched over to native disk routines after they became fast enough to record audio.

[meLoCo_go]

I read on PC-news site that Intel estimates that new i7 CPUs would take 2% of their CPU sales by mid-2009. That figure looks ridiculously low... Maybe we're coming to the limit of CPU developements/demands ratio? Something kinda what was discussed in 'Firewire is a dying protocol' thread.

[henry miller]

I read on PC-news site that Intel estimates that new i7 CPUs would take 2% of their CPU sales by mid-2009. That figure looks ridiculously low... Maybe we're coming to the limit of CPU developements/demands ratio? Something kinda what was discussed in 'Firewire is a dying protocol' thread.

interesting, perhaps not a development or demand limit just a slowing down until more power is called for.. power is always in demand.

[meLoCo_go]

interesting, perhaps not a develpoment or demand limit just a slowing down untill more power is called for.. power is always in demand.

I think that mass-market is already enjoying too-much power.
There's demands on workstations, and that 2% is probably reflecting that - rich enthusiasts + graphic/audio workstations.

[Brendo]

well think about it, intel also supply cpus for most of those little netbooks that are being produced now, as well as all the low end cheaper desktops and laptops, etc, etc...

[meLoCo_go]

well think about it, intel also supply cpus for most of those little netbooks that are being produced now, as well as all the low end cheaper desktops and laptops, etc, etc...

Yes, but previous generation Core 2 Quads and Core 2 Duos would be at around 16 and 38% respectively. Note that it is forecast for the second half of 2009, when there would be new middle-end models of i7.

[Justin Greed]

Are there any AMD chips that are even competitive anymore ?
I went Intel for my laptop, 2.4 Ghz Core2Duo (It smokes)
But have always gone AMD for my studio rigs. My Dual Core X2 5000 are showing their age now and I'll be looking to upgrade in the next 3-4 months. I want to support AMD, I'm not looking forward to a monopoly..

[meLoCo_go]

Are there any AMD chips that are even competitive anymore ?
I went Intel for my laptop, 2.4 Ghz Core2Duo (It smokes)
But have always gone AMD for my studio rigs. My Dual Core X2 5000 are showing their age now and I'll be looking to upgrade in the next 3-4 months. I want to support AMD, I'm not looking forward to a monopoly..

Sadly, right now there's no competition in the top and upper-medium classes. However in medium class new Phenom chips are not bad. But I think you should wait for a new Deneb 45nm AMD chips (Phenom II X4) - due out in the first half of 2009.

[Justin Greed]

Good Deal

Looks like the AMD 45nm chips have been OC'd to 6.3 ghz :grin:
I may hold off.

http://www.crn.com/hardware/212101254

[Bob Olhsson]

Higher clock speeds may not translate into more calculations per second. Intel has been crushing AMD with lower clock speeds lately.

[RWC]

In 2005 people wondered if intel would ever come back from the reaming their prescotts/smithfields were receiving from AMD's sandcastle/venice/manchester core CPUs.

In 2006 they came back with the allendale/conroe and then the quad core kentsfields.

It's almost 2009. We're waiting, AMD!

**glad he sold his shares @ $14.60**

[meLoCo_go]

In 2005 people wondered if intel would ever come back from the reaming their prescotts/smithfields were receiving from AMD's sandcastle/venice/manchester core CPUs.

In 2006 they came back with the allendale/conroe and then the quad core kentsfields.

It's almost 2009. We're waiting, AMD!

**glad he sold his shares @ $14.60**

AMD was always an innovative company. Look at new i7 - Intel advertise their onchip mempry controller that was implemented on AMD chips for quite a few years already. I hope that AMD may learn from their mistakes, and 45 nm may help them significantly.
Right now the situation is that Intel is not forcing CPU race, AMD has a chance to come closer.

[Justin Greed]

Very true Bob, hopefully the new architecture evens the gap and I'd also need an exotic cooling system to achieve those clock speeds. I never felt comfortable OC'ing my music rigs. I would like to see what the price to performance ratio is on these newer AMD chips . Although the Core2Duo was a lot more budget friendly than past Intel chips, AMD usually beats Intel on price. If the new chips are competitive and cheaper, I'll support the underdog. Or maybe build one Intel machine and one AMD machine.

[Bob Olhsson]

For audio applications we're seriously close to a point of diminishing returns. I have a single dual-core processor. The machine can be upgraded to a pair of higher speed quad core processors yet I'm not feeling motivated to even add a second dual core.

[randallfreak]

hmmmmm

[RWC]

my 2.4 GHz quad core never ever goes over 33% CPU usage.

even with over 40 tracks and a ton of plugins.

[Justin Greed]

I believe it was Bob who said in order to have a truer emulation of outboard, it would take a lot more processing power. That even the best of the best (Vintage emulations) are still cutting corners in some areas because of a lack of processing power. (Not that what's out today does not sound fantastic and fully enable you to mix records ITB)


I may want to have Linear Phase type EQ's on every track :grin:

ALGORITHMIX console emulation anyone ? :D LOL

[meLoCo_go]

I may want to have Linear Phase type EQ's on every track :grin:


You should remember that linear-phase is impossible to run in analog domain. But your point is right in some ways.
E.g. it is worthy to do all DSP processing with 8x or more oversampling, which is heavy on CPU.

[Justin Greed]

Certainly, what I was referring to was an ITB "virtual" console, were you can run ALGORITHMIX Red/Blue or Waves Lin Phase EQ's across all 40-50 tracks. Those plugs still spank my system :Sad:

[Bob Olhsson]

The blues have massive latency. I suppose processors that could bring them up to speed would be cool but we're talking a huge leap. Linear phase can be useful but i find myself using the red less and less.

[deaven]

I haven't seen them yet, my core two quad pc, does a pretty good job. Thats until ProTools 8 comes out this month, LE with 48 tracks stock and 10 plugs per channel, who knows. The plug-in freaks might have to take over, with a 16 core. Personally I like the external gear for plugs, that we have now adays.Wait a minute, maybe I could blast my whole rig into outer space, with a vega 2 64 core or a 128 core cpu, hahahaha.