i think the more cores you can afford. a quad core mp will be decent i think w/ FCP X since this program leverages not just extra cores but also the gpu. obviously, the more cores the better. and this applies to the previous FCP as well. the only thing FCP 7 can't do that FCP X can do is use GPU for processing effects and utilize the extra cores to do background processing. in short, FCP X is more "efficient" utilizing all your cores. before, you had to wait for FCP to transcode/render, if needed, and a status bar would appear and you can't work while it is doing it. with FCP X, this rendering happens in the background. the more cores you have just like in FCP 7 the faster the render will be. so, i think that an 8-core MP is better than the quad, if you can afford it. but, FCP X might be faster on a quad than FCP 7 was because it is more efficient/modern program.... FCP 7 ate up cores and clock speed, so the more you have of either, the better. like a company hiring more people to get the job done faster. with FCP X, the company hired specialist or delegators to handle the job with however many cores or people on hand without necessarily needing to hire more hands to have the same result. so, to get back to you situation, a quad core would be able to do what an 8 core MP can with FCP X cheaper. and an 8-core wold be able to get your job done with more money. your choice.
