Hi everyone, I am looking at a new computer for Cubase 13. I also use Wavelab, Spectralayers, and the Absolute Collection. Was looking at these two options below-
Apple A Grade Desktop Computer iMac 27-inch (Retina 5K) 3.6GHZ 8-Core i9 (2019) MRR02LL/A-B 96 GB 3 TB HDD & 128 GB PCIe SSD 5120 x 2880 Display Mac OS Keyboard and Mouse
Or
Dell OptiPlex 5090 Tower Desktop Computer Intel i9-11900K, 128GB RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD, DVD, DisplayPort, HDMI, AC Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB C, Windows 11 Pro
Oh I don’t think it makes too much difference, depending …
You’ll likely get far better bang for buck with a Windows box;
WinTels don’t constantly bugger your apps, drivers & pplugs every time there’s an OS update; Apple does this on a regular basis unlike Windows which has the opposite priority;
Also depends on your prior experience with computers more broadly: Apple deliberately keep their customers stupid & if somthing goes wrong, they’re usually hopeless; Windows owners on the other hand usually have a bit more common sense & knowledge when it comes to customisation and overall computer knowledge.
In my experience Steiberg products run very well on either platform & at one point Windows was to go to. Dell BTW tend to make excellent products & their warranty options are second to none depending on what you option. Incomparibale to Apple nonthingburger and/or so-called ‘genius’ bar.
In 2024, unless you REALLY need the iMac form factor, or plan on sticking with that machine as it is for awhile, I wouldn’t even consider an Intel Mac. At 4 years old, you know Apple is itching to kill that thing and replace it with an M1000UltraMax model now.
A four year old Mac is just asking for a stop of OS updates.
Also, the iMacs use mobile chips to fit in the slim form factor, so they are less powerful and have slower memory busses.
Anyway, the Dell seems like the better deal for something where you’re going to be doing stationary CPU processing workloads. Graphics card doesn’t matter for Cubase.
But if you’re getting a very good price on the Dell (say, $500 with Windows license) then you might be better off just rolling your own based on a Ryzen 7800X3D with built-in GPU, which is a fair bit newer and faster.
I wouldnt consider Intel 11th gen. Its much slower even then 12700K. If you are considering a PC build with i9 - then I would recommend 13900K. It would be top machine with same performance as 14900K but cheaper.
if yo want to go mac you HAVE to go Apple silicone, otherwise it’s pointless. And I agrre with the posted above go with a current or at least 12XXXX gen intel.
I have an M1 Max MBP and Cubase running all VST 3 Apple silicone plugins can keep up with a 7950x on windows!!! so at the moment I’d say AS works better for Cubase 13 much as it pains me to say so after 25 years of window Cubase use
M
Another thing to consider is noise. The Apple Silicon machines are basically silent, and no amount of Noctua fans in a high-end Windows DAW with a noise-dampened case will make up for how quiet the new Macs are. So that opens up some options of how you can physically place your computer in your studio.
Just to chime in on the noise… I’ve got both an Intel 2020, and a 2023 M2 Pro Mini on my desk… If I turn off my OWC 4 bay drive enclosure, my ‘studio’ room is dead silent.
The Noctua fan in my E6400 Ultra sampler is about 100x louder than I’ve ever heard either of those Mini’s get, even with the fan kicking in on the Intel one (I’ve never heard if come on in the M2 after 8 months or so)
Exactly. I’ve spent thousands of dollars over the years on computer silencing hardware, cases, baffles, fans, coolers, separate computer room, you name it.
No DAW I’ve ever owned or built in decades of doing this comes anywhere CLOSE to how quiet the Apple Silicon machines currently are. And I use top quality builds of Win and Linux machines, and these little Apple Silicon machines are comparatively silent. I think that says something.
Not trying to get people to switch to Apple (anyone who has read my Linux posts know how much I love Linux!), but if I’m running Cubase on a computer physically sitting in my studio anywhere near me, I am running on Apple Silicon now. All the other computers run through a wall to the computer room.
But in the end, just pick the one you like the most. If you can’t make great music on either platform, the problem is NOT the platform. Just pick the one you’re most comfortable with, and be done.
Like I mentioned in other posts/threads, I’m not a MacOS or Windows fan, I would far prefer to be running Linux. And actually, I do run several great DAW apps on Linux, including Studio One Linux beta, which I’m super thrilled about. But when I run Cubase, which I also use on a lot of projects, and has been part of my studio for decades, I have to say, I now prefer it on Macs with the Apple Silicon generation of machines. Even your most basic Mac Mini will run surprisingly complex projects with ease. Obviously, the base Mac Mini won’t cut it for large film projects or large sample-based orchestral projects, but that little thing can pack a punch and runs Cubase great. And it’s QUIET!
But if fan noise doesn’t bother you, then you can build quite a nice custom beast for a Windows DAW, and if that appeals to you, go for it! Both platforms are solid for Cubase, and again, in the end, it doesn’t matter what hardware is running your DAW, it’s what hardware is in between your ears.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I bought this morning a Dell XPS 8960 Gaming Desktop Computer . The specs include a 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900K 24-Core up to 5.80 GHz with Liquid Cooling, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 4TB NVMe SSD + 20TB.
Right now I have the 8940 I think. It’s an i7 with 64 GB of RAM with Windows 11. Looking around this seems like a good desktop for music production.
Just pick the one you’re most comfortable with, and be done.