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Could a mac pro 2010 6core handle a complete HO diamond template?

MarcelM

Senior Member
i bought a mac pro 2010 with 16gb ram for 100 (!) bucks (it was a steal,i know). iam gonna upgrade its 4 core 3,2 ghz cpu to a 6core one, but i wonder if i shouldnt go for a 12 core maybe. thing is that those dual cpu boards are really damn expensive on ebay for example and iam not sure if its worth it. ram is dirt cheap for those machines.

drives are not the issue since i got a couple of ssds around and each of the HO Diamond section has its own ssd. i also could upgrade the machine to sata3.

not sure what to do... iam usually using a hackintosh and also got still an older mac pro 3.1 (just for surfing etc).
 
I think the more cores the merrier. Streaming demands seem to be better handled by the available cores per instances in VE and Kontakt. Play is a notorious hog so it may be in your best interest to go with more cores. There are far more expert opinions here though and I would be interested to hear them. My 2012 12 core even with 2.4 processors handles lots of of intensive libraries like Spitfire and Play very well with over 40 gigs loaded.
 
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I going to go out on a limb and say I don’t think so, but I only have a 3.1. It’s an 8 core @ 2.8 ghz with 34 gb RAM and multiple SSDS, and I have HO strings and brass Gold on it. They take up a fair amount of headroom on my machine. I think your best shot is with the 12 core @ 3.46 ghz and VEP, but using a lot of articulations and multiple mic positions, still a challenge. Just guessing though.
 
All the advice I have read and been given has recommended only putting 96gb RAM into the upgraded 5,1 MacPro. Makes best use of resources, apparently.
 
Oh, I don't have single CPU versions. Only dual. Yes, your limit is 64gb.

now I remember that you bought HO diamond recently. is it pushing your 12 core to its limits ?
I would and will upgrade to 12 code if I get a dual cpu board for an affordable price, but for now the 6 core will have to the job :)

cheaper solution would be probably using one of my pcs as a slave, but id prefer a single machine setup. not sure what to do yet and will have to think about it.
 
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All the advice I have read and been given has recommended only putting 96gb RAM into the upgraded 5,1 MacPro. Makes best use of resources, apparently.

yeah ram working in tripple channel will the fastest, but in the world of samples speed of ram is that not that important afaik. I will max out ram.
 
I would and will upgrade to 12 code if I get a dual cpu board for an affordable price,

It's absolutely not worth it. Just buy a second hand dual quadcore and upgrade the CPUs to dual hex core (5690) if you want the most cost effective way of having a 12 core Mac Pro 5,1

yeah ram working in tripple channel will the fastest, but in the world of samples speed of ram is that not that important afaik

You will not notice any difference. Just max it ;)
 
I think the limitation with those older machines is going to be in the OS, and if they have 64 bit architecture to run the latest DAW versions, as well as are they hyper threaded? To me, this last one is a big deal, because 6 cores with hyper threading, is 12 cores on most newer machines from 2012 and up...is the 2010 Mac Pro capable? Also, isn't the speed of possible RAM on those machines limited to 1333? Don't remember is 1600Mhz came out by then, or if they were even made for that machine.
 
To run Hollywood orchestra diamond on a single machine you would probably not use Legato patches. If I were you I would not put a high expectation on a single computer I would plan to use multiple computers- The exception would be using lite patches no performance patches and single mic positions. Th last time that I personally was able to work on a single machine was EWQLSO but I believe that I had to work in sections. Strings, woodwinds -bounce and then brass percussion -bounce and then mix the stems. Hollywood strings has its own machine in my template.
 
Those Mac Pro can be pimped up pretty well. Check this out:
upload_2019-3-4_9-44-16.png
Did some upgrade on mine with SSDs for library loading.
It still is not fast enough for a buffer size of 64 or 128.
That architecture, caches and i/o buses are starting to show their age.
I am using a Windows slave with VEP for VSL cube and that's working perfectly.
(I won't be moving to Mojave because of graphics requirements).
This setup works well enough for me.
 
iam gonna upgrade its 4 core 3,2 ghz cpu to a 6core one, but i wonder if i shouldnt go for a 12 core maybe

Well, it doesn't work exactly that way.

Apple made two basic versions of the machine: one with a dual-processor tray, one with a single-processor one.

If it has two processors, you can't just change one; if it has one processor, you have to swap the entire processor tray to one that supports two (and that doesn't pay - just get a 12-core machine for the same price).

Either way, in my opinion it's worth updating to a 6-core - although I'd see how far your 4-core machine gets you first.
 
With all this talk about the Mac Pro of the past...what is the ideal Mac Pro to get, that allows upgrades and can compete with todays modern machines? I currently run a 2012 2.6 Mac mini, fully loaded...it's great for many things, but if I were to go bigger than 40 tracks for scoring, I can definitely see the limitations quickly. I know that RAM is a big part of that. But is getting a Mac Pro older than 2012 a smart thing?
 
Also, whether the machine is fast enough for a 128 buffer depends on what you're running.

I run my 12-core at a 128-sample buffer, and I have way more than I'll ever use at once loaded into about 40GB of RAM - a full orchestra, synths, drums, bass, you name it.

However, the only Hollywood Orchestra section I have is the strings, and I only load one mic position.
 
With all this talk about the Mac Pro of the past...what is the ideal Mac Pro to get, that allows upgrades and can compete with todays modern machines? I currently run a 2012 2.6 Mac mini, fully loaded...it's great for many things, but if I were to go bigger than 40 tracks for scoring, I can definitely see the limitations quickly. I know that RAM is a big part of that. But is getting a Mac Pro older than 2012 a smart thing?

It certainly was for me a couple of years ago, and I'd buy the same machine again.

You can always sell it again if something better comes out.
 
It certainly was for me a couple of years ago, and I'd buy the same machine again.

You can always sell it again if something better comes out.

12 cores I can see as being very handy..LOL. Is your machine hyper threaded? Does your DAW see it as 24 processors?
 
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