Processor Comparison

[BlindMelon7]

Just a quick (and probably stupid) question. How do these core 2 duo mobile processors compare to our old desktop components? I haven't really been keeping up with things, and the last time I looked, laptops were insanely slow.

I'm looking at probably a t6400 or a t8600 if I need it, compared to an old AMD s393 3200+ (overclocked to about 2.5ghz) which currently runs at a steady 90% with the occasional drop-out (running audio processors live). I need to replace the desktop with laptop for convenience, because I take it to gigs.

Thanks a lot!

(BTW hello everyone! I haven't been on in a while. I hope you're all well )

[arthurleung]

The mobile processor is exactly the same as the desktop one, except the FSB and memory speed is usually lower. Compare the cache size with the current desktop processors should equates to identical performance.

Note that many laptop's power supply voltage is far less regulated than desktop and you'll get a lot of noise in the laptop audio ports.

That shouldn't be a problem if you don't use the built-in audio capability.

[BlindMelon7]

Sorry if I didn't explain properly. I meant how would the mobile processor compare to my 3200+ desktop which I use at the moment? The problem is my desktop is not only too slow (as it is running at a constant 80%+) but it is also too bulky to use/set-up at gigs.

I would, of course, be using an external sound card

[Infinite]

over 10 times as fast.

[BlindMelon7]

Sweet! Literally?

I wonder why people bother upgrading so much? My PC will do just about anything. Its fast, responsive (mostly because its REALLY clean). I run 2 instances of Amplitube (a guitar amp sim), 3 channels of vocal FX (reverb, delay, compression, eq etc) and roughly 12/13 softsynths/samplers with mostly no problems (apart from the occasional click). Not only that, but I can play every game I have thrown at it at a fairly reasonable quality level (for my little screen anyway).

So I probably don't need to go for the t8600? At the moment I am looking at a Dell (studio 15, with 3gb ram, a 7200rpm HD and the cheapest dedicated GFX I can get to avoid on-board graphics problems).

Although I'm starting to have second thoughts about dell, I've heard they are not very reliable. It won't exactly be looked after very well. I try, but it's going to get knocked about a bit (it's inevitable on-stage when you are setting up in a hurry).

Edit: Do we have a dell representative here willing to ease my doubts with a hefty discount?

[arthurleung]

Won't be 10 times, more like twice, may be 3 times as fast. It also dependent on if the program you're using is multi-threaded. If not, the gain will be 50~100% at most. Running two instances should be enough to get decent performance

[Infinite]

lol sry, that was a joke, yeh probably anywhere between 2 - 3 depending on application, maybe even up to 4 if you're lucky.

Thanks Arthur!

[BlindMelon7]

Yeah, I thought that was too good to be true. Still, that more than enough for me

Considering my processor was about £60 back in the day I think it stood the test of time pretty well. Who actually NEEDS that amount of power anyway? Apart from me

[scaryjim]

Who actually NEEDS that amount of power anyway? Apart from me

Do you want a serious list or a jokey list?

At work the analysts deal with complex calculations on datasets of > 100 fields and > 1,000,000 (had to add commas to make sure I got enough 0s) records. There's a noticable difference between a P4 analysis machine and a Core 2 one (we have both in the office).

Of course, as a humble programmer none of that affects me directly. But they could probably all do with a significant upgrade now (preferably to something like an E8500, because a lot of their stuff is single threaded...).

[BlindMelon7]

Fair enough! I didn't really think of it from a business sense. I was thinking more along the lines of a home user. I suppose we have to keep bringing out new things otherwise nothing would ever progress, and by the time we come up with some home-use software that actually NEEDS 4 cores we have the hardware in place already. That and you gotta make money somehow

What's the general consensus on these Studio 15s then? Or shall I start a new thread on that.

Cheers!