On 2/18/06, Jon Hoskins <jonhoskins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Dana Olson wrote: > > >Hello, > > > >I am wondering what I should do in order to get a bit more performance > >out of my system for using JACK and friends. > > > >I currently have two systems, and they are relatively similar. My main > >system is a Dell Optiplex, can't remember the model exactly right now, > >but it is: > > > >Intel P4 2.8GHz > >512MB DDR > >onboard video > >Creative Audigy2 ZS > > > >The other system is: > > > >AMD AthlonXP 2800+ > >512MB DDR > >NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti4200 128MB > >Creative SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 > > > >I was considering buying a 2x512MB DDR kit for the P4, and dropping > >the old 512MB from there into the Athlon system. > > > >The RAM I am thinking about is: > >http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=003982&cid=RAM.178 > > > >Would it be better to save up and invest in a CPU/mobo upgrade? Or > >will a different sound card give me a performance boost (not sure how > >it would be possible, but..)? Or maybe I should find a PCI video card > >(NVIDIA or maybe there is something better?) to put into the Dell, if > >onboard video causes issues? Or is RAM a pretty good upgrade at this > >point? > > > >I ask because I am new at using software (other than Audacity) for > >multitrack recording, and when I get more than a couple apps up and > >running, my system gets sluggish, and I can't even load the Titanic > >SoundFont in Qsynth because it crashes (I presume due to lack of > >memory). > > > >Thanks in advance for any advice. > > > >Dana > > > > > > > > > Memory and more memory would be my first upgrade on hardware like that. > Buffering into /swap is not good for audio applications. Your > motherboard/cpu combo is fairly up-to-date and should get you by for > quite some time. Second pick would be doing away with the onboard video > with seperate card (preferably nvidia) especially if you are using apps > with realtime/pseudo-realtime meters and spectrum analyzers and the like. > > Best, > > Jon > Thanks for the advice guys! I'll probably get the RAM if I think I can budget for it. I'd rather not invest in a PCI video card (freakin Dell doesn't put AGP slots on this model!). I am still new to the Linux software out there, but I like the thought of softsynths. Currently I use just hardware stuff recorded into Audacity, but I'd like to move towards software-only (well, plus MIDI guitars and live guitars and MIDI drums). Thanks again! Dana
