[jdietrich]

If a single instance of a VST can use 100% of a thread, you're using a woefully underpowered processor or a ludicrously inefficient plugin. Many composers regularly work on projects with hundreds of tracks and thousands of plugin instances. Projects of that scale used to require multiple computers and a bunch of DSP accelerator cards, but they're now entirely feasible on one high-end workstation.

[deng]

It's not hard to find VSTs which will easily max out an i7, especially if they run on Max/MSP. Also, stuff from u-he, like Diva. If you run several instances on high-quality you'll usually need to start freezing tracks.