new laptop performs worse than old one

[Karmamechanic]

Hi. I got a new laptop: Win11, i7-12700h, 32gig, SSDs. It sputters and drops out on the same projects the old one can play without issue. The old one is Win10, i7-9750h, 16gig, SSD for OS, hard drive for audio. All the usual config stuff has been checked on the new one by two people who have done it for years and know what they are doing. Latest version of Cakewalk. Latency mon shows that the new laptop should be better than the old.

Is it possible Cakewalk is not yet ready for Win11 or that it is not optimally using the P-cores and E-cores of the 12th gen CPUs? Is there anyway to check its core usage to see if it using all the cores? Thanks.

[Promidi]

Define “All the usual config stuff has been checked”

These “two people who have done it for years” - does “it” mean “configure a Windows machine for DAW use” or “PCs in general”

First thing you might want to check is that the CPU power min and max is 100% (Sane as turning off core parking)

Try Start + run "control powercfg.cpl,,1" (without quotes) and set CPU Min and Max to 100% (Under Processor power management)

Another thing. In preferences | Audio | Configuration File try adjusting the following:

EnableSetThreadIdealProcessor = False
MixThreadCount = {number of cores minus 1}

You might like to exit Cakewalk by Bandlab, go to the following folder and make a copy of the AUD.INI file before doing this:

%appdata%\Cakewalk\Cakewalk Core

Also, I am assuming that all of your drivers are up to date (using manufacturer's websites rather than Windows updates)

This goes without saying - you are using ASIO mode I take it?  What sample rate, bit depth and sample buffer size are you using?

What is the CbB Performance Module showing you (when a project is being played?

[Karmamechanic]

Quote

 does “it” mean “configure a Windows machine for DAW use” or “PCs in general”

For DAW use.

CPU power min and max are and have been 100%. Same as old computer.

I had not tried: EnableSetThreadIdealProcessor = False, MixThreadCount = {number of cores minus 1} ...but that has no effect.

All drivers are up to date using either Windows update or manufacturer's website. Drivers are probably not up to date on old computer.

Yes ASIO, 96/24, 4096 buffer size. Same as old computer.

The performance module is lit up, bouncing around, and hitting red alot. Same as old computer.

The project is very intensive. I figure it's about the most the old computer can handle. It's more than the new computer can handle.

Thanks for your suggestions, and I welcome more.

 

[Promidi]

12 minutes ago, Karmamechanic said:

Yes ASIO, 96/24, 4096 buffer size.

The performance ..... and hitting red a lot.

 

Does the “hitting red” correspond with the instances of sputtering and drops outs?

  I would not like the performance to be “hitting red a lot”. 

Strictly as a test, try 48/24.

[Karmamechanic]

Yes, the redder it gets the more it sputters and drops out. Yes, less red would be nice. It's understandable on the old machine, but on the new one I can't figure out why it's worse, nor can the vendor. Setting to 48/24 causes Cakewalk to freeze. Twice now. I've never actually changed sample rate after starting a project. The suggestion on the table with the people I'm talking to is that maybe Cakewalk can't handle Win11 properly or the 12th gen CPUs properly. It's just a guess because so much else has been ruled out. Thanks.

[Promidi]

28 minutes ago, Karmamechanic said:

The suggestion on the table with the people I'm talking to is that maybe Cakewalk can't handle Win11 properly or the 12th gen CPUs properly. It's just a guess because so much else has been ruled out. Thanks.

Maybe drop a note Cakewalk support here:

https://help.cakewalk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360000025633

[Starship Krupa]

Something odd I've noticed is that my Presonus Studio 2|4 has a window of buffer settings. It likes either 512 or 1024. Higher than that and it starts sounding like my project is rolling around in a gravel truck. Lower than that can be okay but I can't put too much in in the way of plug-ins.

So it may be counterintuitive, but try dropping yours down to 512 and see if it helps. Your computer is spec'd way way better than any of mine. It should be able to cruise right along at 1024. 4096 seems like way too high.