i mean, how much memory/fast of a processor do i really need?

seahorse

New member
okay so i'm in the market for a new computer. i've been looking at dell, best buy, and fry's. my budget is around $1,300.

my question is, do i really need to meet my budget for this computer? i'm looking at computers with 12gb of ram, the i7 processor, and all that. right now, i'm on a 3gb ram computer and it is tremendously slow with all of my vsts. it is damn near impossible to record vocals on it.

i'm not going to be using this computer for 100% perfect mixing/mastering, but i do plan on at least somewhat doing that. all of the instruments i use are from vstis, so i'm pretty sure i need a fast-ass computer with a big harddrive. and as i said before, i am going to be recording vocals on it.

but i'm wondering, is my money best spent on a super fast 12gb, i7 processor computer OR getting a slower 8gb, i5 processor and slightly better monitors/sound treatment/something else?

also, what's more important for music-making/multiple vsts/mixing/mastering/vocals? processor speed or ram?
 
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There's no easy answer for this - or if there were, there wouldn't be so damn many threads about it :D

But basically just recording things doesn't take up very much CPU at all - I've recorded about 12-14 tracks simultaneously on a 10-year old computer just fine. Plugins do suck a lot of juice, so that's where the real dilemma is. Processing plugins (fx) and synths - things that generate or alter sound realtime, generally, use mostly the CPU power while sample-based plugins generally use more RAM...but since even sample playback has gotten pretty complex with boatloads of articulations and thousands of samples and all kinds of intelligent systems for loading them, there's really no simple solution. That said, unless you exclusively use huge-ass sample libraries 8Gb is more than enough. I'm getting by just fine with an iMac from a few years back, 2Ghz & 4Gb RAM (even though I admittedly don't use all the newest toys).

If you put the computer together yourself you'll probably get a pretty decent powerhouse with $600-800 (or even less - don't really have that good of a grasp of the US market) and putting money towards treatment & monitoring is always a good idea :)
 
how much ram / processor speed do i need to work with fl studio and kontakt 4 .....?
 
FL Studio can only use 3gb RAM with the extended memory instance.. And you have to have the /3gb switch in the boot.ini file to utilize it.. other than that FL STUDIO can only utilize 2gb of RAM...this is just the functions that are pertaining to the DAW itself. Plugins will call upon as much RAM as needed.. any 32 bit app cannot use more than 4 GB RAM.. If you have 4GB of RAM in Win XP the system will only see about 3 and change.. You are left with that to run your resources.

If you're using Windows 7, and running FL STUDIO it doesn't matter because FL still doesn't support 64 bit. If you are using 64 bit plugins... the rule of thumb applies (plugins can only use the RAM that the OS allocates) .. And don't quote me on this.. But if you are running 64 bit apps inside of a 32 bit DAW you will need to bridge them.. which comes with it's own set of problems..

So my advice is, if you are running in FL, stick to 32 bit all the way... You won't need to purchase more than 4 GB of RAM.

As far as CPU... get the best dual-core CPU you can afford.

FL STUDIO doesn't support hyperthreading and a quad-core will not serve you very well... You COULD buy one to future proof your machine but you have to take into consideration how long you are going to keep your rig and when/if FL will implement hyperthreading capabilities.

if you're going to use FL just get yourself a rig with a nice core2duo E8500 (around $200 USD) and some DDR2 1066 RAM (about $100 USD for 4GB's) DDR3 1066 or 1333 isn't really needed because a core2duo, for example, uses an FSB and you have to match the FSB rating with the ram you use anyway.. Get a cheap case (you can get a reasonable one for around the $60-$70 range), a good HD (depending on what size you need, but you can get a 1TB for around $100 just make sure you get 7200 RPM.. you will need the size and speed if you're using sample intensive libraries like Kontakt)... and a decent MoBo (I suggest Gigabyte.. they are the most stable by far... you can get a decent one for $75)

You can build a comp that will handle a pretty good workload in conjunction with Kontakt and pretty much whatever you throw at it.. for around or even under $600 USD.

Hope this helps.

---------- Post added at 11:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:33 AM ----------

Also, you can plunk down the extra doe and build yourself an i5 or even an i7 rig ... but that would drive the cost up about $400-500 .... with that money you can buy yourself a decent mic or preamp.

Again, if you go i5 or i7 and are still going to fly with FL... stick to the dual cores
 
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Jumping on the back of this thread, I'm using Record 1.5 and Reason 5 on a Dell laptop with 2GB RAM and a 1.6gHz Intel processor and it's having problems with my projects at buffer sizes of less than 256. I have a couple of synths, a few sample players and a couple of audio tracks and task manager tells me that my CPU is at about 70% when all tracks are playing and that I'm using around 50% of my RAM. I'm looking to use both more audio and sample playback in the future (current tracks are relatively basic - 8-10 tracks or so) so am pretty sure my processor is not going to cut it.

I'm looking to upgrade soon enough and am looking at one of the Core i5 or i7s - probably 2.66 or 2.8. I'm kind of technologically challenged though - is that and, say 8Gb RAM going to be comfortably enough for me? And bearing in mind my absolute lack of any kind of knowledge about this stuff, would I be better off buying somethinbg like this straight from the factory and stick an extra few GB of RAM? Budget is £750-£1,000.

http://3xs.scan.co.uk/ShowSystem.asp?SystemID=1019
 
actually guys, i went ahead and decided i'm going to go with a laptop. i'm planning to do shows and that's going to be a pain in the ass to carry around my pc. only problem is with laptops, higher specs mean much more money... i'm thinking i'm going to have to drop $1.3k on it. and this is with 8gb of ram, 500gb hdd w/ 7200 rpm, 2.53 ghz i5 processor and a decent video card. i think that'll do just fine, but it's going to be a couple months now :(
 
once again, I come to save everyone from the Legion of Misinformation...

FL Studio can only use 3gb RAM with the extended memory instance.. And you have to have the /3gb switch in the boot.ini file to utilize it.. other than that FL STUDIO can only utilize 2gb of RAM...this is just the functions that are pertaining to the DAW itself. Plugins will call upon as much RAM as needed.. any 32 bit app cannot use more than 4 GB RAM.. If you have 4GB of RAM in Win XP the system will only see about 3 and change.. You are left with that to run your resources.

FL has a second executable in it's folder for extended memory access, up to 4GB IIRC (I don't use it).

If you're using Windows 7, and running FL STUDIO it doesn't matter because FL still doesn't support 64 bit. If you are using 64 bit plugins... the rule of thumb applies (plugins can only use the RAM that the OS allocates) .. And don't quote me on this.. But if you are running 64 bit apps inside of a 32 bit DAW you will need to bridge them.. which comes with it's own set of problems..

Windows 7 has a 32bit and 64bit version.

FL Studio runs just fine in 64Bit Windows AND the latest version even supports 64bit plugins in the wrapper.

So my advice is, if you are running in FL, stick to 32 bit all the way... You won't need to purchase more than 4 GB of RAM.

No need to stick to 32bit at all.

As far as CPU... get the best dual-core CPU you can afford.

FL STUDIO doesn't support hyperthreading and a quad-core will not serve you very well... You COULD buy one to future proof your machine but you have to take into consideration how long you are going to keep your rig and when/if FL will implement hyperthreading capabilities.

Hyperthreading has nothing to do with anything.

FL Studio DOES take advantage of muti-core processors. Mixing, FX, and synths can all use multithreaded processing to get better performance under FL Studio.

if you're going to use FL just get yourself a rig with a nice core2duo E8500 (around $200 USD) and some DDR2 1066 RAM (about $100 USD for 4GB's) DDR3 1066 or 1333 isn't really needed because a core2duo, for example, uses an FSB and you have to match the FSB rating with the ram you use anyway.. Get a cheap case (you can get a reasonable one for around the $60-$70 range), a good HD (depending on what size you need, but you can get a 1TB for around $100 just make sure you get 7200 RPM.. you will need the size and speed if you're using sample intensive libraries like Kontakt)... and a decent MoBo (I suggest Gigabyte.. they are the most stable by far... you can get a decent one for $75)

You can build a comp that will handle a pretty good workload in conjunction with Kontakt and pretty much whatever you throw at it.. for around or even under $600 USD.

Hope this helps.

---------- Post added at 11:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:33 AM ----------

Also, you can plunk down the extra doe and build yourself an i5 or even an i7 rig ... but that would drive the cost up about $400-500 .... with that money you can buy yourself a decent mic or preamp.

Again, if you go i5 or i7 and are still going to fly with FL... stick to the dual cores

why??? PLEASE explain this...
 
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once again, I come to save everyone from the Legion of Misinformation...



FL has a second executable in it's folder for extended memory access, up to 4GB IIRC (I don't use it).



Windows 7 has a 32bit and 64bit version.

FL Studio runs just fine in 64Bit Windows AND the latest version even supports 64bit plugins in the wrapper.



No need to stick to 32bit at all.



Hyperthreading has nothing to do with anything.

FL Studio DOES take advantage of muti-core processors. Mixing, FX, and synths can all use multithreaded processing to get better performance under FL Studio.



why??? PLEASE explain this...


Hahaha logic 7 sure knows many things bout computers....


logic 7 i already have a pc but i want it to become faster so i can run fl studio + kontakt....i have read that i must buy processor and RAM....what is your suggestions for a budget like 300 $...?
 
yeah logic is right. fl does work in win7 64-bit: http://flstudio.image-line.com/help/html/panel_cpu.htm

however, it looks like it can only use 4 gb ram, which is a bit disappointing, considering i was planning on purchasing a 8gb ram laptop. i wonder if there's a way around it.

and deeyou, i just realized something...

if you're going to use FL just get yourself a rig with a nice core2duo E8500 (around $200 USD) and some DDR2 1066 RAM (about $100 USD for 4GB's) DDR3 1066 or 1333 isn't really needed because a core2duo, for example, uses an FSB and you have to match the FSB rating with the ram you use anyway.. Get a cheap case (you can get a reasonable one for around the $60-$70 range), a good HD (depending on what size you need, but you can get a 1TB for around $100 just make sure you get 7200 RPM.. you will need the size and speed if you're using sample intensive libraries like Kontakt)... and a decent MoBo (I suggest Gigabyte.. they are the most stable by far... you can get a decent one for $75)

you just almost described my computer to the tee. i have a core2duo 2.3 ghz 4gb (3.24gb usable since i'm running win7 3-bit), 250GB HDD, except i don't have a cheap case. i thought the lights were pretttyyyy. the point is, i know fl can be rigged to be faster and i'm pretty sure the reason is the slower processor.

anyway, i'm lookin at this laptop right now:

http://www.ibuypower.com/Store/Battalion_101_CZ-11_Ultra_2_Gaming_Laptop

configured with 8gb of ram, i7-740qm, 500gb hdd 7200 rpm, and decent video card for $1,279. not too shabby. good news is it looks like i'll be able to afford this in just a month :)

OH also, how long can i expect this laptop configured with an i7 to last? it better be at least a couple hours or somewhere around there.
 
once again, I come to save everyone from the Legion of Misinformation...



FL has a second executable in it's folder for extended memory access, up to 4GB IIRC (I don't use it).



Windows 7 has a 32bit and 64bit version.

FL Studio runs just fine in 64Bit Windows AND the latest version even supports 64bit plugins in the wrapper.



No need to stick to 32bit at all.



Hyperthreading has nothing to do with anything.

FL Studio DOES take advantage of muti-core processors. Mixing, FX, and synths can all use multithreaded processing to get better performance under FL Studio.



why??? PLEASE explain this...

So basically what you are saying is...

I can buy a 64 bit Win7 computer, with 4GB, i7, computer and run FL Studio and all my plugins on it no problem?

Btw, do you have any idea if upgrading to the above from my 2GB, 2GHz dual core computer would make a significant change in FL? I start to get a lot of pops and clicks towards the end of my tracks and a lot when mixing towards the end. (even when my buffer is at 4000 somethin samples)
 
Hahaha logic 7 sure knows many things bout computers....


logic 7 i already have a pc but i want it to become faster so i can run fl studio + kontakt....i have read that i must buy processor and RAM....what is your suggestions for a budget like 300 $...?

dude...

I run FL Studio with Kontakt right now on an old 3.4GHz socket 478 Pentium 4HT with 2GB of RAM.

What are the specs of your current machine?

(hint: go to Start>Run>dxdiag.exe and you'll get enough info on your machine to go on)

---------- Post added at 11:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:53 PM ----------

So basically what you are saying is...

I can buy a 64 bit Win7 computer, with 4GB, i7, computer and run FL Studio and all my plugins on it no problem?

Btw, do you have any idea if upgrading to the above from my 2GB, 2GHz dual core computer would make a significant change in FL? I start to get a lot of pops and clicks towards the end of my tracks and a lot when mixing towards the end. (even when my buffer is at 4000 somethin samples)

for the most part... but there are issues with a handful of plugins that don't like the multi-threaded plugin engine, so your mileage will vary. Either way, a single i7 core is far more than twice as fast as my processor, so unless you're doing something horribly complex, you should be good with multi-threading turned off if it comes to that.
 
if you use enough plugins even 8gb of ram could be sacrificed
this convo takes me back to about 5 years ago when i was working on a pc with 1gb of ram, what i did was bounce tracks down to wav then load them back in a wav player, this will free up a lot of cpu/ram usage
 
1,300 dollars budget for a pc?

smh...

I don't know if you already noticed it but you can get a high end performance for a fraction of that budget. And i'm talking off the top high end power.

A free tip, if you don't know enough about the right pc components yourself. Stay away from bestbuy, dell, pre-build computers and dudes who tell you that you need the latest up to date expensive shit.

When it comes to pc hardware it's not about how much money you spend...it's rather choosing the optimal hardware components.

You need the optimal combo that you know will last long enough for any situation you might have in the near future. So please please keep in mind that the most expensive stuff is not always the best stuff. Its about the optimal, corresponding hardware combo.

My system is almost 3 years old...and it still handles multiple Eastwest and Kontakt/Complete 6 instances + FX very smoothly.

And i'm considered maybe mid range with my 4 gb ram and dual intel.

You see it's more about how much you know about your computer and how one particular component will affect your recording.


Like i said...if you don't know enough about this stuff yourself, consult a real IT expert. Tell him what you have in mind and at the same time make researches about software based music recording AND FIND OUT WHAT REALLY COUNTS...i mean if you really wanna save money but if not, go ahead and bust out 1'300 dollars on a computer :rofl:

Who knows...maybe you'll buy the right shit or maybe you will end up buying hardware you will replace in 6 months cuz you always listen to those "you need this and this and this cuz you aint up to date anymore" dudes...and if thats the case, you will spend more than 1'300 dollars in the long run.

We all know how fast hardware can be replaced.

As for me...i didn't make any hardware update in the last 3 years and that's only cuz i chose the right hardware component at the very beginning. I was lucky having a friend whos like really nuts with this IT shit...without him i would probably be broke by now but instead i saved big time money cuz i made the right decision with all the computer hardware stuff in the beginning.

I hope i could help a little bit...i just want to give you a little input to think about. Computer hardware is evolving very fast...daily, monthly, yearly. On top of that you can get lost in all the hardware shit out there. The most expensive stuff is not always the best hardware. It's about choosing the optimal hardware combo, that you know for sure will last long enough. Some hardware components work tremendously better together than others, this can save you A LOT of money. Always think twice about this shit.
Separate the useless from the important input.

optimal combo > less hardware updates > more money saved in the long run.


i'm out.
 
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dude...

I run FL Studio with Kontakt right now on an old 3.4GHz socket 478 Pentium 4HT with 2GB of RAM.

What are the specs of your current machine?

(hint: go to Start>Run>dxdiag.exe and you'll get enough info on your machine to go on)

---------- Post added at 11:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:53 PM ----------



for the most part... but there are issues with a handful of plugins that don't like the multi-threaded plugin engine, so your mileage will vary. Either way, a single i7 core is far more than twice as fast as my processor, so unless you're doing something horribly complex, you should be good with multi-threading turned off if it comes to that.

I thought the i7 was actually a quad core?

And idk if you've ever had this issue, in task manager ill be at like 25% on the processor and like 10% on ram and the guage at the top of FL will be at 99 the whole time. Multithreading is on too. I just don't understand.
 
I thought the i7 was actually a quad core?

And idk if you've ever had this issue, in task manager ill be at like 25% on the processor and like 10% on ram and the guage at the top of FL will be at 99 the whole time. Multithreading is on too. I just don't understand.

what souncard/interface you run and at which buffer size/sample rate interpolation?
 
first off, thank you aykey for that response. i appreciate all the help.

since posting this thread, i've changed my opinion a lot. first, i wanted a pc that was under 1.3k. then i started looking into building my own rig with the same specs for a fraction of that. which means my budget for it went down. but then i realized i needed a laptop, which made the budget increase again. it's no biggie though.

and we are running similar machines. i have 3.24 gb of ram and a 2.3ghz intel corel2 duo processor. my vsti's take up a lot of my pc, just because they are big. honestly, when i just have the music, my pc doesn't mess up too bad. but when i start to record vocals, all hell breaks loose. and since i'm going to start doing shows next february, i need a laptop anyway. i'm just using this opportunity to replace my rig, instead of just using it as a mobile pc.

also, since i am planning on getting a laptop, do you know how getting an i7 would affect battery life?
 
I thought the i7 was actually a quad core?

And idk if you've ever had this issue, in task manager ill be at like 25% on the processor and like 10% on ram and the guage at the top of FL will be at 99 the whole time. Multithreading is on too. I just don't understand.

They're either 4 or 6 cores, unless you have a mobile i7, then it's two cores.

Most of the benchmarks out there run on only a single core, and that single core benchmarks more than twice as fast as my processor.
 
what souncard/interface you run and at which buffer size/sample rate interpolation?

I have an M-audio FastTrack and even at 4000 somethin samples I still will get a lot of pops on my heavier tracks when I'm near the end of mixing, or just near the end of composing because I obviously can't set the buffer to 4000 due to latency issues.
 
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