RAM - 2G or 4G?

[Che_Guitarra]

I've got a G5 iMac that's now around 2 years old and i'm finding i'm regularly hitting the performance ceiling of the machine. I'm unsure if it's the CPU (Intel 2.33 C2D CPU) or the RAM (2 Gig) causing the problem, and it's left me pondering an upgrade... although if more RAM will lead to a noticeable improvement i'd prefer to go this cheaper route over buying a new computer (i'll wait until quad cores are standard in iMacs before getting a new machine).

I'm running PT LE 7.3.x (with DV toolkit) and OSX 10.4.1, and I record @ 48kHz & 24-bit. I'll generally stick in-the-box so to speak in regards to EQ comp and FX, and i'm not shy toward piling on plugins if need be. Upward of 15 to 20 tracks (loaded with plugs) I start to see my CPU performance peak - error alerts and prompt messages start appearing. Most of my plugins are Digi qualified although a certain few fall outside these bounds (I understand this is a part of the problem, but i'm on top of it). I also run Strike and Velvet regularly (i'm aware of their resource hunger and on top of it also).


What do people think? Will an upgrade to 4G RAM be a worthwhile expenditure, or is it the CPU causing the bottleneck, or a combination of both?


Hmmm...

[J FRANK]

Quit all background applications and create auxes instead of using so many fx per track.

You have more than enough cpu power + ram


.....
MORE THAN ENOUGH


,peace

[comprodman]

As the previous responeder said, use Aux's for plugins, upgrading the RAM will give you tad more head room, set the CPU to 99% and H/W1024 and run RTAS on both processors. There should be plenty of memory to mix 20 track song.

[Che_Guitarra]

My songs are WAY more than 20 tracks, generally using most of the 48 tracks (w/ DV Toolkit). I just start hitting the performance cieling at around 20 tracks!!

With FX I create aux tracks as suggested, but EQ and comp is best used as channel inserts. Still hitting my CPU limits like this, and the suggested settings are what i'm already using.

[Craig F]

a) a G5 iMac will not have an Intel chip it will have a PPC chip, you say you have an Intel dual core CPU
b) which plugs exactly, some use more CPU than others
c) what are you buffer settings
d) more RAM is always good to a point, yes go to 4 GB
e) how is your external drive connected, if by USB that eats CPU power
f) 10.4.1 is a little low of an OS try downloading the 10.4.6 combo (not delta) updater

[Che_Guitarra]

OK, it's an iMac with iSight, definitely an Intel CPU - 2.33 Core 2 Duo.

Heaps of plugins - Waves Studio Classics (they're a little hungry), various URS comps and EQs, I seem to use the Bomb Factory BF76 heaps, and un-qualified plugs - Line 6 Gearbox Gold and Nomad Factory SC226...

I do have more but these are my 'go to' plugins.

Externakl HD is connected via Firewire

Buffer i'll have to check

[CME]

Personally I'd def get some more RAM. You should notice a difference up to about 4 gigs. Especially if you're using VI's like Strike and Velvet often. On my machine Strike set to no limit on the Ram setting can use several gigs by itself.

[Paul Maunder]

OS X applications can usually address up to 4GB of RAM each. Bearing in mind that the operating system itself will use some RAM, along with any other apps you may have running, I'd say that 4GB would definitely be a good idea for a pro tools computer. The application itself, along with any plug-ins you have running within the session, will utilise RAM within pro tools' own address space (which I presume is 4GB, although perhaps some can verify this?). If you run any Rewire applications, they are not hosted within pro tools itself and therefore have access to their own RAM allocation. I hope this helps.