single core and multi core performance question

[Richay13]

Hello, this might not belong here but i am slightly new. I will be purchasing components for a desktop this weekend and had my eyes pretty much set on the i7-10700k. I know the majority of processors are multi core, but as you can see on Processor Benchmarks
- Geekbench Browser they seperate it into single and multicore performance benchmarks. This is relevant because, I have came across a few reviews on the intel x series for recording, scores high on the multi core performance and have been slightly considering getting an x299 and probably a 9th gen x. However theres no clear details on what the difference is. One source said, single core performance is just for basic apps and bla bla bla, others say single core is really good for recording and especially at low buffer rates. It seems that things that score high on the multicore performance test also have hyperthreading capabilities, and seems like processors with higher multicore performance works great with running many vsts and ext. Anyway, my question what is truly the difference? Does one benefit over the other?

Thank you in advance

 

[keith.rogers]

Multi-core performance matters a lot in modern computers because there are dozens of applications running at the same time, and many/most/all of those are multi-threaded, so will take advantage of any additional "CPUs" that are available. Honestly, there are very few applications, and none with interactive graphics, that are not multi-threaded, but there are some processes within an application that effectively run single threaded because there's no advantage to parallelization. Streaming audio to/from a device is likely one of them, since the data packets have to be kept in order. Of course, they can be ordered at each end by a numbering system, and certainly are identified in some way like that so as to catch missing or duplicate data, but in general the audio is produced linearly on input/record, so will be sent that way (ignoring further packetization by the USB stack or whatever). So, everything else being equal, a faster single core spec might mean it would work better for audio, but it is likely irrelevant in that level of processor.

What will matter is whether there are enough "cores" (or hyperthreads) available when needed so that driver interrupts for sending and receiving audio are not kept waiting for a free core to do the processing. IOW, all the optimizations about not having network on, anti-virus software off (i.e., things that have a lot of driver/interrupt-level processing), or removing junk apps so the system is not jugging a 1000 processes, along with responsive internal/external hardware to match the CPU capability still applies.

My aging ex-computer-guy $.02.