K i was just wondering cause you want to go at 4 gb of ram.
I was reading in some tech article that xp doesn't use the last gig on 4 and just some particular applications are able to get benefits out of it.
dual core ore quad core
i run a laptop with a 1.83 centrino duo 2GB of ram and 120GB hard drive........for most part i make hiphop beats, sometimes house music, and just funk on my ableton rig. Rarely have i gone past the 28-29% cpu mark. even with stylus rmx, trilogy, novation v-station, discovery 2.7 , and sampler all running in ableton do i even go past 20% on my cpu. So until there is a crazy plugin that eats up your cpu there is no problem with a dual core as long as you are on windows xp or mac osx
In my laptop i also run intensive programs like photoshp cs3 and dreamweaver cs simultaneously (both have multi core support) while checking on the webpages i make by using safari and mozilla. Then i am usually running an mp3 player in the background. Never have i crashed yet (crosses fingers).
So for me getting a dual core is enough as long as i am on xp. Now in vista quad is the way to go since it is so inefficient (memory hog). It leaves a lot more open when you run things like ableton live and adobe cs3 and there is a hip new plugin. But if your setup works now there might not be a need for those other cores yet.
don't get me wrong. i want a quad core too. but i ask myself if i can make heat on a dual core xp desktop and sometimes i have coupon codes for dell online and i can walk out with a dual core pc with a 19" monitor for less than 500.
now if i want the quad i have to drop at least 800 for the tower and another 250 for a monitor.
i am in a similar predicament as you and that is just one option i have.
now i know that with the post christmas season sales intel and others will drop prices like crazy. especially in mid january towards the end of january because those companies are trying to beef up their annual financial statements.
So if i can hold the quad core urge off until mid january i could save another 200 dollars.
now because retail sales in the US are doing bad due to a bad subprime market....the federal reserve might drop the national interest rate (wednesday/thursday)from 4.75% to 4.25%. If that is the case i predict many retailers to drop prices even more to help stimulate sales during a slumpy holiday season for sales. So you might lhave good luck and get those january discount prices this week.
cross your fingers. cuz i got mine crossed too.
In my laptop i also run intensive programs like photoshp cs3 and dreamweaver cs simultaneously (both have multi core support) while checking on the webpages i make by using safari and mozilla. Then i am usually running an mp3 player in the background. Never have i crashed yet (crosses fingers).
So for me getting a dual core is enough as long as i am on xp. Now in vista quad is the way to go since it is so inefficient (memory hog). It leaves a lot more open when you run things like ableton live and adobe cs3 and there is a hip new plugin. But if your setup works now there might not be a need for those other cores yet.
don't get me wrong. i want a quad core too. but i ask myself if i can make heat on a dual core xp desktop and sometimes i have coupon codes for dell online and i can walk out with a dual core pc with a 19" monitor for less than 500.
now if i want the quad i have to drop at least 800 for the tower and another 250 for a monitor.
i am in a similar predicament as you and that is just one option i have.
now i know that with the post christmas season sales intel and others will drop prices like crazy. especially in mid january towards the end of january because those companies are trying to beef up their annual financial statements.
So if i can hold the quad core urge off until mid january i could save another 200 dollars.
now because retail sales in the US are doing bad due to a bad subprime market....the federal reserve might drop the national interest rate (wednesday/thursday)from 4.75% to 4.25%. If that is the case i predict many retailers to drop prices even more to help stimulate sales during a slumpy holiday season for sales. So you might lhave good luck and get those january discount prices this week.
cross your fingers. cuz i got mine crossed too.
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The need of cpu power is always correlative of that kind of stuff you do, if you rarely go over 28-29% on a dual core, I frequently go over 55 % on my quad when I build soundscapes or evolving stuff using tons of clip enveloppes.
It's always good to have a suficient power headroom imo.
It's always good to have a suficient power headroom imo.
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