Ok then how does 3.5 perform with lower core vs higher core?

I have never been able to get a straight answer and honestly I can't imagine why it's difficult to answer. I have Artist 3 and I want to upgrade but before I shell out the $300 I want to be clear on this.

Will the SW perform better with 4-8 core up to 4.2 Ghz, or 10-16 core 3.6-3.2GHz?