Is Natspeak able to take full advantage of the new Sandy Bridge-E (i7 3960X)?

I've read that only certain software platforms can; otherwise, it makes more sense -- especially economically -- to just go with the i7-2700K.

highland99,

The general answer to your question is, YES.
 

That's a loaded statement and taken out of context is basically meaningless.

First, software platforms are of two basic types: (a) operating systems, and (b) servers. Most users think of servers in terms of hardware. However, hardware is the base on which operating systems and server software run. For example, you can have a gateway server, an e-mail server, a database server, a security server, etc. ad infinitum, but the hardware is simply the physical platform on which on which a particular type of server software runs. The term "server" is applied to both hardware and software, but the technical definition of a server is the particular software application that defines the purpose of the hardware. Applications like DNS or Microsoft Office, etc. are software applications.

Second, it isn't a question of whether a software application can take advantage of the new Sandy Bridge E, it's a question of whether or not it does and to what degree. The configuration of your processor determines performance and capabilities, not suitability or compatibility. All applications, to a certain degree, benefit from processor performance and configuration. Dragon NaturallySpeaking does take full advantage of the processor configuration. That is, in the case of DNS 11-11.5, BestMatch IV is a multithreading application. That is it is designed to take advantage of multiple cores and processing your dictation in parallel using such in conjunction with two unique Acoustic Models. This, at least in theory, provides improved accuracy.

However, all software applications, to one degree or another, take advantage of certain processor-based hardware configurations. For example, all software applications take advantage of the SmartCache in the Gulftown and Sandy Bridge Core™ i processors, the amount and speed of the RAM relative to whether you're running under a 32 bit operating system or 64-bit operating system, the functionality of the overall cache process/function (L1, L2, and L3 cache), the speed of the processor, hyperthreading vs. no hyperthreading, and the number of cores. Most applications currently only take advantage of one core at a time, but they are all, via the operating system, able to use any core available in the system.

Lastly, I could go on and on, but that wouldn't serve any purpose in terms of answering your question. It's basically a cost-benefit issue. To what degree does an extreme processor like the Core™ i7 3960X increase the overall performance of a particular software application relative to the cost-benefit. The simplest way to put it is this: If the time to display the text of your dictation on screen is instantaneous, or virtually instantaneous, using a Core™ i7 2700K, then spending the extra money for the Core™ i7 3960X is money best spent elsewhere. Further, accuracy is not dependent on processor performance. If you are currently getting 99% accuracy, going with the Core™ i7 3960X wouldn't improve your accuracy because the factors that directly and significantly impact on accuracy are independent of processor performance.

If your concern is economic (cost-benefit), then you're better off going with the Core™ i7 2700K. On the other hand, if money is no object and you understand that in terms of DNS there is no real cost-benefit in terms of accuracy or performance, given the above, then shoot for the moon and go with the Core™ i7 3960X. You may very well have other applications that could benefit from going this route, particularly applications like Adobe Photoshop 64-bit. On the other hand, if you really want a six core processor, it be of greater cost-benefit to go with the Core™ i7 3930, which is half the cost of the 3960X and will give you the same basic performance.

There is, however, one advantage (cost-benefit) in going with the Core™ i7 2700K or the 3930, and that is that it requires the LGA 2011 CPU socket (motherboard). Sometime towards the end of the first quarter of 2012, Intel is going to introduce (release) the new Ivy Bridge processors. Ivy Bridge will support the LGA 2011 socket, as well as the LGA 2011 X79 chipset and four channel memory and will introduce the new Tri-Gate 3-D transistors, which will definitely have an impact on DNS. Even in their low-end configurations, the Ivy Bridge processors will run circles around Sandy Bridge. Still, to use a simple analogy, if you're going to drive from point A to point B, which is 650 miles, and the fastest that you can go is 65 mph regardless of whether you have a 200 hp engine or a 600 hp engine, it's still going to take you 10 hours to get from point A to point B, but with a 600 hp engine it's going to cost you twice as much for gas. So, you decide what the cost-benefit is for you.

Chuck Runquist
Technical Project Manager
VoiceTeach LLC
Home of VoicePower®: We don't make Dragon NaturallySpeaking, We make it better!

"Many of the things you can count, don't count. Many of the things you can't count, really count." Albert Einstein

Hi Chuck,

Thanks very much for this extensive reply.  Much appreciated.

I know you've commented on this fact in the past (in another reply a while back); I was wondering if you happen to have a quick link for one of your past and comprehensive explanations on this subject?

Thanks again!

 Can you provide links to a benchmark report or similar report?

I did see this report, but I haven't seen any others...

I have not looked this up but sites like Tom's Hardware have stats on this stuff and fun to read.  http://www.tomshardware.com/

Larry 

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-cpu-ivy-bridge-processor,14386.html

This is about the ivy bridge coming out in April.

Larry