stinkfinger
Joined: 31/07/07
Posts: 271
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Which is most important for running Logic?
For example which would be better: a
3.06G processor with 8G RAM, OR a 3.33G processor with 4G RAM??
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jayzed
member
Joined: 19/03/04
Posts: 686
Loc: North London
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Running with these specs, the 8 G of RAM wins out, hands down.
However, if
you specified a 3.06 with 16 G and a 3.33 with 8 G, the opposite would apply.
At least until Apple gets around to updating Logic to 64 bit.
Logic can't use
more than 4GB and although some applications bodge this by running the plugin as a stub
which calls another process actually running the app (Kontakt for example) you are
generally stuck with 4GB max memory use by Logic until it's upgraded.
With
8G, although Logic can only use 4, the other 4 will be used by the OS and any other
running apps. If you had 16GB, chances are Logic would use 4, the OS would use a bit and
the rest would sit bone idle unless you wished or needed to run other apps at the same
time - rewired Reason or Ableton Live come to mind.
Of course, your usage
could affect this. If you use lots of VIs that use DSP to get their sound and limited or
no sample players then you may get better performance using the faster machine with less
RAM. In my travels people tend to either use a mix of samplers and synths or mostly
samplers so I've not come across a situation where this would apply, as yet.
Of course, we're talking a pretty small step up in power betweeen these two CPUs - with
memory bottlenecks, possible disc access etc you will not see the 10% improvement as
suggested by the raw clock speeds.
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stratquebec
Joined: 30/10/05
Posts: 609
Loc: Quebec/Canada
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Always RAM first, imho.
--------------------
intel iMac 20"/10.5.8, 2 GB ram, Logic Pro 8.0.1, Pro Tools 8, PropellerHead Record, Mbox2 PRO
The Flying Souls - Les Âmes Volantes
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Voodoo Raymond
Joined: 02/08/08
Posts: 13
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You can always buy RAM at a later date however (if you leave some free slots).
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Bear-Faced Cow
Joined: 05/04/09
Posts: 169
Loc: Canada
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RAM is inexpensive these days... you can always get more if you need more.
In
the case of Logic, I would be more concerned with the number of CPU cores than a minute
difference in CPU speed.
jord
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Maske
Joined: 20/11/08
Posts: 19
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Quote Bear-Faced Cow:
RAM is
inexpensive these days... you can always get more if you need more.
In the case
of Logic, I would be more concerned with the number of CPU cores than a minute difference
in CPU speed.
jord
I wouldn't agreee with that for the minute.
DDR2 was dirt cheap, but now
supplies are so short, the price has almost coubled for 2x2 GB sticks.
DDR3 is
still not really cheap, but in MAC terms, much cheaper than processor bumps.
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John Hartley
member
Joined: 15/07/03
Posts: 33
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Definitely more RAM in this case. Have ended up with 12GB in my Mac Pro which really
shines when running multiple apps.
--------------------
Musiklab - music production & mastering
www.musiklab.co.uk
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Bear-Faced Cow
Joined: 05/04/09
Posts: 169
Loc: Canada
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Quote Maske:
I wouldn't agreee
with that for the minute.
DDR2 was dirt cheap, but now supplies are so short,
the price has almost coubled for 2x2 GB sticks.
DDR3 is still not really cheap,
but in MAC terms, much cheaper than processor bumps.
I don't know where you're doing your shopping, but I can get 8GB
RAM for about $260 retail for both DDR2 and DDR3... and even cheaper wholesale.
Considering the prices I've seen for RAM in the past two decades, this is very
inexpensive.
jord
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necromunger
Joined: 10/03/06
Posts: 612
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how about some of these.  http://www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop/index.pl?prodID=B222909
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Larry Mal
Joined: 11/11/07
Posts: 28
Loc: United States
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Sounds to me like you're thinking about buying RAM from Apple. That's a big mistake,
unless you hate your money. Just get the stock amount of RAM that Apple ships and adjust
it yourself later, it's something you can find a better deal on and add yourself as you
like in the future.
Go for processor speed for now, add RAM later.
The basic fact is, RAM, you can control, the CPU, you can never control or adjust.
And sadly, the fact that Logic and the other major DAW's for Mac's are still 32
bit means than none of them can access more than about 3.2 GBs without crashing anyway,
although there are workarounds, it still isn't necessary to have more than 6 GBs of RAM
really. Add more when it does 64 bit.
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stinkfinger
Joined: 31/07/07
Posts: 271
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Thanks for your replies, I went for an i7 quad iMac with standard 4G RAM in the end. My
problem originally was that I didn't want to wait, but I would have had to wait for a C2D
27" anyway so it made no difference.
Thanks again.
ps. dont suppose anyone around here has any inside info on when
Apple are going to start shipping the i7's?
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Lodious
member
Joined: 15/10/02
Posts: 498
Loc: East Midlands, UK
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Spoke to Apple UK today (as a potential purchaser) and they thought next week.
--------------------
I like people, it's my friends I can't stand - Larry David.
http://www.myspace.com/lodious
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