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Intel Core i5 3470 - 3.2GHz - 1MB L2 - 6MB L3 or the AMD FX-8320 - 3.5GHz - 8MB L2 - 8MB L3

Which would you guys recommend for an audio PC. Obviously this is not a professional build. Its for my home PC, but I would like to run as plugins as possible. Plus midi.

I will of course be using ssds and lots of memory but from a processor point of view I must admit I am a little confused.

The Amd has 8 cores, but isn't the I chip the best on the market?

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hueseph Fri, 01/25/2013 - 23:13

Check this out from Passmark: [="http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+FX-8320+Eight-Core"]PassMark - AMD FX-8320 Eight-Core - Price performance comparison[/]="http://www.cpubench…"]PassMark - AMD FX-8320 Eight-Core - Price performance comparison[/]

[[url=http://="http://www.newegg.c…"]Newegg.ca - AMD FX-8320 Vishera 3.5GHz (4.0GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W Eight-Core Desktop Processor FD8320FRHKBOX[/]="http://www.newegg.c…"]Newegg.ca - AMD FX-8320 Vishera 3.5GHz (4.0GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W Eight-Core Desktop Processor FD8320FRHKBOX[/]

[="http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i5-3570+%40+3.40GHz&id=827"]PassMark - Intel Core i5-3570 @ 3.40GHz - Price performance comparison[/]="http://www.cpubench…"]PassMark - Intel Core i5-3570 @ 3.40GHz - Price performance comparison[/]

[[url=http://="http://www.newegg.c…"]Newegg.ca - Intel Core i5-3570 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2500 BX80637i53570[/]="http://www.newegg.c…"]Newegg.ca - Intel Core i5-3570 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2500 BX80637i53570[/]

Maybe numbers aren't everything but I think in this example they do mean quite a bit. The motherboards for AMD CPUs are cheaper as well. The only thing that may turn you back is that you won't be able to get thunderbolt with an AMD based system.

For the Price of the i5 you could get an 8350 which smokes in price/performance comparisons.

[="http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113285&Tpk=AMD%20FX-8320"]Newegg.ca - AMD FX-8320 Vishera 3.5GHz (4.0GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W Eight-Core Desktop Processor FD8320FRHKBOX[/]="http://www.newegg.c…"]Newegg.ca - AMD FX-8320 Vishera 3.5GHz (4.0GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W Eight-Core Desktop Processor FD8320FRHKBOX[/]

[[url=http://="http://www.cpubench…"]PassMark - AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core - Price performance comparison[/]="http://www.cpubench…"]PassMark - AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core - Price performance comparison[/]

RemyRAD Sat, 01/26/2013 - 15:43

Some of this purchase decision of what CPU, depends upon whose software you might want to run? For instance, I don't believe Avid ProTools will run on AMD CPU's? Neither will their video editing software. Many software manufacturers indicate what CPU was designed for that software. It doesn't matter what's on sale LOL and I'm Jewish. (Actually it does which is why I bought an open box i 7 HP Envy DV 7-7292 NR and saved $100 off the sale price.) Yet I'm already upgrading it. I want to run Pro tools I want to run Media Composer and an i 5, won't cut the mustard.

So as a home Internet and all around fun computer, go for the AMD because it's cheaper. You could afford more memory. Perhaps a SSD system drive, wow. (That's what I'm putting in as my system drive in my new laptop 128 GB, taking out the 1 TB 5400 RPM drive because it's too slow.) So you have to consider all of that. The more tracks you want to record, the more plug-ins you want to run, the more video tracks you may have, the greater demands you're making on the computer and the software. So don't expect full-blown studio configured computer performance. It'll still be quite capable. You'll still likely be able to do 24 track + productions. You might be able to run a few real-time effects but more likely, you will be rendering your effects and your mixes. This way you'll be able to accomplish more processing without outputting choppy audio with gigantic dropouts and terrible timing problems. Which is actually the way I prefer to work anyhow using Adobe Audition & Sony Vegas, mostly. But also ProTools 10 will be used on this laptop. So I've got to have the Intel. I could have spent a lot less money on a very similar unit with an AMD.

I've got 12 GB of RAM but it can take up to 16.
Mx. Remy Ann David

hueseph Sat, 01/26/2013 - 17:19

Plenty of people using AMD CPUs with Pro Tools. It isn't on the recommended list but that does not mean it won't work. Likewise with photo editing software. Even more so really. Photoshop is not nearly as picky as Pro Tools.

With Pro Tools the key elements are Video Card/Motherboard Chipset/Audio Interface and Hard Drive speed. In fact your system drive and Graphics card have to be fast, otherwise you won't get nearly the performance you expect.

musoman Sun, 01/27/2013 - 05:51

Thanks guys.

I am going to be using Cubase not pro tools. So does that matter?

I have an ssd and hdd both sataIII with 8gb ram. May push too 16 later in the year.

So I just need to know what processor. All my IT friends
say intel? I just dont know uf I trust amd to be as good as they claim.

hueseph Sun, 01/27/2013 - 10:21

Without a doubt, Intel make better chips but that doesn't mean that AMD are bad necessarily. The results posted on the Passmark website are user results. You were making comparison between an i5 and an 8320. The 8320 is easily a faster chip. If you want a better Intel chip, you have to go i7 3820 or 3770. Both are around $300. It's only $100 more. Mind you the performance boost is only slightly better as well. Also with a good cooler I have seen the 3850(overclocked) get close to the performance of an Intel 3930.

RemyRAD Mon, 01/28/2013 - 12:12

Yeah, there is that crapshoot element with ProTools. They don't recommend the AMD. They will provide you with no technical support/customer support if you are not using the platform in which they recommend. I had heard of folks getting it to work on that platform as was indicated here. Not what they recommend however. And if you're going to want to go in that direction even though you don't think you're going to go that way now? That might be a limiting factor? It might work? It might not? How do you know you're not going to want ProTools? I didn't want it. But I got so many calls from so many people that all wanted to have ProTools, I was forced into getting it. And I had to have a dedicated computer just for my ProTools rig. Designed strictly for that purpose and that purpose alone if you wanted any kind of professional performance out of it. And in a recording studio application, you can't screw around with a home computer per se LOL. And because computers are a significant consumer investment, sometimes it's good to think ahead? Which is easy for a head like myself to think about being ahead. If you catch my drift? I certainly caught my drift and it was good. It wasn't what I had for dinner last night.

Sometimes inebriation helps. You kind of give it all up and put out. Or something like that happens to you?
Mx. Remy Ann David