Eight Core Mac Pro - Performance test results.

RobertX · Post by **RobertX** » Thu May 24, 2007 7:19 pm

9%. Meh.

sweetjesus · Post by **sweetjesus** » Thu May 24, 2007 7:20 pm

really ?

i thought it would be like 00000.1%

knotkranky · Post by **knotkranky** » Thu May 24, 2007 7:24 pm

ya need a new "real world" performance test.

Try 32 tracks of continuous audio, a bunch of high quality vst plugs, piggy instrument plugs and edits etc.
Forget the cpu meter and listen for any hiccups.

That's not asking much is it?

RobertX · Post by **RobertX** » Thu May 24, 2007 7:28 pm

When the RAM and 10k drives come in for this machine, I'll retest. I don't know how much difference it will make, as it's only using about 150 MB RAM and 540 MB virtual memory.

Edit: If anyone has a test they want me to run, please post a link to a file.

alvaro · Post by **alvaro** » Thu May 24, 2007 7:30 pm

With the Pc on my signature, and the following set:

01 MIDI track
17 audio/instrument tracks
03 BUS tracks
06 return tracks
01 Master Track
6 VSTi (EZD, Hardcore Bass, 3xUltraFocus, Zebra)
20 channel strips = 16x(Gate + Compressor II + EQ8) + 3x(SV-719 + SV-315 + SV-517)
3 Reverbs CSR
1 Vintage Warmer 2 on master track

, i have the following results:
18% iddle
81% play WITHOUT ANY dropout

knotkranky · Post by **knotkranky** » Thu May 24, 2007 7:31 pm

also use a 10k drive for the system drive.

anti-banausic · Post by **anti-banausic** » Thu May 24, 2007 8:08 pm

Open activity monitor and see what it is doing? I see you have the CPUs there, but check the percentage, I am sure that it is pretty low.

Further, I am not sure, and even doubt that LIVE will address all 8 cores. So......

RobertX · Post by **RobertX** » Thu May 24, 2007 8:16 pm

anti-banausic wrote:Open activity monitor and see what it is doing? I see you have the CPUs there, but check the percentage, I am sure that it is pretty low.

Further, I am not sure, and even doubt that LIVE will address all 8 cores. So......

29% CPU with 16 active threads. It's been running for a few hours and the air coming out of the case is 35° C.

anti-banausic · Post by **anti-banausic** » Thu May 24, 2007 8:31 pm

RobertX wrote:
anti-banausic wrote:Open activity monitor and see what it is doing? I see you have the CPUs there, but check the percentage, I am sure that it is pretty low.

Further, I am not sure, and even doubt that LIVE will address all 8 cores. So......
29% CPU with 16 active threads. It's been running for a few hours and the air coming out of the case is 35° C.

So, I am no master at this, but when I ran the performance test on my Macbook, I got like 21%, but when I did it in windows, something like 15-16%? That is because of CPU scaling.

One thing with AdamJay's test is that it seems like things are routed around a lot, it may be that due to the construction of the test, all the cores are not being used as effectively. IE, I believe that each separate track can be routed to a different core, but I don't know what happens with more complex routing schemes, using sends, and other buses and whatnot.

Still, I guess 9% is pretty good?

noisetonepause · Post by **noisetonepause** » Thu May 24, 2007 9:21 pm

I think it goes liek, if two tracks are mixed together (ie. routed to the same track or sent to the same effects buss), they have to be on the same core, for synchronisation.

32 tracks, no sends, lots of effects => Master out is the test that's needed...

mechcon · Post by **mechcon** » Thu May 24, 2007 10:01 pm

more ram will help too plz thx

Lux Libra · Post by **Lux Libra** » Thu May 24, 2007 10:18 pm

What, you can route several tracks to a specific cpu? Or have i misunderstood?

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Thu May 24, 2007 10:39 pm

knotkranky wrote:piggy instrument plugs

How many of these piggies could a quad-core handle?

tacvbo83 · Post by **tacvbo83** » Thu May 24, 2007 10:48 pm

add at least one more gig of ram and that should be much better i'd say

although 35C is too hot, gonna wait for a cooler Mac Pro

RobertX · Post by **RobertX** » Thu May 24, 2007 11:20 pm

tacvbo83 wrote:although 35C is too hot, gonna wait for a cooler Mac Pro

So far the test has been going for almost 5 hours and the temp is still at 35°. The fans are barely moving and the computer is making no noise at all.

I have a Core 2 Duo rig at home and that damn thing sounds like a leaf-blower.

When the new 45nm Intel chips [Penryn, Wolfdale & Yorkfield] come out they should run quite a bit cooler than present models.