Current Mobo/CPU/RAM - should I upgrade?

[XPRTNovice]

Hey guys,

I'm starting to notice as I get into better samples and more complicated tracks that I'm maxing out the "average processing load" in Cubase 7. Here's what I'm working with (last upgraded 2010)

1 x GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

1 x AMD Athlon II X4 620 Propus 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor ADX620WFGIBOX

8GB DDR2 RAM

I've got some money to upgrade, so I'm happy to hear suggestions. I'm not much of a gamer on PC, so I don't care about that bit - I'm looking to create a music processing powerhouse. I'm operating on Windows 7 and my sound card is Focusrite Saffire Pro 14.

So, do I need to upgrade or do I need to be more efficient with what I have? If upgrading, hit me with your best suggestions.

Cheers!

[Frederic Petitpas]

I also have 8G DDR2 and built my PC 6 years ago. Yes you could benefit from a more powerful processor, you would also reduce your current latency with a new proc. So if you need to load a bunch of effects and VSTIs, don't look back and buy yourself a new proc.

And get rid of that micro ATX. You'll have to buy a new mobo and ram tho if you want a new/high-end processor. Not that you cannot get things done with your current setup but you'd buy some peace of mind for the biggest projects and the futur.

Edited April 7, 2013 by Metal Man

[KyleJCrb]

Yeah, definitely spring for a new processor. The Athlon II isn't bad by any means, but it's a mainstream mid-range product, so it doesn't have the same performance as something made for the enthusiast market. A Phenom II AM3 like this one should work with your current motherboard and give you the performance punch you need, and the prices on them are pretty good right now. Just double-check that your motherboard supports Phenom processors and that your current power supply can handle the extra wattage of the CPU and you should be good to go.

Edited April 7, 2013 by KyleJCrb

[XPRTNovice]

Yeah, definitely spring for a new processor. The Athlon II isn't bad by any means, but it's a mainstream mid-range product, so it doesn't have the same performance as something made for the enthusiast market. A Phenom II AM3 like this one should work with your current motherboard and give you the performance punch you need, and the prices on them are pretty good right now. Just double-check that your motherboard supports Phenom processors and that your current power supply can handle the extra wattage of the CPU and you should be good to go.

Sweet, thanks for that link! It would be great if I could just swap the CPU and keep the current mobo. And they have a $10 off sale today! Makes it really easy.

[jnWake]

What exactly is the most important thing to have? Like, RAM, CPU, what?

I use many Kontakt libraries in my songs. I also record quite a bit, both MIDI and audio...

[XPRTNovice]

For me it was a matter of seeing what was tapping my computer out. I saw that I was never using more than 4-5 GB of RAM at any time but my processor was sometimes functioning at max capacity. That showed me where the stovepipe was. Either I wasn't using my resources efficiently (possible) or I needed more resources.

KyleJCrib, that CPU you posted is the best thing that can go in my current mobo! Perfect. You saved me a ton of research work and the price was awesome, $85 incl. shipping.