# 6 core vs. 8 core CPU?



## Composer 2021 (May 3, 2021)

I keep having issues with getting a new computer. Had to return a refurbished Mac Mini because the operating system didn't load and then had to return a gaming PC because it kept freezing. So I am back to square one again. Due to the unreliable PC part shortage, I am considering Apple due to stable prices. Their Mac Mini has an 8th gen 6-core i7. The iMac and most gaming PCs have a 10th gen 8-core i7. I have been told that it is important to get a 10th gen Intel processor over an 8th gen one. But just how important is it? Finale ran fantastic on the 8-core i7. Would it run just as well on an older 6-core i7? If I went with Apple, I would compose in Logic using mostly BBCSO Core for now. I would also use Finale. The Mac Mini is similar in price to gaming PCs and the iMac is the most expensive option, but perhaps has the most features. The iMac and most gaming PCs support 128 GB of memory and the Mac Mini only supports 64 though an upgrade process that would void the warranty. Thoughts?


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## Jiffster (May 3, 2021)

Mac mini, iMac or PC? It's a very broad range to give definitive advice on, especially with the variable price points involved and not knowing what the most important factor for you is.

Mac mini - if your tools run fine on it, this is probably the cheapest option but has the least future-proofing for upgrades.

PC - easy to spec out to meet cost constraints and is likely to have much more scope to upgrade easily in the future, but potentially comes at a stability cost

iMac - surely the most expensive option for you right now, and limited scope for legit future-proofing unless you buy a fully specced out rig which will be great, but expensive and with no scope to upgrade without significant cost. 

Personally, I used PC for years and switched to mac for all composition and sound design recently. Stability-wise, i doubt I'll never look back. I still use PC for Audio implementation on game projects of course, but my mac is my main rig now. 

Dave farmer uses a mac mini for pretty much all his sound design work these days. They are super capable.

PC is the most open architecture and customisable option available. If you're a tweaker and want an open ended option so you can fine tune things as you go, this is the option.

Sorry, its really not easy to be specific with an open query like this. 😅

Good luck with it!


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## Composer 2021 (May 3, 2021)

My main issue is the 6-core processor vs the 8-core one, hence the title. I was just naming specific computers with each processor type.


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## mscp (May 3, 2021)

Based on the hints you gave (since you haven't really provided much information), I'd say go with whatever is cheaper. Both BBCSO core/Finale are not that CPU intensive. I.E if your concern is ONLY the amount of cores to pricing/performace ratio.


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## Vik (May 3, 2021)

Have you checked the Geekbench benchmarks?



Mac Benchmarks - Geekbench Browser



They won't tell you much about working with memory hungry VIs, or with large amount of VIs, but they show that some of the 6-core Macs are doing well in these comparisons, and better than many of the 8-cores. Two of the 6-core iMacs have better single core performance than the 2019 Mac Pro. 

Even in multi-core tests, a couple of the 6-cores are doing quite well. They're not even close to the 24- and 28 core Mac Pros of course, but they are ahead of the 2013, 2012 and 2010 Mac Pros.


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## Composer 2021 (May 3, 2021)

Phil81 said:


> Based on the hints you gave (since you haven't really provided much information), I'd say go with whatever is cheaper. Both BBCSO core/Finale are not that CPU intensive. I.E if your concern is ONLY the amount of cores to pricing/performace ratio.


Yes, price is a huge factor for me.


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## mscp (May 3, 2021)

Composer 2021 said:


> Yes, price is a huge factor for me.


You can go either way and would be ok. I personally prefer PCs because they're really modular and I can do whatever I want with it. I don't need to replace everything just because a new CPU came out, you know? Windows 10 is currently far more stable than MacOS if you shop for the right/compatible components -- so don't buy into the instability factor, because it's a myth. Just telling the facts, not trying to bring up a huge OS debate.

I have both machines. I like them both, but things crash less on my PC than they do on my Mac. Go figure.

Have a look at mini-atx boards, and similar cpus. Lots of good options out there.


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## Composer 2021 (May 3, 2021)

Phil81 said:


> You can go either way and would be ok. I personally prefer PCs because they're really modular and I can do whatever I want with it. I don't need to replace everything just because a new CPU came out, you know? Windows 10 is currently far more stable than MacOS if you shop for the right/compatible components -- so don't buy into the instability factor, because it's a myth. Just telling the facts, not trying to bring up a huge OS debate.
> 
> I have both machines. I like them both, but things crash less on my PC than they do on my Mac. Go figure.
> 
> Have a look at mini-atx boards, and similar cpus. Lots of good options out there.


Interesting. Windows 10 stability is a gamble. Sometimes it's great and other times it doesn't work. If I go with Apple, I would use Logic, so there would be a layer of stability there. Vs on Windows with me having a lot of trouble trying to install VST plugins sometimes.


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## mscp (May 3, 2021)

Composer 2021 said:


> Interesting. Windows 10 stability is a gamble. Sometimes it's great and other times it doesn't work. If I go with Apple, I would use Logic, so there would be a layer of stability there. Vs on Windows with me having a lot of trouble trying to install VST plugins sometimes.


I'm on my 3rd PC build (big time Apple user here, now PC). All I can say is that, for my PCs, I spend roughly about a week scrutinizing every little detail that could go wrong based on the build I want. Yes, it is a little demanding and not at all fun, but the ROI is gratifying. I get a lot more mileage, and speed with my PCs than I do with my Macs. I don't run into issues with VST plugins either, but I don't use anything out of the ordinary (except Max/MSP on rewire). 

I had an issue once with a Reaktor-based "app" on PC but I went under the hood and rewired some of the things to make it work. 

If you're into Logic, then yes, there's no other way. Logic is awesome too.


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## rnb_2 (May 3, 2021)

Upgrading the RAM in a Mac mini does not void the warranty - you just have to be careful not to damage anything in the process. If you're in North America, OWC sells Mac mini memory upgrades with all of the tools you need to do the job (and links to excellent instructional videos).

Given that the Mac market is changing pretty dramatically over the next couple years, I'd probably lean toward the Mac mini if you can live with the 64 vs 128GB RAM limit and cost is a concern. It would serve you well for the foreseeable future, and gives you the freedom to buy lower-cost displays that will work fine and keep the total cost reasonable.

With the mini, it's probably best to go with a 2k (2560x1440) display due to the weak GPU - 2k will let you see the most tracks/bars in your DAW, but won't be as sharp as running a 4k screen in Retina mode. An external GPU would allow you to run scaled resolutions, but you'd probably be back into the PC parts shortage trying to get a decent AMD GPU to use, and that would drive the cost up more than can be justified for primarily music applications.

There are several people on VI-C that run i5/i7 Mac minis very successfully, including BBCSO Pro, so I think you'd be fine running BBCSO Core in Logic. I think 32GB would be recommended, though you can certainly go directly to 64.


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## Composer 2021 (May 3, 2021)

rnb_2 said:


> Upgrading the RAM in a Mac mini does not void the warranty - you just have to be careful not to damage anything in the process. If you're in North America, OWC sells Mac mini memory upgrades with all of the tools you need to do the job (and links to excellent instructional videos).
> 
> Given that the Mac market is changing pretty dramatically over the next couple years, I'd probably lean toward the Mac mini if you can live with the 64 vs 128GB RAM limit and cost is a concern. It would serve you well for the foreseeable future, and gives you the freedom to buy lower-cost displays that will work fine and keep the total cost reasonable.
> 
> ...


Looks like OWC does not have the i7 Mac Mini. That's a dealbreaker IMO. I already have a 1440p monitor, so I'm good with the display.


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## Composer 2021 (May 3, 2021)

Would I run into trouble installing programs to an external SSD if I choose the 512 storage option (the cheapest on Apple's site)?


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## mscp (May 3, 2021)

Composer 2021 said:


> Would I run into trouble installing programs to an external SSD if I choose the 512 storage option (the cheapest on Apple's site)?


100% not. You're safe. Make sure you can though - cause some apps don't allow you to.


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## Composer 2021 (May 3, 2021)

Phil81 said:


> 100% not. You're safe. Make sure you can though - cause some apps don't allow you to.


I had some glitches with Finale when I installed it to an external HD. Some VST effects weren't working. This is on Windows.


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## mscp (May 3, 2021)

Composer 2021 said:


> I had some glitches with Finale when I installed it to an external HD. Some VST effects weren't working. This is on Windows.


My comment was for MacOS app installs. Some apps are picky and don't let you use external HD paths.

I've never had to install anything on external drives on Windows. I didn't know Windows was also picky.


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## rnb_2 (May 3, 2021)

Composer 2021 said:


> Looks like OWC does not have the i7 Mac Mini. That's a dealbreaker IMO. I already have a 1440p monitor, so I'm good with the display.


Sorry I wasn’t clearer - I didn’t mean buy the Mac mini from OWC (though they do sometimes have them). You can buy the mini wherever you find the best price and buy the RAM upgrade from OWC and do the install yourself.


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## rnb_2 (May 3, 2021)

Composer 2021 said:


> Would I run into trouble installing programs to an external SSD if I choose the 512 storage option (the cheapest on Apple's site)?


512 is the smallest I would recommend (I have an i7 mini with 256 and have to boot from an external now), but should work fine if you put your samples on an external SSD. I have an M1 mini with 512 and have a lot installed on it, but it still has well over 100GB free.


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## wayne_rowley (May 4, 2021)

I have a Mac Mini i5 6 core and it runs Logic with BBC SO Core just fine. Go with 32GB of RAM (and upgrade it yourself, not via Apple). I run my samples from external SSD over USB - no issues.

Recently upgraded to BBC Pro and I haven't really thrashed it with that yet. I suspect the CPU will still be fine, but I'll likely need to up it to 64GB of RAM.


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