I7 930@4Ghz->Xeon x5660@3.8Ghz, will Cubase 9 Pro benefit?

Cubase
1

I’m considering upgrading my i7 930@4Ghz to Xeon x5660@3.8Ghz, however I would like to know whether I would benefit from doing so?

I am looking for more power for VSTi’s and VST’s @256/512 sample latency in Cubase Pro 9 (Windows 10).

I have an MSI x58 Pro-e motherboard, and after doing some research I came to the conclusion that it will allow the Xeon to be OC’d to @3.8 for sure, greater OC will depend on my luck, as the support for Xeon seems to be half baked with this mobo, whilst i7 930 can be set @4GHZ.

Here are some specs:

  • CPU: Xeon x5660 vs I7 930

CPU
factory
frequency: 2.8 Ghz vs 2.8 Ghz

CPU OC’d: 3.8Ghz vs 4Ghz

Cores: 6 vs 4

Cache: 12 vs 8

TDP
(Watts): 95 vs 130

Man.
process: 32m vs 45nm

I did some research on CPU speed vs numbers of cores, but it still isn’t clear for me whether the upgrade makes sense with this particular setup. I would appreciate your opinions on this matter.

2

I’m using Kaby Lake 7500U with a 930MX, works quite well with low CPU usage.

My opinion: get the latest CPU/GPU combination since the instruction set (CPU) will always run programs like Cubase much better than older systems.

3

Thanks for your reply. Both the Xeon and I7 are from the 1st quarter of 2010, so neither is really newer.

4

Yes greatly
Do not hesitate
The best bang for buck upgrade you can make without a new rig

I have tests and figures for that very same upgrade

Expect at least 50% improvement in everything Cubase except latency which will slightly increase.
Best low latency performance is got by using the 6 cores without hyper threading switched on and still a 50% gain

Hippo

5

Ive just looked up my figures
The test is my own but it is a consistent reference
4 core at 4 Gig scored 86
6 core at 4 gig scored 148
Both at 256 latency

Hippo

6

I reread the OP, but must ask why you would want an OC’d rig for Cubase?

Rule of thumb: if you need to OC your system is too slow.

Everything else Hippo said

7

You don’t mention what audio interface you are using. A good low latency performing audio card… think RME or Lynx can significantly improve your asio performance especially at low latencies. This could be a nice boost on top of a CPU upgrade.

8

The audio cards just tinkers with the edges of DAW performance compared to going from a i7 9xx 4 core to a xeon x65xx 6 core.
Trust me I’ve been there.
My X58 2010 rig with and o/c x6570 is not much different in Cubase performance with the main rig 6800k at stock

Not bad for a £50 upgrade to a 7 year old machine

Hippo