LIVE FIVE PERFORMANCE TEST - results here

kenn michael · Post by **kenn michael** » Thu May 25, 2006 7:07 pm

yes, only MacBook and MacBook Pro owners.

drjpdx · Post by **drjpdx** » Thu May 25, 2006 10:06 pm

1) Ableton Live CPU Meter % - 37%
2) Macbook
3) OS X 10.4.6
4) Core Duo 2ghz
5) 1,25MB RAM (stock)
6) Soundcard - Built in
7) 5400 rpm hard drive (stock)

This is my numbers without editing anything to enhance performance. I can browse and cruise aroud the OS and it never goes above 40%. My G5 1.8 with 1.0 gb of ram got around 55-60% and really wanted to choke. I wonder how far I can push this!!! sweet

drj

bland_handl · Post by **bland_handl** » Fri May 26, 2006 2:19 am

For those that need to compare the results of new macs posted here, I've compiled some and put them on a separate post:

http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 176#275176

kept it separate so those not interested don't have another entire page to wade through.

B

DeadlyKungFu · Post by **DeadlyKungFu** » Sat May 27, 2006 4:44 am

AdamJay wrote: VERY IMPORTANT!!!!
before performing the test - please set in preferences...
Audio - Input Audio Device > "No Input"
Audio - Output Buffer Latency > "512 Samples" (if you can't get latency this low - set it as low as you can without pops'n'clicks and make a note in your post)
Audio - Sample Rate > "44100"
Audio - Overall Latency - "0ms" latency compensation
MAKE SURE DELAY COMPENSATION IS TURNED ON under the options menu (This is a new v.5 feature that does indeed use cpu cycles and is critical to the test)

Midi/Sync - Remote Control Surfaces - NONE, NONE, and NONE.

MAC USERS:
Make Sure Energy Saver is set to HIGHEST PERFORMANCE for Processor.

PC USERS:
Make Sure Power Management is set to "ALWAYS ON", and that no other energy saving softwares are enabled (PowerNOW!, SpeedStep, etc.) DOWNLOAD .ALS (2.4 MB)
http://66.221.205.118/adamjay/Live5PerformanceTest.zip
after completing the test, please post in this thread....
please list:

1) Ableton Live CPU Meter % (if it bounces around, please list the peak)
2) Laptop/Desktop? Make/Model
3) Operating System
4) CPU Make Model and Speed
5) Amount of Ram / Speed of Ram (if you know)
6) Soundcard (Stock or add on?, usb/firewire/pci ?)
7) Hard Disk Drive Speed (if you know)

Running at 1,024 sample latency (21.3 mS)

1 - 55-65% dips to 30% (52-61% dips to 27% w/o delay compensation)
2 - Laptop - HP DV8000 17" widescreen
3 - Win XP Home
4 - Dual Centrino M @ 2GHz T2500
5 - 1Gb @ 997MHz
6 - Stock MME, no soundcard chosen yet - have USB 2.0, firewire, 2xPCMCIA, etc.
7 - 2 x 5400rpm 80Gb, Apps on C:, samples and Live Sets on D: drive.
8 - 512Mb Video RAM

$1900 delivered.

I haven't optimised the PC in any way.

<- stoked

ekg · Post by **ekg** » Sat May 27, 2006 9:42 pm

Well i spent the big bucks on the 2.16 MacBook Pro, and while its surely an improvement over my Powerbook G4/1.67, I'm still a little disappointed as compared to the MacBook results i've seen (in a machine that costs half the price). I haven't tried the throttling fixes yet, other than to run iTunes in the background (which makes no difference); and i guess i'll have to read up and see what the latest consensus is... trash the kext file, or??
For my set-up, unless i can improve performance a bit more, i think i'd rather sell this MBP and get a basic MacBook... I need the Intel speed simply to get the lowest possible latency with my Roland Handsonic triggering Impulse and layering its own audio input. All the other MBP amenties are kinda overkill for me. And since i plan to keep my Powerbook for all my real work.. and all the apps that aren't Universal yet; well, this MBP is tying up a lot of money for something that's not quite rippin yet. I hope some fixes can make a difference... Not sure if i want to trash kext files or whatever, just to bring it down from 38 to 33... Maybe 10.46 would make a difference? Certainly LIVE 6 will!

Here are the details, first MBP, then Powerbook:

1) Ableton Live CPU Meter % 40 peak first time, then 38 peak in all subsequent tests...
2) Laptop/Desktop? Make/Model: MacBook Pro 15.4
3) Operating System : 10.45
4) CPU Make Model and Speed : 2.16 duo
5) Amount of Ram / Speed of Ram 2GB matched Apple RAM)
6) Soundcard (MOTU Traveler)
7) Hard Disk Drive Speed (7200)

1) Ableton Live CPU Meter % 65
2) Laptop/Desktop? Make/Model: Powerbook 15"
3) Operating System : 10.45
4) CPU Make Model and Speed : G4 1.67 (hi-res)
5) Amount of Ram / Speed of Ram 2GB, NOT matched Apple RAM)
6) Soundcard (built-in audio)
7) Hard Disk Drive Speed (7200)

drjpdx · Post by **drjpdx** » Sat May 27, 2006 10:39 pm

oh poor MacbookPro,

I actually think they can be really nice machines. The graphics card+boot camp makes them decent gaming rigs. I opted for the Macbook though. I have a Nintendo for games.

The Macbook seems to offer all the power digital audio applications need. The Core Duo 2ghz is only slightly slower, and shaves around $800-900 off the price. I like the size too.

jamief · Post by **jamief** » Sat May 27, 2006 11:40 pm

i,m achieving 20 with 22 peak on my duo 2.16 dell. your macbook pro should be a lot closer than 38

Mika · Post by **Mika** » Sun May 28, 2006 10:19 am

I'm disappointed with the results of the Macbook

I was thinking of doing The Switch, I guess I'll wait

So results with my Sony 1.7 Centrino laptop, 1 year old are 26-30%.Most of the time it was 27-28%

768Mo RAM.
15,4" Screen+ 17" flat pannel, dual display was active but nothing was happening on the 17".

It was connected to my home network at the time. Only audio apps are installed on it + antivirus,firewall,defrag manager. All in all I'm pleasantly surprised.

Go Go Team PC !!!!

zfigz · Post by **zfigz** » Sun May 28, 2006 11:43 pm

Uh I'm really confused. Did I not install the intel 5.2 update correctly?

1) Ableton Live CPU Meter % 55%-60%
2) Laptop/Desktop? Macbook Pro
3) Operating System OS X 10.4.6
4) CPU Make Model and Speed 2 Ghz Intel
5) Amount of Ram / Speed of Ram 2 gb RAM
6) Soundcard Edirol FA-66
7) Hard Disk Drive Speed 5800

Did I put the serial in wrong or what? I'm really confused why this is soooo high compared to everyone else. I'm kind of freaked out. Should I email the abletoners or what?

this was with the kext file removed...

zfigz · Post by **zfigz** » Mon May 29, 2006 5:36 am

Interesting...

With the battery removed and the AC attached I got these results

1) Ableton Live CPU Meter % 55%-60%
2) Laptop/Desktop? Macbook Pro
3) Operating System OS X 10.4.6
4) CPU Make Model and Speed 2 Ghz Intel
5) Amount of Ram / Speed of Ram 2 gb RAM
6) Soundcard Edirol FA-66
7) Hard Disk Drive Speed 5800

and with the battery in and the AC plugged in I got these

1) Ableton Live CPU Meter % 28%-30%

What's up with that? If I have a my battery in and I'm spending lots of time with my external monitor I won't want my battery in losing it's potential for those day s away from the studio.

hmmf, pretty weird.

kettensaege · Post by **kettensaege** » Mon May 29, 2006 11:55 am

iirc, cpu clock is locked at 1GHz if the battery is removed, dunno where I read that, might 've been discussions.apple.com. I don't know what kind of reasoning is behind that, it sure doesn't make sense to me. Can you maybe check with CoreDuoTemp or what its called?

frahnque · Post by **frahnque** » Mon May 29, 2006 12:27 pm

1) Ableton Live CPU Meter 29-30%
2) Laptop/Desktop? Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo m1437G
3) Operating System Windows XP SP 2
4) CPU Make Model and Speed 1.73 GHz Pentium M (Centrino)
5) Amount of Ram / Speed of Ram 1 gb RAM
6) Soundcard Edirol BuiltIn Realtek HD
7) Hard Disk Drive Speed 5400

ekg · Post by **ekg** » Mon May 29, 2006 3:05 pm

[quote="ekg"]I hope some fixes can make a difference... Not sure if i want to trash kext files or whatever, just to bring it down from 38 to 33... Maybe 10.46 would make a difference? Certainly LIVE 6 will!

Here are the details:

1) Ableton Live CPU Meter % 40 peak first time, then 38 peak in all subsequent tests...
2) Laptop/Desktop? Make/Model: MacBook Pro 15.4
3) Operating System : 10.45
4) CPU Make Model and Speed : 2.16 duo
5) Amount of Ram / Speed of Ram 2GB matched Apple RAM)
6) Soundcard (MOTU Traveler)
7) Hard Disk Drive Speed (7200)

So now running "built-in audio" as my soundcard vs. the MOTU Traveler, i get a peak of 35 instead of 38... But for a loaded 2.16 MBP, this is just not what we paid the big money for (!)... So...

Could somebody PLEASE REPEAT THE MACBOOK PRO FIXES? (please...)

I've been trying to back-track through the forums, but i'm currently on the road, and my web connection is via USB to my cellphone.... slow...
So a bit of help would be appreciated from the Mac hedz, to bring me up to speed (pun intended):
It looks like most of the MBP processor throttling posts are pre-Apple firmware update, and i'm wondering if the update was supposed to address this (and if i've just got a dog of a machine?).... and/or if trashing the kext file is still necessary. I'm not concerned about the whine, since mine is hardly (if ever) detectable; but if the fix addresses both problems simultaneously, OK.
I've yet to upgrade to 10.46, but could and would if its highly recommended. I was holding out on doing this upgrade in case trashing a file crippled my 10.45; then at that point i could probably kill 2 birds with one upgrade...
Yes, any help appreciated...!
thanks
Greg
eklektro.net
los angeles

frahnque · Post by **frahnque** » Mon May 29, 2006 4:41 pm

1) Ableton Live CPU Meter 44-46%
2) Laptop/Desktop? No-brand (built it myself)
3) Operating System Windows XP SP 2
4) CPU Make Model and Speed 3 GHz Pentium 4 (Prescott)
5) Amount of Ram / Speed of Ram 2 gb RAM
6) Soundcard Edirol BuiltIn M-Audio FW410
7) Hard Disk Drive Speed 7200

scientist · Post by **scientist** » Mon May 29, 2006 6:16 pm

i retested the new macbook with more ram and the new hard drive installed:

1) Ableton Live CPU Meter: 38%
2) Laptop: macbook 1.83
3) Operating System: OS 10.4.6
4) CPU: Core Duo 1.83
5) Ram: 1.25gb
6) Soundcard: built in
7) Hard Disk: 7200rpm 100gb

and using my audio interface, with mackie automation enabled:

1) Ableton Live CPU Meter: 40%
2) Laptop: macbook 1.83
3) Operating System: OS 10.4.6
4) CPU: Core Duo 1.83
5) Ram: 1.25gb
6) Soundcard: tascam fw-1884
7) Hard Disk: 7200rpm 100gb

i also tested with the kext file removed (/System/Library/Extensions/IOPlatformPluginFamily.kext/). this only brought cpu down to 35% with built in audio, and 39% with the tascam. not a big difference, and it kills battery life.

i also tested buffer size adjustments with the audio interface. i could get it down to about 50 samples before hearing audible glitches. this brought the processor up to about 50% too.

l also check to see how many tracks i could get going at once. i got about 40 stereo tracks running before glitching (off a partition filled to about 40% capacity). previously i was starting to glitch around 25-30 stereo tracks with the stock drive (which was pretty full).

another note for potential buyers: when running rosetta apps performance sucked with 512 ram (to the point of not even being usable). with 1.25gb everything runs much smoother. and finally just for fun i ran live under rosetta to see what would happen: cpu 350-400% and the internal fan immediately kicked into high gear.

LIVE FIVE PERFORMANCE TEST - results here

Just got my Macbook!

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