X-Post from "General/Hardware" to see if anyone on this sub-forum might have an answer or insight:

Hey all - I have a question for anyone who has an answer:

I currently run a single-computer set-up with adequate but aged (5-ish years old) hardware for running large sample-based projects at low latency.  At some point I'll want to upgrade, however, and at that point it would be extraordinarily useful to use my existing computer as a secondary "sample server" using VEP7 rather than let it go to waste.

My question is this: when the time for upgrading to a newer, more powerful computer comes, does it make more sense to use the newer and faster hardware (i9 cpu, m.2 ssd, etc.) on the secondary computer so that the big, chunky sample libraries (like Synchron Strings Pro and whatnot) can run blazingly fast, or does it make sense to have the main computer with the DAW be the faster one?  I'm unsure how network architecture and VEP7's inner workings are best optimized/utilized in this case...

For context, my current single computer set-up is Windows 10 on an i7 4820k 4.5ghz quadcore, 2.5TB SSD space, 64gb ddr3 RAM.  (My interface is an RME Babyface Pro, if that matters)  My prospective new computer would most likely be something like an i9 8 or 10 core something or other, 64-128gb RAM, and a 2TB m.2 drive (or whatever is within budget and/or current gen at the time of purchase)

I highly appreciate any advice on this.  I know that the secondary computer needs RAM and SSD space for the samples, but I'm not sure if it also needs the faster processor, or if that's more needed by the main computer and the DAW and OS...

Cheers,

- Sam

I'd personally recommend using the new system as your main computer. It will probably handle your needs most of the time, but you have the older system to bring into play when you need it.

Long ago many people used fxmax teleport in windows xp, vista and 7, 32-bit only....
Large Sample libraries was Not possible because the 4GB "3.7GB" limit of 32-Bit OS & software,
You could install 64-Bit XP, Vista or 7 but audio software was 32-Bit.

The main pc was usually the more powerful tower, in that time laptops were very limited, dual core.
Usually laptop was helper, towers were q6600 or better.

Most plugins like faster cores than many but slower cores in audio,
Specially Protools 12.7 softube modular, some pspaudioware, etc...

With today crazy fast Apple i9 MacBookPro lines have blurred.
Also USB soundcards was Not possible in the past because the limited CPU power, impossible in a Pentium4 1-core,

most people had Digi001 pci or similar pci soundcard, RME, Lynx Studio, etc... firewire was on the edge, but today Focusrite Clarett USB have professional quality at a decent price impossible a few years back. Digidesign 888/24 AD/DA was $3000usd. 48khz and requires Mix Farm pci cards $$$.
Technology has evolved very much in 10 years.

Pro studios were Not using CPU only, were using DSP cards like Creamware Scope, Protools Mix, UAD, Yamaha DSP factory DS2416, TC Powercore, Korg Oasys, and others... Or digital mixers.

Powerful & fast = main.
Slower = helper.

Mac world was another story... Most audio software was designed for 32-Bit G4 cpus with OS9.2, OSX Tiger 10.4 or OSX 10.5 Leopard, almost none for 64-bit G5 optimized.
The 2005 Quad G5 was very powerful, as good or more as 2007 Q6600, but changed from PCI to PCIe, PCI soundcards like Digi001 were abandoned, had water cooling leaks, etc...
G5 has 90nm, intel q6600 had 65nm.
Watercooling 2.5GHz was required.

There was a previous golden era, the Atari ST midi studio with Steinberg Cubase or C-Labs Notator, everything in Hardware, samplers, mixers, everything...
Commodore had very limited Midi SW.

Old music can be done with new HW, there are youtube tutorials...
Sounds very similar...