[SOLVED] Upgraded PC not reaching same performance level as iMac

[MeanGreen7]

Hello,

I recently switched from Mac to PC in the hopes of it being a more powerful and customizable platform, but unfortunately I am having performance issues when it comes to highly intensive plugins for audio applications. I realize that this is a specific issue, so if this is simply not the forum to use that's fine. I have posted on audio specific forums, but have hit a wall in terms of help. Also, please be aware this is my first time posting here and I do not intend to start a Mac vs PC argument.

For reference I was using a 2019 iMac, with an i9 processor and 32gb of ram. My current PC I recently built uses an i9 10850k, with an ASUS ProArt Z490 Creator motherboard and 64GB of ram. The clock speed is 3.6 on both chips, but the 10850k has two additional cores. I have 2 Samsung 980 Pros, and 1 870 Evo.

90% of the system feels great and better than my Mac, but when using some of my most intensive plugins and applications , the new PC is not able to handle the same task that the iMac could.

I would appreciate any assistance, and maybe some ways to diagnose the problem. This is my first pc so I am not as familiar with troubleshooting besides what I have read online. I have done all the audio centric bios and windows tweaks, to no avail.

 

[John Chesterfield]

There are some things Macs are just better for. And unfortunately music production is one of them, graphic design is another.

Both of these use cases are, merely in my opinion, a better experience on a Mac. And I'm 100% a PC guy, I hate having to deal with Macs at work. But this has been the case for as long as I can remember. And sorry to say, in your case I think you might have been better off sticking with the Mac

 

[Eximo]

Complete system specs?

CPU: i9-10850k
CPU Cooler:
Motherboard: ASUS ProArt Z490 (looks like decent VRMs)
GPU?
Storage configuration?

i9s use a lot of power, and if you don't have adequate cooling they won't stay at boost clocks. At stock there are power limits and all kinds of things that could reduce clock speed. With adequate cooling you should not see anywhere near the base clock.

My i9-10900F pulls 192W with the power limits removed, runs 4.6Ghz all core, and regularly has one or two cores above 5Ghz. I did water cool it though. (Same stock boost profile as the 10850K, which is one of the reasons I got it, slightly cheaper too)


I would tend to agree that Apple does a good job optimizing their systems for multimedia tasks. You could also try running a hackintosh load on the system and actually try out Mac OS, unless you already are.

 

[MeanGreen7]

There are some things Macs are just better for. And unfortunately music production is one of them, graphic design is another.

Both of these use cases are, merely in my opinion, a better experience on a Mac. And I'm 100% a PC guy, I hate having to deal with Macs at work. But this has been the case for as long as I can remember. And sorry to say, in your case I think you might have been better off sticking with the Mac

Thank you for the honest answer. I received a similar reply on another forum. I do know that many film composers use PCs, but they also have very specific setups that far exceed what a normal music producer could realistically setup. The good thing is, I still have the Mac (what I'm typing on) so all is not lost. It will just be a matter of using the PC for a different task.

 

[MeanGreen7]

Complete system specs?

CPU: i9-10850k
CPU Cooler:
Motherboard: ASUS ProArt Z490 (looks like decent VRMs)
GPU?
Storage configuration?

i9s use a lot of power, and if you don't have adequate cooling they won't stay at boost clocks. At stock there are power limits and all kinds of things that could reduce clock speed. With adequate cooling you should not see anywhere near the base clock.

My i9-10900F pulls 192W with the power limits removed, runs 4.6Ghz all core, and regularly has one or two cores above 5Ghz. I did water cool it though. (Same stock boost profile as the 10850K, which is one of the reasons I got it, slightly cheaper too)


I would tend to agree that Apple does a good job optimizing their systems for multimedia tasks. You could also try running a hackintosh load on the system and actually try out Mac OS, unless you already are.

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 with dual fans.
GPU: Built in Intel graphics, no external card. (iMac does have a separate card I believe)
Storage Configuration: OS and main plugins/applications are on Samsung 980 Pro 512GB. Songs/Projects are on a second 980 pro. The 870 Evo is used only for samples/sample libraries.

I did research and was under the impression the NH-D15 was sufficient to cool the 10850K. Also the issues are consistent and repeatable, and doesn't seem like an overheating issue. I could be wrong though.

My clock speeds show 4.7-4.8Ghz in task manager with turbo on, non overclocked. I tried turbo off which didn't help, and I have not attempted overclocking. I'm not really sure what my setup draws in terms of power.

I haven't attempted to setup a hackintosh system, because at that point I would just switch back to Mac. I'm currently running Windows 10 with all the latest updates.

 

[John Chesterfield]

Thank you for the honest answer. I received a similar reply on another forum. I do know that many film composers use PCs, but they also have very specific setups that far exceed what a normal music producer could realistically setup. The good thing is, I still have the Mac (what I'm typing on) so all is not lost. It will just be a matter of using the PC for a different task.

You're more than welcome. And great that you still have the Mac too, so you can do as you suggest and use each machine for its strengths. Not a bad situation to be in at all really.

@Eximo gave a good suggestion though, a Hackintosh system. Maybe buy another drive to experiment with it.

 

[LeviTech]

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 with dual fans.
GPU: Built in Intel graphics, no external card. (iMac does have a separate card I believe)
Storage Configuration: OS and main plugins/applications are on Samsung 980 Pro 512GB. Songs/Projects are on a second 980 pro. The 870 Evo is used only for samples/sample libraries.

I did research and was under the impression the NH-D15 was sufficient to cool the 10850K. Also the issues are consistent and repeatable, and doesn't seem like an overheating issue. I could be wrong though.

My clock speeds show 4.7-4.8Ghz in task manager with turbo on, non overclocked. I tried turbo off which didn't help, and I have not attempted overclocking. I'm not really sure what my setup draws in terms of power.

I haven't attempted to setup a hackintosh system, because at that point I would just switch back to Mac. I'm currently running Windows 10 with all the latest updates.

Do not turn off turbo boost it would be worst.
That noctua handle an i9 10850K non OC.
The thing is what John Chesterfield already told you. Something are better in mac os then in a windows pc.

 

[Eximo]

Actually sounds like the lack of a GPU with dedicated VRAM is the main issue here. Sharing system memory and video memory while doing editing work is putting a strain on the memory controller.

Even a cheap GPU would probably take care of those lingering issues.

A lot of people's goals with a Hackintosh is to get more performance per dollar. Generally wise to stick with AMD graphics if you intend a Hackintosh.